Method and system of stereoscopic image display for guiding a viewer's eye motion using a three-dimensional mouse

• US 7,091,931 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Geo-Rae Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Geo-Rae Company Limited
• Inventors: Yoon, Byoungyi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Henry N.
• Application Number:
  US10/280,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20030117396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 345 6- 9, 345/156, 345/157, 345/419, 345/473, 348/42, 348/47, 348/51, 348/571, 348/578, 382/154, 359/462, 359/464
• US Class Current: 345/9
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/20 using two or more projectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/139 Format conversion, e.g. of frame-rate or size
• 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 13/246 Calibration of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/383 for tracking with gaze detection, i.e. detecting the lines of sight of the viewer's eyes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and system of displaying stereoscopic images. The method comprises displaying at least one stereoscopic image on a set of display device, the stereoscopic image comprising a pair of two-dimensional plane images, and providing at least one input device indicator on the pair of two-dimensional plane images. The method also comprises moving the at least one input device indicator from a first location to a second location on the pair of two-dimensional plane images, and determining a location value indicative of the second location of the at least one input device indicator. The method comprises calculating center points for the two-dimensional plane images based on the determined location value, respectively, and moving the center points of the two-dimensional plane images to align with the calculated center points.

Claims

1. A method of displaying stereoscopic images, comprising:

displaying at least one stereoscopic image on a set of display devices, the stereoscopic image comprising a pair of two-dimensional plane images;

providing at least one input device indicator on the pair of two-dimensional plane images;

detecting whether the at least one input device indicator has been moved from a first location to a second location on the pair of two-dimensional plane images;

determining a location value indicative of the second location of the at least one input device indicator;

calculating center points for the two-dimensional plane images based on the determined location value, respectively; and

moving the center points of the two-dimensional plane images to align with the calculated center points.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one input device indicator comprises a pair of mouse cursors controlled by a mouse that is in data communication with the set of display devices.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the calculating of the center points comprises:

aligning the center points of a viewer'"'"'s eye lenses with the center points of the two-dimensional plane images, respectively;

calculating location values of center points of each of the viewer'"'"'s eye lenses; and

determining location values of the center points of the two-dimensional plane images based on the calculated location values for the eye lenses, respectively.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the calculating of the location values comprises:

setting the middle point M between the center points of the viewer'"'"'s eyes as an origin coordinate O (0, 0,

     0);

setting a distance value (d) that a viewer perceives for the displayed images;

determining a location M_L (I_L, J_L, K_L) for one mouse cursor displayed on one of the two-dimensional plane images, and a location M_R (I_R, J_R, K_R) for the other mouse cursor displayed on the other of the two-dimensional plane images;

determining a center point location M_N (I_N, J_N, K_N) between the locations M_L and M_R, wherein I_N is determined as (I_L+I_R)/2, J_N is determined as (J_L+J_R)/2, and K_N is determined as the distance value d;

determining each location of the center points of the eyes as A_3L (−

W_a/2, 0,

     0) and A_3R (W_a/2, 0,

     0), wherein W_a represents a distance between the center points of a viewer'"'"'s eyes;

calculating the distance Z_L between the A_3L point and the M_N point using Equation VII, wherein the Equation VII is as follows;

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the mouse comprises a scroll button, and wherein the setting of the distance value is performed by turning the scroll button of the mouse.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the aligning comprises:

providing a viewing point structure defining two openings configured to allow a viewer'"'"'s eyes to place therein, each opening being aligned with the center points of the two-dimensional plane images; and

placing the viewer'"'"'s eyes in proximity to the viewing point structure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of display devices comprises a unitary display device adapted to sequentially display the two-dimensional plane images.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of display devices comprises a pair of display devices configured to simultaneously display the two-dimensional plane images, respectively.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising producing the at least one stereoscopic image from three-dimensional structural data.

10. A method of displaying stereoscopic images, comprising:

displaying at least one stereoscopic image on a set of display devices, the stereoscopic image comprising a pair of two-dimensional plane images;

providing at least one input device indicator on the pair of two-dimensional plane images;

storing data representing the relationship between the at least one indicator location and center points of each of the two-dimensional plane images;

calculating an amount of movement for the at least one indicator on the two-dimensional plane images;

determining center points of each of the two-dimensional plane images based on the calculated amount and stored data, respectively; and

moving the center points of the two-dimensional plane images based on the determined center points, respectively.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising producing the at least one stereoscopic image from three-dimensional structural data.

12. A method of displaying stereoscopic images, comprising:

displaying at least one stereoscopic image on a set of display devices, the stereoscopic image comprising a pair of two-dimensional plane images;

providing the at least one input device indicator on the pair of two-dimensional plane images;

detecting whether the at least one input device indicator has been moved to a target location on the two-dimensional plane images;

determining a location value for the target location on the two-dimensional plane images;

calculating center points of the two-dimensional plane images to be moved based on the determined location value; and

moving the center points of the two-dimensional plane images based on the calculated center point values, respectively.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one input device indicator comprises a pair of mouse cursors controlled by a mouse that is in data communication with each of the display devices.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the calculating of the center points comprises:

aligning the center points of a viewer'"'"'s eye lenses with the center points of the two-dimensional plane images, respectively; and

calculating location values of the center points of each of a viewer'"'"'s eye lenses based on the target location value.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the calculating of the location values comprises:

setting the middle point M between the center points of the viewer'"'"'s eyes as an origin coordinate O (0, 0,

     0);

setting a distance value (d) that a viewer perceives for the displayed images;

determining a location M_L (I_L, J_L, K_L) for one mouse cursor displayed on one of the two-dimensional plane images, and a location M_R (I_R, J_R, K_R) for the other mouse cursor displayed on the other of the two-dimensional plane images;

determining a center point location M_N (I_N, J_N, K_N) between the locations M_L and M_R, wherein I_N is determined as (I_L+I_R)/2, J_N is determined as (J_L+J_R)/2, and K_N is determined as the distance value d;

determining each location of the center points of the eyes as A_3L (−

W_a/2, 0,

     0) and A_3R (W_a/2, 0,

     0), wherein W_a represents a distance between the center points of a viewer'"'"'s eyes;

calculating the distance Z_L between the A_3L point and the M_N point using Equation VII, wherein the Equation VII is as follows;

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising producing the at least one stereoscopic image from three-dimensional structural data.

17. A system for displaying stereoscopic images, comprising:

a set of display devices configured to display at least one stereoscopic image, the stereoscopic image comprising a pair of two-dimensional plane images;

an input device configured to control movement of at least one input device indicator being displayed on the two-dimensional plane images, the at least one input device indicator being configured to move to a target location on the two-dimensional plane images;

a computing device configured to determine each location value for the target location of the at least one indicator, and to determine center points of the two-dimensional plane images based on the determined location value of the at least one indicator; and

a display driver configured to move displayed images based on the determined target location value.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one input device indicator comprises a pair of mouse cursors controlled by a mouse that is in data communication with the set of display devices.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a viewing point structure defining two openings for a viewer'"'"'s eyes, each opening configured to align each center point of the viewer'"'"'s eye lenses with each center point of the two-dimensional plane images, and wherein the computing device is configured to calculate location values of the center points of each of a viewer'"'"'s eye lenses based on the target location value, and to determine the center points of the two-dimensional plane images to be moved based on the calculated location values.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the set of display devices comprises a unitary display device adapted to sequentially display the two-dimensional plane images.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the set of display devices comprises a pair of display devices configured to simultaneously display the two-dimensional plane images, respectively.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the set of display devices is selected from one of the following:

a head mount display and a projection display device, a LCD device, a CRT device, and a plasma display panel device.

23. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive three-dimensional structural data; and

a set of projection portions configured to produce the at least one stereoscopic image from the three-dimensional structural data and provide the image to the set of display devices.

24. A system for displaying stereoscopic images, comprising:

means for displaying at least one stereoscopic image on a set of display devices, the stereoscopic image comprising a pair of two-dimensional plane images;

means for providing at least one input device indicator on the pair of two-dimensional plane images;

means for detecting whether the at least one input device indicator has been moved from a first location to a second location on the pair of two-dimensional plane images;

means for determining a location value indicative of the second location of the at least one input device indicator;

means for calculating center points for the two-dimensional plane images based on the determined location value, respectively; and

means for moving the center points of the two-dimensional plane images to align with the calculated center points.