System and method for dimensionalization processing of images in consideration of a pedetermined image projection format

• US 6,208,348 B1
• Filed: 05/27/1998
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Reald DDMG Acquisition LLC (RealD Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: In-Three Incorporated (Digital Domain Media Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kaye, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K.
• Application Number:
  US09/085,746
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/420, 345/418, 345/421, 345/422, 345/423, 345/424, 345/433
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/16 by sequential viewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/00 Digital computers in general details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00; Data processing equipment in general
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/275 from 3D object models, e.g. computer-generated stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

A system and method for DIMENSIONALIZATION processing of images in consideration of an image format includes an image monitor and a processor. The image monitor is adapted to generate visual displays which provide an interactive interface through which objects of a duplicated original image are selected and repositioned with object rendering tools to generate a complementary image, with the original image and the complementary image forming a left and right stereo pair suitable for three-dimensional projection. The system includes a result monitor which allows the resulting three-dimensional projection to be monitored in real time as objects or portions of objects in the complementary images are repositioned within the images. The processor of generates image data for a film recorder. The image data is generated in consideration of an image format wherein the left images are recorded in the film frames such that the resulting film is suitable for two-dimensional projection with a standard motion picture projector and wherein each right image is compressed and positioned within the same frame space as its corresponding left image.

Claims

1. A system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images, the system comprising:

an image monitor adapted to generate visual displays in response to visual display control signals; and

a processor adapted to generate the visual display control signals such that the visual displays prompt a user of the system to provide user inputs pertaining to an original image and selected objects within a copy of the original image, and to render a complementary image including complementary objects with pixels of the complementary objects being horizontally repositioned within the complementary image as compared to positions of the selected objects within the original image;

wherein the original image is retained and the processor is adapted to provide the original image in conjunction with the complementary image such that the original image and the complementary image make up a pair of images of a three-dimensional stereoscopic image.

2. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 1 wherein:

the processor is adapted to generate the visual display control signals such that the image monitor shows the original image and the complementary image after at least one of the complementary objects within the complementary image is repositioned horizontally.

3. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 1 wherein:

the processor is adapted to generate the visual display control signals such that the image monitor alternately shows the original image and the complementary image as one of the complementary objects within the complementary image is horizontally repositioned.

4. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 1 wherein:

the processor is adapted to generate the visual display control signals such that the visual displays include a plurality of regions including an original image region and a complementary image region.

5. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 4 wherein:

the processor is adapted to generate the visual display control signals such that the original image region and the complementary image region show a sequence of original images and a sequence of complementary images, respectively.

6. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 1 wherein:

the processor is adapted to generate the visual display control signals such that the visual displays include a plurality of regions including an image region and an object region, and to generate the visual display control signals such that the image region shows the original image or the complementary image, and the object region shows the selected objects or silhouettes of the selected objects.

7. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 1 wherein:

the processor is electrically connected to a memory device and is adapted to generate the visual display control signals such that the visual displays provide an interactive interface through which the user of the system can outline the selected objects to create object outlines, and to store the selected objects and the object outlines in the memory device.

8. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 7 wherein:

the processor is adapted to copy the object outlines from one frame to multiple frames.

9. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 1 wherein:

the processor is adapted to generate the visual display control signals such that the visual displays provide an interactive interface through which the user of the system can copy any of the complementary objects to a plurality of complementary images.

10. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 1 wherein:

the processor is adapted to generate the visual display control signals such that the visual displays provide an interactive interface through which the user of the system can associate depth placement assignments with the selected objects, and to reposition pixels of the complementary objects within the complementary image depending upon the depth placement assignments.

11. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 9 wherein:

the processor is electrically connected to a memory device and is adapted to store the depth placement assignments in the memory device.

12. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 9 wherein:

the processor is adapted to generate the visual display control signals such that the visual displays provide an interactive interface through which the user of the system can associate the depth placement assignments with a plurality of selected objects.

13. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 9 wherein:

the processor is adapted to copy the depth placement assignments from one frame to multiple frames.

14. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 1 wherein:

the processor is adapted to generate the visual display control signals such that the visual displays provide an interactive interface through which the user of the system can associate a predetermined object rendering function with the selected objects, and to reposition pixels of the complementary objects within the complementary image depending upon the object rendering function.

15. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 14 wherein:

the object rendering function comprises a linear function.

16. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 14 wherein:

the object rendering function comprises a non-linear function.

17. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 14 wherein:

the object rendering function comprises a sinusoidal function.

18. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 1 wherein:

the processor is adapted to generate recorder data pertaining to the original image and the complementary image, the data being in a form usable by a device for recording the original image and the complementary image in consideration of an image projection format.

19. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 18 wherein:

film printed according to the image projection format is suitable for projection on a motion picture projector configured to project 35 mm, 65 mm or 70 mm motion picture film.

20. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 18 wherein:

the image projection format provides that the original image and at least a portion of the complementary image are positioned within a single frame of film.

21. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 20 wherein:

the at least a portion of the complementary image is compressed.

22. The system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 18 wherein:

the image projection format provides that a first sequence of original images is positioned on a film such that the original images can be projected by a motion picture projector configured to project motion picture film and that a second sequence of complementary images is positioned on portions of the film not occupied by the first sequence of original images.

25. The method for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 22, further comprising the step of:

employing the interactive video interface to isolate objects within images and log associations between the objects and particular images.

26. The method for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 22, further comprising the step of:

employing the interactive video interface to define and store an area of at least one image and to make the area available to be selected subsequently.

27. The method for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 22, further comprising the step of:

employing the interactive video interface to generate and store a high contrast image from a defined area of at least one image and to make the high contrast image available to be selected subsequently.

28. The method for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images of claim 22, the method further comprising the step of:

color correcting the original image and translating color correction parameters to a higher resolution image corresponding to the original image.

23. A system for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images, the system comprising:

a data storage device upon which is stored a computer-executable program which when executed by a processor in electronic communication with an image monitor controls the processor to

generate and provide visual display control signals to the image monitor such that the image monitor generates visual displays that prompt a user of the system to provide user inputs pertaining to an original image of a motion picture sequence and a selected object within the original image,

render, in response to the user inputs, a complementary image from the original image, the complementary image including a complementary object with at least a portion of the complementary object being repositioned horizontally within the complementary image as compared to a position of the selected object within the original image, and

provide the original image in conjunction with the complementary image such that the original image and the complementary image make up a pair of images of a three-dimensional stereoscopic image.

24. A method for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an interactive video interface through which an operator can select objects within a copy of an original image and apply values generated by object rendering functions to the objects;

rendering a complementary image identical to the original image except that portions of the objects are translated in position depending upon the object rendering function applied;

employing the interactive video interface in conjunction with a viewing device for providing images to the left eye and the right eye of the operator to view the original image with one eye and the complementary image with the other eye in real time as one of the object rendering functions is applied to at least one of the objects within the complementary image; and

recording the original image and the complementary image onto a storage medium such that the original image and the complementary image make up a pair of images of a three-dimensional stereoscopic image.

29. A method for converting two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying objects within a series of images of a motion picture, the series of images being suitable for two-dimensional viewing of the motion picture;

applying depth placement values over a selected plurality of pixels of the images that include the objects, with the depth placement values varying over the selected plurality of pixels for a succession of the images; and

employing the series of images and the depth placement values to generate a complementary series of images, the series of images and the complementary series of images providing a series of three-dimensional images.

30. A method for generating three-dimensional images, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving picture information for a sequence of original images from a motion picture and a sequence of complementary images, the original images including objects and the complementary images including complementary objects, each of the complementary images being made from picture information for one of the original images with pixels of the complementary objects being horizontally repositioned within the complementary image as compared to positions of the objects within the original images, the sequence of original images and the sequence of complementary images making up stereo pairs for a sequence of three-dimensional images; and

employing the picture information to generate the sequence of original images and the sequence of complementary images for viewing the sequence of three-dimensional images.