JPH04241593A - Stereoscopic television system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a stable picture by displaying a picture obtained based on an image signal with time division and controlling the picture to be applied to the both right and left eyes of an observer. CONSTITUTION:The plural image signals caught in plural directions by cameras C1-Cn are converted to a non-interlace signal having an integer-fold scan rate, and signals S1-Sn are continuously arranged. On a video display means, the picture is obtained with time division based on the plural image signals. Then, the signals S1-Sn are converted to the integer-fold scan rate by scan converters 21-2n, and signals SC1-SCn are inputted to a P/S conversion part 4. The conversion part 4 receives the signals SC1-SC4 and changes them into a parallel data while responding to a synchronizing signal generated from a synchronizing signal generation part 5. Thus, a monitor 6 receives a video signal V and a synchronizing signal S and obtains the picture based on an image signal component in a stable state for each vertical scanning period on the screen.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stereoscopic television system, and more particularly to a stereoscopic television system that can provide a stable stereoscopic image even if the viewer's viewing position changes.

0002

[Prior Art and Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional so-called two-lens stereoscopic television system, two television cameras are installed at positions corresponding to the distance between the pupils of the left and right eyes.
The subject is photographed simultaneously by each television camera. During playback, the image captured by the TV camera corresponding to the left eye is presented to the left eye, and the image captured by the TV camera corresponding to the right eye is presented to the right eye, thereby allowing playback of the stereoscopic TV image. It was being done.

The following methods are conventionally known as methods for presenting individual images corresponding to both eyes to the viewer.

(1) The image for the left eye is displayed in red, the image for the right eye is displayed in green, etc., and the viewer wears glasses fitted with filters of the same color, thereby separating the images for the left and right eyes. anaglyph method

(2) Polarizing filters that are perpendicular to each other are pasted on the screens of CRTs and projectors for image reproduction for the left and right eyes, and polarizing filters are also pasted on the observer's glasses to reproduce the two images. Polaroid method of separation

00
06] (3) A time-sharing method in which both the left and right images are presented in time series, and the left and right images are separated using synchronized PLZT and liquid crystal shutters.

(4) A lenticular method in which a semicylindrical lenticular lens is pasted on the screen of a screen or CRT, and images are separated into the left and right eyes through this lens.

[0008] In the methods (1) to (3), in principle, images of only two channels can be reproduced, and therefore only one stereoscopic image pair can be presented to the left and right eyes. As a result, when the observer moves his or her body or head to change the relative position or line of sight from the screen, the three-dimensional image expands, contracts, and becomes distorted. Therefore, the directions in which stereoscopic images can be obtained are limited.

[0009] With the method (4), stereoscopic images can be obtained from multiple directions, but the image information for the reproduction channels must be packed into one lenticular lens, which is extremely difficult to design. .

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a stereoscopic television system that can obtain stable stereoscopic images even if the viewer's viewing position changes. purpose.

[0011]

[Means for Solving the Problems] A stereoscopic television system according to the present invention includes an image signal generating means for generating a plurality of image signals captured from a plurality of directions with respect to a subject, and a plurality of generated image signals. a converting means for converting the image signal into a non-interlace signal having a scan rate multiple times higher than that of the image signal and converting the converted signal into a continuously arranged image signal; and a video display means for displaying the video based on the video signal output from the converting means. A line-of-sight detection means for detecting the direction of the observer's line of sight with respect to the image display means; shutter glasses having two shutters that can individually control transmission and non-transmission of light; and a transmission control means for controlling the transparency of the two shutters.

0012

[Operation] In the stereoscopic television system of the present invention, the conversion means converts a plurality of image signals captured from a plurality of directions into a non-interlaced signal having a scan rate that is multiple times higher, and generates a signal that is consecutively arranged. generate. Therefore, images obtained based on a plurality of image signals are displayed on the video display means in a time-division manner. Since the transmission timing of each shutter of the shutter glasses worn by the observer is controlled by the transmission control means, the observer can observe an image corresponding to the direction of his/her line of sight from the image display means through the shutter glasses. . The observed image takes into consideration the direction of the observer's line of sight with respect to the image display means, and the image that the observer should see is selected according to the change in the direction of the line of sight, so the observer's viewing position A stable stereoscopic image can be obtained even if the

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a three-dimensional television system showing an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, this stereoscopic television system includes n cameras C1 to Cn that image one subject 3 from n different directions, and image signals S1 to Cn output from each camera C1 to Cn. Scan converters 21 to 2n that scan-convert Sn, respectively, a P/S converter 4 that converts scan-converted signals SC1 to SCn into serial video signals, and a video signal V output from the P/S converter 4. , a monitor (such as a CRT) 6 that displays an image based on the synchronization signal S generated from the synchronization signal generation section 5 , and the synchronization signal generation section 5 . Each scan converter 21 to 2n is
The image signals output from each of the cameras C1 to Cn are converted to a scan rate n times higher.

The device 71 for one observer includes a sensor 10 that detects a head movement of the observer, that is, a change in the line of sight, and a movement detection section that detects the movement of the line of sight in response to an output signal from the sensor 10. 11, an image selection unit 12 that selects an image to be shown to the viewer in response to detected movement, and two shutters 14a of shutter glasses worn by the viewer to show the selected image to the viewer. and a shutter drive section 13 that drives the shutters 14b and 14b. Device 71 shows the configuration necessary for one observer to observe monitor 6. If a plurality of (m) observers observe at the same time, m observer devices 71 to 7m having a similar configuration are provided.

FIG. 2 is a timing diagram for explaining the operation of the stereoscopic television system shown in FIG. Next, the operation will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Note that in the following description, as an example, a case will be described in which the subject 3 is imaged by four cameras C1 to C4. Therefore, the image signals S1 to S4 captured by the cameras C1 to C4 are converted by the scan converters 21 to 24 into non-interlaced signals with a scan rate of four times higher. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, signals SC1 to SC4 that have been converted to a scan rate four times higher, that is, compressed, are output from scan converters 21 to 24, respectively. Note that the period 1V shown in FIG. 2 indicates one vertical scanning period of the original signal output from the camera, the period T1 indicates a video period, and the period T
2 indicates a blanking period.

The P/S converter 4 converts signals SC1 to SC
4 and converts the parallel data into a serial signal in response to the synchronization signal generated from the synchronization signal generator 5. More specifically, the compressed image data A1 to A4 included in each of the signals SC1 to SC4 are sequentially inserted into the video period T1 in one vertical scanning period 1V. Further, the synchronization signal generating section 5 generates a synchronization signal having a vertical frequency of four times 1V for each of the images A1 to A4, and places it in the blanking period of each image as shown by S in the figure. Therefore, the monitor 6 receives the video signal V and synchronization signal S as shown in FIG. 2, and displays a video based on the image signal components A1 to A4 on the screen for each vertical scanning period.

The following operations are performed in the observer device 71. In response to a signal from a sensor 10 attached to the head of the observer, the motion detection unit 11 detects the movement of the observer's head, particularly the movement of the line of sight relative to the monitor 6 . The image selection unit 12 selects an image that the observer should observe at that time in response to the detected movement of the line of sight. In other words, the shutter driving unit 13 is controlled so that the viewer observes the image captured by the camera corresponding to the line of sight. Therefore, the shutter drive unit 13
In response to the image selection signal from 2, signals G1a and G1b are output for controlling transmission/non-transmission of shutters 14a and 14b of shutter glasses worn by the viewer.

For example, the observer's line of sight V toward the monitor 6 is
1, the shutter drive signal G shown in FIG.
1a and G1b are output. Therefore, the shutters 14a and 14b of the shutter glasses transmit signals in response to the signals G1a and G1b, so that the left eye of the observer sees an image based on the image signal component A1, and the right eye sees an image based on the image signal component A2. A video based on this will be shown. Thereafter, when the observer moves and the line of sight V2 is detected, the shutter drive section 13 outputs shutter drive signals G2a and G2b. Therefore, at this time, an image based on the pixel signal component A2 is displayed to the observer's left eye, and an image based on the pixel signal component A3 is displayed to the right eye. Similarly, when another line of sight V3 is detected, images to be observed by both the left and right eyes are provided to the observer's eyes by driving the shutters of the shutter glasses.

In the above example, an image based on images obtained from two adjacent cameras was observed by the observer, but the present invention is not limited to this, and an image based on images obtained from two non-adjacent cameras is provided to the observer. You can also do that. In this way, a more three-dimensional effect can be given to the viewer.

In order to detect the movement of the observer's head, particularly the movement of the line of sight, the movement detection section 11 shown in FIG. 1 is constructed as follows. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the motion detection section 11 shown in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 3, this motion detection unit 11a includes a sensor 10a mounted on the head of an observer.
A detection unit 31 detects a signal from the sensor 10a, a CPU 32 calculates the observer's movement, that is, the line of sight based on the detected signal, and an exciter 34 for the sensor 10a.
and an AC drive section 33 for C (alternating current) driving. The exciter 34 is composed of three coils wound in three axes (X, Y, Z) directions. Each coil has an AC
Driving power supply voltages generated from the driving section 33 and having different frequencies are supplied. Therefore, the exciter 33
A magnetic field is generated, and the observer is inside that magnetic field. The sensor 10a also includes three detection coils wound in the (X, Y, Z) directions. When the observer moves, an electromotive force is generated in each coil within the sensor 10a according to the movement. The movement of the observer, that is, the movement of the line of sight, is detected by detecting the electromotive force generated in each coil by the detection unit 31 and processing the signal components in each direction by the CPU. The signal MV indicating the movement of the line of sight is shown in Figure 1.
The image selection unit 12 shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another example of the motion detection section 11 shown in FIG. 1. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the LED 10b is attached to the observer's head. The motion detection section 11b includes a camera 41 that captures an image of the LED 10b, and an image processing section 42 that detects motion by processing the captured image. Similar to the example shown in FIG. 3, the image processing section 42 outputs a signal MV indicating the movement of the observer's head, that is, the movement of the line of sight, and is given to the image selection section 12 shown in FIG.

By applying the stereoscopic television system shown in FIG. 1, the viewer can view an appropriate stereoscopic image according to the viewer's movements. Furthermore, since the images are converted to non-interlaced images, it is now possible to select any pair of images and control the stereoscopic effect. Furthermore, it becomes possible for multiple observers to simultaneously obtain stereoscopic images from one monitor, which can be useful in realistic communication, medical image display such as CT, and stereoscopic television broadcasting.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, the direction of the observer's line of sight with respect to the image display means is detected, and the images to be given to the left and right eyes of the observer are controlled accordingly. A stereoscopic television system that can obtain stable stereoscopic images even when the viewing position changes has been obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a stereoscopic television system showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of the stereoscopic television system shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a motion detection section shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another example of the motion detection section shown in FIG. 1.

[Explanation of symbols]

3. Subject 4 P/S conversion section 5 Synchronization signal generation section 6. Monitor 10 Sensor 11 Motion detection section 12 Image selection section 13 Shutter drive section 14a Shutter Shutter for glasses 14b Shutter Glasses shutter 71 Observer device

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: Image signal generation means for generating a plurality of image signals captured from a plurality of directions with respect to a subject, and converting the generated plurality of image signals into non-interlaced signals having a scan rate multiple times higher. a converting means for converting the images into continuously arranged image signals, a video display means for displaying a video based on the video signal output from the converting means, and detecting the direction of the observer's line of sight with respect to the video display means. shutter glasses that are worn by the observer and have two shutters that can individually control transmission and non-transmission of light; and a transmission control means for controlling the transmission timing of the two shutters.