Multi-eye image sensing and recording and reproduction apparatus

• US 6,236,428 B1
• Filed: 07/31/1995
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fukushima, Nobuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Vu
• Application Number:
  US08/509,225
• Time in Patent Office: 2,122 Days
• Field of Search: 348/47, 348/48, 348/42, 348/51, 348/52, 348/46, 348/43, 348/53, 345/9, 345/31-32, 345/139, 342/176, 342/180, 359/376, 359/462-477
• US Class Current: 348/42
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/24 involving temporal multiplexing, e.g. using sequentially activated left and right shutters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/10 Processing, recording or transmission of stereoscopic or multi-view image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/15 for colour aspects of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/161 Encoding, multiplexing or demultiplexing different image signal components for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597
• 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 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/324 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

Timing signal generators 24R and 24L, simultaneously initialized, synchronize image-sensing devices 21R and 21L with each other. Video signal processors 23R and 23L process the synchronized image signals, from the image sensing devices 21R and 21L, to obtain partial image signals from the synchronized image signals. The partial image signals are converted, using a Gate 29 and a memory 27, into a single-system image signal, in which the partial image signals are arranged in a horizontal direction within one field. Thus, an image signal having well-balanced horizontal and vertical resolutions is outputted. This allows ordinary VTR recording and reproduction.

Claims

1. A multi-eye image-sensing apparatus comprising:

multi-eye image-sensing means for image-sensing an object using a right and a left image-sensing means of a same image frame size in synchronization with each other, and for generating a first image signal from the left image-sensing means, and a second image signal from the right image-sensing means; and

signal conversion means for converting the first and second image signals, obtained from the left and right image-sensing means, into a third image signal,

wherein said signal conversion means includes selection means for selecting a predetermined part of the first image signal as a first partial image signal and selecting a predetermined part of the second image signal as a second partial image signal, respectively, reading means for reading one of the first and second partial image signals with a delay with respect to the other partial image signal, and means for producing the third image signal by combining the first and second partial image signals of a same image area size in a horizontal direction.

2. The multi-eye image-sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein upon arranging the first and second partial images selected by said selection means, as the third image signal, the first partial image is positioned at the right part of the third image signal, and the second partial image is positioned at the left part of the third image signal.

3. An image-signal converting apparatus that inputs a first image signal and a second image signal of a same image frame size, respectively obtained by a left image-sensing means and a right image-sensing means in synchronization with each other, and generates a third image signal from the input first and second image signals, comprising selection means for selecting a part of the first image signal as a first partial image signal and selecting a part of the second image signal as a second partial image signal having a same image area size as that of the first partial image signal, respectively so as to reduce an amount of image data,

wherein said apparatus reads one of the first and second partial image signals with a delay with respect to the other partial image signal and generates the third image signal recordable in a standard video recording format by combining the first and second partial image signals, selected by said selection means, in a horizontal direction.

4. The image-signal converting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein upon arranging the first and second partial images selected by said selection means, as the third image signal, the first partial image is positioned at the right part of the third image signal, and the second partial image is positioned at the left part of the third image signal.

5. A multi-eye image-sensing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of optical means having optical axes different from each other;

a plurality of solid-state image-sensing devices for converting object images, obtained by said plurality of optical means, into electric signals;

image-sensing device drive means for driving said solid-state image-sensing devices;

a plurality of video-signal processing means equal to the number of said solid-state image-sensing devices, for converting image signals from said-solid-state image-sensing devices into predetermined video signals;

reference-clock generating means for generating a reference clock of a predetermined frequency;

a plurality of drive-pulse generating means respectively for supply a drive pulse to said image-sensing device drive means;

signal-processing pulse generating means for generating timing pulses for operating said plurality of video-signal processing means, based on the reference clock;

reset-signal generating means for generating reset signals to initialize said drive-pulse generating means and said signal-processing pulse generating means such a manner that said plurality of drive pulse generating means and said signal-processing pulse generating means are initialized in response to the reset signal, and that, after initialization, said plurality of drive-pulse generating means operate in synchronization with each other, and said signal-processing pulse generating means supplies the same timing pulse to said plurality of video-signal processing means; and

control means for changing a relative distance of displaying position of the plurality of the predetermined video signals.

6. An image-signal converting apparatus that separates a composite image signal, in which a first image signal and a second image signal having a same image frame size as that of the first image signal are arranged and combined in a horizontal direction with each other within one field based on a standard video recording format, said apparatus comprising:

means for separating the combined image signal in which one of the first and second image signals are recorded with a delay with respect to the other signal;

means for generating a third image signal including the first image signal; and

means for generating a fourth image signal including the second image signal,

wherein the third image signal and the fourth image signal are operable displaying respectively.

7. The image-signal converting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein at least one of a display position, where the first image signal within the field of the third image signal is displayed, and a display position, where the second image signal within the field of the fourth image signal is displayed, is changeable.

8. The image-signal converting apparatus according to claim 6, comprising:

first delay means for delaying at least one of the first image signal and the second image signal, by a first delay time; and

second delay means for delaying a horizontal synchronizing signal, a vertical synchronizing signal or a compound synchronizing signal of the composite signal, by a second delay time,

wherein said apparatus separates the first and second image signal, at least one of which is delayed, and generates the third and fourth image signals, with the compound synchronizing signal delayed by said second delay means as a synchronizing signal for the third and fourth image signal.

9. The image-signal converting apparatus according to claim 6, comprising:

separation means for separating a horizontal synchronizing signal, a vertical synchronizing signal or a compound synchronizing signal of the single-system image signal, into synchronizing signals of two systems;

first delay means for delaying one of the synchronizing signals, separated by said separation means, by a first delay time; and

second delay means for delaying one of the synchronizing signals, other than the synchronizing signal delayed by said first delay means, by a second delay time,

said apparatus separates the first and second image signals and generates the third and fourth image signal, with the synchronizing signal delayed by said first delay means as a synchronizing signal of the third image signal, and the synchronizing signal delayed by said second delay means as a synchronizing signal of the fourth image signal.

10. A display apparatus comprising:

a right display unit for observing, with a right eye, a right image for right eye; and

a left display unit for observing, with left eye, a left image for said left eye;

wherein the right and left images are respectively a third image signal and a fourth image signal, separated from a single-system image signal containing a first image signal and a second image signal in which one of the first and second image signals are recorded with a delay with respect to the other image signal, having a same image frame size each other combined in a horizontal direction within one field based on a standard video recording format, the third image signal including the first image signal and the fourth image signal including the second image signal; and

wherein at least one of a right-image display position where the first image signal is displayed within the filed of the third image signal and left-image display position where the second image signal is displayed within the field of the fourth image signal is changeable.

11. The display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the right-image display position on the right display unit and the left-image display position on the left display unit are changeable in accordance with the interval between the right eye and the left eye.

12. A multi-eye image-sensing and recording and reproduction apparatus, having right-image sensing means and left-image sensing means having a same image frame size each other, comprising:

recording means for recording an image signal, in which partial image signals of right and left image signals of a same image area size obtained by said right and left image-sensing means and read in such a way that one of the right and left image signals are read with a delay with respect to the other partial image signal by a reading means, are combined in a horizontal direction within one field based on a standard video recording format, on a recording medium; and

reproduction means for reproducing the image signal from the recording medium, separating the right and left partial image signals from the reproduced image signals, and changing display positions where the right and left partial image signals are displayed.