Stereoscopic image display apparatus for detecting viewpoint and forming stereoscopic image while following up viewpoint position

• US 6,496,218 B2
• Filed: 02/18/1998
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takigawa, Tomoshi, Osaka, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard
• Assistant Examiner(s): T, Tung Vo
• Application Number:
  US09/025,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20020113867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,763 Days
• Field of Search: 348/42, 348/43, 348/49, 348/50, 348/51, 348/52, 348/56, 348/57, 348/58, 348/59, 359/630, 359/40, 345/7, 250/201.1, 351/237, 382/293
• US Class Current: 348/42
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/34 Stereoscopes providing a stereoscopic pair of separated images corresponding to parallactically displaced views of the same object, e.g. 3D slide viewers
• 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 13/32 using arrays of controllable light sources; using moving apertures or moving light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/339 using spatial multiplexing H04N13/337 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/346 using prisms or semi-transparent mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/376 for tracking left-right translational head movements, i.e. lateral movements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for forming stereoscopic images. The images are formed through the arrangement of a viewpoint position detection sensor for emitting visible or infrared light to an observer. Reflected light is then detected from the observer, where controls perform follow-up control on a portion of the apparatus by using the signal obtained by the viewpoint position detection sensor. The signal, along with other desired signals, are then properly set to accurately detect the viewpoint position of the observer with a simplified arrangement that easily allows a stereoscopic view region to follow-up at high speeds.

Claims

1. A stereoscopic image display apparatus which allows an observer to observe a stereoscopic image by guiding light beams based on a plurality of parallax images displayed on an image display unit to the observer through an optical system, comprising:

a viewpoint position detection sensor for detecting the viewpoint position of the observer; and

follow-up control means for performing follow-up control on a stereoscopic view observation region for image information displayed on said image display unit, on the basis of viewpoint position information obtained by said viewpoint position detection sensor,

said viewpoint position detection sensor including

light-emitting means for emitting a light beam to the observer,

narrow-area detection means for detecting a viewpoint position in a narrow area, and

wide-area detection means for detecting a viewpoint position in a wide area.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said follow-up control means controls said viewpoint position detection sensor to follow the viewpoint position of the observer.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light-emitting means further comprises means for limiting a light-emitting area with respect to the observation side.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light-emitting means emits a light beam modulated with a predetermined light-emitting frequency, and said narrow-area detection means or said wide-area detection means further comprises synchronization means for detecting signals on the basis of the frequency modulation.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a parallax image is displayed on said image display unit at a predetermined display frequency, the display frequency being set so as not to be an integer multiple of the light-emitting frequency.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light-emitting means controls an intensity of a light beam to be emitted such that a signal obtained by said narrow-area detection means or said wide-area detection means on the basis of a reflected light beam from the observer becomes not less than a predetermined value.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said narrow-area detection means and said wide-area detection means comprises a pair of light-receiving elements, and adjusts a distance between said pair of light-receiving elements to detect a viewpoint position in a narrow or wide area.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said viewpoint position detection sensor detects a viewpoint position in the narrow or wide area by using at least one of a focal length of a light-emitting lens for irradiating a light beam to the observer, a focal length of a light-receiving means for receiving a light beam from the observer, slit means for limiting a light-receiving area for the light beam from the observer side, and directivity characteristics of a light source for emitting a light beam to the observer.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a stereoscopic view of image information displayed on said image display unit is realized by using a lenticular lens or a parallax barrier, and said lenticular lens or parallax barrier is driven/controlled by using a sum total of different signals based on outputs from said pair of light-receiving elements of said narrow-area detection means and difference signals based on outputs from said pair of light-receiving elements of said wide-area detection means.

10. A stereoscopic image display apparatus which allows an observer to observe a stereoscopic image by guiding light image based on a plurality of parallax images displayed on an image display unit to the observer through an optical system, comprising:

a viewpoint position detection sensor for detecting the viewpoint position of the observer; and

follow-up control means for performing follow-up control on a stereoscopic view observation region for image information displayed on said image display unit, on the basis of viewpoint position information obtained by said viewpoint position detection sensor,

said viewpoint position detection sensor including

light-emitting means for emitting a light beam to the observer,

light-receiving means for receiving a light beam from the observer; and

position adjustment means for adjusting at least one of a light-emitting area of said light-emitting means and a light-receiving area of said light-receiving means to predetermined positions.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein each of the light-emitting area and the light-receiving area includes a display member for adjusting a position of said viewpoint position detection sensor to a reference position which is a predetermined position of the observer, and an observation window for observing said display member.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said light-emitting means comprises a light-emitting element, said light-emitting means also serving as said display member.

13. A stereoscopic image display apparatus which allows an observer to observe a stereoscopic image by guiding light beams based on a plurality of parallax images displayed on an image display unit to the observer through an optical system, comprising:

a viewpoint position detection sensor for detecting the viewpoint position of the observer; and

follow-up control means for performing follow-up control on a stereoscopic view observation region for image information displayed on said image display unit, on the basis of viewpoint position information obtained by said viewpoint position detection sensor,

said viewpoint position detection sensor including

light-emitting means for emitting a light beam to the observer,

narrow-area detection means for detecting a viewpoint position in a narrow area, and

wide-area detection means for detecting a viewpoint position in a wide area,

wherein the viewpoint position is finally determined in accordance with a signal from said narrow-area detection means.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein an output from said wide-area detection means becomes not more than a predetermined threshold when the observer is present within a predetermined parallax angle.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said light-emitting means comprises one or two point light sources.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said narrow-area detection means comprises a two-dimensional image sensing element for converting a face image of the observer into an electrical signal.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15 or 16, wherein said light-emitting means emits visible light or infrared light modulated with a predetermined light-emitting frequency, and said wide-area detection means and said narrow-area detection means further comprise synchronization means for detecting a signal on the basis of the light-emitting frequency.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said two-dimensional image sensing element outputs information of a maximum luminance position or eyeball position in a predetermined region of the observer.

19. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said viewpoint position detection sensor follows the movement of the viewpoint position of the observer.

20. A stereoscopic image display apparatus which allows an observer to observe a stereoscope image by guiding light beams based on a plurality of parallax images displayed on an image display unit to observer through an optical system, comprising:

viewpoint position detecting means for detecting a viewpoint position of the observer; and

a controller for performing follow-up control on a stereoscopic view observation region for image information displayed on said image display unit, on the basis of viewpoint position information obtained by said viewpoint position detecting means,

wherein said viewpoint position detecting means having a function of detecting the viewpoint in a narrow area and a function of detecting the viewpoint position in a wide area.