Method and apparatus for generating files for stereographic image display and method and apparatus for controlling stereographic image display

• US 8,345,085 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sawachi, Youichi
• Primary Examiner(s): HIGA, BRENDAN Y
• Application Number:
  US11/962,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20080151044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 348 42- 43, 348 46- 48, 348/51
• US Class Current: 348/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• 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 13/239 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 2213/005 Aspects relating to the "3D+depth" image format

Abstract

An apparatus for generating a file comprises a file obtaining means, image composing means and a file generating means. The file obtaining means obtains a main image file in which a main stereographic image is recorded and a sub-image file in which a sub-image is recorded. The image composing means generates a first synthetic stereographic image by synthesizing a sub-stereographic image reconstructed to conform to a main stereographic image with the main stereographic image and generates a second synthetic stereographic image by synthesizing a main stereographic image reconstructed to conform to a sub-stereographic image with the sub-stereographic image. The file generating means generates a file of a predetermined format including the synthetic first and second stereographic images.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating an image file for use in a stereographic display, comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory storing program code configured to execute on said one or more processors, said code comprising;

a file obtaining code which obtains a main image file in which a main stereographic image is recorded and a sub-image file in which a sub-stereographic image is recorded;

image composing code which generates a first synthetic stereographic image by reconstructing the sub-stereographic image to conform to the main stereographic image and synthesizing the reconstructed sub-stereographic image with the main stereographic image, and generates a second synthetic stereographic image by reconstructing the main stereographic image to conform to the sub-stereographic image and synthesizing the reconstructed main stereographic image with the sub-stereographic image; and

a file generating code which generates a file of a predetermined format including the first and second synthetic stereographic images.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein

the file obtaining code obtains one or more sub-image files,

the image composing code generates a plurality of second synthetic stereographic images for each sub-stereographic image recorded in each sub-image file, and

the file generating code generates a file of a format including the plurality of second synthetic stereographic images.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein

the file generating code generates a file of a format further including information on the disposing position of the sub-stereographic image in the main stereographic image, when the sub-stereographic image is synthesized with the main stereographic image.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein

the main and sub-stereographic images respectively comprising a distance image where positional coordinates in a predetermined coordinate system of points taken by an imaging system are recorded as values of a pixel corresponding to each point, and a parallax image where the color of each of the points is recorded as the value of a pixel corresponding to each point.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, further comprising a distance image converting code which converts the coordinate systems of the distance image for the main stereographic image and the distance image for the sub-stereographic image, into distance images represented in a universal coordinate system common to a plurality of imaging systems.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a range setting code which sets the range in a direction of depth of the sub-stereographic image, wherein

the image composing code reconstructs the main stereographic image to conform to the sub-stereographic image by using only information within the range set by the range setting code.

7. A method for generating an image file for use in a stereographic display, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a main image file in which a main stereographic image is recorded and a sub-image file in which a sub-stereographic image is recorded;

generating a first synthetic stereographic image by reconstructing the sub-stereographic image to conform to the main stereographic image and synthesizing the reconstructed sub-stereographic image with the main stereographic image;

generating a second synthetic stereographic image by reconstructing the main stereographic image to conform to the sub-stereographic image and synthesizing the reconstructed main stereographic image with the sub-stereographic image; and

generating a file of a predetermined format including the first and second synthetic stereographic images.

8. An apparatus for controlling display of a stereographic image, comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory storing program code configured to execute on said one or more processors, said code comprising;

a file obtaining code which obtains a main image file in which a main stereographic image is recorded and a sub-image file in which a sub-stereographic image is recorded;

a range setting code which sets the range in a direction of depth of the sub-stereographic image;

a reconstructing code which reconstructs the sub-stereographic image to conform to the main stereographic image, and reconstructs the main stereographic image to conform to the sub-stereographic image by using only information within the range set by the range setting code;

synthesizing code which generates a first synthetic stereographic image by synthesizing the reconstructed sub-stereographic image with the main stereographic image and generates a second synthetic stereographic image by synthesizing the reconstructed main stereographic image with the sub-stereographic image; and

an output control code which controls the output of the first and second synthetic stereographic images to a predetermined screen.

9. A method for controlling display of a stereographic image, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a main image file in which a main stereographic image is recorded and a sub-stereographic image file in which a sub-image is recorded;

setting the range in a direction of depth of the sub-stereographic image;

reconstructing the sub-stereographic image to conform to the main stereographic image and the main stereographic image to conform to the sub-stereographic image by using only information within the set range;

generating a first synthetic stereographic image by synthesizing the reconstructed sub-stereographic image with the main stereographic image and a second synthetic stereographic image by synthesizing the reconstructed main stereographic image with the sub-stereographic image; and

outputting the first and second synthetic stereographic images to a predetermined screen.