JP2004266497A - Set top box for receiving stereo video broadcast and stereo video broadcasting method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize high definition stereo video broadcast by utilizing the existing broadcast infrastructure. <P>SOLUTION: A right eye video image and a left eye video image are broadcasted by using separate broadcast channels, respectively. On the receiving side, delay is detected by determining a frame with high similarity by calculating correlation of images of each frame of one of the video images stored in image memories 48, 50 with a plurality of frames before and after the other video image in a delay detection unit 52 and both video images are synchronized by delaying the advanced side in synchronizing units 54, 56. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a stereo video broadcast receiving set-top box and a stereo video broadcast method.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In order to realize a stereo image, at least two images corresponding to the right eye and the left eye are required. In order to put this on the video signal, a method of alternately transmitting a video corresponding to the position of each of the right eye and the left eye for each frame has been considered (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 10-23466). Therefore, it is difficult to provide a stable moving image.
[0003]
In addition, a technique has been used in which one video frame is divided into upper and lower parts, a right-eye video and a left-eye video are allocated to each of them, and these are separated on the receiving side and then enlarged to reconstruct a stereo video. However, in this method, the resolution in the vertical direction is sacrificed, so that deterioration of video quality has become a serious problem.
[0004]
In addition, there has been used a method of generating an image corresponding to the right eye and the left eye in a pseudo manner by shifting one image to the left and right. It has been pointed out that it causes fatigue.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-6-197379 [Patent Document 2]
JP 10-336699A [Patent Document 3]
JP-A-10-23466 [Patent Document 4]
JP-A-59-30389 [Non-Patent Document 1]
Komiya et al. “Multi-view stereoscopic video live communication”, Proceedings of the 2001 IEICE General Conference [Non-Patent Document 2]
Inoue et al., "Evaluation Experiment on Multi-view 3D Video Live Communication", Proceedings of the 2001 IEICE General Conference [0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In recent years, the development of stereo displays using high-definition class images has been progressing. It is expected that further research and development will proceed in the future, and that it will spread to homes in the near future. At that time, a technology for distributing a display image corresponding to the display capability of the display is required.
[0007]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to distribute a stereo image using an existing infrastructure without deteriorating the image quality.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In recent years, with the spread of digital broadcasting technology, it has become possible to use a large number of broadcasting channels. Therefore, it is conceivable that a bundle of a plurality of these channels may be used to cope with a case requiring a large amount of information communication such as a stereo image. In this case, there is a time lag between the right-eye image and the left-eye image, which are transmitted on different broadcast channels and may have different compression / decompression methods. Therefore, it is necessary to synchronize the two.
[0009]
The stereo video broadcast receiving set-top box of the present invention includes a plurality of decoders for decoding a plurality of video signals including at least one right-eye video signal and at least one left-eye video signal, received on a plurality of broadcast channels, respectively. A delay detection unit that detects the other delay of one of the decoded left-eye video signal and right-eye video signal, and one of the decoded left-eye video signal and right-eye video signal based on the delay detected by the delay detection unit. And a synchronization adjustment unit that synchronizes the two by delaying the two.
[0010]
The delay detection unit detects a delay by calculating, for example, an image correlation between the decoded right-eye video signal and left-eye video signal.
[0011]
The delay detection unit also detects a delay by referring to a synchronization timing signal attached to the decoded right-eye video signal and left-eye video signal.
[0012]
The stereo video broadcasting method of the present invention generates a plurality of video signals including at least one right-eye video signal and at least one left-eye video signal, and broadcasts the plurality of video signals using a plurality of broadcast channels. In this case, one of the left-eye video signal and the right-eye video signal is received by the receiving side and reproduced in synchronization with the other.
[0013]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a transmitting side of a stereo video broadcasting system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a right-eye video signal is generated by a right-eye camera 10, a left-eye video signal is generated by a left-eye camera 12, and synchronized by a right-eye signal combining unit 16 and a left-eye signal combining unit 18 of the image distribution station 14. A timing signal (sequence number) from the use timing signal generator is added and sent to the A broadcast station 22 and the B broadcast station 24, respectively.
[0014]
The synchronization timing signal is added to the video signal by sandwiching the timing video, inserting it outside the display period, using an unused band of the video signal, or using a digital watermark technique. As will be described later, it is not necessary to add a synchronization timing signal when a delay is detected by calculating a correlation between images on the receiving side.
[0015]
In the broadcasting stations 22 and 24, the image signals are compressed and encoded by the compression encoders 26 and 28 and transmitted from the antennas 30 and 32.
[0016]
The broadcast system of the broadcast channel to be used may be any of a BS (broadcast satellite) system, a CS (communication satellite) system, and a terrestrial digital system. Further, the right-eye image and the left-eye image may each be composed of a plurality of images to provide a large-screen and high-definition image. For example, if it is composed of three videos, the broadcast is performed using six broadcast channels.
[0017]
FIG. 2 shows the configuration on the receiving side. A set-top box 42 between the antennas 34 and 36 for receiving radio waves of broadcast channels on which the right-eye image and the left-eye video are broadcast, respectively, and the right-eye image display 38 and the left-eye image display 40 Is installed.
[0018]
The video signals received by the antennas 34 and 36 are restored and decoded by restoration decoders 44 and 46 of the set-top box 42, and are temporarily stored in the image memories 48 and 50. The delay detection unit 52 performs a correlation between each frame of one image and a plurality of frames before and after the other image (for example, 8 frames), that is, a pixel at a corresponding position of both images in the image memories 48 and 50. , And the frame having the smallest square sum, that is, the frame having the highest similarity, is determined to detect the delay between the two video signals. When the timing signal is added, the delay is detected based on the timing signal. The synchronization adjustment units 54 and 56 synchronize the two images by delaying the one that has advanced the time by the detected delay amount.
[0019]
It is sufficient to detect the delay in the delay detection unit 52 only at the start of the reception of the stereoscopic video broadcast, but it is desirable to detect the delay periodically thereafter and correct it. If the received video signal includes a timing signal such as a sequence number, the delay is determined by referring to the timing signal.
[0020]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, high-definition stereo video broadcasting can be performed by utilizing an existing broadcasting infrastructure.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration on a transmitting side of a stereo video broadcasting system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a receiving side of the stereo video broadcasting system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (4)

A plurality of decoders respectively decoding a plurality of video signals received on a plurality of broadcast channels, the plurality of video signals including at least one right-eye video signal and at least one left-eye video signal;
A delay detection unit that detects a delay of one of the decoded left-eye video signal and one of the right-eye video signal,
A stereo video broadcast receiving set-top comprising: a synchronization adjustment unit for synchronizing the decoded left-eye video signal and one of the right-eye video signal by delaying one of them relative to the other based on the delay detected by the delay detection unit. box. The set-top box according to claim 1, wherein the delay detection unit detects the delay by calculating an image correlation between the decoded right-eye video signal and left-eye video signal. The set-top box according to claim 1, wherein the delay detection unit detects the delay by referring to a synchronization timing signal added to the decoded right-eye video signal and left-eye video signal. Generating a plurality of video signals including at least one right eye video signal and at least one left eye video signal;
A stereo video broadcasting method, wherein the plurality of video signals are broadcast using a plurality of broadcast channels, respectively, and received by a receiving side to reproduce one of a left-eye video signal and a right-eye video signal in synchronization with the other.

Images