Stereo picture recognition device and method of displaying stereo picture

• US 7,068,241 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2001
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sato, Seiji, Kawamura, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Xiao
• Assistant Examiner(s): FATAHI YAR, MAHMOUD
• Application Number:
  US09/888,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20020044350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 345/6, 359/465, 359/466, 348/57, 348/51, 349/15, 349 7- 9
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/24 involving temporal multiplexing, e.g. using sequentially activated left and right shutters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/161 Encoding, multiplexing or demultiplexing different image signal components for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/324 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/365 using digital micromirror devices [DMD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

A stereo picture recognition device has a time-sharing picture display shutter disposed between a display surface of a display device and a viewer. The time-sharing picture display shutter has a function of shutting off only an area covered by a viewing angle which corresponds to a display area of the display device.

Claims

1. A stereoscopic picture image forming system for forming a picture image of an object separated into a first sub-object for a left eye and a second sub-object for a right eye, the stereoscopic picture image forming system comprising:

a display device for displaying the picture image of the object;

a first linear polarization filter and a first quarter-wavelength plate disposed at a display surface of the display device;

a common image-forming means;

a first image pick-up means for picking up the displayed picture image for the left eye, the picture image being introduced by way of the common image-forming means;

a second image pick-up means for picking up the displayed picture image for the right eye, the picture image being introduced by way of the common image-forming means;

a liquid crystal sealing body associated with the first and second image pick-up means having separate shutters associated with each of said first and second image pick-up means; and

a second linear polarization filter disposed at one of a front and a rear surface of each of said image pick-up means,

a second ciuarter-wavelength plate disposed at the front surface of each of said image pick-up means, wherein

the separate shutters have a function of shutting off an area covered by a viewing angle which corresponds to a display area of the display device.

2. The stereoscopic picture image forming system as claimed in claim 1, in which the stereoscopic picture image forming system further comprises an optical means for separating the picture image of the object into the first sub-object for the left eye and the second sub-object for the right eye, and in which each of the first image pick-up means and the second image pick-up means is disposed at an image formation position of the common image-forming means.

3. The stereoscopic picture image forming system as claimed in claim 1, in which the common image-forming means has a zoom function.

4. The stereoscopic picture image forming system as claimed in claim 3, in which the common image-forming means is a lens.

5. The stereoscopic picture image forming system as claimed in claim 2, in which the common image-forming means has a zoom function.

6. The stereoscopic picture image forming system as claimed in claim 5, in which the common image-forming means is a lens.

7. The stereoscopic picture image forming system as claimed in claim 1, in which each of the first image pick-up means and the second image pick-up means comprises a charge coupled device.

8. The stereoscopic picture image forming system as claimed in claim 1, in which each of the first image pick-up means and the second image pick-up means comprises a complementary metal oxide semiconductor.

9. The stereoscopic picture image forming system as claimed in claim 2, in which the optical means comprises a mirror.

10. The stereoscopic picture image forming system as claimed in claim 9, in which the mirror of the optical means comprises:

a pair of a first left mirror and a first right mirror disposed on an external peripheral side of the common image-forming means in such a manner as to oppose to each other, each of the first left mirror and the first right mirror forming a predetermined angle with respect to the common image-forming means; and

a pair of a second left mirror and a second right mirror disposed, respectively, substantially in parallel with the first left mirror and the first right mirror, and disposed in such a position as to oppose to the common image-forming means.

11. The stereoscopic picture image forming system as claimed in claim 2, in which the optical means comprises a prism.

12. The stereoscopic picture image forming system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a pair of a third left mirror and a third right mirror disposed in such a manner as to form a predetermined angle therebetween,

the third left mirror being so disposed relative to the first image pick-up means as to allow the picture image for the left eye introduced by way of the common image-forming means to reach the first image pick-up means at the image formation position of the common image-forming means, and

the third right mirror being so disposed relative to the second image pick-up means as to allow the picture image for the right eye introduced by way of the common image-forming means to reach the second image pick-up means at the image formation position of the common image-forming means.

13. A stereoscopic image system comprising:

a display via which a stereoscopic image is displayed;

a first linear polarization filter and a first quarter-wavelength plate disposed at a display surface of the display device;

a liquid crystal sealing body associated with first and second image pick-up means having separate shutters associated with each of said first and second image pick-up means;

a second linear polarization filter disposed at one of a front and a rear surface of each of said image pick-up means,

a second quarter-wavelength plate disposed at the front surface of each of said image pick-up means, wherein

the separate shutters have a function of shutting off an area covered by a viewing angle which corresponds to a display area of the display device.