Method and apparatus for generating a stereoscopic image

• US 7,983,477 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2009
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RealD Incorporated
• Original Assignee: University of Durham
• Inventors: Holliman, Nicolas Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Mariam; Daniel G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bitar; Nancy
• Application Number:
  US12/497,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20090268014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 382/128, 382/106, 382/285, 382/154, 382/277, 345419-627, 348/46, 348/51, 348/50, 348/42, 348/699, 348/575
• US Class Current: 382/154
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/10 Processing, recording or transmission of stereoscopic or multi-view image signals
• 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 13/156 Mixing image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/221 using the relative movement between cameras and objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/275 from 3D object models, e.g. computer-generated stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/282 for generating image signals corresponding to three or more geometrical viewpoints, e.g. multi-view systems

Abstract

A method of generating a stereoscopic image is disclosed. The method includes defining at least two, three or more regions in a scene representing a region of interest, a near regions and/or a far region. This is followed by forming an image pair for each region, this image pair containing the information relating to objects in or partially in their respective region. The perceived depth within the regions is altered to provide the idea or best perceived depth within the region of interest and acceptable or more compressed perceived depths in the other regions. The image pairs are then mapped together to form a display image pair for viewing on a display device.

Claims

1. A method for generating a stereoscopic image of a scene having a first and a second object, the first object having a first predetermined depth in the scene and the second object having a second predetermined depth in the scene, the method comprising:

capturing a left and right image of the first object using a first camera separation, wherein the first camera separation is based on a first perceived depth of the first object in a region of interest of the stereoscopic image of the scene, and wherein a ratio of the first perceived depth to the first predetermined depth is set at a desired viewing ratio;

capturing a left and right image of the second object using a second camera separation, wherein the second camera separation is based on a second perceived depth of the second object in a second region of the stereoscopic image of the scene;

generating a composite left image from the left image of the first object and the left image of the second object by overlaying the left image of the first object on top of the left image of the second object;

generating a composite right image from the right image of the first object and the right image of the second object by overlaying the right image of the first object on top of the right image of the second object; and

providing the composite left image and composite right image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second region is substantially non-overlapping with the region of interest.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the region of interest comprises a perceived depth range in the stereoscopic image of the scene, the perceived depth range maps to a depth range in the scene.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the scene is a real world representation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the scene is a synthetic representation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the region of interest is defined by a first volume in space between a first plane at a first distance from a viewer and a second plane at a second distance from the viewer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second region is defined by a second volume in space between a third plane at a third distance from the viewer and a fourth plane at a fourth distance from the viewer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the region of interest comprises one of a near region and a far region.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the perceived depth of the second object to the predetermined depth of the second object is distorted.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the first object is a near object and wherein the second object is a far object, and wherein when the composite images are generated, the images are overlaid such that portions of the far object that are not obscured by the near object can be seen by a viewer.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the first object is a near object and wherein the second object is a far object, and wherein when the composite images are generated, the images are overlaid such that portions of the left image of the first object and right image of the second object are not used such that portions of the far object that are not obscured by the near object can be seen by a viewer.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining the region of interest by bounds of the first object.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the first perceived depth of the first object comprises the depth dimension of the first object.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining the second region by the second object and other objects in the scene.

10. A method for generating a stereoscopic image of a scene having a first, a second, and a third object, the first object having a first predetermined depth in the scene, the second object having a second predetermined depth in the scene, and the third object having a third predetermined depth in the scene, the method comprising:

capturing a left and right image of the first object using a first camera separation, wherein the first camera separation is based on a first perceived depth of the first object in a region of interest of the stereoscopic image of the scene, and wherein a ratio of the first perceived depth to the first predetermined depth is set at a desired viewing ratio;

capturing a left and right image of the second object using a second camera separation, wherein the second camera separation is based on a second perceived depth of the second object in a second region of the stereoscopic image of the scene;

capturing a left and right image of the third object using a third camera separation, wherein the third camera separation is based on a third perceived depth of the third object in a third region of the stereoscopic image of the scene;

generating a composite left image from the left image of the first object, the left image of the second object, and the left image of the third object by overlaying the left image of the first object on top of the left image of the second object on top of the left image of the third object;

generating a composite right image from the right image of the first object, the right image of the second object, and the right image of the third object by overlaying the right image of the first object on top of the right image of the second object on top of the right image of the third object; and

providing the composite left image and composite right image.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the region of interest comprises a middle region in the stereoscopic image of the scene mapping to a middle region of the scene, the second region comprises a near region in the stereoscopic image of the scene mapping to a near region in the scene, and the third region comprises a far region in the stereoscopic image of the scene mapping to a far region in the scene.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the region of interest comprises one of a near region, a far region, and a middle region.

13. An apparatus for generating a stereoscopic image of a scene having a first and a second object, the first object having a first predetermined depth in the scene and the second object having a second predetermined depth in the scene, the apparatus comprising:

an object capturing device for capturing a left and right image of the first object using a first camera separation, wherein the first camera separation is based on a first perceived depth of the first object in a region of interest of the stereoscopic image of the scene, and wherein a ratio of the first perceived depth to the first predetermined depth is set at a desired viewing ratio; and

for capturing a left and right image of the second object using a second camera separation, wherein the second camera separation is based on a second perceived depth of the second object in a second region of the stereoscopic image of the scene;

an object generating device for generating a composite left image from the left image of the first object and the left image of the second object by overlaying the left image of the first object on top of the left image of the second object; and

for generating a composite right image from the right image of the first object and the right image of the second object by overlaying the right image of the first object on top of the right image of the second object; and

an image providing device for providing the composite left image and composite right image.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second region is substantially non-overlapping with the region of interest.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the region of interest comprises a perceived depth range in the stereoscopic image of the scene, the perceived depth range mapping to a depth range in the scene.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the scene is a real world representation.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the scene is a synthetic representation.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, the region of interest is defined by a first volume in space between a first plane at a first distance from a viewer and a second plane at a second distance from the viewer.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the second region is defined by a second volume in space between a third plane at a third distance from the viewer and a fourth plane at a fourth distance from the viewer.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the region of interest comprises one of a near region and a far region.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the ratio of the perceived depth of the second object to the predetermined depth of the second object is distorted.

22. An apparatus for generating a stereoscopic image of a scene having a first, a second, and a third object, the first object having a first predetermined depth in the scene, the second object having a second predetermined depth in the scene, and the third object having a third predetermined depth in the scene, the apparatus comprising:

an object capturing device for capturing a left and right image of the first object using a first camera separation, wherein the first camera separation is based on a first perceived depth of the first object in a region of interest of the stereoscopic image of the scene, and wherein a ratio of the first perceived depth to the first predetermined depth is set at a desired viewing ratio; and

for capturing a left and right image of the second object using a second camera separation, wherein the second camera separation is based on a second perceived depth of the second object in a second region of the stereoscopic image of the scene; and

for capturing a left and right image of the third object using a third camera separation, wherein the third camera separation is based on a third perceived depth of the third object in a third region of the stereoscopic image of the scene;

an object generating device for generating a composite left image from the left image of the first object, the left image of the second object, and left image of the third object by overlaying the left image of the first object on top of the left image of the second object on top of the left image of the third object; and

for generating a composite right image from the right image of the first object, the right image of the second object, and the right image of the third object by overlaying the right image of the first object on top of the right image of the second object on top of the right image of the third object; and

an image providing device for providing the composite left image and composite right image.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the region of interest comprises a middle region in the stereoscopic image of the scene mapping to a middle region of the scene, the second region comprises a near region in the stereoscopic image of the scene mapping to a near region in the scene, and the third region comprises a far region in the stereoscopic image of the scene mapping to a far region in the scene.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the region of interest comprises one of a near region, a far region, and a middle region.