Projection apparatus and method for controlling the same, and a computer-readable storage medium

• US 9,686,534 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2015
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ito, Motohisa
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, SULTAN U.
• Application Number:
  US14/794,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20150312563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/31 using parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3147 Multi-projection systems displays in general H04N9/12; video walls G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026

Abstract

A projection apparatus for projecting a plurality of stereoscopic images such that portions thereof overlap each other and displaying one stereoscopic image, the apparatus includes a projection unit adapted to project an indicator that is an image for adjusting a stereoscopic degree corresponding to a parallax between a projected left image and a projected right image, in an overlapping region where the plurality of stereoscopic images overlap each other; a detection unit adapted to detect a parallax between an indicator in the left image and an indicator in the right image based on a captured image of a projected indicator; and an adjustment unit adapted to adjust stereoscopic degrees of the plurality of stereoscopic images by an adjustment amount that is determined based on the detected parallax.

Claims

1. An adjustment apparatus for adjusting a stereoscopic degree of at least one of a plurality of projection apparatuses for displaying one stereoscopic image obtained by projecting a plurality of stereoscopic images such that portions thereof overlap each other, the adjustment apparatus comprising:

a projection control unit configured to cause a projection unit of at least one of the plurality of projection apparatuses to project a left image including an indicator and a right image including an indicator, wherein the indicators are used to detect a parallax between the left image and the right image, and wherein at least a part of each of the indicators is projected by the projection unit in an overlapping region where the plurality of stereoscopic images overlap each other;

a detection unit configured to detect the parallax between the left image and the right image based on a captured image of the indicators which are projected by the projection unit; and

an adjustment unit configured to adjust the stereoscopic degree of the projection unit by an adjustment amount that is determined based on a comparison of a parallax between the left image and the right image with a predetermined value.

2. The adjustment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the indicators includes a plurality of parts, and the plurality of parts includes parts having stereoscopic degrees that are different from each other, and

wherein the adjustment unit compares parallaxes of captured images of the parts having stereoscopic degrees that are different from each other with the predetermined value, and adjusts the stereoscopic degrees of the plurality of stereoscopic images.

3. The adjustment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the projection unit projects some of the plurality of parts within the overlapping region, and projects the remaining parts outside the overlapping region.

4. The adjustment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the projection unit projects, in a region where a first partial stereoscopic image and a second partial stereoscopic image overlap each other, a first indicator that and a second indicator,

wherein the detection unit detects a parallax of each of the first indicator and the second indicator, and

wherein the adjustment unit adjusts a stereoscopic degree of the first partial stereoscopic image by an adjustment amount that is based on the parallax of the first indicator, and adjusts a stereoscopic degree of the second partial stereoscopic image by an adjustment amount that is based on the parallax of the second indicator.

5. The adjustment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the indicators is generated by invisible light.

6. The adjustment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the projection unit projects each of the indicators using visible light or invisible light in accordance with an instruction from an operator, and

wherein if the indicator is projected using visible light, the adjustment unit adjusts the stereoscopic degrees of the plurality of stereoscopic images in accordance with an instruction from the operator.

7. The adjustment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of stereoscopic images that are to be displayed are moving images.

8. The adjustment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the adjustment unit adjusts the stereoscopic degrees of the plurality of stereoscopic images for each frame of the moving images.

9. The adjustment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the adjustment unit adjusts the stereoscopic degrees of the plurality of stereoscopic images if an adjustment amount that is determined based on the parallax detected by the detection unit exceeds a predetermined threshold.

10. An adjustment method for adjusting a stereoscopic degree of at least one of a plurality of projection apparatuses for displaying one stereoscopic image obtained by projecting a plurality of stereoscopic images such that portions thereof overlap each other, the adjustment method comprising:

a controlling step of causing a projection unit of at least one of the plurality of projection apparatuses to project a left image including an indicator and a right image including an indicator, wherein the indicators are used to detect a parallax between the left image and the right image, and wherein at least a part of each of the indicators is projected by the projection unit in an overlapping region where the plurality of stereoscopic images overlap each other;

a detection step of detecting the parallax between the left image and the right image based on a captured image of the indicators which are projected by the projection unit; and

an adjustment step of adjusting the stereoscopic degree of the projection unit by an adjustment amount that is determined based on a comparison of a parallax between the left image and the right image with a predetermined value.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to function as units of an adjustment apparatus for adjusting a stereoscopic degree of at least one of the plurality of projection apparatuses for displaying one stereoscopic image obtained by projecting a plurality of stereoscopic images such that portions thereof overlap each other, the units comprising:

a projection control unit configured to cause a projection unit of at least one of the plurality of projection apparatuses to project a left image including an indicator and a right image including an indicator, wherein the indicators are used to detect a parallax between the left image and the right image, and wherein at least a part of each of the indicators is projected by the projection unit in an overlapping region where the plurality of stereoscopic images overlap each other;

a detection unit configured to detect the parallax between the left image and the right image based on a captured image of the indicators which are projected by the projection unit; and

an adjustment unit configured to adjust the stereoscopic degree of the projection unit by an adjustment amount that is determined based on a comparison of a parallax between the left image and the right image with a predetermined value.