JPH1023466A - Stereoscopic broadcast system and its method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily realize synchronization of video signals for the right and left eyes and make it possible to stereoscopic-broadcast by a simple equipment and circuit structure by transmitting video data of an I channel switching the video signals for the right and left eyes by frames, receiving this and distributing the video signals for the right and left eyes for each frame so as to realize a stereoscopic view. SOLUTION: Frame pictures R1, R2,... in which the video signals for the right eye photographed and outputted by one camera are continued and frame pictures L1, L2,... in which the video signals for the left eye photographed and outputted by the other camera are continued are alternately selected for each frame by a frame switch device. Stereoscopic video data R1, L2 to L6,... of the I channel in which video signal for the right and left eyes are alternately arranged for each frame is formed. Then a receiver outputs stereoscopic video data R1, L2 to L6,... to input to a monitor for stereoscopic display.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a three-dimensional broadcasting system and a three-dimensional broadcasting method, and more particularly to a three-dimensional broadcasting system and a three-dimensional broadcasting method for transmitting three-dimensional video information by digital broadcasting.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a system for broadcasting stereoscopic video information, a right-eye video signal and a left-eye video signal are separately transmitted using one channel for each signal, that is, a total of two channels. Then, a system has been used in which the transmitted video information is separately received by two tuners and the stereoscopic video is displayed on a dedicated monitor for stereoscopic display.

[0003]

In the conventional stereoscopic broadcasting system as described above, it is very difficult to synchronize the right-eye video signal and the left-eye video signal transmitted through different channels. There was a problem.

Further, as described above, since a total of two channels are required for separate transmissions, the transmission path occupies twice the capacity of a normal broadcasting system, and a tuner requires two channels for reception. You need one. Therefore, the conventional three-dimensional broadcasting system has a problem that the equipment and circuit configuration thereof are extremely complicated and large-scale as compared with the ordinary broadcasting system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and can easily realize synchronization of a right-eye video signal and a left-eye video signal, and can perform three-dimensional broadcasting with simple equipment and circuit configuration. It is an object to provide a system and a stereoscopic broadcasting method.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stereoscopic broadcast system, wherein a right-eye video signal and a left-eye video signal are switched for each frame to form one-channel video data, and the formed video data is compressed. Transmitting means for modulating and transmitting, receiving means for receiving and demodulating and expanding the transmitted video data, and further distributing the right-eye video signal and the left-eye video signal for each frame to enable stereoscopic viewing; It has.

In the stereoscopic broadcasting method according to the present invention, the right-eye video signal and the left-eye video signal are switched for each frame to form one-channel video data, and the formed video data is compressed, modulated, and transmitted. And receiving the transmitted video data, demodulating and expanding the video data, and further allocating the right-eye video signal and the left-eye video signal for each frame to enable stereoscopic viewing.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transmitter for a three-dimensional broadcasting system, comprising: means for switching a right-eye video signal and a left-eye video signal for each frame to form one-channel video data; Means for compression / modulation and transmission.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a receiver for a stereoscopic broadcast system, wherein a right-eye video signal and a left-eye video signal are formed by switching each frame, and further compressed and modulated to transmit one-channel video data. A means for receiving, demodulating and expanding, and means for distributing the right-eye video signal and the left-eye video signal of the demodulated and expanded one-channel video data for each frame to enable stereoscopic viewing.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stereoscopic video data recording apparatus for switching between a right-eye video signal and a left-eye video signal for each frame to form one-channel video data, and compressing and modulating the formed video data. Means for recording on a recording medium.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a three-dimensional video data reproducing apparatus which is formed by switching a right-eye video signal and a left-eye video signal for each frame and further compresses and modulates one-channel video data recorded on a recording medium. Means for reproducing and demodulating / expanding, and means for distributing the right-eye video signal and the left-eye video signal of the demodulated / expanded one-channel video data for each frame to enable stereoscopic viewing.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention relates to a digital broadcasting system in which transmission and reception are performed by switching between a right-eye video signal and a left-eye video signal for each frame.
It enables transmission and reception of stereoscopic video information on a channel transmission path. In the embodiment described below,
As an example of a digital broadcasting system, a case will be described in which the present invention is realized using a digital broadcasting system based on a 525 progressive scanning system (hereinafter referred to as a progressive digital broadcasting system), for which demand is expected to increase in the future.

Such a progressive digital broadcasting system is described in, for example, Technical Report of the Institute of Television Engineers of Japan, Vol. 20, No. 13, published on Feb. 27, 1996.
This is described in detail in "Development of CS Digital Broadcasting System Compatible with 525 Progressive Scanning Signals" by Urano et al., Pp. 5-30, and the details are omitted here.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a basic configuration of such a normal (not stereoscopic broadcast) progressive digital broadcasting system for reference. The system shown here uses satellite broadcasting as an example of a transmission system, and the transmitting side and the receiving side are configured as follows. The detailed specifications and the like of each component described below are described in the above-mentioned document and are sufficiently known in the relevant field, so that the detailed description will be omitted here.

First, on the transmitting side, a video signal picked up and output by a camera 1 compatible with progressive digital broadcasting is compressed by a video encoder 2 and applied to one input of a multiplexing device 3. On the other hand, the audio signal obtained by the sound collection device 4 is compressed by the audio encoder 5 and then supplied to the other input of the multiplexer 3.

The multiplexing device 3 performs transmission path coding on the video data and audio data compressed as described above, multiplexes the data, and supplies the multiplexed data to the digital modulator 6. The digital modulator 6 digitally modulates the given multiplexed signal and supplies it to the satellite communication equipment 7. The satellite communication device 7 transmits the digitally modulated multiplexed signal to the communication satellite 8.

On the receiving side, a transmission signal from a communication satellite 8 is received by a satellite broadcast receiving antenna 9, demodulated by a progressive digital broadcast receiver 10, and then imaged by a monitor 11 for progressive digital broadcast. And sound are played.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the transmitting side of one embodiment of the three-dimensional broadcasting system of the present invention, which enables three-dimensional broadcasting using the above-mentioned progressive digital broadcasting system. It is a block diagram.

In the configuration of FIG. 2, components common to the transmitting side of the ordinary progressive digital broadcasting system of FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

That is, on the transmitting side of the progressive digital broadcasting system shown in FIG. 2, two cameras 1a and 1b compatible with progressive digital broadcasting are used, and these two cameras are operated in synchronization with one another, for example. The camera 1a captures a right-eye video signal, and the other camera, for example, the camera 1b captures a left-eye video signal.

The video signals for the right eye and the left eye from these two cameras are supplied to a frame switching device 12, which switches the two cameras 1a and 1b for each frame of the sequential scanning. Are alternately switched and output, and applied to the video encoder 2 at the next stage.

FIG. 4 shows such a frame switching device 12.
It is a figure which shows operation | movement notionally. As is clear from FIG. 4, the continuous frame images R1, R2,... Of the right-eye video signal captured and output by one camera 1a, and the left-eye video signal captured and output by the other camera 1b. Are alternately switched and selected for each frame by the frame switching device 12, and
One-channel stereoscopic video data R1, L2, in which right-eye video signals and left-eye video signals are alternately arranged for each frame.
R3, L4, R5, L6,... Are formed.

The video encoder 2 having received such stereoscopic video data and the subsequent circuits operate in the same manner as described above with reference to FIG. 1 to communicate digital data of such one-channel stereoscopic video. Transmit to satellite 8.

Next, FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration of a receiving side in one embodiment of the three-dimensional broadcasting system of the present invention.

The one-channel digital stereoscopic video data described with reference to FIG. 1 transmitted from the communication satellite 8 is received by the antenna 9 and demodulated by the progressive digital broadcast receiver 10. From this receiver 10, the output of the frame switching device 12 of FIG. 2, that is, stereoscopic video data R1, L2, R3, L4, R5 in which video signals for the right eye and video signals for the left eye are alternately arranged for each frame. Are output and input to the monitor 13 for stereoscopic display.

As the three-dimensional display monitor 13, various types of monitors can be considered. As an example, a type using liquid crystal shutter type glasses can be considered.

With this type of monitor, a video for the right eye and
The image for the left eye is alternately displayed on the monitor screen for each frame, and the display image on the monitor is viewed through the liquid crystal shutter type glasses that open and close the right and left eyes in synchronization with the displayed frame. , The image for the right eye enters the right eye, and the image for the left eye enters the left eye separately, so that stereoscopic vision becomes possible.

However, in this case, the frame frequency per one eye becomes half the normal frame frequency, and flicker occurs in the video. As a countermeasure for this, a method of doubling the scan frequency of the display on the monitor 13 to display the same frame twice, or displaying one frame in two field images separately can be considered.

In addition to such a liquid crystal shutter type monitor, a stereoscopic type monitor without glasses, that is, a monitor of a so-called "display screen reproduction type" can also perform stereoscopic viewing by the stereoscopic broadcast system of the present invention.

In order to determine which of the odd-numbered frame and the even-numbered frame is the right-eye image or the left-eye image, a switch may be provided on the monitor itself to switch between them, and the switch may be made while actually watching the image. It is possible.

For example, when MPEG, which is an image encoding method in digital broadcasting, is used for video compression, a GPO (Group of
Picture) is determined in advance as a right-eye image (or a left-eye image), and the receiver determines whether the received image is a right-eye image or a left-eye image and notifies the monitor of the information. Is also conceivable.

As described above, the progressive digital broadcasting system using satellite broadcasting as a transmission system has been described as an embodiment of the present invention.

However, the digital broadcasting system of the present invention is not limited to a transmission system using a communication satellite as described above, but a system capable of transmitting digital data, such as a terrestrial broadcasting system or a CATV system. It can also be realized in a wired broadcasting system such as.

Also, in a system via a recording medium such as a VTR, a DVD, or a CD-ROM instead of the above-described transmission system, stereoscopic viewing of stereoscopic image data is also possible.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the left and right images are switched in units of progressive scanning in the progressive digital broadcasting system has been described. Even if the left and right images are switched in units, a system capable of stereoscopic viewing of stereoscopic video data can be similarly configured.

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention, only the video signal for the right eye and the video signal for the left eye obtained from the two cameras operated synchronously are switched and selected for each frame. Thus, synchronization between the right-eye video signal and the left-eye video signal can be easily realized. In addition, a right-eye video signal and a left-eye video signal are alternately arranged for each frame.
Since transmission / reception is performed as one-channel transmission path as stereoscopic video data of a channel, stereoscopic broadcasting is realized on both the transmitting side and the receiving side with simple equipment and circuit configuration similar to a conventional digital broadcasting system. It becomes possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a basic configuration of a general progressive digital broadcasting system.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration on a transmitting side of the stereoscopic broadcast system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration on a receiving side of the stereoscopic broadcast system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram conceptually explaining the operation of the frame switching device 12 shown in FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 1a, 1b Progressive compatible camera 2 Video encoder 3 Multiplexer 4 Sound collector 5 Audio encoder 6 Digital modulator 7 Satellite communication equipment 8 Communication satellite 9 Antenna 10 Progressive digital broadcast receiver 11 Monitor 12 Frame switching device 13 Stereo Display monitor

Claims (6)

[Claims] A transmitting means for switching the right-eye video signal and the left-eye video signal for each frame to form one-channel video data, compressing and modulating the formed video data, and transmitting the compressed video data; Receiving means for receiving, demodulating and expanding the received video data, and further distributing the video signal for the right eye and the video signal for the left eye for each frame to enable stereoscopic viewing. 2. A method of switching the right-eye video signal and the left-eye video signal for each frame to form one-channel video data, compressing and modulating the formed video data, and transmitting the compressed video data. Receiving the video data, demodulating and expanding the video data, and further allocating the video signal for the right eye and the video signal for the left eye for each frame to enable stereoscopic viewing. 3. A transmitter for a stereoscopic broadcast system, comprising: means for switching a right-eye video signal and a left-eye video signal for each frame to form one-channel video data; Means for compressing, modulating and transmitting. 4. A receiver for a three-dimensional broadcasting system, comprising: a right-eye video signal and a left-eye video signal which are formed by switching for each frame, and further compressed and modulated;
Means for receiving and demodulating and decompressing the video data of the channel; means for distributing the right-eye video signal and the left-eye video signal means of the demodulated and decompressed one-channel video data for each frame to enable stereoscopic viewing And a receiver. 5. A means for switching the right-eye video signal and the left-eye video signal for each frame to form one-channel video data, and means for compressing and modulating the formed video data and recording it on a recording medium. A stereoscopic video data recording device comprising: 6. A means for switching the right-eye video signal and the left-eye video signal on a frame-by-frame basis, and further reproducing and demodulating / expanding one-channel video data recorded on a recording medium by compression / modulation. Means for distributing the right-eye video signal and left-eye video signal means of the demodulated and decompressed one-channel video data for each frame to enable stereoscopic viewing.