JP2016033563A - Stereoscopic video imaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a stereoscopic video imaging apparatus which can take a stereoscopic video with a larger parallax without giving unpleasantness and distress to a viewer by preventing the sudden change in the parallax before and after switching of videos in the operation of the plurality of stereoscopic video imaging apparatuses.SOLUTION: A stereoscopic video imaging apparatus having angle of convergence drive means for varying an angle of convergence, angle of convergence detection means for detecting the angle of convergence by the angle of convergence drive means, focus means for varying an object distance and focus position detection means for detecting the position of the focus means comprises: parallax information communication means which performs communication of parallax information with an external device other than the stereoscopic video imaging apparatus; and parallax information processing means which calculates parallax information and control information for controlling the angle of convergence drive means on the basis of the parallax information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a stereoscopic video imaging apparatus that captures a parallax image formed by a plurality of objective optical systems, and more particularly to a stereoscopic video imaging apparatus that controls parallax.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, stereoscopic video imaging apparatuses that capture stereoscopic video using left and right binocular parallax (hereinafter referred to as parallax) are known. By stereoscopically viewing a video shot by this stereoscopic video imaging apparatus, it is possible to view a stereoscopic video in which an image of interest is projected or drawn. Depending on the parallax of the video to be viewed, the degree of popping out or the degree of pulling in changes.

  However, it is known that viewers feel uncomfortable and painful when the parallax of a stereoscopically viewed video is large or when a video with a sudden parallax change is viewed. Convergence adjustment of the human eye can not follow, stereoscopic vision breaks down, or focus adjustment moves in conjunction with eye convergence moving following the change in depth position, temporarily focusing on the image on the screen This is because a situation occurs where the two do not match.

  In order to solve such a problem, in Patent Document 1, in order to suppress the parallax of the video to be taken within a certain range so that the viewer does not feel uncomfortable or painful when stereoscopic viewing, the convergence angle is set to be within a certain range. A stereoscopic image pickup device to be controlled has been proposed. A fusion range table storing a plurality of data in which a focal length, a convergence angle, and an allowable fusion range (allowable amount of parallax) are paired is prepared in advance, and the convergence angle is controlled according to the fusion range table. Is.

JP 2002-84555 A

  In general, there is a photographing method using a plurality of imaging devices such as photographing in a studio or sports broadcasting. Like this shooting method, when using a plurality of stereoscopic video imaging devices and selecting and broadcasting the video shot by each stereoscopic video imaging device, the parallax of the video before switching and the parallax of the video after switching It is easy to think that a difference occurs between

  In the prior art disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document, the parallax is limited to the allowable fusion range in one stereoscopic video imaging device. When switching images using a plurality of stereoscopic video imaging devices, the following is performed. The following problems may occur.

  Even if the parallax is controlled within the allowable fusion range in each stereoscopic image capturing device, if the difference between the parallax of the video just before the switching and the parallax of the video just after the switching is large, the viewer is uncomfortable. End up. Further, by reducing the allowable fusion range, an effect of reducing the difference in parallax before and after the video switching can be expected, but as a result, the projecting condition or the retracting condition is also decreased.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to prevent a viewer from feeling uncomfortable or painful and to provide a larger parallax by preventing a sudden change in parallax before and after video switching in the operation of a plurality of stereoscopic video imaging devices. It is an object of the present invention to provide a stereoscopic video imaging apparatus that can capture a stereoscopic video with a certain size.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides:
A convergence angle driving means for varying the convergence angle; a convergence angle detecting means for detecting a convergence angle by the convergence angle driving means; a focusing means for varying the object distance; and a focus position detecting means for detecting the position of the focusing means; In a stereoscopic video imaging apparatus having
Disparity information communication means for communicating disparity information with an external device other than the stereoscopic image capturing device;
Disparity information is calculated, and based on the disparity information,
Parallax information processing means for calculating control information including information for controlling the convergence angle driving means;
It is characterized by having.

  According to the present invention, in the operation of a plurality of stereoscopic image pickup devices, by preventing a sudden change in the parallax before and after the switching of the video, there is no discomfort or pain to the viewer and there is a larger parallax. A stereoscopic image can be taken.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the three-dimensional image pick-up device in an Example. The figure which shows the example which connected the some stereoscopic video imaging device and video signal selection apparatus in an Example. The figure explaining the method of calculating parallax from optical conditions Flowchart for explaining parallax control processing in the first embodiment Flowchart for explaining parallax control processing in the first embodiment The figure explaining the control method of parallax The flowchart explaining the video switching process by the video signal selection apparatus in the second and third embodiments. Flowchart for explaining parallax control processing in the second embodiment Flowchart for explaining parallax control processing in the second embodiment Flowchart for explaining parallax control processing in the second embodiment Flowchart for explaining parallax control processing in the second embodiment Flowchart for explaining parallax control processing in the third embodiment Flowchart for explaining parallax control processing in the third embodiment The block diagram which shows the structure of the three-dimensional image pick-up device in a 4th Example. The figure explaining the method of calculating parallax from an image The flowchart explaining the parallax control processing by the combination of the three-dimensional image pick-up device and the three-dimensional image reproducing device in the fourth embodiment

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  Hereinafter, a stereoscopic video imaging apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a stereoscopic video imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment. In this figure, the stereoscopic image capturing apparatus includes a pair of lens devices 100 and 200, a pair of camera devices 150 and 250, a parallax information processing unit 350, and an external communication unit 360.

  The lens apparatus 100 includes a zoom mechanism that includes a zoom lens group 105, a zoom motor 106, a zoom driver 107, and a zoom position detection unit 108. The lens device 100 includes a focus lens group 101, a focus motor 102, a focus driver 103, and a focus mechanism including a focus position detection unit 104. Furthermore, the lens apparatus 100 includes a shift lens mechanism including a shift lens 109, a shift lens motor 110, a shift lens driver 111, and a shift lens position detection unit 112.

  The zoom lens group 105 is moved in the optical axis direction by a zoom motor 106 driven by a zoom driver 107. The position of the zoom lens group 105 is detected by the zoom position detector 108.

  The focus lens group 101 is moved in the optical axis direction by a focus motor 102 driven by a focus driver 103. The position of the focus lens group 101 is detected by the focus position detection unit 104.

  The shift lens 109 is moved in a plane that is perpendicular to the center of the optical axis by a shift lens motor 110 driven by a shift lens driver 111, and rotates the optical axis of the lens device 100 by a predetermined angle. The position of the shift lens 109 is detected by the shift lens position detection unit 112. In this embodiment, a shift lens is used as a configuration for rotating the optical axis by a predetermined angle. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the lens device 100 itself may be mechanically rotated.

  The lens apparatus 100 includes a CPU 120, and the CPU 120 includes a control unit 121, a lens control unit 122, and a storage unit 123, which will be described later. Based on the command value obtained via the communication unit 130, the control unit 121 provides a command value for driving the zoom lens group 105, the focus lens group 101, or the shift lens 109 to the lens control unit 122 described later. Output.

  The lens control unit 122 moves the zoom lens group 105 to a target position in the optical axis direction via the zoom driver 107 and the zoom motor 106. The lens control unit 122 moves the focus lens group 101 to a target position in the optical axis direction via the focus driver 103 and the focus motor 102. Further, the lens control unit 122 moves the shift lens 109 to a target position in a plane that is straight around the optical axis via the shift lens driver 111 and the shift lens motor 110.

  The storage unit 123 has an angle-of-view table for obtaining the angle of view from the zoom position detected by the zoom position detection unit 108, and a subject distance for obtaining the distance of the focus plane from the focus position detected by the focus position detection unit 104. The table is stored. In the present embodiment, the configuration for obtaining the subject distance is obtained from the focus position and the subject distance table as described above. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the stereoscopic image capturing apparatus includes a distance measuring unit. The subject distance l may be determined by distance measuring means.

  The communication unit 130 outputs a drive command input from an operation member (not illustrated) via a parallax information processing unit 350 described later to the control unit 121. Further, the communication unit 130 communicates with the communication unit 230 included in the lens device 200. With this configuration, the same drive command input to the control unit 121 is also input to the control unit 221. As a result, the lens apparatus 100 and the lens apparatus 200 always have the same optical conditions.

  The lens device 100 includes a tally that is turned on or off based on a tally signal output by a video signal selection device 50 described later.

  Here, the camera device 150 includes an image sensor 151 and an image processing unit 152. The image sensor 151 receives a light beam that has passed through an optical system including the zoom lens group 105, photoelectrically converts it, and outputs the result.

  Since the lens device 200 and the camera device 250 have the same configuration as the lens device 100 and the camera device 150, detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

  Based on the drive command acquired from the communication unit 230, the control unit 221 outputs a command value for driving the focus lens group 201, the zoom lens group 205, and the shift lens 209 to the lens control unit 222.

  The parallax information processing unit 350 calculates the parallax from the convergence angle, the base line length, the field angle, and the subject distance obtained via the control unit 121 and the communication unit 130. In addition, a drive command obtained from an operation member (not shown) is output to the control unit 121 via the communication unit 130. Further, the parallax is calculated using the drive command. In this embodiment, the base line length is described as a fixed value.

  In addition, the parallax information processing unit 350 acquires the tally lighting state via the control unit 121 and the communication unit 130.

Further, the parallax information processing unit 350 compares the parallax of the external device obtained through the video signal selection device 50 and the external communication unit 360 described later with the parallax calculated by the parallax information processing unit 350, and the difference is When it is larger than the predetermined value, the convergence angle is controlled so that the difference becomes a predetermined value.
The external communication unit 360 communicates the parallax information and a later-described tally signal with the video signal selection device 50.

  The video signal selection device 50 is a device that selects a stereoscopic video imaging device to be used for output for broadcasting. Here, FIG. 2 shows an example in which a plurality of stereoscopic video imaging devices and a video signal selection device 50 are connected.

  The video signal selection device 50 transmits a signal called a tally signal indicating output for broadcasting to the stereoscopic video imaging device to be selected. Upon receiving this signal, the stereoscopic video imaging apparatus generally turns on the above-mentioned tally in red, which is called a red tally signal. In addition, a tally signal is transmitted to a stereoscopic video imaging device selected next to the currently selected stereoscopic video imaging device. Upon receiving this signal, the stereoscopic image pickup apparatus generally turns on the above-mentioned tally in green and is called a green tally signal. The state where the tally is lit red is called red tally ON, the state where the tally is lit green is called green tally ON, and the state where the tally is turned off is called tally OFF.

  In addition, the video signal selection device 50 includes a storage unit (not shown) and stores parallax information calculated by each stereoscopic video imaging device.

  Here, a parallax calculation method will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, it is assumed that the convergence angle θ, the base line length d, the angle of view θz, and the subject distance l. Here, a parallax calculation method will be described assuming that the subject is equidistant from the lens apparatuses 100 and 200. Therefore, when the subject is not equidistant from the lens apparatuses 100 and 200, the calculated parallax is not a strict value. However, in an actual photographing system, since the base line length d is extremely small with respect to the subject distance l, a sufficiently accurate parallax that can achieve the effects of the present invention can be obtained by this calculation method.

  In this embodiment, the parallax is expressed as a ratio of the image shift amount and the screen width when the left-eye image and the right-eye image are displayed on the screen.

  At the subject position in FIG. 3, the ratio of the deviation amount k with respect to the optical axis seen from the lens apparatus 100 to the field of view D can be expressed as k / D.

Accordingly, the parallax (binocular parallax) x of the entire stereoscopic image capturing apparatus can be expressed by Expression (1).
x = 2 * k / D (1)
Further, when the difference between the subject distance convergence angle θobj, which is a convergence angle for directing the optical axis toward the subject, and the convergence angle θ is defined as a convergence angle difference θdiff, it can be expressed by Expression (2).
θdiff = θobj−θ (2)
That is, when the convergence angle difference θdiff = 0, this means that the subject distance is equal to the distance (convergence point) where the optical axis of the lens apparatus 100 and the optical axis of the lens apparatus 200 intersect, and no parallax occurs.

Here, the subject distance convergence angle θobj can be expressed by equation (3) using the baseline length d and subject distance l, and can be expressed by equation (4) by further modifying equation (3). .
tan (θobj) = d / 2l (3)
θobj = arctan (d / 2l) (4)
Further, the convergence angle difference θdiff can be expressed by the equation (5) using the above-described deviation amount k, the field of view D, and the angle of view θz, and further, the equation (5) is transformed into the equation (6). It can be expressed as
k: D = θdiff: θz (5)
θdiff = θz * k / D = θz * x / 2 (6)
Therefore, the parallax x can be expressed by Expression (7) using Expression (2), Expression (4), and Expression (6) using the convergence angle θ, the base line length d, the field angle θz, and the subject distance l. .
x = (2 / θz) * (arctan (d / 2l) −θ) (7)
Assuming that the subject is located on the focus surface, the subject distance l can be obtained from the focus position detected by the focus position detection unit 104 by using the above-described subject distance table.

  Next, a series of processes for controlling the parallax amount of the stereoscopic image capturing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 4 and 5. Here, a case will be described as an example in which a plurality of the stereoscopic video imaging devices are used, one of which is operated as a master, and the other stereoscopic video imaging devices are operated as slaves.

  For switching between master and slave, the control unit 121 determines whether the red tally is ON, and operates as a master when the red tally is ON, and operates as a slave in other cases. That is, the stereoscopic video imaging device selected to output for broadcasting operates as a master, and the other stereoscopic video imaging devices operate as slaves.

  In step S100 of FIG. 4, the parallax information processing unit 350 determines whether the parallax information processing unit 350 is operating as a master or a slave based on the lighting state of the tally obtained through the communication unit 130. When operating as a master, the process proceeds to step S110, where the parallax Xm is calculated by the equation (7) based on the current field angle, subject distance, convergence angle, and base line length, and via the external communication unit 360. It outputs to the memory | storage part of the video signal selection apparatus 50. FIG.

  In step S120, when the convergence angle control is not input from the convergence angle operation member (not shown), the process returns to step S100.

  On the other hand, if there is an input of the convergence angle control in step S120, it is set as the target convergence angle θc, the process proceeds to step S200, and the command value is set via the communication units 130 and 230 to the convergence angle θc. 221. In response to this, the control units 121 and 221 drive the shift lenses 109 and 209 via the lens control units 122 and 222 to control the convergence angle. When the drive command value is output in step S200, the process returns to step S100.

  In step S100, when operating as a slave, the process proceeds to step S130, and the parallax information Xm of the stereoscopic video imaging device operating as the master is transmitted from the storage unit of the video signal selection device 50 via the external communication unit 360. And proceeds to step S140.

  If no convergence angle control is input in step S140, the process proceeds to step S170. In step S170, the current parallax Xs_now is calculated by Expression (7) based on the current field angle, subject distance, convergence angle, and baseline length. In step S180, Xs_now is compared with Xm acquired in step S130. If the absolute value of the difference between Xm and Xs_now is greater than a predetermined value Xth1, the process proceeds to step S190.

  Here, the predetermined value Xth1 is a threshold value that does not cause discomfort to the viewer if the change in parallax when the video is switched is equal to or less than Xth1. This threshold value depends on the viewing environment, such as the size of the screen and viewing distance, and may be set arbitrarily in consideration of the viewing environment, or may be a fixed value. In addition, according to the 3DC safety guidelines of the 3D Consortium (www.3datom.org), the viewing distance is the standard viewing distance (3 times the height of the screen), and the screen width is long when the screen has an aspect ratio of 16: 9. It is said that it is desirable to make it 2.9% or less. Therefore, Xth1 may be 2.9%.

  In step S190, based on the difference between Xm and Xs_now or the difference between Xm and Xs_ctrl, a target convergence angle θc that is driven to keep the parallax within a certain range is calculated. Here, the process of calculating the target convergence angle θc based on the difference between Xm and Xs_now will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In step S191 of FIG. 5, when Xm> Xs_now, the process proceeds to step S192, and the target convergence angle θc that is the post-control parallax Xs expressed by equation (8) is calculated by equation (9).
Xs = Xm−Xth1 (8)
Expression (9) is obtained by transforming Expression (7) and shifting the convergence angle θ to the left side.
θ = arctan (d / 2l) − (θz * x / 2) (9)
In step S191, when Xm <Xs_now, the process proceeds to step S193, and the target convergence angle θc that is the post-control parallax Xs expressed by equation (10) is calculated by equation (9).
Xs = Xm + Xth1 (10)
Here, the process from step S170 to step S190 is demonstrated using FIG.

  (A) of FIG. 6 has shown the image | video which acquires parallax Xs_now. A solid subject image on the screen shows an image taken by the lens device 100 and the camera device 150, and a broken subject image shows an image taken by the lens device 200 and the camera device 250.

  (C) of FIG. 6 has shown the image | video by the stereo image imaging device which is operate | moving as a master obtained by step S130, and the parallax at this time is parallax Xm.

  If the difference between the parallax Xs_now and the parallax Xm is larger than the threshold value Xth1, the target convergence angle θc is determined in step S190 in order to give viewers an unpleasant feeling when the video is switched.

In the example shown in FIG. 6, since Xm> Xs_now, the target convergence angle θc that satisfies the post-control parallax Xs is calculated in step S192 of FIG. The target convergence angle θc can be expressed by equation (11) by substituting the value of the post-control parallax Xs in equation (8) for the parallax x in equation (9).
θc = arctan (d / 2l) − (θz * (Xm−Xth1) / 2) (11)
At this time, the baseline length d, the subject distance l, and the angle of view θz are the same values as in step S170.

On the other hand, if the convergence angle control is input from the convergence angle operation member (not shown) in step S140, the process proceeds to step S150. In step S150, the parallax amount Xs_ctrl in the case of driving to the input convergence angle control value θctrl is calculated from the equation (7). Xs_ctrl can be expressed by equation (12) by substituting θctrl into equation (7).
Xs_ctrl = (2 / θz) * (arctan (d / 2l) −θctrl) (12)
In step S160, Xs_ctrl is compared with Xm acquired in step S130. If the absolute value of the difference between Xm and Xs_ctrl is greater than a predetermined value Xth1, the process proceeds to step S190.

  In step S190, similarly to the case where the above-described convergence angle control is not input, the target convergence angle θc is calculated based on the magnitude relationship between Xm and Xs_ctrl and Expression (9). In step S200, the drive command value is output to the control units 121 and 221 via the communication units 130 and 230 so that the convergence angle θc is obtained. Then, the process returns to step S100 again, and the above-described flow steps S100 to S200 are repeated.

  As described above, the parallax of other stereoscopic video imaging devices can be controlled within ± Xth1 with respect to the parallax Xm of the stereoscopic video imaging device operating as a master by always executing the processing described using the flowchart. I can do it. Therefore, it is possible to shoot a stereoscopic video that does not give the viewer a discomfort when switching the video. Needless to say, the parallax Xm of the stereoscopic imaging apparatus operating as the master can be freely controlled within a range not exceeding the human fusion range.

  In the present embodiment, the parallax is controlled within a certain range with respect to the parallax Xm of the stereoscopic imaging apparatus operating as the master by changing the convergence angle, but the following method is used. May be.

For example, a base line length drive unit that changes the base line length indicating the distance between the lens devices 100 and 200 may be provided, and the base line length may be changed to control the parallax. Expression (13) is obtained by modifying Expression (7) and shifting the baseline length d to the left side. The baseline length drive unit sets the baseline length to be the baseline length d calculated by Expression (13). You may make it change.
d = 2l * tan (θ + (x * θz / 2)) (13)
Equation (14) is obtained by transforming Equation (7) and shifting the angle of view θz to the left side.
You may make it drive the zoom lens group 108 so that it may become the angle of view (theta) z calculated by Formula (14).
θz = (2 / x) * arctan (d / 2l) −θ) (14)

  Hereinafter, a stereoscopic video imaging apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 and FIGS. 7 to 10 again. The configuration of the stereoscopic video imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment is as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as in the first embodiment. Here, description of what has already been described in the first embodiment is omitted. Also in the present embodiment, the base line length is described as a fixed value.

  In the first embodiment, control is performed so that the difference in parallax is always within a certain range. However, in this embodiment, a tally signal is sent from the video signal selection device 50 to the target stereoscopic video imaging device. An example of controlling the parallax at the output timing will be described.

  In addition to the red tally signal and the green tally signal described in the first embodiment, the video signal selection device 50 notifies the red tally ON stereoscopic video imaging device that the tally OFF is to be performed next. The tally OFF notice signal is output.

  Here, the processing at the time of video switching of the video signal selection device 50 will be described using the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S1000 of FIG. 7, the video signal selection device 50 outputs a tally OFF notice signal to the red tally ON stereoscopic video imaging device, and the green tally to the stereoscopic video imaging device that is selected after switching. Output a signal.

  In step S1010, when the notification of the completion of the parallax control processing by the red tally ON stereoscopic image capturing device is acquired, the process proceeds to S1020. In step S1020, in step S1000, a tally OFF signal is output to the stereoscopic video apparatus that has output the tally OFF notice signal, and a red tally signal is output to the stereoscopic video imaging apparatus that has output the green tally signal.

  Next, a series of processes for controlling the parallax amount of the stereoscopic image capturing apparatus will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 8 and 9.

  When receiving the tally OFF notice signal or the green tally signal output from the video signal selection device 50, the parallax information processing unit 350 starts the parallax control processing.

  In step S300 of FIG. 8, the parallax information processing unit 350 determines the lighting state of the tally. When the green tally is ON, the process proceeds to step S320 to calculate the current parallax Xt and through the external communication unit 360. And output to the storage unit of the video signal selection device 50.

  That is, in step S1000 in FIG. 7, the stereoscopic video imaging apparatus that has received the green tally signal is in a situation where a video is next selected, and the parallax information of the video that is selected after switching is sent to the video signal selection device 50. In contrast, it outputs. The parallax Xt is calculated by Expression (7) based on the current field angle, subject distance, convergence angle, and baseline length.

  If the red tally is ON in step S300, the process proceeds to step S310 to execute a parallax control process. That is, in step S1000 in FIG. 7, the stereoscopic video imaging apparatus that has received the tally OFF notice signal is in a situation where the video selection state is changed to the non-selection state, and the parallax control process is executed before the video is switched. is there.

  The parallax control processing in step S310 will be described using the flowchart in FIG. In step S311 of FIG. 9, the parallax Xt of the stereoscopic video imaging device that is green tally ON is acquired from the storage unit of the video signal selection device 50 via the external communication unit 360. In step S312, the current parallax Xs_now is calculated by Expression (7) based on the current field angle, subject distance, convergence angle, and baseline length.

  In step S313, Xt and Xs_now are compared. If the absolute value of the difference between Xt and Xs_now is greater than the predetermined value Xth2, the process proceeds to step S314.

  Here, the predetermined value Xth2, like the predetermined value Xth1 described in the first embodiment, is a threshold value that does not cause discomfort to the viewer if the change in parallax when the video is switched is equal to or less than Xth2. And may be a value equal to Xth1.

  On the other hand, if the absolute value of the difference between Xt and Xs_now is smaller than the predetermined value Xth2, the process proceeds to step S316.

  In step S314, based on the difference between Xt and Xs_now, a target convergence angle θc that is driven to keep the parallax within a certain range is calculated. Here, the process of step S314 for calculating the target convergence angle θc based on the difference between Xt and Xs_now will be described using the flowchart of FIG.

In step S3141 in FIG. 10, when Xt> Xs_now, the process proceeds to step S3142, and the target convergence angle θc that is the post-control parallax Xs represented by the equation (15) is calculated.
Xs = Xt−Xth2 (15)
Here, taking a calculation method as an example, θc can be expressed by Expression (16) by substituting the post-control parallax Xs of Expression (15) for the disparity x of Expression (9).
θc = arctan (d / 2l) − (θz * (Xm−Xth2) / 2) (16)
At this time, the baseline length d, the subject distance l, and the angle of view θz are the same values as in step S312. On the other hand, when Xt <Xs_now in step S3141, the process proceeds to step S3143, and the target convergence angle θc that becomes the post-control parallax Xs expressed by equation (17) is calculated by equation (9).
Xs = Xt + Xth2 (17)
In step S315, the target convergence angle θc calculated in step S314 is output to the control units 121 and 221 via the communication units 130 and 230 as drive command values for driving the shift lenses 109 and 209. Here, a method of driving the convergence angle will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S3151 in FIG. 11, the pre-control parallax Xs_now and the post-control parallax Xs are compared. If the absolute value of the difference between Xs_now and Xs is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value Xth3, the process proceeds to step S3155, and in step S314 in FIG. The calculated θc is output as a drive command value.

  On the other hand, if the absolute value of the difference between Xs_now and Xs is larger than the predetermined value Xth3 in step S3151, the process proceeds to step S3152.

  Here, like Xth1 and Xth2 described so far, the predetermined value Xth3 is a threshold value that does not give viewers discomfort if the change in parallax when the video is switched is equal to or less than Xth3. Or it is good also as a value equal to Xth2. Further, as described above, the steps so far are processing when it is determined in step S300 that the red tally is ON, and the parallax of the video being broadcast output is controlled.

  Therefore, if the magnitude of the difference between the post-control parallax Xs obtained in step S314 and the pre-control parallax Xs_now is larger than the predetermined value Xth3 and the time required for the change from Xs_now to Xs is too short, the viewer is uncomfortable. There is a possibility. That is, when the video is switched, the parallax of the video before and after the switching is Xs_now and Xs, respectively, and the difference exceeds a predetermined value Xth3 that is an allowable limit that gives viewers discomfort. . Therefore, when driving from θ to θc, it is desirable that the time spent for driving is a time corresponding to the time required for the human eye to adjust the focus.

  In step S3152, the convergence angle θc_out output as the drive command value is set to 0 (initialization process), and θstep is determined.

  Here, θstep is an angle to be added when outputting the drive command value in step S3153, and θstep may be determined according to the time spent for driving when driving from θ to θc.

  In step S3153, θstep is added to θc_out to determine a convergence angle θc_out to be output as a drive command value, and output to the control units 121 and 221 via the communication units 130 and 230.

  In step S3154, if θc_out is smaller than θc calculated in step S314 of FIG. 10, the process returns to step S3153, and θstep is added to θc_out and output as a drive command value. By repeating the process of step S3153 until θc_out becomes equal to or greater than θc, the drive command value θc_out is gradually brought closer to θc.

  Therefore, even when the difference between the post-control parallax Xs obtained in step S314 and the pre-control parallax Xs_now is large, the convergence angle can be controlled without causing discomfort to the viewer.

  Now, the description returns to the flowchart of FIG. In step S316, a switch preparation process completion notification is output to the video signal selection device 50, and the parallax control process is terminated.

  When the video signal selection device 50 receives the notification of the completion of the switching preparation process, the video signal selection device 50 switches the video and, as described in step S1020 of FIG. Is output to end the switching process.

  As described above, in this embodiment, when switching images, control is performed so that the parallax difference between the stereoscopic image capturing devices is within a certain range. Switching can be realized.

  Also, since the parallax is controlled only when the video is switched, the video shot by each stereoscopic video imaging device can have a larger parallax, and the viewer feels uncomfortable at the time of switching. It is possible to broadcast no video.

  In the present embodiment, the parallax of the stereoscopic image capturing apparatus selected before switching the image is controlled by changing the convergence angle as in the first embodiment. The following method may be used.

  As described in the first embodiment, a base line length drive unit may be provided, and the base line length may be changed so as to be the base line length d calculated by Expression (13), or Expression (14). The zoom lens group 108 may be driven so that the angle of view θz calculated by the above is satisfied.

  Hereinafter, a stereoscopic video imaging apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 7 and FIGS. 12 and 13 again. Here, description of what has already been described in the first and second embodiments is omitted. Also in the present embodiment, the base line length is described as a fixed value.

  In the second embodiment, the example of controlling the stereoscopic video imaging device selected before switching when switching the video has been described, but in this embodiment, the stereoscopic video imaging device selected after switching is controlled. An example will be described. Here, the processing at the time of video switching of the video signal selection device 50 will be described using the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S1000 of FIG. 7, the video signal selection device 50 outputs a tally OFF notice signal to the red tally ON stereoscopic video imaging device, and the green tally to the stereoscopic video imaging device that is selected after switching. Output a signal.

  In step S1010, when a notification of completion of the parallax control processing by the 3D image pickup apparatus of green tally ON is acquired, the process proceeds to S1020. In step S1020, a tally OFF signal is output to the stereoscopic video imaging apparatus that has output the tally OFF notice signal in step S1000, and a red tally signal is output to the stereoscopic video imaging apparatus that has output the green tally signal.

  Next, a series of processes for controlling the parallax amount of the stereoscopic image capturing apparatus will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

  Similar to the second embodiment, when receiving the tally OFF notice signal or the green tally signal output from the video signal selection device 50, the parallax information processing unit 350 starts the parallax control processing.

  In step S400 of FIG. 12, the parallax information processing unit 350 determines the lighting state of the tally. When the red tally is ON, the process proceeds to step S410 to calculate the current parallax Xt and through the external communication unit 360. And output to the storage unit of the video signal selection device 50.

  That is, in step S1000 in FIG. 7, the stereoscopic video imaging apparatus that has received the tally-OFF notice signal is in a state where it is changed from a video selection state to a non-selection state. Is output to the video signal selection device 50. The parallax Xt is calculated by Expression (7) based on the current field angle, subject distance, convergence angle, and baseline length.

  In step S400, when the green tally is ON, the process proceeds to step S420, and parallax control processing is executed. That is, in step S1000 in FIG. 7, the stereoscopic video imaging apparatus that has received the green tally signal is in a situation where the video is next selected, and the parallax control process is executed before the video is switched.

  The parallax control processing in step S420 will be described using the flowchart in FIG. In step S421 in FIG. 13, the parallax Xt of the stereoscopic video imaging device that is red tally ON is acquired from the storage unit of the video signal selection device 50 via the external communication unit 360. In step S422, the current parallax Xs_now is calculated by Expression (7) based on the current field angle, subject distance, convergence angle, and baseline length. Further, the convergence angle θ1 at this time is stored in a storage unit (not shown).

  In step S423, Xt and Xs_now are compared. If the absolute value of the difference between Xt and Xs_now is larger than the predetermined value Xth2, the process proceeds to step S424.

  On the other hand, if the absolute value of the difference between Xt and Xs_now is smaller than the predetermined value Xth2, the process proceeds to step S426.

  In step S424, based on the difference between Xt and Xs_now, the target convergence angle θc that is driven in order to keep the parallax within a certain range is calculated, but the same processing as the processing of FIG. 10 described in the second embodiment is performed. Then, the target convergence angle θc is calculated.

  In step S425, the target convergence angle θc calculated in step S424 is output to the control units 121 and 221 via the communication units 130 and 230 as drive command values for driving the shift lenses 109 and 209. As described above, the steps so far are processing when it is determined in step S400 that the green tally is ON, and the parallax of the video that is not being broadcast is controlled. Therefore, in step S425, the convergence angle θc may be output as the drive command value regardless of the difference between the pre-control parallax Xs_now and the post-control parallax Xs.

  In step S426, a switch preparation process completion notification is output to the video signal selection device 50.

  When the video signal selection device 50 receives the notification of the completion of the switching preparation process, the video signal selection device 50 switches the video and, as described in the description of step S1020 in FIG. A tally signal is output and the switching process is terminated.

  If it is detected in step S427 that the red tally is turned on, the process proceeds to step S428, and θ1 stored in step S422 is output to the control units 121 and 221 as a drive command value. That is, in order to prevent the viewer from feeling uncomfortable at the time of video switching, a process of returning the changed parallax Xs to the parallax Xs_now of the video that was originally taken is executed. At this time, depending on the difference between Xs and Xs_now, it is necessary to consider the drive time for driving from the convergence angle θc to θ1. That is, in step S428, the same processing as that shown in the flowchart of FIG. 11 is executed. At this time, the convergence angle to be driven is to drive from θc to θ1, and θstep determines the time spent for driving when driving from θc to θ1, and θstep may be determined accordingly.

  By executing step S428, the parallax conditions taken before the video switching are restored, and the parallax control process is terminated.

  As described above, in this embodiment, when switching images, control is performed so that the parallax difference between the stereoscopic image capturing devices is within a certain range. Switching can be realized. In addition, since the parallax is controlled only when the video is switched, the video shot by each stereoscopic video imaging apparatus can have a larger parallax, and the viewer feels uncomfortable at the time of switching. It is possible to broadcast no video.

  In the present embodiment, as in the first and second embodiments, the parallax of the stereoscopic image pickup device that was selected before switching the image is controlled by changing the convergence angle. However, the following method may be used.

  The convergence angle may be changed so that the baseline length d calculated by Expression (13) is obtained, or the zoom lens group 108 is driven so that the angle of view θz calculated by Expression (14) is obtained. Anyway.

  In the first, second, and third embodiments described above, the predetermined values Xth1, Xth2, and Xth3 may be set arbitrarily or may be fixed values. You may do it.

  For example, the predetermined values Xth1, Xth2, and Xth3 are held in the video signal selection device 50, and each stereoscopic video imaging device acquires the predetermined values Xth1, Xth2, and Xth3 together with the parallax information acquired via the external communication unit 360. You may do it.

  Thereby, the operator of the video signal selection device 50 can set an appropriate predetermined value while confirming the video shot by each stereoscopic video imaging device, and each stereoscopic video imaging device can set the predetermined value to this predetermined value. Based on this, it is possible to appropriately execute the parallax control process.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16, a stereoscopic video imaging apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first to third embodiments, an example in which a selected video is switched using a plurality of stereoscopic video imaging devices has been described. However, in this embodiment, a stereoscopic video that reproduces a previously recorded stereoscopic video is shown. An example in which a playback device and one or more stereoscopic video imaging devices are combined will be described. That is, when the video reproduced by the stereoscopic video reproduction device and the video captured by the stereoscopic video imaging device are switched and broadcast, the difference in parallax between the video before and after the switching is controlled.

  FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the stereoscopic video imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment. The description of the same reference numerals as those in the block diagram shown in FIG. 1 is omitted. The image input unit 370 acquires a video obtained from the stereoscopic video reproduction device 60 connected to the stereoscopic video imaging device 1 and outputs the video to the parallax information processing unit 350.

  The parallax information processing unit 350 calculates the parallax of the video reproduced by the stereoscopic video reproduction device based on the two image signals obtained by the stereoscopic video reproduction device 60 acquired via the image input unit.

FIG. 15 shows an example of calculating parallax from an image. Using edge detection, calculate the parallax x by calculating the pixel shift amount p of the subject in the two images and dividing by the total number of horizontal pixels P. It can be expressed by equation (17).
x = p / P (17)
In this way, by calculating as a ratio between the amount of pixel shift and the total number of pixels, the parallax is handled in the same dimension as when the ratio between the optical axis shift angle and the angle of view described in the first to third embodiments is calculated. I can do it.
The parallax calculation method is not limited to edge detection, and a feature point is detected using generally known feature point recognition (such as face recognition), and a difference between pixels in which feature points appear in two images. The pixel shift amount may be obtained by taking

  Next, a parallax control method when the stereoscopic video imaging apparatus and the stereoscopic video playback apparatus in this embodiment are combined will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

Similar to the second and third embodiments, when receiving the tally signal output from the video signal selection device 50, the parallax information processing unit 350 starts the parallax control processing.
In step S600 of FIG. 16, the parallax information processing unit 350 determines the lighting state of the tally. In the second embodiment and the above-described embodiment, the red tally ON, the green tally ON, and the tally OFF are discriminated. In this example, only the red tally ON is detected.

  In step S600, when the red tally is ON, the process proceeds to step S610 to execute a process for controlling the parallax before switching. In other words, since the video from the stereoscopic video imaging apparatus is switched to the video from the stereoscopic video playback apparatus, the difference between the parallax of the video by the stereoscopic video imaging apparatus and the parallax of the video by the stereoscopic video playback apparatus falls within a certain range. The specific process of step S610 is the parallax of the video reproduced by the stereoscopic video reproduction device 50 obtained through the image input unit 370 in the process of step S311 of the flowchart of FIG. 9 described in the second embodiment. What is necessary is just to calculate.

  In step S600, if the tally is OFF, the process proceeds to step S620. That is, since the video from the stereoscopic video playback device is switched to the video from the stereoscopic video imaging device, before switching the video, the parallax of the video by the stereoscopic video imaging device is within a certain range. To fit in. The specific process of step S620 is the video reproduced by the stereoscopic video reproduction device 50 obtained through the image input unit 370 in the process of step S421 of the flowchart of FIG. 13 described in the third embodiment. The parallax can be obtained.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the video output for broadcasting is switched when switching from the stereoscopic video playback device to the stereoscopic video imaging device, and when switching from the stereoscopic video imaging device to the stereoscopic video playback device. In addition, the parallax control of the stereoscopic video imaging apparatus is performed when switching the video. As a result, the viewer does not feel uncomfortable not only in the operation mode based on the combination of the three-dimensional image pickup devices but also in the operation mode in which the captured video and the pre-recorded playback video are switched and broadcast. It is possible to realize video switching.

  As mentioned above, although preferable embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to these embodiment, A various deformation | transformation and change are possible within the range of the summary. For example, the present invention has been described for a combination of stereoscopic video imaging devices and a combination of a stereoscopic video imaging device and a stereoscopic video playback device that plays back a stereoscopic video, but is not limited to these combinations. The present invention can also be implemented in a combination of a stereoscopic video imaging device and a conventional imaging device that captures 2D video, and a combination of a stereoscopic video imaging device and a conventional video playback device that reproduces 2D video.

100,200 lens device, 101,201 focus lens group,
105, 205 zoom lens group, 109, 209 shift lens,
121, 221 control unit, 122, 222 lens control unit,
123, 223 storage unit, 130, 230 Inter-lens communication unit,
150, 250 camera device, 300 baseline length drive unit, 350 parallax information processing unit,
360 External communication unit

Claims (27)

A convergence angle driving means for varying the convergence angle; a convergence angle detecting means for detecting a convergence angle by the convergence angle driving means; a focusing means for varying the object distance; and a focus position detecting means for detecting the position of the focusing means; In a stereoscopic video imaging apparatus having
Disparity information communication means for communicating disparity information with an external device other than the stereoscopic image capturing device;
Disparity information is calculated, and based on the disparity information,
Parallax information processing means for calculating control information including information for controlling the convergence angle driving means;
A stereoscopic video imaging apparatus comprising: Zoom means for varying the angle of view; and zoom detection means for detecting the angle of view based on the position of the zoom means, wherein the parallax information processing means is configured to select the zoom means and the congestion based on the parallax information. The stereoscopic image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein control information that is information for controlling at least one of the corner driving means is calculated. A baseline length driving unit that varies the baseline length; and a baseline length detection unit that detects a baseline length by the baseline length driving unit, wherein the parallax information processing unit is based on the parallax information. The stereoscopic image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein control information that is information for controlling at least one of the convergence angle driving unit and the convergence angle driving unit is calculated. Zoom means for varying the angle of view, zoom detecting means for detecting the angle of view based on the position of the zoom means, baseline length driving means for varying the baseline length, and baseline length for detecting the baseline length by the baseline length driving means Information for controlling at least one of the zoom means, the base line length driving means, and the convergence angle driving means based on the parallax information. The stereoscopic image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control information is calculated as follows. 5. The parallax information processing unit according to claim 1, wherein the parallax information processing unit calculates the parallax information based on a convergence angle, a base line length, an angle of view, and an object distance. The three-dimensional image pickup device described. The disparity information processing unit is configured to detect the first disparity information calculated by the disparity information processing unit and the second disparity information acquired via the communication unit when the difference is greater than a predetermined value. 6. The control information is calculated such that the difference between the first parallax information and the second parallax information is equal to or less than the predetermined value. 6. Stereoscopic imaging device. The stereoscopic image capturing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the disparity information communication unit communicates the disparity information with the predetermined value. The stereoscopic image capturing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined value can be arbitrarily set. The stereoscopic video imaging apparatus includes a first selection state indicating that a video being shot is selected, a second selection state indicating that a video being shot is next selected, and a video being shot. Identifying means for identifying that the selected state is one of a non-selected state indicating that is not selected, and the disparity information processing means is based on the selected state identified by the identifying means, Control information is calculated, The three-dimensional video imaging device as described in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 8 characterized by the above-mentioned. The stereoscopic image capturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the parallax information processing unit calculates control information when the selected state is a non-selected state. When the selection state is at least one of when the non-selection state is switched to the second selection state and when the first selection state is switched to the non-selection state, the parallax information processing means is The stereoscopic image capturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein control information is calculated. The stereoscopic video imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the external device is a stereoscopic video imaging system capable of capturing stereoscopic video having parallax. The stereoscopic image capturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the external device is an imaging apparatus that captures a two-dimensional image having no parallax. A convergence angle driving means for varying the convergence angle; a convergence angle detecting means for detecting a convergence angle by the convergence angle driving means; a focusing means for varying the object distance; and a focus position detecting means for detecting the position of the focusing means; In a stereoscopic video imaging apparatus having
Image input means for inputting an image signal from an external device other than the stereoscopic video imaging device;
Calculating first parallax information of the stereoscopic image capturing device;
And the second parallax information is calculated from the image signal of the external device input by the image input means, and based on the first and second parallax information,
Parallax information processing means for calculating control information including information for controlling the convergence angle driving means;
A stereoscopic video imaging apparatus comprising: When the image signal includes two images having parallax, the parallax information processing unit detects a feature point in each image of the image signal, and based on the amount of deviation between the feature points, the second The stereoscopic video imaging apparatus according to claim 14, wherein parallax information is calculated. 15. The parallax information processing means, when the image signal is one image having no parallax, has the second parallax information as a result indicating no parallax. Stereoscopic imaging device. Zoom means for changing the angle of view; and zoom detection means for detecting the angle of view based on the position of the zoom means, wherein the parallax information processing means includes the first parallax information and the second parallax information. The control information, which is information for controlling at least one of the zoom means and the convergence angle driving means, is calculated based on the control information. 3D imaging device according to the above. A baseline length driving unit that varies the baseline length; and a baseline length detection unit that detects a baseline length by the baseline length driving unit, wherein the parallax information processing unit includes the first parallax information and the second parallax. The control information, which is information for controlling at least one of the baseline length driving means and the convergence angle driving means, is calculated based on the information. The three-dimensional image pickup device according to any one of the above. Zoom means for varying the angle of view, zoom detecting means for detecting the angle of view based on the position of the zoom means, baseline length driving means for varying the baseline length, and baseline length for detecting the baseline length by the baseline length driving means Detecting means, and the disparity information processing means is based on the first disparity information and the second disparity information, and includes the zoom means, the baseline length driving means, and the convergence angle driving means. The stereoscopic image capturing apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein control information that is information for controlling at least one of the control information is calculated. 20. The parallax information processing unit calculates the first parallax information based on a convergence angle, a base line length, a field angle, and an object distance. The stereoscopic video imaging apparatus according to one item. When the difference between the first parallax information and the second parallax information is greater than a predetermined value, the parallax information processing means determines that the first parallax information is different from the second parallax information. The stereoscopic image capturing apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 20, wherein the control information is calculated so as to be equal to or less than the predetermined value. The stereoscopic video imaging apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the predetermined value includes a setting unit arbitrarily set. The stereoscopic video imaging apparatus is in one of a selection state of a first selection state indicating that a video being shot is selected and a non-selection state indicating that a video being shot is not selected. 23. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising identification means for identifying the presence, wherein the disparity information processing means calculates control information based on the selection state identified by the identification means. The stereoscopic video imaging apparatus according to one item. The stereoscopic image capturing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the parallax information processing unit calculates control information when the selected state is a non-selected state. The stereoscopic video imaging apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the parallax information processing unit calculates control information when the selected state is switched from a non-selected state to a first selected state. The stereoscopic video imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 25, wherein the external device is a stereoscopic video reproduction system capable of reproducing stereoscopic video having parallax. 26. The stereoscopic video imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 25, wherein the external device is a video playback apparatus that plays back a two-dimensional video having no parallax.