Method and apparatus for processing three-dimensional images

• US 8,131,064 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mashitani, Ken, Hamagishi, Goro, Takemoto, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Liew, Alex
• Application Number:
  US12/976,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20110090217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 382/103, 382/154
• US Class Current: 382/154
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/366 using viewer tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

A three-dimensional sense adjusting unit displays three-dimensional images to a user. If a displayed reaches a limit of parallax, the user responds to the three-dimensional sense adjusting unit. According to acquired appropriate parallax information, a parallax control unit generates parallax images to realize the appropriate parallax in the subsequent stereo display. The control of parallaxes is realized by optimally setting camera parameters by going back to three-dimensional data. Functions to realize the appropriate parallax are made into and presented by a library.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional image processing apparatus comprising:

a parallax control unit configured to adjust parallax between or among a plurality of viewpoint images for displaying a three-dimensional image to be perceived by one or more users; and

a map storage unit having a pre-stored adjusting map to be referred to by the parallax control unit in adjusting the parallax, wherein

the adjusting map includes parallax adjusting amounts based on which,

the parallax control unit adjusts the parallax between or among the plurality of viewpoint images to become smaller at a peripheral region of the three-dimensional image or adjusts the parallax between or among the plurality of viewpoint images so that an object at the peripheral region of the three-dimensional image is seen by the one or more users to be relatively distant.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving unit configured to receive an appropriate parallax amount that depends on a user'"'"'s preference, wherein

the parallax control unit processes the plurality of viewpoint images to adjust the parallax based on the received appropriate parallax amount before the three-dimensional image is displayed.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving unit configured to receive a user'"'"'s instruction with respect to the three-dimensional image to be displayed based on the plurality of viewpoint images, wherein

the parallax control unit adjusts a positional relationship between or among the plurality of viewpoint images according to the user'"'"'s instruction to adjust the parallax between or among the plurality of viewpoint images, and

the apparatus further comprises a writing unit which writes information regarding the adjusted positional relationship into a recording area.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an indicating unit configured to indicate an adjustable range of the parallax between or among the plurality of viewpoint images; and

a receiving unit configured to receive a user'"'"'s instruction with respect to a parallax amount within the adjustable range, wherein

the parallax control unit adjusts the parallax in accordance with the parallax amount.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the parallax control unit processes at least one of the plurality of viewpoint images to adjust the parallax between or among the plurality of viewpoint images.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the parallax control unit distorts the three-dimensional image to be displayed to adjust the parallax between or among the plurality of viewpoint images.

7. A three-dimensional image processing method comprising the steps of:

pre-storing adjusting amounts;

receiving a plurality of viewpoint images for displaying a three-dimensional image to be perceived by one or more users; and

adjusting a parallax between or among the received plurality of viewpoint images based on the adjusting amounts, wherein

the adjusting step adjusts the parallax between or among the plurality of viewpoint images to become smaller at a peripheral region of the three-dimensional image or adjusts the parallax between or among the plurality of viewpoint images so that an object at the peripheral region of the three-dimensional image is seen by the one or more users to be relatively distant, in accordance with the adjusting amounts.

8. The three-dimensional image processing method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an appropriate parallax amount that depends on a user'"'"'s preference; and

processing the plurality of viewpoint images to adjust the parallax based on the received appropriate parallax amount before a three-dimensional image is displayed.

9. The three-dimensional image processing method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a user'"'"'s instruction with respect to the three-dimensional mage to be displayed based on the plurality of viewpoint images;

adjusting a positional relationship between or among the plurality of viewpoint images according to the user'"'"'s instruction to adjust the parallax between or among the plurality of viewpoint images; and

writing information regarding the adjusted positional relationship into a recording area.

10. The three-dimensional image processing method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

indicating an adjustable range of the parallax between or among the plurality of viewpoint images;

receiving a user'"'"'s instruction with respect to a parallax amount within the adjustable range; and

adjusting the parallax in accordance with the parallax amount.

11. A non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium having a program, when executed, controlling a computer to perform the steps of:

pre-storing adjusting amounts;

receiving a plurality of viewpoint images for displaying a three-dimensional image to be perceived by one or more users; and

adjusting a parallax between or among the received plurality of viewpoint images based on the adjusting amounts, wherein

the adjusting step adjusts the parallax between or among the plurality of viewpoint images to become smaller at a peripheral region of the three-dimensional image or adjusts the parallax between or among the plurality of viewpoint images so that an object at the peripheral region of the three-dimensional image is seen by the one or more users to be relatively distant, in accordance with the adjusting amounts.