Computer-readable storage medium having stored therein display control program, display control apparatus, display control system, and display control method

• US 9,128,293 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2011
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohta, Keizo
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALKER, JARED T
• Application Number:
  US13/007,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20110221866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 348/46
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5252 using two or more virtual cameras concurrently or sequentially, e.g. automatically switching between fixed virtual cameras when a character changes room or displaying a rear-mirror view in a car-driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/27 involving lenticular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/30 involving parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

An image display apparatus includes a stereoscopic image display apparatus configured to display a stereoscopically visible image, and a planar image display apparatus configured to display a planar image. An adjustment section of the image display apparatus adjusts relative positions, relative sizes, and relative rotations of a left-eye image taken by a left-eye image imaging section and a right-eye image taken by a right-eye image imaging section. The adjusted left-eye image and the adjusted right-eye image are viewed by the left eye and the right eye of the user, respectively, thereby displaying the stereoscopic image on the stereoscopic image display apparatus. The adjusted left-eye image and the adjusted right-eye image are made semi-transparent and superimposed one on the other, and thus a resulting superimposed planar image is displayed on the planar image display apparatus.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a display control program executed by a computer of a display control apparatus for displaying a stereoscopic image on first display configured to display a stereoscopically visible image by using a right-eye image and a left-eye image which have a parallax therebetween, the display control program causing the computer to provide functionality comprising:

an adjustment for adjusting at least one of relative positions, relative sizes, and relative rotations of the right-eye image and the left-eye image;

a first display control for displaying on the first display the right-eye image adjusted by the adjustment and the left-eye image adjusted by the adjustment so as to be viewed with a right eye and a left eye of the user, respectively, to display the stereoscopic image on the first display; and

a second display control for superimposing the right-eye image and the left-eye image which are adjusted by the adjustment and constitute the stereoscopic image displayed on the first display, one on the other, and displaying a resulting superimposed planar image on a second display configured to display a planar image.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein

in the case where the right-eye image adjusted by the adjustment and the left-eye image adjusted by the adjustment are superimposed one on the other, the first display control displays on the first display merely a superimposed area, which is a superimposed portion of the right-eye image adjusted by the adjustment and the left-eye image adjusted by the adjustment, of the stereoscopic image;

and

the second display control displays on the second display a non-overlapping area which is a portion where the right-eye image and the left-eye image are not superimposed one on the other, in addition to the superimposed area of the right-eye image and the left-eye image which are adjusted by the adjustment.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein the first display control performs zooming of the stereoscopic image by changing the respective sizes of the right-eye image and the left-eye image.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein the first display control scrolls the stereoscopic image by changing the respective positions of the right-eye image and the left-eye image.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 3, wherein the second display control displays on the second display an entirety of the right-eye image and an entirety of the left-eye image.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 5, wherein

in the case where a portion of the stereoscopic image is displayed on the first display by performing zooming or scrolling of the stereoscopic image by the first display control, the second display control displays on the second display a stereoscopic image display frame indicative of respective areas of the right-eye image and the left-eye image which correspond to the portion of the stereoscopic image.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein

a designated coordinate detection for detecting a designated coordinate corresponding to a display position on the second display is connected to the display control apparatus,

the display control program further causes the computer to function as:

a first adjustment bar control for displaying a first adjustment bar on the second display, and adjusting a slider of the first adjustment bar, according to the designated coordinate detected by the designated coordinate detection, and

the adjustment adjusts at least one of the relative positions, the relative sizes, and the relative rotations of the right-eye image and the left-eye image, according to a position of the slider, of the first adjustment bar, which is adjusted by the first adjustment bar control .

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 7, wherein

the display control program further causes the computer to function as:

a second adjustment bar control for displaying a second adjustment bar on the second display, and adjusting a slider of the second adjustment bar, according to the designated coordinate detected by the designated coordinate detection, and

the first display control zooms the stereoscopic image, according to a position of the slider, of the second adjustment bar, which is adjusted the second adjustment bar control.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 7, wherein

the display control program further causes the computer to function as:

a direction detection for detecting a direction inputted by the user, based on the designated coordinate detected by the designated coordinate detection, and

the first display control scrolls the stereoscopic image, based on the direction detected by the direction detection.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein

the second display control sets in the second display an image display area for displaying therein the right-eye image and the left-eye image, and

a ratio of a width in an aspect ratio of the image display area is larger than a ratio of a width in an aspect ratio of each of the right-eye image and the left-eye image.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 10, wherein

designated coordinate detection for detecting a designated coordinate corresponding to a display position on the second display is connected to the display control apparatus,

the display control program further causes the computer to function as:

a first adjustment bar control for displaying a first adjustment bar having a slider configured to move in the horizontal direction of a screen of the second display in an area, on the screen of the second display, which is different from the image display area, and adjusting the slider, according to the designated coordinate detected by the designated coordinate detection, and

the adjustment shifts the right-eye image and/or the left-eye image in the horizontal direction, according to a position of the slider adjusted by the first adjustment bar control.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein

designated coordinate detection for detecting a designated coordinate corresponding to a display position on the second display is connected to the display control apparatus,

the display control program further causes the computer to function as:

a first adjustment bar control for displaying on the second display a first adjustment bar having a slider configured to move in the horizontal direction of a screen of the second display, and adjusting a position of the slider of the first adjustment bar, according to the designated coordinate detected by the designated coordinate detection,

in accordance with the designated coordinate detected by the designated coordinate detection, the first adjustment bar control moves the first adjustment bar itself in the vertical direction of the screen of the second display within a range smaller than a range of movement of the slider,

in the case where the slider is moved by the first adjustment bar control in the horizontal direction, the adjustment shifts the position of the right-eye image and/or the position of the left-eye image in the horizontal direction, according to an amount of movement of the slider, and

in the case where the first adjustment bar is moved by the first adjustment bar control in the vertical direction, the adjustment shifts the position of the right-eye image and/or the position of the left-eye image in the vertical direction, according to an amount of movement of the first adjustment bar.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment is able to adjust the relative positions of the right-eye image and the left-eye image in the horizontal direction within a first range, and in the vertical direction within a second range smaller than the first range.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein

designated coordinate detection for detecting a designated coordinate corresponding to a display position on the second display is connected to the display control apparatus,

the display control program further causes the computer to function as:

a first adjustment bar control for displaying a first adjustment bar on the second display, and adjusting a slider of the first adjustment bar, according to the designated coordinate detected by the designated coordinate detection, and

the adjustment adjusts at least one of the relative positions, relative sizes and relative rotations of the right-eye image and the left-eye image, according to a position of the slider, of the first adjustment bar, which is adjusted by the first adjustment bar control, and stores in storage an adjustment amount for each stereoscopic image.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein the display control apparatus includes a stereo camera.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein the display control apparatus is a handheld display apparatus configured in one piece of the first display and the second display, and the first display and the second display are joined together so as to be foldable.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein the display control apparatus is detachably connected to storage for storing therein the right-eye image and the left-eye image.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein the display control apparatus includes communication capable of transmission and reception of the right-eye image and the left-eye image.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein

the display control apparatus includes a slider configured to be adjustable a position thereof in a predetermined direction,

the display control program further causes the computer to function as:

a mode selection for selecting either of a first mode in which the right-eye image and the left-eye image, which are already taken, are used and a second mode in which the right-eye image and the left-eye image taken of a virtual space by of two virtual cameras, are used,

in the case where the first mode is selected by the mode selection, the first display control displays the stereoscopic image by using the right-eye image and the left-eye image which are already taken, and

in the case where the second mode is selected by the mode selection, the first display control adjusts a distance between the virtual cameras, according to a position of the slider, and displays the stereoscopic image by using the right-eye image and the left-eye image taken of the virtual space by of the two virtual cameras adjusted the distance therebetween.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 19, wherein the first display control displays the stereoscopic image merely in the case where the first mode is selected by the mode selection and when the slider is positioned at a predetermined position.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein the right-eye and left-eye images are semi-transparent and superimposed on one another to display the planar image.

21. A display control apparatus for displaying a stereoscopic image on a first display configured to display a stereoscopically visible image by using a right-eye image and a left-eye image which have a parallax therebetween, the display control apparatus comprising:

an adjuster configured to adjust at least one of relative positions, relative sizes, and relative rotations of the right-eye image and the left-eye image;

a first display controller configured to display the stereoscopic image on the first display , by displaying on the first display the right-eye image adjusted by the adjustment and the left-eye image adjusted by the adjustment so as to be viewed with a right eye and a left eye of the user, respectively; and

a second display controller configured to superimpose the right-eye image and the left-eye image, which are adjusted by the adjuster and constitute the stereoscopic image displayed on the first display, one on the other, and displaying a resulting superimposed planar image on a second display configured to display a planar image.

25. The display control apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the right-eye and left-eye images are semi-transparent and superimposed on one another to display the planar image.

22. A display control system comprising:

a computer system, including a computer processor, the computer system being at least configured to;

display, on a first display, a stereoscopic image by using a right-eye image and a left-eye image which have a parallax therebetween;

display, on a second display a planar image;

adjust at least one of relative positions, relative sizes, and relative rotations of the right-eye image and the left-eye image;

perform a first display control for displaying the stereoscopic image on the first display, by displaying on the first display the right-eye image adjusted by the adjustment and the left-eye image adjusted by the adjustment so as to be viewed with a right eye and a left eye of the user, respectively; and

perform a second display control for superimposing the right-eye image and the left-eye image, which are adjusted by the adjustment and constitute the stereoscopic image displayed on the first display, one on the other, and display a resulting superimposed planar image on a second display configured to display a planar image.

26. The display control system according to claim 22, wherein the right-eye and left-eye images are semi-transparent and superimposed on one another to display the planar image.

23. A display control method for displaying a stereoscopic image on a first display configured to display a stereoscopically visible image by using a right-eye image and a left-eye image which have a parallax therebetween, display control method comprising:

an adjustment step of adjusting at least one of relative positions, relative sizes, and relative rotations of the right-eye image and the left-eye image;

a first display control step of displaying the stereoscopic image on the first display, by displaying on the first display the right-eye image adjusted by the adjustment and the left-eye image adjusted by the adjustment so as to be viewed with a right eye and a left eye of the user, respectively; and

a second display control step of superimposing the right-eye image and the left-eye image, which are adjusted by the adjustment and constitute the stereoscopic image displayed on the first display step one on the other, and displaying a resulting superimposed planar image on a second display configured to display a planar image.

27. The display control method according to claim 23, wherein the right-eye and left-eye images are semi-transparent and superimposed on one another to display the planar image.