Cursor display method and apparatus for perceiving cursor as stereoscopic image in stereoscopic display region, and recording medium recorded with cursor display program that can be read out by computer

• US 6,225,979 B1
• Filed: 07/14/1998
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Taima, Kenji, Shiono, Kazuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kovalick, Vincent E.
• Application Number:
  US09/114,966
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 345/115, 345/139, 345/145, 345/157, 348/42, 348/51
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/08 Cursor circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/156 Mixing image signals
• 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 13/275 from 3D object models, e.g. computer-generated stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/286 having separate monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/361 Reproducing mixed stereoscopic images; Reproducing mixed monoscopic and stereoscopic images, e.g. a stereoscopic image overlay window on a monoscopic image background
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

When a CPU of a computer in which a cursor display apparatus is incorporated reads out the position of a cursor in a display which is input through an input operation unit, determination is made whether the read out cursor position is inside or outside a stereoscopic image display region of the display. When the read cursor position is within the stereoscopic image display region, bit map image data for two cursors is displayed according to the read cursor position. When the read cursor position is outside the stereoscopic image display region, one cursor is displayed by the OS of the computer according to the read cursor position. Therefore, in a display including a stereoscopic image display region and a plane image display region, a cursor can be displayed in a manner switched between a stereoscopic image and a plane image according to the display region.

Claims

1. The cursor display method for displaying a cursor in a display having at least one of a stereoscopic image display region and a plane image display region, comprising:

a cursor position read step for reading out a designated position of a cursor in said display,

a position determination step for determining whether said read cursor position is inside or outside said stereoscopic image display region,

a stereoscopic cursor display step for displaying an image for a stereoscopic cursor image according to said read cursor position in response to determination of inside the region by said position determination step, and

a plane cursor display step for displaying a plane cursor image according to said read cursor position in response to determination of outside the region by said position determination step,

wherein said stereoscopic cursor display step displays said plane cursor image at a position determined corresponding to said read cursor position for each of a plurality of different plane images with parallax when said plurality of different plane images with parallax are aligned and displayed in said stereoscopic image display region of said display.

2. The cursor display method according to claim 1, wherein the position determined corresponding to said read cursor position is adjusted according to a degree of said parallax for each of said plurality of different plane images.

3. The cursor display method according to claim 1, wherein an image displayed in said stereoscopic image display region is perceived as a stereoscopic image without special eyeglasses.

4. The cursor display method according to claim 1, wherein an image displayed in said stereoscopic image display region is perceived as a stereoscopic image using special eyeglasses.

5. A cursor display apparatus for displaying a cursor in a display having at least one of a stereoscopic image display region and a plane image display region, comprising:

cursor position read means for reading a designated position of a cursor in said display,

position determination means for determining whether said read cursor position is inside or outside said stereoscopic image display region,

stereoscopic cursor display means for providing an image display for a stereoscopic cursor image according to said read cursor position in response to determination of inside the region by said position determination means, and

plane cursor display means for displaying a plane cursor image according to said read cursor position in response to determination of outside the region by said position determination means,

wherein said stereoscopic cursor display means displays said plane cursor image at a position determined corresponding to said read cursor position for each of a plurality of different plane images with parallax when said plurality of different plane images are aligned and displayed in said stereoscopic image display region of said display.

6. The cursor display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said position determined corresponding to said read cursor position is adjusted according to a degree of said parallax for each of said plurality of different plane images.

7. The cursor display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein an image displayed in said stereoscopic image display region is perceived as a stereoscopic image without special eyeglasses.

8. The stereoscopic cursor display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein an image displayed in said stereoscopic image display region is perceived as a stereoscopic image using special eyeglasses.

9. A computer-readable recording medium in which a cursor display program is recorded for a computer to execute a cursor display method of displaying a cursor in a display having at least one of a stereoscopic image display region and a plane image display region, said cursor display method comprising:

a cursor position read step for reading a designated position of a cursor in said display,

a position determination step for determining whether said read cursor position is inside or outside said stereoscopic image display region,

a stereoscopic cursor display step for displaying an image for a stereoscopic cursor image according to said read cursor position in response to determination of inside the region by said position determination step, and

a plane cursor display step for displaying a plane cursor image according to said read cursor position in response to determination of outside the region by said position determination step,

wherein said stereoscopic cursor display step displays said plane cursor image at a position determined corresponding to said read cursor position for each of a plurality of different plane images with parallax when said plurality of different plane images with parallax are aligned and displayed in said stereoscopic image display region of said display.