Stereoscopic imaging in a portable document format

• US 6,631,205 B1
• Filed: 01/13/1999
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Christensen, Kory D., Melen, Roger D.
• Primary Examiner(s): WERNER, BRIAN P
• Application Number:
  US09/229,596
• Time in Patent Office: 1,728 Days
• Field of Search: 382/154, 382/232-253, 396/324-331, 345/419, 345/420-427, 348/43, 359/458, 359/464, 707/513, 715/513, 715/526, 715/520
• US Class Current: 382/154
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/597 specially adapted for multi-view video sequence encoding

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for representing a stereoscopic image (204) in a portable document format encoded file (112) includes receiving at least two component images (110A-B) combinable to form the stereoscopic image (204); encoding the component images (110A-B) in a portable document format; associating each of the component images (110A-B) with a stereoscopic indicator (302); and storing the component images (110A-B) and associated stereoscopic indicators (302) in the encoded file (112). A computer implemented method for displaying a stereoscopic image (204) represented in a portable document format encoded file (112) includes identifying in the encoded file (112) at least two component images (110A-B) combinable to create the stereoscopic image (204); combining the component images (110A-B) to create the stereoscopic image (204); and displaying the stereoscopic image (204) on a stereoscopic display device (106). A system for representing and displaying a stereoscopic image (204) in a portable document format encoded file (112) includes an encoded file creator (116), an encoded file reader (118), a stereoscopic imager (120), and an image cache (121).

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for storing a stereoscopic image in a page object of a file encoded with a portable document format, the method comprising:

encoding a non-image component in the portable document format and storing the encoded non-image component in the page object;

receiving at least one non-stereoscopic image;

encoding the non-stereoscopic image in the portable document format;

associating the non-stereoscopic image with a non-stereoscopic indicator;

storing the encoded non-stereoscopic image and the associated non-stereoscopic indicator in the page object;

receiving at least two component images combinable to form the stereoscopic image;

encoding the component images in the portable document format;

associating each of the component images with a stereoscopic indicator which is different from the non-stereoscopic indicator;

storing the encoded component images and associated stereoscopic indicators in the page object; and

associating the page object with a stereoscopic enabler indicative that a stereoscopic image is contained within the page and enabling a page reader to initially launch or interface with a stereoscopic imager, whereby the absence of the stereoscopic indicator is indicative that the page may be read using conventional techniques associated with the portable document format.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the component images comprise left and right component images, and the step of associating each of the component images comprises the sub-steps of:

associating each left component image with a stereoscopic indicator of a left component image; and

associating each right component image with a stereoscopic indicator of a right component image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one stereoscopic indicator is a key/value pair in a portable document format.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one stereoscpic indicator is an annotation object in a portable document format.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the component images are combinable to form a stereoscopic image selected from the group consisting of an anaglyph, a page-switched image, and a lenticular image.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

associating the component images with at least one method indicator of the method by which the component images are combined to form the stereoscopic image.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

associating the page object with a method indicator of a method by which the component images are combined to form the stereoscopic image.

8. A computer-implemented method for displaying a stereoscopic image together with a non-stereoscopic image component and a non-image component based on data stored in a page object of a file encoded in a portable document format, the method comprising:

identifying in the encoded file the non-image component, the non-stereoscopic image component, and at least two component images combinable to create the stereoscopic image;

combining the component images to create the stereoscopic image; and

displaying the stereoscopic image together with the non-image component and the non-stereoscopic image component on a stereoscopic display device;

wherein in said identifying step, the non-stereoscopic image component is identified based on detection of a non-stereoscopic indicator, and the stereoscopic image component is identified based on detection of a stereoscopic indicator which is different from the non-stereoscopic indicator; and

wherein the page object is associated with a stereoscopic enabler indicative that a stereoscopic image is contained within the page and enabling a page reader to initially launch or interface with a stereoscopic imager, whereby the absence of the stereoscopic indicator is indicative that the page may be read using conventional techniques associated with the portable document format.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the identifying step comprises the sub-steps of:

decoding a first image in the page object of the encoded file;

responsive to the first image being associated with a stereoscopic indicator, decoding a second image in the encoded file; and

responsive to the second image being associated with a stereoscopic indicator, identifying the first and second images as the component images.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first image is a left component image and the second image is a right component image.

11. The method o f claim 9, wherein at least one stereoscopic indicator is a key/value pair in a portable document format.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one stereoscopic indicator is an annotation object in a portable document format.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the identifying step comprises the sub-steps of:

decoding a first image in the page object of the encoded file; and

responsive to the first image being associated with a stereoscopic indicator

searching an image cache for a counterpart image, the counterpart image being combinable with the first image to create a stereoscopic image;

responsive to the counterpart image not being found in the image cache, storing the first image in the image cache; and

responsive to the counterpart image being found in the image cache, identifying the first image and counterpart image as the component images.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the component images are combinable to form a stereoscopic image taken from the group consisting of an anaglyph, a page-switched image, and a lenticular image.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the combining step comprises the sub-steps of:

determining whether the component images are associated with a method indicator specifying a stereoscopic imaging method;

responsive to a method indicator being associated with the component images, combining the component images according to the stereoscopic imaging method specified in the method indicator; and

responsive to a method indicator not being associated with the component images, combining the component images according to a default stereoscopic imaging method.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the identifying, combining, and displaying steps are performed only when a stereoscopic enabler is found in the page object.

17. A system for storing a stereoscopic image in a page object of a file encoded in a portable document format, the system comprising:

a computer-readable medium for storing data for at least two component images combinable to form the stereoscopic image, for storing data encoding a non-stereoscopic image component, and for storing data encoding a non-image component;

an encoded file creator, coupled to the computer-readable medium, for storing a stereoscopic image in a page object of a file encoded with a portable document format by encoding a non-image component in the portable document format and storing the encoded non-image component in the page object, receiving at least one non-stereoscopic image, encoding the non-stereoscopic image in the portable document format, associating the non-stereoscopic image with a non-stereoscopic indicator, storing the encoded non-stereoscopic image and the associated non-stereoscopic indicator in the page object, receiving at least two component images combinable to form the stereoscopic image, encoding the component images in the portable document format, associating each of the component images with a stereoscopic indicator which is different from the non-stereoscopic indicator, storing the encoded component images and associated stereoscopic indicators in the page object, and associating the page object with a stereoscopic enabler indicative that a stereoscopic image is contained within the page and enabling a page reader to initially launch or interface with a stereoscopic imager, whereby the absence of the stereoscopic indicator is indicative that the page may be read using conventional techniques associated with the portable document format.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one stereoscopic indicator is selected from the group consisting of portable document format key/value pair and a portable document format annotation object.

19. The system for displaying a stereoscopic image together a non-stereoscopic image component and with a non-image component based on data stored in a page object of a file encoded in a portable document format, the system comprising:

a computer-readable medium for storing the encoded file, the encoded file comprising data for at least two encoded component images combinable to for a stereoscopic image, the encoded component images further comprising stereoscopic indicators, data for the non-stereoscopic image component, and data for the non-image component;

an encoded file reader, coupled to the computer-readable medium, for identifying in the encoded file, responsive to the stereoscopic indicators, the at least two component images;

a stereoscopic imager, coupled to the encoded file reader, for combining the component images to create the stereoscopic image, and for displaying the stereoscopic image together with the non-image component and the non-stereoscopic image component on a stereoscopic display device;

wherein in said identifying step, the non-stereoscopic image component is identified based on detection of a non-stereoscopic indicator, and the stereoscopic image component is identified based on detection of a stereoscopic indicator which is different from the non-stereoscopic indicator; and

wherein the page object is associated with a stereoscopic enabler indicative that a stereoscopic image is contained within the page and enabling a page reader to initially launch or interface with a stereoscopic imager, whereby the absence of the stereoscopic indicator is indicative that the page may be read using conventional techniques associated with the portable document format.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

an image cache, coupled to the encoded file reader, for storing a first component image while the encoded file reader locates a second, counterpart component image.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein at least one stereoscopic indicator is selected from the group consisting of a portable document format key/value pair and a portable document format annotation object.