Method and system for differential distortion correction for three-dimensional (3D) projection

• US 9,143,748 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2010
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Huber, Mark J., Redmann, William Gibbens, Harmsen, Jed
• Primary Examiner(s): Dowling, William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cruz, Magda
• Application Number:
  US12/803,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20110007278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,909 Days
• Field of Search: 353/7, 353/10, 353/69, 352/57, 359/458, 359/462, 359/466, 348/51, 348/42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/22 of the stereoscopic type
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/147 Optical correction of image distortions, e.g. keystone
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/18 by simultaneous viewing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/158 Switching image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/327 Calibration thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3185 Geometric adjustment, e.g. keystone or convergence optical or mechanical adjustment of convergence H04N9/317; using scanning means H04N3/22; optical or mechanical adjustments of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for differential distortion correction for use in the three-dimensional (3D) projection of film-based or digital images. A compensation transform determined based on distortion information can be applied to image data to compensate for distortions in stereoscopic images for 3D projection. Different approaches can be used for obtaining the compensation transform.

Claims

1. A method for use in three-dimensional (3D) projection, comprising:

(a) providing a transform for compensating for at least a portion of a differential distortion between a first image and a second image of a stereoscopic pair for 3D projection using a single dual-lens projector; and

(b) applying the compensation transform to at least the first image for reducing the differential distortion with respect to the second image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the compensation transform is obtained based on distortion information provided by at least one of:

measurement, computation and estimation.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

(c) projecting at least one of the first image and the second image of the stereoscopic pair;

(d) performing at least one distortion measurement on the at least one projected image; and

wherein the compensation transform is obtained based on the at least one distortion measurement.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

step (c) further comprises projecting both images of the stereoscopic pair; and

wherein said at least one distortion measurement comprises measurement of differential distortion between the projected images.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the differential distortion includes at least differential keystoning distortion associated with a 3D projection system for projecting the first and second images.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

computing a mean differential distortion based on a plurality of distortion measurements obtained from both images of the stereoscopic pair projected by each of a plurality of projection systems; and

deriving the compensation transform based on the mean differential distortion.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the distortion information is provided by computation based on parameters for a 3D projection system for projecting the first and second images.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the stereoscopic image pair is provided in one of:

a film and a digital image file.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) producing a distortion-corrected 3D film based on at least the transformed image from step (b).

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(f) creating a digital image file based on at least the transformed image of step (b); and

(g) playing out the digital image file.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises applying the compensation transform to one or more digital images in real-time as the transformed digital images are being played out.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the dual-lens projector has a single illumination source, a first lens and a second lens for simultaneously projecting the respective first and second images with reduced differential distortion.

13. A system for three-dimensional (3D) projection, comprising:

a single dual-lens projector; and

at least one processor configured for;

(a) providing a transform for compensating for at least a portion of a differential distortion between a first image and a second image of a stereoscopic pair for 3D projection using the single dual-lens projector; and

(b) applying the compensation transform to at least the first image for reducing the differential distortion with respect to the second image.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the compensation transform is obtained based on distortion information provided by at least one of:

measurement, computation and estimation.

15. The system of claim 14, further configured for:

(c) projecting at least one of the first image and the second image of the stereoscopic pair;

(d) performing at least one distortion measurement on the at least one projected image;

and wherein the compensation transform is obtained based on the at least one distortion measurement.

16. The system of claim 13, further configured for:

creating a digital image file based on at least the transformed image of step (b); and

playing out the digital image file.

17. The system of claim 13, further configured for performing step (b) by applying the compensation transform to one or more digital images in real-time as the transformed digital images are being played out.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the dual-lens projector has a single illumination source, a first lens and a second lens for simultaneously projecting the respective first and second images with reduced differential distortion.