Stereoscopic image generating apparatus and game apparatus

• US 6,954,223 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2001
• Issued: 10/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Namco Limited (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Miyazawa, Atsushi, Ishii, Motonaga, Hanada, Masaaki, Itami, Katsuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Vu
• Application Number:
  US10/031,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20020105576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,518 Days
• Field of Search: 348/51, 348/42, 348 47- 48, 348/59, 348/53, 345/6, 345/419, 359/462, 359/475, 382/154, 463 32- 33
• US Class Current: 348/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/167 Synchronising or controlling image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/305 using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/324 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/349 Multi-view displays for displaying three or more geometrical viewpoints without viewer tracking for viewing without the aid of special glasses using fly-eye lenses H04N13/307

Abstract

A stereoscopic image generating apparatus for generating stereoscopic images to be displayed on a n-eye type of stereoscopic image display apparatus, for every frame, and displaying dynamic images on the stereoscopic image display apparatus, and a game apparatus comprising the stereoscopic image generating apparatus. A stereoscopic image generating apparatus 10 comprises: an input image storage memory 20 comprising storage areas corresponding to n viewing images inputted from an outside for every frame, respectively; and an interleaver 30 for interleaving the viewing images in parallel by reading out image data to be sampled of the viewing images from predetermined storage addresses of the input image storage memory, and generating a stereoscopic image to be displayed on a n-eye type of stereoscopic image display apparatus.

Claims

1. A game apparatus, comprising:

a game image generating section for generating n viewing images for every frame when a game space is viewed from n viewpoints, in order to enable a player to recognize the game space three-dimensionally by use of binocular parallax;

an input image storage memory comprising storage areas for storing the n viewing images exclusively by each viewing image, respectively, the viewing images being generated by the game image generating section for every frame;

an interleaver for generating the stereoscopic image to be displayed on an n-type of stereoscopic image display apparatus for every frame by sampling image data which are stored in a predetermined storage address of the storage areas, from the storage areas of the input image storage memory for every frame, respectively and by interleaving the viewing images in parallel; and

a display control section for renewing display of an image to enable the player to recognize the game space three-dimensionally by use of binocular parallax for every frame to control display of a three-dimensional dynamic image in the game space by taking control as to display the stereoscopic image generated by the interleaver on the stereoscopic image display apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein n is at least 3.

3. An apparatus, comprising:

a single frame buffer for storing a frame of stereoscopic images therein;

a viewing image generating section for sequentially generating n viewing images for enabling a user to recognize a three-dimensional image using binocular parallax and generating the n viewing images for every frame;

a determining section for determining whether each of the viewing images sequentially generated by the viewing image generating section is a first viewing image for the frame;

a first viewing image storing section for storing the viewing image in the frame buffer by overwriting in response to the determining section determining that the viewing image is the first viewing image;

an interleaving storing section for interleaving the viewing image and an image stored in the frame buffer and for storing an interleaved image in the frame buffer by overwriting in response to the determining section determining that the viewing image is not the first viewing image; and

a display control section for determining whether the image stored in the frame buffer is an image made by interleaving the n viewing images, and for renewing display for every frame by taking control so as to renew display of an n-eye type of stereoscopic image display apparatus by the image stored in the frame buffer in conjunction with the image made by interleaving the n viewing images, to enable the user to recognize a three-dimensional dynamic image by use of binocular parallax.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein n is at least 3.

5. A game apparatus, comprising:

a single frame buffer for storing a frame of stereoscopic images therein;

a game image generating section for sequentially generating n viewing images when a game space is viewed from n viewpoints and for generating the n viewing images for every frame in order to enable a player to recognize the game space three-dimensionally by use of binocular parallax;

a determining section for determining whether each of the viewing images sequentially generated by the game image generating section is a first viewing image for the frame;

a first viewing image storage section for storing the viewing image in the frame buffer by overwriting in response to the determining section determining that the viewing image is the first viewing image;

an interleaving storage section for interleaving the viewing image and an image stored in the frame buffer and for storing an interleaved image in the frame buffer by overwriting in response to the determining section determining that the viewing image is not the first viewing image; and

a display control section for determining whether the image stored in the frame buffer is an image made by interleaving the n viewing images, and for renewing display of an image for enabling the player to recognize the game space three-dimensionally by use of binocular parallax for every frame by taking control so as to renew display of an n-eye type stereoscopic image display apparatus by the image stored in the frame buffer in response to the image made by interleaving the n viewing images, to control display of a three-dimensional dynamic image of the game space.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein n is at least 3.