GB2309610A

GB2309610A - Viewing system for electronic 3-D animation

Info

Publication number: GB2309610A
Application number: GB9627110A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kazuki Itoh
Original assignee: Shinmei Electric Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shinmei Electric Co Ltd
Priority date: 1996-01-24
Filing date: 1996-12-31
Publication date: 1997-07-30
Also published as: DE19702329A1; JPH09205660A; GB9627110D0; CA2194630A1; KR970060974A

Description

2309610

DESCRIPTION VIEWING SYSTEM FOR ELECTRONIC 3-D ANIMATION AND 3-D VIEWING MIRROR

The present invention relates to a viewing system for electronic 3-D animation. In particular, the present invention relates to a viewing system for electronic 3-D animation that allows three-dimensional viewing of animation that is simple and inexpensive.

Electronic animation games that use electronic displays such as video games and personal computer games have become popular. Animation of this type uses color in its images to provide a threedimensional effect, similar to the effect of viewing television images. However no processing is done to the images to provide a true three-dimensional effect, where images of animals or objects would appear to actually project out the screen.

Many types of games have been created, including ones that allow the user to change the contents of the game itself. This has created a demand for stereoscopic images. For example, if a rocket is fired, the rocket should appear to fly from the display screen toward the viewer. Conventionally, there has been a system called stereoscopic photography. Photographs are taken with two cameras arranged side by side. The two images are superimposed during viewing.

When the resulting photographs are viewed from two different angles, there is a sense of depth. Using this principle, it would be possible to show electronic animation by displaying an image to be viewed by the left eye and an image to be viewed by the right eye together on one screen. However, in electronic animation, unlike static images, there are restrictions based on the display screen and the fact that the images change over time. One currently known method involves using a video format where the screen is divided in half vertically and each of the two images is given one half of the screen area. When the stereo image is displayed, the image for the left eye and the image for the right eye are displayed in sequence at fixed intervals. Goggles having liquid crystal shutters are worn by the viewer. The shutters on the left and right lenses of the goggles synchronized with the switching of the images so that the left and right images are kept distinct. The after-image on the retina of the viewer provides a three-dimensional effect. The shutters in this system tend to produce flickering of the image, and thereby tends to produce eye fatigue. Also, since only half the screen is available to each eye viewing the same screen, the resolution is decreased.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the problems of the prior art described above.

Briefly stated, the present invention provides a 3-D system in which left and right eye components of a 3-D image are width-compressed by a factor of two and recorded or displayed side by side. A viewer includes lefteye and right-eye enlargement lenses to width-expand the two side-by-side images by a factor of two to permit their separate and simultaneous viewing by left and right eyes of a person. The data presented to each eye of the viewing person has the same apparent width as an entire uncompressed frame. Fusion of the two images takes place in the brain of the person, the same as in normal viewing. When the displayed image is a video display, flicker of pri orart systems resulting from alternating shutter openings and closings is eliminated.

The viewer may be incorporated into goggles worn by the person doing the viewing.

According to an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a 3-D viewing system comprising means for producing a 3-D image frame including a left-eye image and a right-eye image wherein the image frame occupies one frame of a display, the means for producing the 3-D image frame including means for width-compressing the left-eye image and the righteye image to produce a combined image so that, when displayed contiguously side by side, the left-eye image and the right-side image together have a width substantially equal to the width of the frame of the display, a viewer for viewing the frame of the display, the viewer including means for enlarging the widths of the left-eye image and the right-eye image by a factor of two, and the viewer including means for permitting simultaneous viewing of the left-eye image by the left eye of a person and of the right-eye image by the right eye of the person, whereby the left-eye image and the right-eye image merge to produce a 3-D display.

According to a feature of the invention, the present invention also provides a device for 3-D viewing comprising: a frame, left and right front viewing holes in a front of the frame, left and right rear viewing holes in a rear of the frame, and a left optical two-times enlargement member in the frame aligned between the left front viewing hole and the left rear viewing hole, whereby a left-eye image entering the left front viewing hole is enlarged horizontally by a factor of two, a right optical twotimes enlargement member in the frame aligned between the right front viewing hole and the right rear viewing hole, whereby a right-eye image entering the right front viewing hole is enlarged horizontally by a factor of two, and the field of view of the front left-eye viewing hole being substantially contiguous alongside the field of view of the front right-eye viewing hole.

The invention as described above works as follows:

In order to view electronic animation threedimensionally, the image seen by the left eye must differ from the image seen by the right eye, since the left and right eyes have different viewing angles. For example, when a tree is viewed, the left and right eyes see different images since the left eye sees more of the left side of the tree while the right sees more of the right side of the tree. The size of the animation data for the image for the left eye and the image for the right eye are both set to the size of one display frame. The two different sets of animation data are then compressed so that the resulting data has the same width as a single display frame, since if the two different sets of animation data were displayed side by side without compression, the image would be twice as wide as a single/display frame. when the formatted animation data is then displayed in a display frame, the image for the left eye and the image for the right eye are displayed side by side in one display frame so that they are both half their normal width. For example, images of King Kong would be displayed side by side on the same screen. In each image, the height of King Kong would be correct, but he would be half his normal width. The images are then made twice as wide with the goggles. The image for the left eye is viewed by the left eye and simultaneously the image for the -6 right eye is viewed by the right eye. This produces the same effect as having the left eye and the right eye look simultaneously at the left-eye image and the right-eye image at original size (i.e. each image filling up one display frame). The left-eye image viewed by the left eye and the right-eye image viewed by the right eye are superimposed. Since there is depth toward the left and the right, the visual perception is that the center portion of the image appears three-dimensional and projected toward the viewer.

The invention is described further hereinafter, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate the same elements, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front-view drawing of an image for the left eye; Fig. 2 is a front-view drawing of an image of the same object for the right eye; Fig. 3 is a front-view drawing of the sideby-side image; Fig. 4 is an optical schematic drawing of a side-by-side image on the display viewed with a 3-D viewing mirror; and Fig. 5 is an optical schematic drawing of a recording device for recording width-reduced images of a 3-D scene side-by-side on film.

Referring to Fig. 1, an image is shown for viewing by the left eye of the viewer in one frame of a display of electronic animation. Fig. 1 contains a clear view of the left side of a shaft B1 projecting from a sphere Al.

Referring now also to Fig. 2, there is shown a right-eye image 2 for viewing by the right eye of the viewer in one frame on the display. Fig. 2 contains a clear view of the right side of a shaft B2 projecting from a sphere A2.

Referring to Fig. 3, a side-by-side image 3 includes a horizontally compressed image 1 and a horizontally compressed image 2 arranged side-byside. Images 1 and 2 are horizontally compressed so that both images fit the width of one display frame. Thus, lefteye image 1 (Fig. 1) and righteye image 2 (Fig. 2) occupy one display screen, compressed horizontally at a 2-to-1 ratio to form a compressed left-eye image 31 and a compressed right-eye image 32 displayed together side by side. Viewed normally, the viewer would see image 3, with compressed left-eye image 31 and compressed right-eye image 32 arranged side by side as shown in the Figure.

Referring to Fig. 4, there is shown an optical schematic drawing of sideby-side image 3 on a display 4 viewed through a 3-D viewer 5 for electronic animation. A frame 6 includes a front surface 6A -8having left and right front viewing holes 7A, 7B. A rear surface 6B of frame 6 includes left and right rear viewing holes 8A, 8B. Optical width enlarging members 9A, 9B are disposed between front viewing holes 7A, 7B and rear viewing holes 8A,8B. Optical width enlarging members 9A and 9B are preferably semi-cylindrical lenses having axes or their cylindrical portions generally parallel to each other and vertically oriented.

Side-by-side horizontally compressed images 31 and 32 from display 4 pass through front viewing holes 7A,7B, respectively. Compressed images 31 and 32 pass through optical width enlarging members 9A,9B, respectively, which increase the widths of the images by a factor of two. The width- expanded images 31 and 32 are then transferred to rear viewing holes 8A, 8B, respectively.

optical width enlarging member 9A on the left of display 4 expands the compressed left-eye image 31 on the left half of side-by-side image 3 of display 4 by a factor of two. The center line of the enlarged image matches the center line of 3-D viewer 5.

optical width enlarging member 9B on the right expands compressed righteye image 32 on the right half of side-by-side image 3 of display 4 by a factor of two to enlarge the width of compressed righteye image 32 only. The center line of the enlarged image matches the center line of 3-D viewer 5. Thus, the images that pass through optical width enlarging members 9A, 9B are focused onto the viewer's retinas to form superimposed image 12. Superimposed image 12 is equivalent to having image 1 from Fig. 1 and image 2 from Fig. 2 superimposed on each other, but in separate eyes, whereby a 3D ef f ect is produced. Of course, side-by-side image 3, which has been compressed by one half on display 4, is enlarged by a factor of two so that the resulting image has normal dimensions. The left eye perceives a viewing angle of the object as seen from the left, and the right eye perceives a viewing angle as seen from the right, so that depth is perceived on the left and the right, and the central portion appears to extend forward, thus giving a threedimensional effect. Since the image on display 4 is enlarged by a factor of two, the resolution for each eye is half the original. However, an additive effect of the resolutions from the left an right eyes makes the resolution perceived by the viewer the same as a normal image displayed on display 4.

Left and right optical width enlarging members 9A, 9B are preferably semicylindrical. By orienting the long axis vertically, only the width dimension is enlarged. In some applications, a slight departure from cylindrical shape may be desirable. For example, a slightly ovoid cross section may compensate -10for the fact that the image being viewed through each enlarging member 9A, 9B may not be disposed directly in from of its related from viewing hole 7A, 7B.

Alternatively, a W-shaped mirror may be placed between viewer 5 and display 4. Suitable semicylindrical shapes of the mirror surfaces performs the same width-enlarging function as the semicylindrical lenses of left and right optical width enlarging members 9A, 9B. Since one skilled in the art would be fully enabled to make and use a mirror-type version of the present invention, given the present disclosure, further detail on such an embodiment is considered unnecessary.

As described above, in the present invention, two animation images, each of which would normally fit in display 4, are compressed 2 to 1. The two images representing left-eye and right-eye views are displayed together side by side in one frame of display 4. Thus, there is no difficulty in formatting the image. All that is needed is to be able to view the lefteye image of side-by-side image 3 through the left eye and the right eye image through the right eye while enlarging the width of both images. Thus, the present invention provides three-dimensional viewing at low cost without requiring complicated devices or tools.

Viewer 5 may take any convenient form. In a preferred embodiment, viewer 5 is incorporated into -11goggles worn by a person doing the viewing. In another embodiment, viewer 5 is fixed with respect to display 4. The person doing the viewing then moves into place to look through viewing holes 8A, 8B. Another possibility includes a hand-held viewer.

As shown in Fig. 4, viewer 5 preferably includes a lens in each of rear viewing holes 8A, 8B.

Referring now to Fig. 5 there is shown, generally at 36, a photographic recording device for recording width-reduced images of a threedimensional scene 38 side by side on a film. Left and right apertures 40A, 40B are spaced apart in a housing 42 and positioned in front of corresponding left and right width-reducing lenses 44A, 44B. The spacing between apertures 40A and 40B is preferably about equal to a normal spacing between the left and right eyes of a person. Left and right widthreducing lenses 44A, 44B produce, with optional additional lens elements (not shown), left and right width-reduced side-by-side virtual images 46A, 46B, respectively. A camera 48 photographs virtual image 46A, 46B on a single frame of film or on an image plane of a video camera.

Left and right width-reducing lenses 44A and 44B may be cylindrically concave, as shown, or may be cylindrically convex reflective elements, without departing from the scope of the invention.

The present invention configured as described -12above has the following advantages.

A. Three-dimensional viewer using a single display unit is simple and easy to manufacture.

B. Production costs are significantly reduced since formatting the image data is easy, and there is no need for extra image processing data.

C. There is no need for elaborate devices or complicated tools. Threedimensional viewing can be performed using an inexpensive and simple optical three-dimensional viewer 5. Thus, the user can take advantage of this device without inconvenience.

D. The image to be viewed is compressed by one half, and is directly displayed. The user views the image through a viewer that enlarges the width by a factor of two. The overlap of the two images in the brain of the person doing the viewing restores the resolution to about the same as before width compression, whereby the image is very clear, and there is no flickering since no shutters are needed. This reduces eye strain.

E. the device can be used as a method for recording 3-D television simply by rearranging the display elements. In 3-D television, the left and right images are displayed by interleaving display elements one at a time. A stereoscopic effect is produced by using a parallax barrier, which is a washboard-shaped plate that acts as a light shield, or -13a lenticular plate, which uses semicircular lenses.

F. With the conventional method, two cameras are need for photographing three-dimensional natural images. However, with the method of the present invention, photographs can be taken simply by using an adapter which produces width-reduced images side by side on the photographic film.

Having described preferred embodiments of the with reference to the accompanying drawings, be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

invention it is to ------------------- --------- 0

Claims

1. A 3-D viewing system wherein left and righteye components of a 3-D image are width-compressed by a factor of two and recorded or displayed side-by-side, and there is provided a viewer which includes left-eye and right-eye enlargement means to width-expand the two side-by-side images by a factor of two to permit their separate and simultaneous viewing by left and right eyes of a person.

2. A 3-D viewing system comprising:

means for producing a 3-D image frame including a left-eye image and a right-eye image wherein said image frame occupies one frame of a display; said means for producing the 3-D image frame including means for widthcompressing said left-eye image and said right-eye image to produce a combined image so that, when displayed contiguously side-byside, said left-eye image and said right-eye image together have a width substantially equal to the width of said frame of said display; a viewer for viewing said frame of said display; said viewer including means for enlarging the widths of said left-eye image and said right-eye image by a factor of two; and said viewer including means for permitting simultaneous viewing of said left-eye image by the left eye of a person and of said right-eye image by the right eye of said person, whereby said lefteye image and said right- eye image merge to produce a 3-D display.

3. A device for 3-D viewing comprising:

a frame; left and right front viewing holes in a front of said frame; left and right rear viewing holes in a rear of said frame; a left optical enlargement member in said frame aligned between said left front viewing hole and said left rear viewing hole, whereby a left-eye image entering said left front viewing hole is enlarged horizontally by a factor of two; a right optical enlargement member in said frame aligned between said right front viewing hole and said right rear viewing hole, whereby a right-eye image entering said right front viewing hole is enlarged horizontally by a factor of two; and the field of view of said front left-eye viewing hole being arranged to be substantially contiguous alongside the field of view of said front right-eye viewing hole, whereby left and right portions of a scene being viewed are contiguous.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said left optical member and said right optical member are each semicylindrical lenses.

5. 3-D viewing system, substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A device for 3D viewing, substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

ke, Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS 1. A 3-D viewing system wherein left and righteye components of a 3-D image are width-compressed by a factor of two and recorded or displayed side-by-side, and there is provided a viewer which includes left-eye and right-eye enlargement means to width-expand the two side-by-side images by a factor of two to permit their separate and simultaneous viewing by left and right eyes of a person.

2. A 3-D viewing system comprising:

means for producing a 3-D image frame including a left-eye image and a right-eye image wherein said image frame occupies one frame of,a display; said means for producing the 3-D image frame including means for widthcompressing said left-eye image and said right-eye image to produce a combined image so that, when displayed contiguously side-byside, said left-eye image and said right-eye image together have a width substantially equal to the width of said frame of said display; a viewer for viewing said frame of said display; said viewer including means for enlarging the widths of said left-eye image and said right-eye image by a factor of two; and said viewer including means for permitting simultaneous viewing of said left-eye image by the left eye of a person and of said right-eye image by the right eye of said person, whereby said left-eye image and said right- eye image merge to produce a 3-D display.

3. A device for 3-D viewing comprising:

a frame; left and right front viewing holes in a front of said frame; left and right rear viewing holes in a rear of said frame; 00 c ' P a left optical enlargement member in said frame aligned between said left front viewing hole and said left rear viewing hole, whereby a left-eye image entering said left front viewing hole is enlarged horizontally by a factor of two; a right optical enlargement member in said frame aligned between said right front viewing hole and said right rear viewing hole, whereby a right-eye image entering said right front viewing hole is enlarged horizontally by a factor of two; and the field of view of said front left-eye viewing hole being arranged to be substantially contiguous alongside the field.of view of said front right-eye viewing hole, whereby left and right portions of a scene being viewed are contiguous.

5. A method of electronically displaying a three dimensional animated image, comprising the steps of:

establishing respective animation data for a left-eye image and a righteye image, the two sets of animation data both respectively corresponding to the size of one display frame; compressing the two sets of animation data so that the resulting combined data corresponds to a single display frame; displaying the resulting combined data such that the left-eye image and the right-eye image are shown side by side in one display frame.

6. 3-D viewing system, substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. A device for 3-D viewing, substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.