Method of converting two-dimensional image into three-dimensional image

• US 5,739,844 A
• Filed: 02/03/1995
• Issued: 04/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vision3D Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuwano, Yukinori, Andou, Takahisa, Enomoto, Tetsuya, Uwa, Nobuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, RICHARD J
• Application Number:
  US08/383,207
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 348/42-54, 345/1, 345/6, 395/119, 395/128
• US Class Current: 348/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/167 Synchronising or controlling image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/261 with monoscopic-to-stereoscopic image conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/286 having separate monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/31 using parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0085 Motion estimation from stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

A two-dimensional image which is constitute by a plurality of frame images which are continuous in time is taken as an image for one eye, while a two-dimensional image obtained by shifting the frame image by N frames (N includes zero and is not fixed), thereby to produce a three-dimensional image. For example, the two-dimensional image is not changed, that is, the frame difference (N) is adjusted to "0" with respect to a portion of the two-dimensional image whose content is not easily converted into a three-dimensional image, while the frame difference (N) is adjusted to (N) larger than (N) for a normal three-dimensional image with respect to a portion of the two-dimensional image whose content is very easily converted into a three-dimensional image, thereby to give further three-dimensional feeling to a viewer as well as reduce the fatigue of the eyes of the viewer.

Claims

1. A method of converting a two-dimensional image into a three-dimensional image, comprising the steps of:

taking a two-dimensional image which is constitute by a plurality of frame images which are continuous in time as an image for one eye, while taking a two-dimensional image obtained by shifting said image for one eye by N frames, where N includes the number zero and is not a fixed number, as an image for the other eye, therein to produce a three-dimensional image, wherein said N which is a frame difference is adjusted for each switching of scenes on the two-dimensional image.

2. A method of converting a two-dimensional image into a three-dimensional image, comprising the steps of:

taking a two-dimensional image which is constitute by a plurality of frame images which are continuous in time as an image for one eye, while taking a two-dimensional image obtained by shifting said image by N frames, (where N includes the number zero and is not a fixed number) as an image for the other eye, and

gradually changing said N which is a frame difference at a change point of the two-dimensional image and a three-dimensional image, wherein

said N which is a frame difference is gradually changed by outputting consecutive frame images constituting the two-dimensional image as an image for one eye, while repeatedly outputting one of the frame images constituting the two-dimensional image at said change point for a predetermined time period as an image for the other eye.

3. A method of converting a two-dimensional image into a three-dimensional image, comprising the steps of:

taking a two-dimensional image which is constitute by a plurality of frame images which are continuous in time as an image for one eye, while taking a two-dimensional image obtained by shifting said image by N frames, where N includes the number zero and is not a fixed number, as an image for the other eye, and

gradually changing said N which is a frame difference at a change point of the two-dimensional image and a three-dimensional image, wherein

said N which is a frame difference is gradually changed by outputting consecutive frame images constituting the two-dimensional image as an image for one eye, while repeatedly outputting each of two or more frame images constituting the two-dimensional image in a vicinity of said change point for a predetermined time period as an image for the other eye.

4. A method for converting a two-dimensional image into a three-dimensional image, comprising the steps of:

taking a two-dimensional image which is constituted by a plurality of frame images which are continuous in time as an image for one eye, while taking a two-dimensional image obtained by shifting said image by N frames, where N includes the number zero and is not a fixed number, as an image for the other eye, and

gradually changing said N which is a frame difference so that the image for one eye and the image for the other eye have frame images on which a common scene is projected at a changed point of scenes on the two-dimensional image.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said N which is a frame difference is gradually changed by a viewer the two-dimensional image to determine the change point of the scenes.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein

said N which is a frame difference is gradually changed by automatically determining the change point of the scenes based upon presence or absence of a correlation with time of information on a motion vector obtained from the two-dimensional image.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein

said N which is a frame difference is gradually changed by outputting consecutive frame images constituting the two-dimensional image as an image for one eye, while repeatedly outputting one of the frame images constituting the two-dimensional image at said change point for a predetermined time period as an image for the other eye.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein

said N which is a frame difference is gradually changed by outputting consecutive frame images constituting the two-dimensional image as an image for one eye, while repeatedly outputting each of two or more frame images out of a frame images constituting the two-dimensional image in a vicinity of said change point for a predetermined time period as an image for the other eye.