JP2002055404A - Display device, camera equipped with display device and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable many people to easily stereoscopically view two pictures displayed on a display part and having parallax. SOLUTION: By providing a picture processor 21 performing processing to replace the two pictures having the parallax or processing to reverse either one of the two pictures right and left, and displaying the picture in accordance with a display mode set by a display setting switch 824 on the display 814, a method by which a stereoscopic effect is confirmed is selected and many people can easily stereoscopically view the picture.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a display device having a display unit capable of stereoscopic viewing, and a camera and a recording medium having the display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a stereo camera for photographing a plurality of images having parallax has been known. There is also known a stereo adapter or a stereo attachment having an optical system capable of exposing two images having parallax adjacent to each other in an original screen by being added in front of a normal photographing lens.

Here, a stereo adapter will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an optical system of a stereo adapter. The stereo adapter 15 attached to the front (the upper side in the figure) of the photographing lens 11 has reflecting mirrors 44 and 46 having arbitrary angles left and right about the optical axis L of the photographing lens 11, and the reflecting mirrors 44 and 46. And reversing mirrors 43 and 45 parallel to the mirrors are arranged. The stereo adapter 15 has two openings 41 and 42, and light incident on the opening 41 from the subject 47 is reflected by the reversing mirror 4.
3. The subject image 47a inverted to the right half area on the CCD image sensor 90 via the reflection mirror 44 and the photographing lens 11.
Is imaged. This subject image 47a is an image for the left eye. On the other hand, the light incident on the opening 42 from the subject 47 passes through the reversing mirror 45, the reflecting mirror 46, and the photographing lens 11, and the reversed subject image 47b is formed on the left half area on the CCD image sensor 90. This subject image 47b becomes an image for the right eye.

Then, these two subject images 47a,
47b is displayed adjacently on a display or the like. The order of arrangement of these two subject images 47a and 47b is left-handed for the left eye and right-handed for the right eye when viewed from the display, and the subject images are observed separately with the left and right eyes, thereby observing a stereoscopic image. Such a method of observing a three-dimensional image is generally called a parallel method.

[0005] Some stereo cameras observe a three-dimensional image by the parallel method as described above.

[0006]

However, autostereoscopic viewing by the parallel method as described above cannot be performed naturally. In a camera equipped with a display or the like, it is possible to reproduce two images that have been shot by the parallel method. The convergence angle must be wider than when viewing an object that is normally at display distance. In order to do this, practice is usually required, and there are cases where it is not easy to learn the parallel method because there are individual differences among individuals. Therefore, it is difficult or difficult for a person who cannot use the parallel method to feel a three-dimensional effect.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to enable a large number of people to easily observe a stereoscopic image.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a display unit (8) for displaying two images is provided.
14), an image processing device (21) that performs a predetermined process on at least one of the two images, and a second image that has a parallax and displays these images side by side. A display setting device (824) for selecting one of the display state of No. 1 and a second display state of performing a process of exchanging images displayed side by side by the image processing apparatus and displaying these images side by side. It is characterized by having.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a display unit (814) for displaying two images and an image processing device (2) for performing a predetermined process on at least one of the two images
1) and two images have a parallax, and a first display state in which these images are displayed side by side and a process of horizontally inverting one of the two images by the image processing device are performed. A display setting device (824) for selecting any one of a third display state in which these images are displayed side by side.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a display unit (814) for displaying two images and an image processing device (2) for performing a predetermined process on at least one of the two images
1) and the two images have parallax, a process of exchanging images displayed side by side by the image processing device, and a second display state in which these images are displayed side by side; A display setting device (8) for performing a process of inverting one of the two images left and right and selecting one of a third display state in which these images are displayed side by side
24).

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the juxtaposition means that two images are arranged right and left as viewed from an observer.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a camera is provided with the display device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect,
The display setting device is characterized in that a display state can be selected only when a stereo shooting device is attached.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in a recording medium recording a display control method in a display device having a display unit (814) for displaying two images, the two images have parallax, and Display state, second display state, and third state
(S1, S3), a step of displaying two images side by side on the display unit in response to the selection of the first display state, and a second step (S2). In response to the selection of the display state, a step of performing a process of exchanging the images displayed side by side to display these images side by side (S4), and according to the selection of the third display state. (S5) performing a process of inverting one of the two images horizontally and displaying these images side by side.

[0015]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a camera to which a stereo adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached, and FIG. 2 is an external view thereof.

The stereo adapter 15 is detachable, and is located in front of the photographing lens 11 (subject side) when performing stereo photography.
Attached to.

In this camera, a CCD image pickup device 90 is arranged at a position where an image of a subject is formed by a photographing lens 11. The video signal extracted from the CCD image sensor 90 is supplied to an A / D converter via an amplifier 93 and a signal processing circuit 95.
The digital conversion is performed by the conversion circuit 97. The digitally converted image data is written into an image memory (frame memory) 807 through a switch 806, and the written image data is supplied to an image recording device 808,
It is written as a file on a recording medium such as a memory or a floppy (registered trademark) disk.

After the image data written in the image memory 807 is subjected to a conversion process described later in the image processing device 21, the mixer 809 stores graphics and sentences such as camera states and operation instructions. Graphic memory 81
0, mixed with the signal from the text memory 811. The signal from the mixer 809 is analog-converted by the D / A conversion circuit, and the image is displayed on the display 814.

Further, the image data written in the image memory 807 is supplied to a part of the cut-out memory 817 on the screen, and a signal from the cut-out memory 817 is supplied to the system via the focus detecting circuit 818 and the photometric circuit 819. It is supplied to the control device 816. System control device 81
6 is a lens control circuit 820 based on a signal from the focus detection circuit 818 when the release switch 823 is off.
Control signal to move the lens so as to bring the subject into focus, and at the same time, determine the aperture area of the aperture of the photographing lens 11 and the accumulation time of the CCD based on the signal from the photometry circuit 819. keep. On the other hand, when the release switch 823 is on, a control signal is first sent to the lens control circuit 820 to stop driving the lens once, and as in the off state, the image is determined by the value determined by the aperture area of the aperture of the photographing lens 11 and the accumulation time of the CCD. The image data written in the memory 807 is written on a recording medium by the recording device 808.

When the recorded image is reproduced, the switch 806 is switched from the state shown in FIG. 1 by the operator, so that the reproduced signal from the image recording device 808 is written to the image memory 807 through the switch 806. . After obtaining a procedure such that the image is subjected to conversion processing by the image processing device 21 in the same manner as when the image was captured, the display 81
4 is displayed.

It should be noted that the image recording device 808 records the image for the right eye and the image for the left eye in combination as one image file, and stores the image for the right eye, the image for the left eye, or both images in the image processing device 21. And the right-eye image and the left-eye image are recorded as separate image files, respectively, and the right-eye image file, the left-eye image file, or both image files are converted by the image processing device 21. May be applied.

When the known stereo adapter 15 shown in FIG. 8 is attached in such a configuration, as described above, the right-eye image and the left-eye image are adjacently formed on the imaging surface of the CCD. The arrangement order of the right-eye image and the left-eye image can be changed by setting the display setting switch 824. When the parallel mode is selected by the display setting switch 824, the image processing device 21 does not perform the conversion processing. Thus, a left-eye image is displayed on the left side of the display 814, and a right-eye image is displayed on the right side of the display 814. FIG. 3 shows an image displayed on display 814 at this time. Then, by looking at the left-eye image on the left side of FIG. 3 with the left eye and looking at the right-eye image on the right side of FIG. 3 with the right eye, a three-dimensional effect is felt by the parallel method.

In the stereo adapter of this optical configuration, the aperture of the taking lens is limited in order to obtain a good result. That is, if the aperture diameter is too large, the right end of the left-hand image for the left eye and the left end of the right-hand image for the right overlap. And it becomes dark. Therefore, when a stereo adapter is attached to the camera, stereo shooting control can be set in advance by an operation member (not shown). The system controller 816 reads the state of the operation member, and if the control setting for stereo photography has been set, control is performed with the aperture of the photography lens 11 limited to an appropriate range.

When the crossing mode, which is another display mode, is selected by the display setting switch 824, the image processing device 21 performs image processing for exchanging the left and right images, and the left side as viewed on the display 814 is the right-eye image. On the right side, a left-eye image is displayed. FIG. 4 shows an image on the display 814 at this time. Then, by looking at the right-eye image on the right side of FIG. 4 with the left eye and seeing the right-eye image on the left side of FIG. 4 with the right eye, a three-dimensional effect is felt. The method of feeling a three-dimensional effect in this way is called an intersection method. In order to feel the three-dimensional effect by the crossing method, the convergence angle must be made narrower than when looking at any close object while focusing the eyes on the display, so-called cross-eyed state, like the parallel method, Usually requires practice.

When the reflection mode, which is another display mode, is selected by the display setting switch 824, the image processing device 21 performs image processing for inverting only the right image toward the display 814. FIG. 5 shows an image on the display 814 at this time. After displaying the image on the display 814 in this manner, as shown in FIG. 6, a mirror 61 having a front surface (reflection surface) on the right side as viewed from the operator is set up along the boundary between the left and right images. The left-right inverted right-eye image shown on the right side of FIG. When the reflected image is viewed with the right eye 62 and the left-eye image shown on the left side of FIG. 5 is viewed with the left eye 63, the images captured by the left eye 63 and the right eye 62 are synthesized in the brain of the operator. Thus, it can be viewed as one image having a three-dimensional effect. A method of feeling a three-dimensional effect in this way is called a reflection method. Since the image for the right eye that has been inverted right and left shown on the right side of FIG. 5 is previously inverted left and right by the operation of the image processing device 21, the image is returned to normal by being reflected by the mirror 61 and recognized. In the reflection method, as long as the angle of the mirror 61 and the distance of the display 814 are properly adjusted, the combination of the position where both eyes are focused and the angle of convergence is natural,
Most people can feel three-dimensional without the need for practice. Therefore, even a person who cannot use both the parallel method and the intersection method can stereoscopically view a display image by using this reflection method.

FIGS. 3 to 5 show the case where there is no signal from the graphic memory 810 or the text memory 811 in which figures and sentences such as camera states and operation instructions are stored. FIGS. 3 to 5 show a case where only the display mode is changed for the same photographed image for easy understanding.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for displaying a stereoscopically viewable image. This flowchart starts when the stereoscopic image reproduction mode is selected by an operation member (not shown). First, in step S1, an image for stereoscopic display is selected using the display 814 or the like, and the process proceeds to step S2. In step S2, it is determined whether the display setting switch 824 is set to the parallel method. If the display method switch 824 is set to the parallel method, the process proceeds to step S3. If not, the process proceeds to step S4. In step S3, as shown in FIG. 3, the left-eye image is displayed on the left side and the right-eye image is displayed on the right side on the display 814, and stereoscopic viewing is enabled. If the display 814 is about 46 mm long and 61 mm wide, the distance between the left and right images is about 31 mm.
Thus, the interval between the left and right images is narrower than the interval between the eyes, which makes it difficult to perform autostereoscopic viewing by the parallel method. However,
Even if the distance between the left and right images is narrower than the distance between both eyes, it is difficult for an operator who cannot perform autostereoscopic viewing by the parallel method to feel a stereoscopic effect.

In step S4, it is determined whether or not the display setting switch 824 is set to the intersection method. If the display setting switch 824 is set to the intersection method, the process proceeds to step S5. If not, the process proceeds to step S6. In step S5, as shown in FIG. 4, the image for the right eye is displayed on the left side, and the image for the left eye is displayed on the right side on the display 814, so that stereoscopic viewing is possible.

In step S6, the reflection method is set, and as shown in FIG. 5, a left-eye image is displayed on the left and a right-eye image obtained by inverting the right image is displayed on the display 8 as shown in FIG.
14 is displayed. The mirror 61 is located at the border between the left and right images.
, And viewing the image, stereoscopic viewing becomes possible. In the reflection method, unlike the parallel method and the intersection method, as described above, a three-dimensional effect can be felt without special training. When the above-described display 814 having a size of about 46 mm in length and about 61 mm in width is used, the size of the mirror 61 may be about 55 mm, which is slightly larger than the length of the display 814, and the length of the mirror 61 may be about 85 mm. Since this size is almost the same as the size of a general credit card, it is convenient to store it in a commercially available wallet or card holder and carry it. If this mirror is a back mirror, the image of the reflected image will be degraded, so a front mirror is desirable. Therefore, a metal mirror having a mirror-finished metal may be used. According to experiments, it is preferable to arrange the short side of this mirror almost in contact with the display screen surface as shown in FIG. 6 and to look in from a distance of about 15 cm. At this time, the angle of the mirror is not perpendicular to the screen surface of the display 814 or slightly inclined to the left, and can be adjusted by searching for an angle at which the operator can view stereoscopically while viewing the image. Alternatively, the angle can be determined first, and then the position of the head can be adjusted later.

In the above-mentioned reflection mode, the right-eye image on the right side of the display is reversed left and right.
A process of inverting the left-eye image for the left side may be selectable. In this case, the user faces the image with the front of the mirror 61 turned to the left. As a result, it is possible to select which image should be inverted left and right in consideration of the effect of the operator, etc.
The three-dimensional effect becomes easier to feel.

As described above, in this camera, by switching the display mode, three methods of the parallel method, the intersection method, and the reflection method can be selected. Therefore, the parallel method,
Even a person who cannot perform both of the intersection method can stereoscopically view the display image by using the reflection method. But,
In the reflection method, since a mirror must be used, a person who has learned the parallel method or the intersection method may select the method that he or she has learned and stereoscopically view.

The method of performing a stereoscopic view as described above can be performed in the same manner when observing at the time of shooting or when reproducing and watching a recorded image.

Further, if the switching between the three display modes of the parallel method, the intersection method, and the reflection method can be performed only when the stereo adapter is attached, a mode which is erroneously meaningless in the case of normal photographing can be erroneously obtained. It prevents you from choosing.

Further, the present invention may be applied to a camera or a system capable of performing stereo shooting by switching the configuration of a variable optical system included in an interchangeable lens by operation.
The present invention may be applied to a stereo camera capable of performing stereo shooting with a lens and an image sensor for each of the right-eye image and the left-eye image.

Although the above description is for an electronic still camera, the present invention can also be applied to a silver halide camera.
Many silver halide cameras equipped with an electronic finder have been conventionally proposed. These cameras are provided with an image sensor such as a CCD for a finder and display an image detected by the image sensor on an electronic display. The present invention can be applied to a camera in which an electronic viewfinder is attached to a camera originally having only an optical viewfinder. Therefore, by attaching a commercially available stereo adapter to the photographing lens and attaching an electronic finder to the camera body, the present invention can be applied not only to a dedicated camera but also to a general silver halide camera. The invention is also applicable to recording media. As described with reference to FIG. 7, two images having parallax are juxtaposed and output side by side, and at least one of the two images is processed by determining whether stereoscopic viewing is possible by the parallel method. The present invention can also be applied to a recording medium such as a CD-ROM in which an image processing method including a step of outputting the image data is output.

In the above description, the three methods of the parallel method, the intersection method, and the reflection method can be selected. However, only two of these methods may be selected.

[0037]

As described above, according to the first and fifth aspects of the present invention, when two images having parallax are displayed on the display unit, two images are displayed side by side, Many people can confirm the stereoscopic effect by selecting at least one of the two images by performing predetermined image processing and displaying it, and selecting a method of confirming the stereoscopic effect. Will be able to

According to the second aspect, the two juxtaposed in the display unit are arranged.
Since the processing of exchanging the two images has been performed, a method of confirming the three-dimensional effect by the intersection method can be selected, and the person who has learned the intersection method can confirm the three-dimensional effect.

According to the third aspect, the two juxtaposed on the display unit are arranged.
Since one of the two images is horizontally inverted, many people can confirm the stereoscopic effect by using the mirror.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a camera to which a stereo adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached.

FIG. 2 is an external view of a camera to which a stereo adapter according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an image on a display when a three-dimensional effect is confirmed by the parallel method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an image on a display when a three-dimensional effect is confirmed by the intersection method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an image on a display when a three-dimensional effect is confirmed by the reflection method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a reflection method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for displaying a stereoscopically visible image according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an optical system of a stereo adapter according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Description of Signs] 11 Shooting Lens 15 Stereo Adapter 21 Image Processing Device 41, 42 Opening of Stereo Adapter 43, 44, 45, 46 Mirror in Stereo Adapter 47 Subject 47a, 47b Subject Image 61 Mirror 62 Right Eye 63 Left Eye 90 CCD Image sensor 814 Display 823 Release switch 824 Display setting switch

Claims (7)

[Claims] A display unit that displays two images; an image processing device that performs predetermined processing on at least one of the two images; and the two images have parallax; Either a first display state in which these images are displayed side by side, or a second display state in which the image processing device replaces the images displayed side by side and displays these images side by side. And a display setting device for selecting whether or not the display device is selected. A display unit that displays two images, an image processing device that performs predetermined processing on at least one of the two images, and the two images have parallax; A first display state in which these images are displayed side by side, and a third display in which the image processing apparatus performs a process of horizontally inverting one of the two images and displays these images side by side. A display setting device for selecting one of a display state and a display state. A display unit that displays two images; an image processing device that performs predetermined processing on at least one of the two images; and the two images have parallax; A second display state in which the image processing device performs a process of exchanging the images displayed side by side and displays these images side by side;
A display setting device that performs a process of horizontally inverting one of the two images by the image processing device and selects one of a third display state in which these images are displayed side by side. A display device characterized by the above-mentioned. 4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the juxtaposition means that the two images are arranged right and left as viewed from an observer. 5. A camera equipped with a display device, comprising the display device according to claim 1. Description: 6. The camera according to claim 5, wherein a display state of the display setting device can be selected only when a stereo shooting device is attached. 7. A recording medium recording a display control method in a display device having a display unit for displaying two images, wherein the two images have parallax, a first display state and a second display A step of selecting a state and a third display state; a step of displaying the two images side by side on the display unit in response to the selection of the first display state; Performing a process of exchanging the images displayed side by side according to the selection of the display state and displaying these images side by side; and according to the selection of the third display state. Subjecting any one of the two images to left-right inversion and displaying these images side by side.