Display system with 2D/3D image conversion where left and right eye images have a delay and luminance difference base upon a horizontal component of a motion vector

• US 5,717,415 A
• Filed: 07/10/1996
• Issued: 02/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Maenaka, Akihiro, Mori, Yukio, Takemori, Daisuke, Iue, Satoshi, Iinuma, Toshiya, Murata, Haruhiko, Ando, Takahisa, Minechika, Shigekazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOUI, MARTIN S
• Application Number:
  US08/677,787
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 345/8-9, 345/135, 345/139, 395/119, 395/127, 348/42, 348/46, 348/51, 348/416, 348/401, 348/405, 348/413, 348/699, 348/701, 364/565, 359/458
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/167 Synchronising or controlling image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/211 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/221 using the relative movement between cameras and objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/264 using the relative movement of objects in two video frames or fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/597 specially adapted for multi-view video sequence encoding

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images. In the present invention, a right eye image signal and a left eye image signal between which there is relatively a time difference or a luminance difference are produced from a two-dimensional image signal, thereby to convert two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images. According to the present invention, therefore, it is possible to convert the existing two-dimensional image software into pseudo three-dimensional image software to obtain three-dimensional images.

Claims

1. A method of converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images comprising:

producing from a two-dimensional image signal a first image signal and a second image signal which is delayed from the first image signal;

assigning said first and second image signals to a respective left or right eye image;

wherein an image represented by said two-dimensional imaged signal includes a moving portion;

wherein delay is indicated by how many fields there are from a field corresponding to the first image signal to a field corresponding to the second image signal as relating to the speed of the movement in said moving portion wherein the speed is determined based on a horizontal component of a motion vector which is detected from the first image signal; and

wherein the higher the speed of the movement in said moving portion is, the smaller said delay is, while the lower the speed of the movement in the moving portion is, the larger the delay is.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

said two-dimensional image signal is obtained by reproducing two-dimensional image software stored in a record medium by image reproducing means.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein

said two-dimensional image signal is outputted in real time from imaging means.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein

two-dimensional image software is outputted in real time from computer graphics producing means.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein

said second image signal is obtained by storing said two-dimensional image signal in a memory once and reading out from the two-dimensional image signal stored in the memory a two-dimensional image signal corresponding to the delay determined on the basis of the speed of the movement in said moving portion.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein

it is determined on the basis of the direction of the movement in said moving portion which of said first image signal and said second image signal is taken as each of said left eye image signal and said right eye image signal.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein

said first image signal is taken as the left eye image signal and said second image signal is taken as the right eye image signal if the direction of the movement in said moving portion is a direction from the left to the right, while the first image signal is taken as the right eye image signal and the second image signal is taken as the left eye image signal if the direction of the movement in the moving portion is a direction from the right to the left.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein

either one of the first image signal and the second image signal is subjected to infield interpolation processing when the first image signal and the second image signal corresponding thereto differ in the type of field.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein

said second image signal is subjected to interfield interpolation processing in a field where the delay has been just changed.

10. A method of converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images comprising:

producing from a two-dimensional image signal a first image signal and a second image signal a luminance of which is attenuated from the first image signal and taking one of the signals as a left eye image signal and the other signal as a right eye image signal;

an image represented by said two-dimensional image signal includes a moving portion,

an amount of attenuation of the luminance of the second image signal from the first image signal being determined on the basis of the speed of the movement in the moving portion wherein the speed is determined based on a horizontal component of a motion vector which is detected from the first image signal,

the higher the speed of the movement in said moving portion is, the smaller said amount of attenuation of the luminance is, while the lower the speed of movement in the moving portion is, the large the amount of attenuation of luminance is.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein

said second image signal is obtained by attenuating the luminance of said two-dimensional image signal by variable luminance adjusting means depending on the amount of attenuation of the luminance determined on the basis of the speed of the movement in the moving portion.

12. A 3D image display system comprising:

a 2D/3D image converter for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images by producing from a two-dimensional image signal a right eye image signal and a left eye image signal between which there is a relative time difference; and

wherein an image represented by said two-dimensional image signal includes a moving portion;

wherein delay is indicated by how many fields there are from a field corresponding to the first image signal to a field corresponding to the second image signal as relating to the speed of the movement in said moving portion wherein the speed is determined based on a horizontal component of a motion vector which is detected from the first image signal;

wherein the higher the speed of the movement in said moving portion is, the smaller said delay is, while the lower the speed of the movement in the moving portion is, the larger the delay is; and

a display for realizing three-dimensional images on the basis of the right eye image signal and the left eye image signal which are obtained by the 2D/3D image converter.

13. The 3D image display system according to claim 12, wherein

said display comprises a three-dimensional image display monitor for simultaneously displaying said right eye image signal and said left eye image signal which are obtained by said 2D/3D image converter.

14. The 3D image display system according to claim 12, wherein

said display comprises

a two-dimensional image display monitor for alternately switching said right eye image signal and said left eye image signal which are obtained by said 2D/3D image converter for predetermined number of fields or frames and displaying the signal obtained by the switching, and

three-dimensional image viewing glasses having a left eye portion and a right eye portion which can be so switched that one of the portions enters a light transmitted state and the other portion enters a light intercepted state,

the left eye portion and the right eye portion of said three-dimensional image viewing glasses being so switched that one, which corresponds to an image displayed on said monitor, of the left eye portion and the right eye portion enters the light transmitted state in synchronism with the switching between said right eye image signal and said left eye image signal.

15. The 3D image display system according to claim 12, wherein

said display comprises

a two-dimensional image display projector for alternately switching said right eye image signal and said left eye image signal obtained by said 2D/3D image converter for predetermined number of fields or frames and projecting the signal obtained by the switching, and

three-dimensional image viewing glasses having a left eye portion and a right eye portion which can be so switched that one of the portions enters a light transmitted state and the other portion enters a light intercepted state,

the left eye portion and the right eye portion of said three-dimensional image viewing glasses being so switched that one, which corresponds to an image projected by said projector, of the left eye portion and the right eye portion enters the light transmitted state in synchronism with the switching between said right eye image signal and said left eye image signal.

16. A 3D image display system comprising:

a 2D/3D image converter for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images by producing from a two-dimensional image signal a right eye image signal and a left eye image signal between which there is relatively a luminance difference based upon a amount of attenuation of luminance is determined based upon a horizontal component of a motion vector corresponding to movement of a moving portion detected from a first image signal; and

a display for realizing three-dimensional images on the basis of the right eye image signal and the left eye image signal which are obtained by the 2D/3D image converter.

17. The 3D image display system according to claim 16, wherein

said display comprises a three-dimensional image display monitor for simultaneously displaying said right eye image signal and said left eye image signal which are obtained by said 2D/3D image converter.

18. The 3D image display system according to claim 16, wherein

said display comprises

a two-dimensional image display monitor for alternately switching said right eye image signal and said left eye image signal which are obtained by said 2D/3D image converter for each predetermined number of fields or frames and displaying the signal obtained by the switching, and

three-dimensional image viewing glasses having a left eye portion and a right eye portion which can be so switched that one of the portions enters a light transmitted state and the other portion enters a light intercepted state,

the left eye portion and the right eye portion of said three-dimensional image viewing glasses being so switched that one, which corresponds to an image displayed on said monitor, of the left eye portion and the right eye portion enters the light transmitted state in synchronism with the switching between said right eye image signal and said left eye image signal.

19. The 3D image display system according to claim 16, wherein

said display comprises

a two-dimensional image display projector for alternately switching said right eye image signal and said left eye image signal which are obtained by said 2D/3D image converter for each predetermined number of fields or frames and projecting the signal obtained by the switching, and

three-dimensional image viewing glasses having a left eye portion and a right eye portion which can be so switched that one of the portions enters a light transmitted state and the other portion enters a light intercepted state,

the left eye portion and the right eye portion of said three-dimensional image viewing glasses being so switched that one, which corresponds to an image projected by said projector, of the left eye portion and the right eye portion enters the light transmitted state in synchronism with the switching between said right eye image signal and said left eye image signal.