Image communication apparatus

• US 5,818,399 A
• Filed: 02/08/1995
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Kamijo, Haruhiko, Hattori, Tomohiko, Omori, Shigeru, Katayama, Kunimasa, Sakuma, Sadayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Application Number:
  US08/385,541
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/8, 348/42, 348/46-53, 359/462, 359/464, 359/466
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/289 Switching between monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/305 using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/31 using parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/32 using arrays of controllable light sources; using moving apertures or moving light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/324 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/346 using prisms or semi-transparent mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/368 for two or more viewers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/38 for tracking vertical translational head movements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

A stereoscopic image communication apparatus displays a screen image for right eye and a screen image for left eye on LCD 105, outputs images of the viewer obtained by cameras 103 to the receiving side, and displays images corresponding to the right half face and the left half face of the viewer based on the viewer'"'"'s images on LCD 107. The images displayed on the LCD 107 are used as figures for selectively introducing lights from the screen images on the LCD 105, by lens 106, to the right and left eyes of the viewer. This enables stereoscopic vision without glasses for separating images respectively for the viewer'"'"'s right and left eyes, and allows the viewer to move from the initial position.

Claims

1. An image communication apparatus which shows a viewer a first image and a second image different from the first image, while transmitting an image of the viewer to outside, said apparatus having:

at least one image display means for displaying at least one of the first and second images; and

light guide means for selectively distributing the first and second images to the right eye and the left eye of the viewer,

said image display means comprising;

image sensing means for image-sensing the viewer to obtain the viewer'"'"'s image;

transmission means for transmitting the image of the viewer obtained by said image sensing means to the outside so that the viewer'"'"'s image can be used at the outside of said apparatus; and

generation means for generating at least one figure indicative of a position of one of the right eye and a position of the left eye of the viewer, based on the viewer'"'"'s image obtained by said image sensing means,

wherein said light guide means selectively separates the first and second images based on the figure generated by said generation means, and guides the separated images to the right and left eyes of the viewer.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising input means for inputting the first and second images from the outside of said apparatus to said image display means.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said transmission means transmits the viewer'"'"'s image in the form of a television signal, and wherein said input means inputs the first and second images in the form of a television signal from the outside of said apparatus.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the figure is an image of the viewer'"'"'s face.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the figure has a predetermined shape generated from the image of the viewer'"'"'s face.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image displays means has a space modulating device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the space modulating device has a liquid crystal display device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image sensing means has an irradiation device for emitting infrared light and an image sensing device sensitive to the infrared light.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light guide means comprises:

a display unit for displaying the figure generated by said generation means on a display surface thereof and emitting light only at a portion of the display screen where the figure is displayed; and

an optical device having directivity for introducing light from the figure displayed on the display unit into the right eye or the left eye of the viewer.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the display unit has a backlight source for irradiating the display surface from the rear of the display surface.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said image display means has one display surface for displaying the first and second images in a time-divisional manner,

said image sensing means obtains an image corresponding to the right half face of the viewer and an image corresponding to the left half face of the viewer,

and said generation means generates a figure for the viewer'"'"'s right eye and a figure for the viewer'"'"'s left eye based on one of the image corresponding to the viewer'"'"'s right half face and the image corresponding to the viewer'"'"'s left half face,

and the display unit displays the figure for the viewer'"'"'s right eye and the figure for the viewer'"'"'s left eye in time-divisional manner, in synchronization with display of the first and second images by said image display means.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said image display means has one display surface for displaying the first and second images in a time-divisional manner,

said image sensing means obtains an image corresponding to the right half face of the viewer and an image corresponding to the left half face of the viewer,

said generation means generates a figure for the viewer'"'"'s right eye and a figure for the viewer'"'"'s left eye based on the image corresponding to the viewer'"'"'s right half face and the image corresponding to the viewer'"'"'s left half face respectively,

and the display unit displays the figure for the viewer'"'"'s right eye and the figure for the viewer'"'"'s left eye in time-divisional manner, in synchronization with display of the first and second images by said image display means.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising combining means for combining two images by bringing two optical paths of the images into one optical path,

wherein said image display means has a first display device and a second display device for displaying the first and second images respectively,

said generation means generates a first figure indicative of a position of the viewer'"'"'s right eye and a second figure indicative of a position of the viewer'"'"'s left eye based on the viewer'"'"'s image obtained by said image sensing means,

the display unit has a third display device and a fourth display device for displaying the first and second figures respectively, and

said combining means brings first light, from a light-emitting area of the first figure on the third display device, that passes through a portion where the first image is displayed on the first display device, and second light, from a light-emitting area of the second figure on the fourth display device, that passes through a portion where the second image is displayed on the second display device, into one optical path.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said combining means is a half mirror.

15. The image display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said combining means comprises a beam splitter.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said combining means is a beam splitter.

17. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the optical device a lens or a concave mirror.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light guide means comprises:

a space modulating device for displaying the figure generated by said generation means as an image transmission area; and

an optical device having directivity for introducing light from the image transmission area on the space modulating device into one of the viewer'"'"'s right eye or the viewer'"'"'s left eye.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said image display means has one display surface for displaying the first and second images in a time-divisional manner,

said image sensing means obtains an image corresponding to the right half face or the left half face of the viewer,

said generation means generates a figure for the viewer'"'"'s right eye and a figure for the viewer'"'"'s left eye based on the obtained image corresponding to the viewer'"'"'s right half face or the viewer'"'"'s left half face,

and wherein the space modulating device displays the figure for the viewer'"'"'s right eye and the figure for the viewer'"'"'s left eye in time-divisional manner, in synchronization with display of the first and second images by said image display means.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said image display means has one display surface for displaying the first and second images in a time-divisional manner,

said image sensing means obtains an image corresponding to the right half face of the viewer and an image corresponding to the left half face of the viewer,

said generation means generates a figure for the viewer'"'"'s right eye and a figure for the viewer'"'"'s left eye based on the image corresponding to the viewer'"'"'s right half face and the image corresponding to the viewer'"'"'s left half face,

and the space modulating device displays the figure for the viewer'"'"'s right eye and the figure for the viewer'"'"'s left eye in time-divisional manner, in synchronization with display of the first and second images by said image display means.

21. The apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising combining means for combining two images by bringing two optical paths of the images into one optical path,

wherein said image display means has a first display device and a second display device for displaying the first and second images simultaneously,

said generation means generates a first figure indicative of a position of the viewer'"'"'s right eye and a second figure indicative of a position of the viewer'"'"'s left eye based on the viewer'"'"'s image obtained by said image sensing means,

the space modulating device has a third display device and a fourth display device for displaying the first and second figures as image transmission areas, and

said combining means brings first light, from the first image on the first display device, that passes through the first figure as an image transmission area on the third display device, and second light, from the second image on the second display device, that passes through the second figure as an image transmission area on the fourth display device, into one optical path.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said combining means is a half mirror.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said combining means is a screen.

24. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said image display means has a first display device for displaying the first image and emitting first polarized light and a second display device for displaying the second image and emitting second polarized light different from the first polarized light,

and wherein the space modulating device has a first image transmission area for passing only the first polarized light and a second image transmission area for passing only the second polarized light.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the polarized direction of the first polarized light and the polarized direction of the second polarized light are orthogonal to each other.

26. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the space modulating device include:

a light-transmitting type display device for displaying an image; and

a polarizing plate, provided on one surface of the display device, the polarizing plate having polarizing direction parallel to one of the polarized direction of the first polarized light and the polarized direction of the second polarized light.

27. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the display device is a light-transmitting type monochromatic liquid crystal display device, and when a voltage is applied to the display device, the display device passes one of the first and second polarized lights, while when no voltage is applied to the display device, the display device passes one of the first and second polarized lights, different from the polarized light passed when the voltage is applied to the display device.

28. The image display apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said combining means comprises a beam splitter.

29. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the optical device is a lens or a concave mirror.