Stereoscopic computer graphics image generating apparatus and stereoscopic TV apparatus

• US 6,353,457 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2001
• Issued: 03/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Masamichi, Uomori, Kenya
• Primary Examiner(s): BRITTON, HOWARD W
• Application Number:
  US09/880,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20010033327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 265 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N 1.302, 348/47, 348/42, 348/43, 348/51, 345/419
• US Class Current: 348/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/122 Improving the 3D impression of stereoscopic images by modifying image signal contents, e.g. by filtering or adding monoscopic depth cues H04N13/128 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• 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 13/257 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/279 the virtual viewpoint locations being selected by the viewers or determined by tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/289 Switching between monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• 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 13/324 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/327 Calibration thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/356 having separate monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• 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 13/373 for tracking forward-backward translational head movements, i.e. longitudinal movements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 : Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 : Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0096 : Synchronisation or controlling aspects

Abstract

The stereoscopic CG image generating apparatus and a stereoscopic. TV apparatus, has a projection transformation section which, based on three-dimensional structural information describing a three-dimensional shape of an object, generates a plurality of two-dimensional projection models as viewed from a plurality of viewpoints, a distance information extraction section which generates a camera-to-object distance information used for calculations in the projection transformation section, and a camera parameter determining section which, based on the output of the distance information extraction section, the screen size of a stereoscopic image display device for displaying finally generated two-dimensional projection models, and a viewer'"'"'s viewing distance, determines camera parameters so that stereoscopic CG images will be brought within the viewer'"'"'s binocular fusional range. According to the thus constructed stereoscopic CG image generating apparatus and stereoscopic TV apparatus, proper camera parameters (focal length or field of view, camera spacing, and converging point) are determined based on the camera-to-object distance information, the magnitude of parallax of the generated stereoscopic CG images on the display device (or in a window on the display screen), and the viewing distance, so that easy-to-view stereoscopic CG images are automatically generated regardless of the display size, and by horizontally translating left-eye and right-eye images, binocular parallax of displayed images is automatically brought within the viewer'"'"'s binocular fusional range regardless of the size of a stereoscopic display used.

Claims

1. In a system for simultaneously displaying a plurality of stereoscopic images in a windowing environment, a stereoscopic TV apparatus comprising:

a resolution discrimination section for discriminating the kind of an input image signal by detecting a synchronization frequency of said input image signal;

a window information management section for detecting the size of each individual window where a stereoscopic image is displayed;

a viewing distance measuring section for measuring a viewing distance of a viewer;

a parallax calculation section for calculating binocular parallax from left-eye and right-eye images, and for calculating a maximum or minimum value of said binocular parallax;

an optimum parallax determining section for calculating the actual size of each individual window from the output of said resolution discrimination section, the output of said window information management section, and the size of a display screen, calculating the magnitude of binocular parallax of an image calculated from the size of said window, the output of said parallax calculation section, and the output of said viewing distance measuring section, and for computing an amount of parallax change necessary to bring said binocular parallax within a binocular fusional range of said viewer; and

a parallax control section for, in accordance with the output of said optimum parallax determining section, translating the left-eye and right-eye images in horizontal directions so that the stereoscopic image displayed in each individual window will be brought within the binocular fusional range of said viewer even if the size of each individual window or the synchronization frequency of the input image frequency changes due to an operation by said viewer.

2. A stereoscopic TV apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said viewing distance measuring section outputs as said viewing distance a recommended viewing distance for a stereoscopic TV.

3. A stereoscopic TV apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said viewing distance measuring section measures viewing distances of a plurality of viewers, and outputs as said viewing distance an average value or weighted average value of said measured viewing distances or a maximum or minimum value thereof.

4. A stereoscopic TV apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said parallax calculation section outputs parallax as a predetermined fixed value.

5. A stereoscopic TV apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output of said resolution discrimination section is set as a fixed value by assuming that only one kind of image is input.

6. A stereoscopic TV apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said resolution discrimination section detects the kind of said input image signal among HDTV, EDTV and NTSC signals and computer-generated image signals of various resolutions, and identifies the resolution and aspect ratio of the detected kind of input image signal so that said optimum parallax determining section can recognize an image size which is viewed by an operator , on the display screen.

7. A stereoscopic TV apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said parallax control section translates the images in horizontal directions only when there occurs a significant change in the binocular parallax of the displayed images.

8. A stereoscopic TV apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said parallax control section translates the images in horizontal directions only when said viewer desires to adjust the binocular parallax and inputs an instruction using an instruction means such as a pushbutton switch or a remote controller.

9. A stereoscopic TV apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said parallax control section translates the left-eye and right-eye images in horizontal directions only for a window designated by said viewer as a window for which said viewer desires to adjust binocular parallax.

10. In a stereoscopic TV system for simultaneously displaying a plurality of stereoscopic images in a windowing environment, a method of generating the stereoscopic images comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting a synchronization frequency of an input image;

(b) detecting the size of each window in which a stereoscopic image is displayed;

(c) measuring viewing distance of a viewer to the window;

(d) calculating binocular parallax between left-eye and right-eye input images and at least one of maximum and minimum values of the binocular parallax;

(e) calculating a magnitude of binocular parallax of an image on the window by using (1) the synchronization frequency detected in step (a), (2) the size of the window detected in step (b), and (3) the viewing distance measured in step (c);

(f) calculating a parallax change between the magnitude of binocular parallax calculated in step (e) and the binocular parallax calculated in step (d) to bring the image within a binocular fusional range of the viewer; and

(g) translating the left-eye and right-eye images in a horizontal direction using the parallax change calculated in step (f).