Stereoscopic CG image generating apparatus and stereoscopic TV apparatus

• US 6,417,880 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2001
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• 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:
  US09/880,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20020024592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N 1.300, 348/42, 348/47, 348/51, 348/52, 345/32
• US Class Current: 348/42
• 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. For use in an windowing environment where one or more stereoscopic CG images are displayed simultaneously, a stereoscopic CG image generating apparatus comprising:

a projection transformation section for, based on three-dimensional structural information describing a three-dimensional shape of an object, generating a plurality of two-dimensional projection images as viewed from a plurality of cameras;

a distance information extraction section for generating a distance between said object and said cameras;

a window information management section for detecting the size of each individual window where a stereoscopic image is displayed and information about a video resolution or synchronization frequency of a display screen;

a fusional range verification section for calculating from the output of said window information management section the size of a window on a stereoscopic image display device in which the two-dimensional projection images of said object are displayed as main images, and for calculating, from the size of said window, the output of said distance information extraction section, and a viewing distance of a viewer, camera parameters for each individual window in order to bring the stereoscopic CG images within a binocular fusional range of said viewer; and

a camera parameter determining section for, by using the output of said fusional range verification section, determining camera parameters for stereoscopic images to be displayed in each individual window;

whereby said projection transformation section generates said plurality of two-dimensional projection images by using said determined camera parameters.

2. A stereoscopic CG image generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said camera parameter determining section changes, only when the viewer points such window to be adjusted, only camera parameters of the stereoscopic images corresponding to said pointed widow.

3. In a windowing environment in which at least one stereoscopic computer graphic (CG) image is displayed, a method of generating stereoscopic CG images comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving three-dimensional structural information describing a three-dimensional shape of an object;

(b) generating a plurality of two-dimensional projection images as if viewed from a plurality of cameras, based on the three-dimensional structural information received in step (a);

(c) obtaining a first distance between the object and the cameras, and a second distance between the display screen and a viewer;

(d) detecting the size of each window on the display screen in which a stereoscopic image is displayed, and determining at least one of a video resolution and a synchronization frequency of the window;

(e) calculating camera parameters for the window, by using (1) the size of each window detected in step (d) and (2) the first and second distances obtained in step (c), to bring the stereoscopic CG images within a binocular fusional range of the viewer; and

(f) modifying the plurality of two-dimensional projection images generated in step (b) based on the camera parameters calculated in step (e).

4. The method of claim 3 in which step (d) of detecting the size of each window on the display screen includes detecting horizontal and vertical dot counts in each window.

5. The method of claim 3 in which step (d) includes determining an active window from the windows on the display screen using a computer mouse;

step (e) includes calculating camera parameters for the active window; and

step (f) includes modifying a two-dimensional projection image based on the camera parameters calculated for the active window.

6. The method of claim 3 in which step (e) includes calculating a magnitude of parallax for a generated stereoscopic CG image displayed on the display screen using (1) the size of the respective window detected in step (d) and (2) the first and second distances obtained in step (c);

and

calculating an amount of parallax change required to bring the stereoscopic CG image within the binocular fusional range of the viewer.

7. The method of claim 3 in which the stereoscopic CG image includes a left-eye image and a right-eye image, and

step (f) includes translating the left-eye and right-eye images in a horizontal direction to bring the stereoscopic CG image displayed in each window within the binocular fusional range of the viewer.

8. The method of claim 3 in which step (c) includes obtaining the second distance between the display screen and the viewer based on a recommended viewing distance for a stereoscopic TV.

9. The method of claim 3 in which the viewer is included in a plurality of viewers, and

step (c) includes obtaining the second distance between the display screen and the viewer by measuring a viewing distance to each of the plurality of viewers and averaging the measured viewing distances.