JP2014102266A - 3d imaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a twin-lens 3D camera capable of achieving vertically-long 3D photographing without physically changing the disposition of the camera.SOLUTION: The twin-lens 3D camera has: a twin-lens camera disposed along a long side direction of housing; and an attitude sensor. When the attitude sensor detects that a terminal is set in a horizontal posture, a 3D image is generated from an image taken by the twin-lens camera. When the attitude sensor detects that the terminal is set in a vertical posture, a piece of distance information is extracted from an image taken by the twin-lens camera, and the parallax in the photographed image in a short side direction is calculated based on the image taken by one side camera and the distance information to generate a 3D image. Thus, vertically-long photographing and horizontally-long photographing can be achieved without physically changing the disposition of the camera.

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable electronic device with a camera such as a mobile phone or a digital still camera having a 3D camera capable of 3D shooting.

  As a 3D (stereoscopic) shooting method, the left image of the left line of sight and the right image of the right line of sight are respectively displayed with two cameras (binocular cameras) having an optical axis separated by about 6 cm to 8 cm, which is the distance between human eyes. There is a way to shoot.

  FIGS. 9A and 9B show an example of a conventional structure of a 3D camera composed of a twin-lens camera.

  A first camera 2 and a second camera 3 are arranged apart from each other in a housing 1 of the imaging apparatus. A display element 5 for displaying a 3D captured image is disposed on the rear surface of the housing 1. For example, a parallax barrier type naked-eye 3D liquid crystal or the like is used as the display element.

  FIG. 9 (3) shows a state where the casing is rotated 90 degrees to make the display screen vertically long. When the subject is vertically long, it is often photographed in such a form.

  At this time, since the first camera and the second camera are arranged one above the other, vertical parallax occurs in the subject of the left and right images. For this reason, the conventional twin-lens 3D camera cannot perform 3D vertical shooting. In addition, the image cannot be displayed in 3D.

  In view of this, in the case of vertical shooting, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes a solution method by physically changing the binocular camera arrangement.

  FIG. 10 shows the 3D camera structure of Patent Document 1. FIG. 10 (1) shows landscape shooting, and (2) shows portrait shooting.

  When taking a horizontally long image, the image is taken with two cameras arranged apart from each other in the long side direction of the display element 5 as in the conventional case. The left and right camera sensors 7 are both horizontally long.

  On the other hand, at the time of vertical shooting, the arrangement of the camera sensor 7 is changed from horizontally long to vertically long by a mechanism in which the first camera and the second camera rotate 90 degrees with respect to the camera optical axis.

  The display element can also display a vertically long 3D image by rotating 90 degrees in the same direction as the rotation direction of the camera.

  The display element needs a 3D display element capable of vertical display and horizontal display.

  For example, by using a naked-eye 3D liquid crystal having a barrier liquid crystal and switching the direction of the barrier between vertical and horizontal, a 3D image can be displayed horizontally and vertically.

  Note that instead of rotating the display element itself, only the display image may be rotated.

  Patent Document 2 describes a method using parallax information (or distance information) as a method for generating a 3D image from a 3D camera. After measuring the parallax from the main image and the sub image of the binocular camera composed of the main image pickup device and the sub image pickup device that are spatially separated, a 3D image can be generated from the parallax information and the main image.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-224820 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-20606

  In conventional 3D shooting with a twin-lens camera, vertical shooting could not be performed with the casing rotated so that the display screen is vertically long.

  Patent Document 1 proposes a method capable of realizing 3D vertical shooting. In order to perform vertical 3D shooting, a mechanism in which two cameras are physically rotated with respect to the camera optical axis, A rotation mechanism of the display element is necessary, and there is a problem that the imaging device is increased in size.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to achieve both vertical 3D shooting and horizontal 3D shooting in a compact and inexpensive manner without physically changing the arrangement of the cameras.

  Next, means for solving the above problems will be described.

  The 3D imaging device of the present invention includes a housing, a rectangular display element arranged in the housing, a binocular camera arranged in the long side direction of the display element, and an image of the binocular camera. A distance information extraction unit that extracts distance information of a subject, and a 3D imaging device having a horizontal 3D shooting mode in which the display elements are arranged horizontally and a vertical 3D shooting mode in which the display elements are arranged vertically, In the vertical 3D shooting mode, a parallax in the short side direction of the display element is calculated from a camera image on one side of the binocular camera and the distance information to generate a 3D image.

  With this configuration, by generating a 3D image from distance information, it is possible to achieve both vertical 3D shooting and horizontal 3D shooting in a small and inexpensive manner without physically changing the arrangement of the cameras.

  The 3D imaging device of the present invention generates a 3D image using the binocular camera image as a left and right image in the horizontal 3D shooting mode.

  With this configuration, the 3D image generation time can be shortened when performing horizontal 3D imaging.

  In addition, the 3D imaging apparatus of the present invention includes a posture sensor, and switches the 3D shooting to the vertical 3D shooting mode when the posture sensor determines that the display screen of the display element is vertically long.

  With this configuration, switching to the vertical shooting mode is automatically performed according to the output result of the attitude sensor, thereby eliminating the need for switching by the user.

  Further, in the 3D imaging device of the present invention, the display element has a 3D display function, displays a 3D preview in the horizontal 3D shooting mode, and displays one of the images of the binocular camera in the vertical 3D shooting mode. Preview display by the display element is performed with the 2D image used.

  With this configuration, preview display is possible even in the vertical shooting mode without depending on the 3D image generation time.

  The 3D imaging device of the present invention performs the preview display with a pseudo 3D image in which parallax is added in the short side direction from any one of the images of the binocular camera in the vertical 3D shooting mode.

  With this configuration, the preview in the vertical shooting mode can be displayed in pseudo 3D, and the difference from the 2D shooting can be easily recognized.

  In the 3D imaging device of the present invention, the parallax settings of the left and right images in the horizontal 3D shooting mode and the vertical 3D shooting mode can be set independently.

  With this configuration, it is possible to set optimum parallax for vertical shooting and horizontal shooting.

  In the 3D imaging device of the present invention, the parallax setting value in the vertical 3D shooting mode is for a short distance than the horizontal 3D shooting mode.

  With this configuration, close-up shooting can be easily performed during vertical shooting.

  According to the present invention, both vertical 3D shooting and horizontal 3D shooting can be achieved at low cost without physically changing the arrangement of the cameras.

1 is a schematic structural diagram of a 3D imaging apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Schematic diagram of horizontal shooting mode and vertical shooting mode of Embodiment 1 of the present invention The figure which shows the 3D image generation method of Embodiment 1 of this invention. 3D shooting flowchart of Embodiment 1 of the present invention 3D shooting flowchart of Embodiment 2 of the present invention Second 3D shooting flowchart of Embodiment 2 of the present invention The figure which shows the preview display image of the 2nd 3D imaging | photography flowchart of Embodiment 2 of this invention. The figure which shows the 3D image generation method of Embodiment 3 of this invention. Schematic structure diagram of a conventional 3D imaging device Schematic structure diagram of 3D imaging device of second conventional example

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the 3D imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described on the assumption that a portable terminal device including a single casing is used. However, other electronic devices having a small camera such as a foldable portable terminal or a digital still camera (DSC) may be used. The same applies to the case of wearing.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a two-lens 3D camera 4 including a first camera 2 and a second camera 3 is arranged on the back surface of the display element 5 of the rectangular housing 1 of the mobile terminal device. ing.

  The first camera 2 and the second camera 3 include a camera sensor 7 and a lens 6.

  FIG. 1 (3) is a block diagram of the mobile terminal device. The first camera 2 and the second camera 3 are controlled by the camera control unit 8, store the captured image in the storage unit 9, and display the captured image using the display element 5.

  The display element 5 is, for example, a naked-eye 3D liquid crystal having a barrier liquid crystal, and a 3D image can be displayed horizontally and vertically by switching the direction of the barrier between portrait and landscape.

  In addition, even a 3D display element using electronic shutter glasses can display a 3D image in landscape orientation and portrait orientation.

  If there is no need to display a 3D image on the display element, the vertically long 3D display may not be possible. Alternatively, the 3D display itself may not be performed.

  The distance information extraction unit 11 has a function of extracting distance information of the subject from the images of the first camera 2 and the second camera 3.

  Furthermore, this portable terminal has a built-in posture sensor 11 including an acceleration sensor, a direction sensor, and the like, and can detect the posture of the terminal.

  Shooting with the long side of the display element horizontal is referred to as horizontal 3D shooting mode, and shooting with the long side of the display element vertical is referred to as vertical 3D shooting mode.

  The posture sensor 11 detects whether the long side of the display element is horizontal or vertical, and automatically determines whether to use the horizontal 3D shooting mode or the vertical 3D shooting mode.

  If there is no posture sensor, the user may select either the horizontal 3D shooting mode or the vertical 3D shooting mode, so there is no need for the posture sensor.

  FIG. 2A shows an outline of the horizontal 3D shooting mode, and FIG. 2B shows an outline of the vertical 3D shooting mode.

  The long side of the camera sensor 7 of the first and second cameras is parallel to the long side of the display element.

  In the horizontal shooting mode, a 3D image is obtained by making the first camera image and the second camera image left and right as usual.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, in the playback display or preview display of a 3D image, a 3D image having a left-right parallax in the horizontal direction, that is, the long side direction of the display element is obtained.

  On the other hand, in the vertical shooting mode, the left and right images are 3D images having left and right parallaxes in the short side direction of the display element.

  A vertical 3D image having left and right parallax in the short side direction cannot be obtained by simply using the first camera image and the second camera image as left and right images. Next, a method for generating a vertical 3D image will be described.

  FIG. 3 shows a procedure for generating a horizontal 3D image and a vertical 3D image.

  In the horizontal 3D shooting mode, a 3D image is obtained from the left and right images [1] and [2].

  On the other hand, in the vertical 3D shooting mode, each pixel (or minute block) from the vertically long left and right images [3] and [4] is associated with each pixel using correlation processing of image processing or the like. Disparity information (= distance information) [5] of (or a minute block) is calculated. Furthermore, from the first camera image [3] (or the second camera image [4]) and the parallax information [5], the left and right images [6] and [6] having a left-right parallax (BL-BR) in the short side direction of the camera image. 7] is obtained.

  A method for generating a 3D image after calculating distance information from a binocular camera image is described in, for example, Patent Document 1, but from a binocular camera arranged in the long side direction of the display element, the short side of the display element is described. The difference between the present invention and the conventional example is that a 3D image having directional parallax (BL-BR) is generated.

  In the horizontal 3D shooting mode, a 3D image generation method based on distance information may be used as in the vertical 3D shooting mode.

  However, since the 3D image generation method based on distance information takes processing time, it is desirable to generate a 3D image with a conventional binocular camera image in the horizontal 3D shooting mode.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of a 3D shooting flowchart. When the detection result of the posture sensor 11 is vertical, the mode is switched to the vertical 3D shooting mode, and when the detection result is horizontal, the mode is switched to the horizontal 3D shooting mode.

  In the case of landscape orientation, the first camera image and the second camera image are used as the 3D preview display image.

  On the other hand, in the case of portrait placement, the 3D image generated in steps S2 and S3 is used as the 3D preview display image. At this time, it is necessary to switch the parallax barrier liquid crystal to the vertical display mode.

  As described above, a combination of a method for generating a 3D image using a normal twin-lens camera and a method for generating a 3D image from distance information and a camera image on one side makes it possible to reduce the size and cost of the camera without physically changing the arrangement of the cameras. In addition, both vertical 3D shooting and horizontal 3D shooting can be achieved.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, a preview display method in 3D imaging according to the second embodiment will be described.

  Note that the basic part of the 3D image generation method of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of a 3D shooting flowchart of the second embodiment.

  When the detection result of the posture sensor 11 is vertical, the mode is switched to the vertical 3D shooting mode, and when the detection result is horizontal, the mode is switched to the horizontal 3D shooting mode.

  The difference from FIG. 4 of the first embodiment is the preview display method in the vertical 3D shooting mode in step S12.

  In the first embodiment, the preview display at the time of vertical 3D shooting uses a preview image generated from the first or second camera image and the 3D image generated from the distance information. However, it takes time to generate the 3D image based on the distance information. For this reason, there are problems such that the start time of the preview display is delayed and the display frame rate is slow.

  Therefore, here, it is assumed that a preview display is performed using a 2D image of the first or second camera image. Note that the 3D barrier liquid crystal is not in the 3D display mode but in the 2D display mode.

  As a result, the problem of delay in preview display during vertical 3D shooting can be solved.

  In addition, it is desirable to add a character display or a mark display that indicates that the 3D display preview is being performed in the 2D display screen so that the user can clearly distinguish between the simple 2D shooting mode and the vertical 3D shooting mode. .

  FIG. 6 shows an example of a 3D shooting flowchart using another preview display.

  The difference between FIG. 6 and FIG. 5 is the preview display method in the vertical 3D shooting mode in step S21.

  In step S21, a pseudo 3D image is preview-displayed from the first camera image or the second camera image. Here, the pseudo 3D image refers to the following image.

  As shown in FIG. 7, two images with different horizontal shift amounts (C) of the 2D image ([3]) of the first camera image or the second camera image are converted into left and right images ([8] and [9]). And This is called a pseudo 3D image.

  As a result, an image with parallax can be generated and a preview image display different from the preview at the time of 2D shooting can be performed, so that the user can easily recognize whether 3D shooting or 2D shooting is performed, and distinguish between 2D shooting and 3D shooting. Display is not required.

  As described above, since the above-described preview display method during vertical shooting does not require generation of a 3D image, preview display is possible in a short time. Character display or mark display for distinguishing from the 2D display preview is not required in the 2D display screen.

(Embodiment 3)
Next, a parallax adjustment method in 3D imaging according to the third embodiment will be described.

  The basic part of the 3D image generation method according to the third embodiment is the same as that according to the first and second embodiments, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a 3D image generation method according to the third embodiment.

  FIG. 8A shows a 3D image at the time of horizontal shooting, and FIG. 8B shows a 3D image at the time of vertical shooting.

  The parallax between the left and right images can be set independently during horizontal shooting and vertical shooting. It is assumed that the frequency of shooting a short-distance subject such as a person is higher in vertical shooting than in horizontal shooting.

  During vertical shooting, the relative horizontal distance of the left and right images is adjusted in advance to a predetermined value so that the parallax angle (or parallax C2) of a subject at a short distance does not become too large. That is, the parallax setting value is used for a short distance. As a result, a comfortable parallax 3D image can be obtained even in close-up shooting in vertical shooting.

  On the other hand, in the case of horizontal shooting, assuming that there are many long-distance subjects, the parallax setting value is for long distance so that the parallax angle (or parallax C1) does not become too small.

  As described above, an optimal parallax 3D image for vertical shooting and horizontal shooting can be obtained.

  The present invention is useful as a 3D camera, and can be used for various electronic devices having a camera such as a mobile phone, a mobile terminal, a digital still camera, and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Case 2 1st camera 3 2nd camera 4 3D camera 5 Display element 6 Lens 7 Camera sensor 8 Camera control means 9 Storage means 10 Distance information extraction part 11 Attitude sensor

Claims (7)

A case, a rectangular display element arranged in the case, a twin-lens camera arranged side by side in the long side direction of the display element, and distance information for extracting distance information of a subject from the image of the twin-lens camera An extractor;
A 3D imaging device having a horizontal 3D shooting mode in which the display elements are arranged horizontally and a vertical 3D shooting mode in which the display elements are arranged vertically,
A 3D imaging apparatus that generates a 3D image by calculating a parallax in a short side direction of the display element from a camera image on one side of the binocular camera and the distance information in the vertical 3D shooting mode. The 3D imaging device according to claim 1,
In the horizontal 3D shooting mode, a 3D imaging device that generates a 3D image using the binocular camera image as a left and right image. The 3D imaging device according to claim 1 or 2,
A 3D imaging apparatus that includes a posture sensor, and switches the 3D shooting to a vertical 3D shooting mode when the posture sensor determines that the display screen of the display element is vertically long. The 3D imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The display element has a 3D display function. In the horizontal 3D shooting mode, a 3D preview is displayed.
In the vertical 3D shooting mode, a 3D imaging apparatus that performs a preview display on the display element with a 2D image using one of the images of the binocular camera. The 3D imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein:
In the vertical 3D shooting mode, a 3D imaging device that performs the preview display with a pseudo 3D image in which parallax is added in the short side direction from one of the images of the binocular camera. The 3D imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A 3D imaging apparatus capable of independently setting parallax settings for left and right images in the horizontal 3D shooting mode and the vertical 3D shooting mode. The 3D imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A 3D imaging device in which the parallax setting value in the vertical 3D shooting mode is for a short distance rather than the horizontal 3D shooting mode.

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