APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING STEREOSCOPIC IMAGE PARALLAX AND STEREO CAMERA

• US 20150358611A1
• Filed: 06/01/2015
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Superb Technology Co Ltd
• Original Assignee: Shenzhen Mercury Optoelectronics Research Institute
• Inventors: SONG, LEI, LIU, NING, CUI, CHUNHUI
• Granted Patent: US 9,912,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/246 Calibration of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/271 wherein the generated image signals comprise depth maps or disparity maps

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for adjusting stereoscopic image parallax and a stereo camera. The parallax adjusting method includes obtaining a depth range of a current scene. A preset parallax range may also be obtained according to a current viewing condition. Expected camera parameters of the current scene are calculated according to the depth range of the current scene and the preset parallax range. The stereo camera is adjusted according to the expected camera parameters and used to capture preprocessed stereoscopic images. Further, the captured preprocessed stereoscopic images are processed according to the expected camera parameters to make the preprocessed stereoscopic images suitable for being viewed under the current viewing condition. The disclosed method and apparatus can jointly adjust parameters of the stereo camera and captured stereo images to obtain images or videos with a maximum parallax as well as desired display effect under a specified condition.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting stereoscopic image parallax in a stereo camera having at least two lenses with parallel optical axes, comprising:

obtaining a depth range of a current scene;

obtaining a preset parallax range according to a current viewing condition;

calculating expected camera parameters of the current scene according to the depth range of the current scene and the preset parallax range;

adjusting the stereo camera according to the expected camera parameters;

capturing preprocessed stereoscopic images using the adjusted stereo camera; and

processing the preprocessed stereoscopic images according to the expected camera parameters to make the preprocessed stereoscopic images suitable for being viewed under the current viewing condition.

2. The method according to claim 1, obtaining a depth range of a current scene further comprising:

controlling the stereo camera to capture an initial stereo image pair of the current scene;

calculating a parallax between the initial stereo image pair; and

calculating the depth range of the current scene according to the parallax between the initial stereo image pair and current parameters of the stereo camera.

3. The method according to claim 1, obtaining a depth range of a current scene further comprising:

setting a preset depth range according to a received command;

obtaining the preset depth range; and

making the depth range of the current scene equal to the preset depth range.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

adjusting the stereo camera according to the expected camera parameters further includes adjusting at least one of an expected distance between an image plane and an optical center of the stereo camera and an expected interaxial distance of the stereo camera;

processing the preprocessed stereoscopic images further includes horizontally shifting a left image and a right image of the preprocessed stereoscopic images in opposite directions.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the expected camera parameters includes an expected distance between an image plane and an optical center of the stereo camera and an expected interaxial distance of the stereo camera; and

the expected distance between the image plane and the optical center of the stereo camera and the expected interaxial distance satisfy equation

6. The method according to claim 5, obtaining a preset parallax range according to a current viewing condition further comprising:

obtaining a size of a stereoscopic display device of the current viewing condition;

obtaining a desired viewing distance corresponding to the stereoscopic display; and

calculating the maximum positive parallax value and the maximum negative parallax value according to the current viewing condition.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

when an interaxial distance between a left lens and a right lens of the stereo camera is adjustable, the expected camera parameters include an expected interaxial distance and an expected depth of zero-parallax plane;

adjusting the stereo camera further includes adjusting the interaxial distance of the stereo camera to equal the expected interaxial distance

8. The method according to claim 7, processing the preprocessed stereoscopic images further includes:

horizontally shifting the left image of the preprocessed stereoscopic images to the left for a predetermined distance h;

horizontally shifting the right image of the preprocessed stereoscopic images to the right for the predetermined distance h; and

the predetermined distance is

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

when an interaxial distance between a left lens and a right lens of the stereo camera is fixed, the expected camera parameters include an expected depth of zero-parallax plane; and

the expected depth of zero-parallax plane satisfies equation

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying at least one of initial stereoscopic images and the preprocessed stereoscopic images in real-time on a stereoscopic display of the stereo camera;

wherein the stereoscopic display satisfies a preset horizontal resolution requirement

11. An apparatus for adjusting stereoscopic image parallax in a stereo camera having at least two lenses with parallel optical axes, comprising:

a depth acquisition unit configured to obtain a depth range of a current scene;

a parallax acquisition unit configured to obtain a preset parallax range according to a current viewing condition;

a calculation unit configured to calculate expected camera parameters of the current scene according to the depth range of the current scene and the preset parallax range; and

a processing unit configured to adjust the stereo camera according to the expected camera parameters and, after capturing preprocessed stereoscopic images using the adjusted stereo camera, to process the preprocessed stereoscopic images according to the expected camera parameters to make the preprocessed stereoscopic images suitable for being viewed under the current viewing condition.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the depth acquisition unit further includes:

a parallax calculation unit configured to calculate a parallax between an initial stereo image pair when the stereo camera captures the initial stereo image pair of the current scene; and

a first type acquisition unit configured to obtain the depth range of the current scene according to the parallax between the initial stereo image pair and current parameters of the stereo camera.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the depth acquisition unit further includes:

a configuration unit configured to set a preset depth range according to a received command; and

a second type acquisition unit configured to obtain the preset depth range, and configure the depth range of the current scene to equal the preset depth range.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

adjust at least one of an expected distance between an image plane and an optical center of the stereo camera and an expected interaxial distance of the stereo camera according to the expected camera parameters; and

after capturing preprocessed stereoscopic images using the adjusted stereo camera, horizontally shift a left image and a right image of the preprocessed stereoscopic images in opposite directions.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein:

the expected camera parameters includes an expected distance between an image plane and an optical center of the stereo camera and an expected interaxial distance of the stereo camera; and

the expected distance between the image plane and the optical center of the stereo camera and the expected interaxial distance satisfy equation

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the parallax acquisition unit is further configured to:

obtain a size of a stereoscopic display device of the current viewing condition;

obtain a desired viewing distance corresponding to the stereoscopic display; and

calculate the maximum positive parallax value and the maximum negative parallax value according to the current viewing condition.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein:

when an interaxial distance of the stereo camera is adjustable, the expected camera parameters include an expected interaxial distance and an expected depth of zero-parallax plane;

the processing unit is further configured to include

an interaxial adjusting unit configured to adjust the interaxial distance of the stereo camera to equal the expected interaxial distance

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, the depth adjusting unit is further configured to:

horizontally shift a left image of the preprocessed stereoscopic images to the left for a predetermined distance h;

horizontally shift a right image of the preprocessed stereoscopic images to the right for the predetermined distance h; and

the predetermined distance is

19. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein:

when an interaxial distance between a left lens and a right lens of the stereo camera is fixed, the expected camera parameters include an expected depth of zero-parallax plane; and

the expected depth of zero-parallax plane satisfies equation

20. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a stereoscopic display configured to display a stereo image pair in real-time on the stereo camera;

wherein the stereoscopic display satisfies a preset horizontal resolution requirement