Apparatus for adjusting the convergence in a stereoscopic image system

• US 5,786,847 A
• Filed: 06/06/1996
• Issued: 07/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Katayama, Tatsushi, Sekine, Masayoshi, Mori, Katsuhiko, Okauchi, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): AU, AMELIA MEGAN
• Application Number:
  US08/659,182
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 348/47, 348/46, 348/48, 348/42, 348/699, 382/154, 352/57, 352/62
• US Class Current: 348/47
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10021 Stereoscopic video; Stereoscopic image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20132 Image cropping
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/215 Motion-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/10 Processing, recording or transmission of stereoscopic or multi-view image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded 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 13/246 Calibration of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/30 Image reproducers optical systems for producing stereoscopic or other three-dimensional effects G02B30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0085 Motion estimation from stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus comprising plural image taking systems for taking the image of an object and outputting image signals, a memory circuit for storing plural image signals output from the plural image pickup systems, a convergence angle setting unit for setting the convergence angle of the plural image pickup systems, and a trimming circuit for extracting, from each of the plural image signals stored in the memory circuit, the signal of a portion corresponding to the convergence angle set by the convergence angle setting unit.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a) plural image pickup means for picking up an image of an object and outputting image signals;

b) memory means for storing plural image signals output from said image pickup means;

c) convergence angle setting means for setting the convergence angle of said plural image pickup means;

d) motion detection means for detecting motion information of the image; and

e) extracting means for extracting, from each of the plural image signals stored in said memory means, the signal of a portion according to the convergence angle set by said convergence angle setting means and the motion information detected by said motion detection means.

2. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said motion detection means detects motion vectors of the image, on each of the plural image signals output from said plural image pickup means, wherein said extracting means is adapted to control areas of extraction of the plural image signals stored in said memory means, based on the convergence angle set by said convergence angle setting means and the information of the motion vectors detected by said motion detection means.

3. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said motion detection means is adapted to detect the motion vectors by a matching calculation of a feature image between two consecutive fields, thereby detecting the motion of the image.

4. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said motion detection means includes phase difference detection means for detecting the phase difference between the plural image signals obtained by said image pickup means, wherein said extracting means is adapted to control areas of extraction of the plural image signals stored in said memory means, based on the convergence angle set by said convergence angle setting means and the information of the phase difference detected by said phase difference detection means.

5. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said convergence angle setting means is adapted to manually set the convergence angle, and said extracting means is adapted to vary the image readout position according to the convergence angle set by said convergence angle setting means.

6. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said phase difference detection means is adapted to detect the phase difference between images, in an overlapping area of the images stored in said memory means and supply said extracting means with said phase difference.

7. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising zoom means.

8. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a) left and right image pickup optical systems for picking up an image of an object and outputting image signals;

b) left and right image pickup elements for effecting photoelectric conversion of the left and right images, focused through said image pickup optical systems, thereby outputting image signals;

c) left and right A/D converters for converting the image signals output from said left and right pickup elements;

d) left and right memories for respectively storing the image signals output from said left and right A/D converters;

e) a convergence angle setting unit for setting the convergence angle of said left and right image pickup optical systems;

f) motion detecting means for detecting motion information of the image; and

g) a microcomputer for effecting a trimming process for extracting, from each of the plural image signals stored in said memories, the signal of a portion according to the convergence angle set by said convergence angle setting unit and the motion information detected by said motion detection means.

9. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said motion detecting means detects motion vectors of the image, on each of the plural image signals output from said plural image sensors, wherein said microcomputer is adapted to control areas of extraction of the plural image signals stored in said memory means, based on the convergence angle set by said convergence angle setting unit and the information of the motion vectors detected by said motion detecting circuit.

10. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said motion detecting circuit is adapted to detect the motion vectors by a matching calculation of a feature image between two consecutive fields, thereby detecting the motion of the image.

11. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said motion detection means includes a phase difference detecting circuit for detecting a phase difference between the plural image signals obtained by said image pickup elements, wherein the microcomputer is adapted to control areas of extraction of the plural image signals stored in said memories, based on the convergence angle set by said convergence angle setting unit and the information of the phase difference detected by said phase difference detecting circuit.

12. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said convergence angle setting unit is adapted to manually set the convergence angle, and said microcomputer is adapted to vary the image readout positions in said memories according to the convergence angle set by said convergence angle setting unit.

13. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said phase difference detecting circuit is adapted to detect the phase difference between images, in an overlapping area of the images stored in said memories and supply said microcomputer with said phase difference.

14. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said image pickup optical systems are zoom lenses.

15. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising an image synthesizing circuit for synthesizing the image signals output from said memories, thereby generating a stereoscopic image.

16. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a display for displaying the output of said image synthesizing circuit.

17. An image pickup apparatus, comprising:

(a) a plurality of image pickup systems for picking up an image of an object and outputting a plurality of video signals;

(b) a memory for storing the plurality of video signals output from said plurality of image pickup systems;

(c) a motion detection unit for detecting motion information of the image;

(d) a convergence angle setting unit for electronically variably setting convergence angle of said plurality of image pickup systems; and

(e) a microcomputer for controlling a read-out range of each of the plurality of video signals stored in said memory on the basis of the convergence angle set by said convergence angle setting unit and the motion information detected by said motion detection unit and for synthesizing signals corresponding to the read-out ranges.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said motion detection unit detects a motion vector of an image corresponding to each of the plurality of video signals output from said plurality of image pickup systems and said microcomputer controls the read-out ranges of the plurality of video signals stored in said memory, based on the convergence angle set by said convergence angle setting unit and the motion vector detected by said motion detection unit.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said motion detection unit detects the motion vector by a matching operating of feature images between two succesive fields and thereby detecting the motion of the image.

20. An apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a phase difference detection unit for detecting phase difference detection unit for detecting phase difference between the plurality of video signals output from said plurality of image pickup systems, wherein said microcomputer controls the read-out ranges of the plurality of video signals stored in said memory, based on the convergence angle set by said convergence angle setting unit and the phase difference detected by said phase difference detection unit.

21. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the read-out range of said memory set by said convergence angle setting unit can be set manually by an operator.

22. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said phase difference detection unit detects the phase difference of an image in an overlap region between the images stored in said memory and supplies the detected phase difference to said microcomputer.

23. An apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a zoom unit, wherein said convergence angle setting unit and said microcomputer change the read-out range of the image according to magnification provided by said zoom unit.