JP3783977B2 - 3D image device and 3D image display method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a stereoscopic video apparatus that performs stereoscopic display on a television, video, computer monitor, game machine, etc., a stereoscopic camera that captures left and right parallax images, and a computer system in which a stereoscopic display and a computer are connected.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For a device for displaying on a stereoscopic display portion using a conventional two-dimensional display technology such as liquid crystal, CRT, or projector, the left and right images are separated separately using glasses, and the left and right images are striped images. A typical example is a composition in which a three-dimensional image is observed through a lenticular or parallax barrier. Hereinafter, these conventional examples will be described. In addition, since the stereoscopic display is often connected to a computer and used, a description of the use environment of the computer will be added.
[0003]
(1) Description of conventional glasses-type stereoscopic display:
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a stereoscopic display system, there is one that separates right and left images using polarized glasses by changing the polarization state for right-eye and left-eye images. In order to change the polarization state, a liquid crystal shutter is provided on the display side, the polarization state is switched in synchronization with the field signal of the display image on the display, and the observer wearing polarized glasses separates the left and right images one eye at a time division. Thus, a method that enables stereoscopic viewing has been put into practical use. Furthermore, several methods have been proposed and put to practical use, such as providing a liquid crystal shutter on the eyeglass side and generating parallax images of the left and right images to cause the observer to stereoscopically view by synchronizing with the display image on the monitor. However, these methods have the disadvantage that the observer must always wear stereoscopic glasses.
[0004]
(2) Explanation of lenticular lens system:
On the other hand, as a stereoscopic display that does not use polarized glasses, there is a system in which a lenticular lens is provided in front of the display to spatially separate images that enter the left and right eyes. FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional example of a system using a lenticular lens. Reference numeral 151 denotes a liquid crystal display, and a liquid crystal display pixel portion 153 is formed between the glass substrates 152 and 154. The surface of the liquid crystal display 151 is provided with a lenticular lens 155 formed of a cylindrical lens having a semicircular cross section as shown in the drawing and extending in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface. A liquid crystal display pixel portion 153 is located on the focal plane. It is supposed to be.
[0005]
In the display pixel unit 153, as shown in the figure, an image for the right eye (black portion) and an image for the left eye (outline portion) are alternately arranged in a stripe pattern corresponding to one pitch of the lenticular lens. And the right eye E of the observer by the lenticular lens 155_R , Left eye E_L The images are separated optically to enable stereoscopic viewing. In the figure, the spatial areas where the right and left eye images can be observed at both ends and the center of the display are separated into the observer's eyes (binocular center distance is e) across the entire screen. The common area seen in the figure is the stereoscopic vision area 156 of the bold line portion in the figure. Further, even in a region (not shown) adjacent to the stereoscopic region 156, there is a region that can be stereoscopically viewed by separating left and right. This method does not require the observer to use special glasses, and can be used as a simple three-dimensional display when there are an unspecified number of observers.
[0006]
(3) Explanation of the parallax barrier method:
As the 3D display means without glasses, a parallax barrier system is typical in addition to the above-described lenticular lens system. Hereinafter, the parallax barrier method will be described.
[0007]
The parallax barrier method is disclosed in SHKaplan, “Theory of Parallax Barriers”, J. SMPTE, Vol. 59, No. 7, pp. 11-21 (1952). A stripe image in which left and right images are alternately arranged from a parallax image is respectively passed through a slit (called a parallax barrier) having a predetermined opening provided at a predetermined distance from the image. Stereoscopic viewing can be performed by observing a parallax image corresponding to each eye.
[0008]
Furthermore, in order to improve compatibility with a two-dimensional image (one-viewpoint image) display device, a parallax barrier is generated electronically by a transmissive liquid crystal display element and the shape and position of the barrier stripe is electronically A three-dimensional display device that is variably controlled is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 3-119889 and 5-122733.
[0009]
FIG. 19 is a basic configuration diagram of a stereoscopic image display device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-119888. A transmissive liquid crystal display device 101 for displaying an image is connected to a transmissive liquid crystal through a spacer 102 having a thickness d. An electronic parallax barrier 103 composed of display elements is arranged. Displayed on the transmissive liquid crystal display element 101 as a vertical stripe image of parallax images taken from two or more directions, and for the electronic parallax barrier 103, an XY address is designated by a control means such as the microcomputer 104. Thus, a parallax barrier pattern can be formed at an arbitrary position on the barrier surface and stereoscopically viewed in accordance with the principle of the parallax barrier method.
[0010]
(4) Description of the method for enlarging the stereoscopic region:
In a device that forms a three-dimensional image by forming a stripe image, such as the lenticular method and the parallax barrier method described above, the width of the region that can be viewed stereoscopically is narrow, and the maximum range that can be viewed stereoscopically by the observer is the center of both eyes. It is only half the width of about 65mm. Therefore, it is necessary for the observer to observe the head while fixing the position of the head, which is disadvantageous in that it is very difficult to see. On the other hand, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-44995, in order to widen this stereoscopic vision region, the position of both eyes of the observer is detected, and the lenticular lens is movably supported in the horizontal direction to display the display element. A method has been proposed in which the stereoscopic view area is expanded by controlling the movement of the relative position in the left-right direction. In addition, the parallax barrier method can also move the barrier left and right mechanically or electronically to follow the stereoscopic region.
[0011]
Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-50145 detects the positions of both eyes of an observer, and the left and right positions of the display pixel portions of the right-eye image and the left-eye image corresponding to the lenticular are detected based on the detected signal. A method has been proposed in which the stereoscopic viewing area is widened by switching.
[0012]
(5) Computer environment description:
The development of computers is remarkable. Recent graphical user interfaces (GUIs) have improved computer operability and can be operated intuitively, and thus have contributed to the spread of computers.
[0013]
In addition, with the progress of computer speedup, large data capacity, and multi-functionality, it has become routine to use three-dimensional image data on a computer. The three-dimensional display described so far has been increasingly used in a computer environment. In particular, in three-dimensional computer graphics, the position of a virtual camera can be arbitrarily changed, so that it is often applied to the generation of binocular parallax images.
[0014]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In stereoscopic display using the above-described conventional stereoscopic display means, a stereoscopic camera or computer graphics stereoscopic image is only displayed, and the observer can always obtain an image from only one direction, and the observer himself or herself can go around the observation object. I couldn't watch it, and I couldn't get enough realism.
[0015]
Further, when the conventional method for enlarging the stereoscopic region is used, there are the following problems.
[0016]
(1) The stereoscopic viewing area of the observer is limited because the stereoscopic display itself is fixed.
[0017]
(2) When the amount of movement of the observer increases, it becomes difficult to observe because the stereoscopic display is viewed obliquely.
[0018]
(3) If the observer wants to view the subject displayed on the stereoscopic display from a different angle, it is necessary to rotate the stereoscopic imaging device or the pedestal on which the subject is installed. It is difficult to obtain a 3D image from the angle.
[0019]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and in a stereoscopic video apparatus that performs stereoscopic display using a plurality of parallax images,Using a stereoscopic camera that captures a plurality of parallax images with respect to a subject, camera moving means for moving the position of the stereoscopic camera on a circumference close to the subject, and a plurality of parallax images obtained by the stereoscopic camera A 3D display and a 3D displayDetecting the observer's viewpoint positionDetectionMeans,Detected by the detecting meansRotate and control a 3D display based on the viewpoint position of the observerDisplay rotationMeans,And the camera moving means moves the position of the stereoscopic camera from the shooting direction corresponding to the rotation angle of the stereoscopic display to a position where the subject can be shot in conjunction with the rotation of the stereoscopic display by the display rotating means. Move around the circumferenceIt is characterized by that.
[0020]
  Also,A stereoscopic image that stereoscopically displays on a stereoscopic display using a plurality of parallax images obtained by the stereoscopic camera by moving the position of a stereoscopic camera that captures a plurality of parallax images with respect to the subject on a circumference close to the subject. In the display method, a detection step of detecting an observer's viewpoint position with respect to the stereoscopic display, a display rotation step of controlling rotation of the stereoscopic display based on the observer's viewpoint position detected by the detection step, and the display rotation A camera moving step of moving the position of the stereoscopic camera on the circumference from a shooting direction corresponding to a rotation angle of the stereoscopic display to a position where a subject can be shot, in conjunction with the rotation of the stereoscopic display by the step. It is characterized by that.
[0021]
The stereoscopic image apparatus further includes a stereoscopic camera that captures a plurality of parallax images, and the stereoscopic camera controls movement of the outer periphery of the object to be observed according to the viewpoint position of the observer or the rotation angle of the stereoscopic display. Is provided. In a stereoscopic video apparatus, a system in which a stereoscopic display and a computer are connected is assembled, and the viewpoint direction of a parallax image generated by computer graphics is controlled according to the viewpoint position of the observer or the rotation angle of the stereoscopic display. . Further, a system in which a stereoscopic display and a computer are connected is characterized in that a parallax image prepared in advance is selectively displayed according to the viewpoint position of the observer or the rotation angle of the stereoscopic display.
[0022]
Further, in a computer system in which a stereoscopic display that displays stereoscopically using a plurality of parallax images, a computer that implements a user interface using a pointing device, and a shooting environment in which the shooting direction can be controlled by mechanical control means are connected. The shooting direction is operated by using the pointing device. In the computer system, the photographing unit includes a stereoscopic camera that photographs a plurality of parallax images provided with a rotation control unit, and the rotation unit is rotationally controlled by the pointing device. In the computer system, the imaging unit includes a stereoscopic camera that captures a plurality of parallax images, and a turntable that can be rotated and provided in the imaging range of the stereoscopic camera, and the rotation is performed by the pointing device. The rotation is controlled. Further, in the above computer system, the photographing unit includes a stereoscopic camera that captures a plurality of parallax images and a unit that controls movement of the stereoscopic camera, and the moving unit is controlled to move by the pointing device.
[0023]
Further, the computer system includes a stereoscopic display unit that performs stereoscopic display using a plurality of parallax images, a unit that detects the viewpoint position of the observer, and a unit that follows the stereoscopic display area according to the viewpoint position of the observer. In a stem in which a stereoscopic display and a computer equipped with a user interface using a pointing device are connected, the viewpoint direction of the parallax image is controlled and displayed by the movement of the pointing device and the observer. In the computer system, the control / display amount of the observation direction by the pointing device is larger than the control / display amount of the observation direction by the movement of the observer.
[0024]
Further, the computer system includes a stereoscopic camera that captures a plurality of parallax images, and is provided with means for controlling rotation of the stereoscopic camera using a pointing device. Further, the computer system includes a stereoscopic camera that captures a plurality of parallax images, and a rotating base that is rotationally controlled by the pointing device is provided in an imaging range of the stereoscopic camera.
[0025]
The computer system further includes a stereoscopic camera that captures a plurality of parallax images, and means for controlling movement of the stereoscopic camera, and the movement control is controlled by the pointing device.
[0026]
Furthermore, in a stereoscopic video apparatus using a stereoscopic display device using a lenticular lens on the front surface of the image display unit, a rotation support mechanism that supports the stereoscopic display device so that the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical lens of the lenticular lens is set as the rotation axis; Driving means for rotating the stereoscopic display device around the rotation axis; means for detecting the head or binocular position of the observer; and the angle of the stereoscopic display based on the detected head or binocular position. Control means for controlling, left and right imaging devices for imaging a subject, and driving means for rotating the imaging device are provided, and imaging information from the imaging device is displayed.
[0027]
The stereoscopic image device may further include control means for controlling the angle of the imaging device based on the detected observer's head or binocular position. Further, the stereoscopic video apparatus is characterized by comprising control means for controlling the angle of the imaging device based on the angle of the stereoscopic display device.
[0028]
Still further, the pedestal provided in the stereoscopic video apparatus further comprises control means for controlling the angle based on the detected observer's head or binocular position. Further, the pedestal provided in the stereoscopic video apparatus further comprises a control means for controlling the angle based on the angle of the stereoscopic display apparatus. The imaging device or the subject can be rotated on the pedestal of the stereoscopic image device.
[0029]
Furthermore, in the pedestal control means of the stereoscopic video apparatus, the angle is set to be different between when the stereoscopic display is installed and when the subject is installed.
[0030]
In addition, in a stereoscopic video apparatus using a display surface type stereoscopic display device, a rotation support mechanism that supports the stereoscopic display device to rotate, and a driving unit that rotates the stereoscopic display device around a rotation axis. Position detecting means for detecting the head or binocular position of the observer, left and right imaging devices for imaging the subject, driving means for rotating the imaging device, and the detected head or binocular position. And a control means for controlling the angle of the stereoscopic display and the angle of the imaging device.
[0031]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, each embodiment in the present invention is described in detail using a drawing.
[0032]
[First Embodiment]
1 and 2 show a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 denotes a stereoscopic display apparatus body according to the present embodiment, 1 is a stereoscopic display unit that displays stereoscopically by, for example, a lenticular method or a parallax barrier method, and 2 is a viewer's display by means such as image processing. A viewpoint detection unit 3 for detecting the viewpoint position is a turntable for controlling the rotation of the stereoscopic display. Reference numeral 200 denotes an observer observing the stereoscopic display. Further, reference numeral 300 denotes a stereoscopic camera body for taking a stereoscopic image, 31 and 32 are lenses provided for taking a parallax image, and 33 is a turntable control unit of the stereoscopic camera. Reference numeral 400 denotes a cable that performs bidirectional communication such as sending a video signal of the stereoscopic camera 300 to the stereoscopic display or sending a control signal such as rotation angle information from the stereoscopic display 100 to the stereoscopic camera 300.
[0033]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of the stereoscopic display 100 and the stereoscopic camera 300.
[0034]
The stereoscopic camera body 300 will be described with reference to FIG. An imaging unit 30 includes two left and right imaging systems for capturing a stereoscopic image, and 36 performs a predetermined signal processing on the video signals corresponding to the left and right image information output from the imaging unit 30, respectively. 100 is a video signal processing circuit for converting into a signal form that can be supplied to 100, 33 is a rotary table control unit including a motor for driving a rotary base for rotating the imaging unit 30, and 34 is output from the video signal processing circuit 36 The video signal is converted into a form that can be transmitted to the stereoscopic display 100 side, and the turntable control unit 37 is controlled based on the control signal transmitted from the display 100 side to transmit to the stereoscopic display. A controller that generates various types of control information such as autofocus including posture, and is configured by a microcomputer. Reference numeral 35 denotes a camera side communication unit that communicates video signals and various control information in a predetermined format with the stereoscopic display 100 side.
[0035]
Next, the three-dimensional display 100 will be described. In FIG. 2, 1 is a stereoscopic display such as a CRT or a liquid crystal that displays a stereoscopic image, and 2 is a line-of-sight detection unit that detects the observer's viewpoint. A method, a method of detecting an eyeball image by image processing from an image of the observer's head, a method of performing image recognition of the head itself, and the like can be selected as necessary.
[0036]
Reference numeral 3 denotes a rotary base control unit including a motor for driving a rotary base for rotating the three-dimensional display 100. Reference numeral 4 denotes an image signal transmitted from the stereoscopic camera 300, a camera posture, and other related control information. Or it is a display side communication part which transmits camera control information etc. to the stereoscopic camera 300 side.
[0037]
In addition, in accordance with a command from the controller 7 described later, 5 separates image information sent from the stereoscopic camera 300 side into left and right image information, performs predetermined signal processing, and supplies the image information to the video drive circuit 6. This is a video signal processing circuit to be displayed on the display unit 1.
[0038]
Reference numeral 7 denotes a controller constituted by a microcomputer that controls the stereoscopic display 100 in an integrated manner and controls the stereoscopic camera 300 via the communication unit 4, and an image received from the stereoscopic camera 300 via the communication unit 4. A signal is supplied to the video signal processing circuit 5 to display a stereoscopic image on the display 1, and on the basis of the observer's line-of-sight position information detected by the viewpoint detection unit 2, the turntable control unit 3 is controlled to generate a stereoscopic image. The rotational position of the display 100 is controlled. In addition, a control signal for controlling the stereoscopic camera 300 is output from the display side to the stereoscopic camera 300 side.
[0039]
Further, the cable 400 serving as an information communication path between the stereoscopic display 100 and the stereoscopic camera 300 does not take such a cable connection form, and the means thereof is not particularly limited, whether it is a telephone line, wireless, or infrared. It may take any form, not a thing.
[0040]
Next, the operation of the above system will be described step by step.
[0041]
A stereoscopic image is picked up by the stereoscopic camera 300, and left and right video signals corresponding to the stereoscopic image are displayed on the screen of the stereoscopic display 100 via communication means including the communication units 4 and 35 and the cable 400.
[0042]
The captured left and right video signals are displayed in different images on the left and right eyes of the observer by a lenticular lens (cylindrical lens) formed horizontally on the screen of the stereoscopic display 100. The left and right video signal outputs of the stereoscopic camera 300 are separately transmitted to the left and right eyes of the observer.
[0043]
In this state, when the observer is observing the stereoscopic display 100, if the observer moves the position with respect to the stereoscopic display device, the viewpoint position detector 3 detects the movement of the viewpoint position (the head position is changed). If it is a sensor to detect, it is detected as a movement of the head position from the image of the head position), and is supplied to the controller 7 as a displacement of the relative position between the stereoscopic display 100 and the observer.
[0044]
Based on this viewpoint position movement information, the controller 7 controls the turntable control unit 3 to rotate the three-dimensional display 100 to move to a position facing the observer.
[0045]
This viewpoint position movement information is also transmitted to the stereoscopic camera 300 side by the communication unit 4 and the communication cable 400 (or wireless communication), and the rotary base control unit 33 is driven and controlled via the controller 34, and the position of the camera is also controlled. , The observer's viewpoint rotates in the moving direction.
[0046]
That is, when the observer moves around the display 100, the camera also moves in the moving direction, so that the image projected on the display 1 moves from the front to the side of the subject, and the display 1 also moves in the direction in which the observer moves. Since the orientation is changed, the observer can see an image as if moving around the subject by moving around the display 1.
[0047]
When the stereoscopic display 100 is rotated by moving the viewpoint position, not the viewpoint position information but the rotation angle information of the stereoscopic display 100 is transmitted to the stereoscopic camera 300 side, and the rotation control unit is based on this information. 33 may be controlled.
[0048]
The rotation amount of the stereoscopic camera 300 does not need to correspond one-to-one with respect to the movement amount of the observer's viewpoint position or the rotation angle of the stereoscopic display 100, and is defined by a predetermined proportional or nonlinear function. May be.
[0049]
As a result, the viewer can change the stereoscopic image displayed following the stereoscopic camera 300 only by changing the position where the stereoscopic display device is viewed. Therefore, it is necessary to manually adjust the orientation of the stereoscopic camera 300 each time. Therefore, it is possible to observe a video in a desired direction based on the will of the observer. As the observer moves, the effect of motion parallax in which the parallax image changes can be obtained, so that a more realistic stereoscopic effect can be sensed and recognized.
[0050]
[Second Embodiment]
3 and 4 are explanatory diagrams of the second embodiment of the present invention. Differences from the first embodiment will be particularly described.
[0051]
In FIG. 3, reference numeral 100 denotes a stereoscopic display device including a viewpoint detection unit, a stereoscopic display unit, and a rotation control unit, as in the first embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 300 ′ denotes a stereoscopic camera 300 ′ for taking a parallax image as in the stereoscopic camera 300 of the first embodiment. However, unlike the first embodiment, the stereoscopic camera 300 ′ sets the turntable control unit 33. Not equipped. Reference numeral 600 denotes a feature of the present embodiment, which is a turntable including a fixed portion 601 and a rotating portion 602 on which the subject 250 is placed. 410 is a cable for performing communication between the stereoscopic display 100 and the stereoscopic camera 300 ′, and 420 is a cable for performing communication between the stereoscopic display 100 and the turntable 600.
[0052]
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the signal flow of the second embodiment. In the figure, since the parts other than 61, 62 and 63 have already been described in the description of the first embodiment, their description will be omitted. 61 is a microcomputer controller for controlling the turntable 600, 62 is a communication unit for communicating with the three-dimensional display 100 and mainly obtaining information on the rotation angle of the turntable 600, and 63 is a mechanism unit such as a motor. And a turntable control unit for controlling the rotation angle of the turntable 600.
[0053]
Then, the operation will be described. The relationship among the stereoscopic display 100, the stereoscopic camera 300 ', and the turntable 600 for the observer, which is a feature of the second embodiment of the present invention, will be described. The operation of the stereoscopic display 100 is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the communication unit 5 communicates with both the stereoscopic camera 300 ′ and the turntable 600. Unlike the first embodiment, the stereoscopic camera 300 ′ according to the second embodiment does not include the turntable control unit 33, and the communication unit 35 controls stereoscopic video and audio signals.
[0054]
The turntable 600 sends the observer viewpoint information obtained by the viewpoint detection unit 2 of the stereoscopic display 100 to the controller 61 via the communication unit 62 via the cable 420. The controller 61 controls the turntable control unit 63 based on this signal, and rotates it with the observer's viewpoint movement.
[0055]
As described above, when the observer is observing a stereoscopic image, if the observer's own eye position is shifted to the side in order to look at the side of the stereoscopic image, the viewpoint position sensor or the head of the viewpoint detector 2 is used. Since the turntable 600 on which the observation object is placed is detected by the position sensor and is rotated by an amount corresponding to the deviation, the observation object also follows by rotating and moving in front of the three-dimensional display 100. A stereoscopic direction can be further increased by observing the direction based on the image and obtaining an effect of motion parallax in which the parallax image changes as the observer moves and a wraparound image.
[0056]
[Third Embodiment]
5 and 6 are explanatory views showing a third embodiment of the present invention. Differences from the above-described embodiment will be described.
[0057]
In FIG. 5, reference numeral 100 denotes a stereoscopic display device including a viewpoint detection unit, a stereoscopic display unit, and a rotation control unit, as in the first embodiment. 300 ″ is a stereoscopic camera for capturing a parallax image in the same manner as the stereoscopic camera 300 of the first embodiment. Unlike the above, 300 ″ is configured in a circular shape instead of the turntable control unit 33 of the stereoscopic camera 300. In addition, a moving means that moves on the rail 700, for example, a moving body using a linear motor or a step motor is provided, and an image can be taken from around the object 250 to be observed.
[0058]
FIG. 6 is a block diagram for explaining the signal flow of this embodiment. Other than the above, 430 is a cable for performing communication between the stereoscopic display 100 and the stereoscopic camera 300 ″, and 71 is a rail moving means provided with a motor or the like for moving the rail 700.
[0059]
The movement control of the stereoscopic display 100 and the stereoscopic camera 300 ″ with respect to the observer, which is a feature of the present embodiment, will be described. The operation of the stereoscopic display 100 is the same as that of the first embodiment. Third embodiment Unlike the first embodiment, the stereoscopic camera 300 ″ moves on the rail 700 instead of the turntable control unit 33. The stereoscopic camera 300 ″ sends the information obtained by the viewpoint detection unit 2 of the stereoscopic display 100 to the controller 34 via the communication unit 35 via the cable 430. The controller 34 performs movement control autonomously based on this signal, It is moved with the movement of the observer's viewpoint or head.
[0060]
If a rail is arranged around the subject 250 over the entire circumference, the subject can be photographed from any position of 360 °, and an image can be displayed according to the movement according to the viewpoint of the observer.
[0061]
As described above, when the observer rotates in front of the stereoscopic display 100, the stereoscopic camera 300 ″ also follows, so that observation in a direction based on the will of the observer can be performed, and parallax can be achieved by moving the observer. The stereoscopic effect can be further increased by observing the effect of motion parallax that changes the image and the wraparound image on the display.
[0062]
[Fourth Embodiment]
In the fourth embodiment, a connection between the stereoscopic display 100 of the above-described embodiment and a computer will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining processing of a computer (not shown) of this embodiment. s1 is a viewpoint position acquisition unit for capturing the viewpoint position of the observer into the computer by a predetermined means from the viewpoint detection unit 2 of the stereoscopic display 100, and s2 is a computer graphic (CG) that displays a parallax image according to the viewpoint position information described above. It is a parallax image generation part for producing | generating by. s3 is another processing unit that performs general processing of the computer other than those described above. Further, although the computer graphics is used in the parallax image generation unit s2, a parallax image prepared in advance may be selectively displayed instead.
[0063]
In this way, even if the stereoscopic camera 300 is not connected, the computer graphics function can be utilized to realize the motion parallax and the effect of wraparound with the system connected to the computer.
[0064]
[Fifth Embodiment]
8, FIG. 9, and FIG. 10 are a schematic external view, a configuration block diagram, and a schematic display image expressed on a display according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
[0065]
In FIG. 8, reference numeral 100 ′ denotes a stereoscopic display device main body used in the present embodiment, and unlike the above-described embodiment, the stereoscopic region is tracked by a conventional method without the turntable control unit 3. Reference numeral 82 denotes a host computer connected to the stereoscopic display 100 ′, which is input by a mouse 83 and a keyboard 84 that are pointing devices. FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the fifth embodiment, which differs from the above-described embodiment in having a follow-up control means 81. Instead of the mouse 83, another pointing device such as a trackball or a joystick may be used.
[0066]
FIG. 10 shows the operating environment of the present embodiment, which is a drawing of the screen of the stereoscopic display 100 ′, 85 is the outermost frame of the screen, 86 is the title bar of the screen, and 87 is a menu used in the pull-down menu. Bars 88a, 88b, 88c and 88d are icons for virtually displaying display files and input devices, 89 is a pointer operated by the mouse 83, 90 is a window for stereoscopic display, 90a is a window 90b is a display unit that displays a stereoscopic image, 90c is a control bar that controls the display unit of the window, 90L and 90R are in the control bar, and 90L Click on the mouse to move the displayed object to the left Rolling button, 90R is a right rotation button in the same way. The stereoscopic display environment is a display in which 3D display and 2D display are mixedly displayed, but may be provided with means for switching between 2D and 3D.
[0067]
Next, the viewpoint direction moving means, which is a feature of the present embodiment, will be described. FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view of an observer's position detection range in the method of enlarging the stereoscopic region, as viewed from above, and α indicates the observer's position detection range. As a detection method of this position detection, for example, when an imaging optical system using a 1/2 inch solid-state image pickup device (imaging field angle is 6.4 mm wide and 4.8 mm long) and a lens having a focal length of 8 mm is employed. The detection range α is geometrically α = 2Atan (3.2 / 8) = 43.6 °. Therefore, in the method of following the observer with such a detection method and changing the image according to the viewpoint position, it is difficult to change the viewpoint image in a range wider than the detection range. In this embodiment, it is possible to perform a viewpoint movement that is easy to use by cooperatively performing a viewpoint movement of a display object of (360-α) ° or more and a movement of an observer within α by using a pointing device.
[0068]
The observer can observe the object by rotating it to (360-α) ° or more by using the left rotation button 90L and the right rotation button 90R in FIG. 10, and at the same time, based on the signal from the detection means from the viewpoint detection unit 2. The viewpoint direction can be changed. It is also possible to change the viewpoint direction by clicking and dragging the display object with the mouse instead of the right rotation button 90R and the left rotation button 90L.
[0069]
The parallax images used in the viewpoint direction moving means of the fifth embodiment described above are generated by the internal processing of the computer as described in the fourth embodiment. However, the following method is also possible. .
(Method using a stereoscopic camera provided with a rotation control unit)
FIGS. 12 and 13 are explanatory diagrams of a system including a stereoscopic camera 300 for capturing an image with parallax as a parallax image generating unit, FIG. 12 is a schematic configuration diagram of the system, and FIG. 13 is a block diagram of the system Yes, the symbols in the figure have already been described and will be omitted. A part of the block diagram of the stereoscopic camera unit 300 is not shown. This configuration is characterized in that the stereoscopic camera 300 that can be rotated to generate a parallax image is rotationally controlled by using the host computer and the movement of the pointing device or the observer described above.
(Method using stereo camera and turntable)
14 and 15 are explanatory diagrams of a system including a stereoscopic camera 300 ′ for capturing an image with parallax and a turntable 600 that can be rotated as parallax image generation means, and FIG. 14 is a schematic configuration diagram of the system. FIG. 15 is a block diagram of the system, and the symbols in the figure have already been described and will be omitted. In this configuration, in order to generate a parallax image, the stereoscopic camera 300 ′ and a turntable 600 that can be rotated are controlled, and the rotation of the turntable is controlled by using the host computer 82 by the movement of the pointing device or the observer described above. Is a feature.
(Method using a stereoscopic camera provided with a movement control unit)
FIGS. 16 and 17 are explanatory diagrams of a system including a stereoscopic camera 300 ″ capable of movement control for capturing an image with parallax as a parallax image generation unit, FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of a system configuration, and FIG. In the system block diagram, the symbols in the figure have already been described and will not be described. In this configuration, the stereoscopic camera 300 ″ that can be controlled to generate a parallax image is described above using the host computer 82. It is characterized in that the movement of the stereoscopic camera 300 is controlled in accordance with the movement of the pointing device or the observer.
[0070]
In the above-described embodiment, an example in which a lenticular lens is used for stereoscopic viewing is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and microlenses are arranged vertically and horizontally, and an image with parallax is presented at the rear for each angular lens. Even if it is a fly's eye lens plate method, even if it is a parallax barrier method that observes strip-shaped images for left and right eyes (L, R) through a vertical grid (aperture grill), a micro trihedral mirror element is used. The present invention can also be applied to a corner-cube plate system that arranges and forms an autocollimating screen that returns reflected light in the projection direction and separates and presents images from a binocular projector.
[0071]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the embodiment has been described in which the viewpoint direction of the object to be photographed or the object is changed in the left-right direction. However, these can be diverted even in the control of the viewpoint direction in the up-down direction or the oblique direction. As described above, the means using mainly the left and right images has been described, but a plurality of parallax images of two or more images may be used.
[0072]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the viewer can provide a more stereoscopic video by linking the video displayed on the stereoscopic display with the position where the stereoscopic display is viewed.
[0073]
In addition, the position where the observer views the stereoscopic display can be made wider, and a stereoscopic image from an arbitrary angle can be observed.
[0074]
In addition, an easy-to-use operating environment can be obtained by cooperative viewpoint direction changing means by movement of the pointing device and the observer.
[0075]
In a stereoscopic image device using a stereoscopic display device using a lenticular lens on the front surface of the image display unit, a rotation support mechanism for supporting the stereoscopic display so that the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical lens of the lenticular lens is a rotation axis, and the stereoscopic display Driving means for rotating the camera around the rotation axis, means for detecting the head or binocular position of the observer, and control means for controlling the angle of the stereoscopic display based on the detected head or binocular position. The following effects can be obtained by configuring a left and right imaging device that images a subject, a driving unit that rotates the imaging device, and a stereoscopic video device that displays imaging information from the imaging device. It is done.
(A) By changing the image displayed on the 3D display in synchronization with the position where the 3D display is viewed, a 3D image can be provided on a plane.
(B) Since the angle of the image of the subject is changed by changing the angle at which the observer views the stereoscopic display, it is possible to obtain a stereoscopic image viewed from another angle in a very simple and natural manner. .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a first embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a first embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a second embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a second embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a third embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a third embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory flowchart of the operation of the fourth embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a fifth embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a fifth embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a screen view of a fifth embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a viewpoint detection range.
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of another scheme of the fifth embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a block diagram of another scheme of the fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of another scheme of the fifth embodiment according to the present invention;
FIG. 15 is a block diagram of another scheme of the fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 16 is a schematic view of another scheme of the fifth embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a block diagram of another scheme of the fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional lenticular lens system.
FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional parallax barrier method.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 3D display
2 Viewpoint detector
3 Turntable
4 Controller
5 Communication Department
31, 32 lenses
33 Turntable control unit
34 Controller
35 Communication Department
61 controller
62 Communication Department
63 Turntable controller
71 Rail moving means
81 Tracking control unit
82 Host computer
83 mice
84 keyboard
85 Outer frame
86 Title bar
87 Menu bar
88a, 88b, 88c, 88d icon
89 Pointer
90 windows
90a Windup Bar
90b display section
90c control bar
90L Left rotation button
90R right turn button
100 3D display device body
101 Transmission type liquid crystal display device
102 Spacer
103 electronic parallax barrier
104 Microcomputer
115,125 Liquid crystal layer
111, 118, 121, 128 Polarizing plate
151 Liquid crystal display
152,154 glass substrate
153 Display pixel section
155 Lenticular Lens
156 Stereoscopic region
200 observers
300 Stereo camera body
400, 410, 420, 430 cable
600 turntable
601 Fixed part
602 Rotating part
700 rails
s1 Viewpoint acquisition unit
s2 parallax image generation unit
Other processing section on s3

Claims (4)

In a stereoscopic video apparatus that performs stereoscopic display using a plurality of parallax images,
A stereoscopic camera that captures a plurality of parallax images of a subject;
Camera moving means for moving the position of the stereoscopic camera on a circumference close to the subject;
A stereoscopic display for stereoscopic display using a plurality of parallax images obtained by the stereoscopic camera;
Detecting means for detecting an observer's viewpoint position with respect to the stereoscopic display ;
Display rotation means for controlling the rotation of the three-dimensional display based on the viewpoint position of the observer detected by the detection means ,
The camera moving means moves the position of the stereoscopic camera on the circumference from the shooting direction corresponding to the rotation angle of the stereoscopic display to a position where the subject can be shot in conjunction with the rotation of the stereoscopic display by the display rotating means. A stereoscopic video apparatus characterized by being moved . Further comprising communication means for transmitting information on the rotation angle of the stereoscopic display from the stereoscopic display to the camera moving means;
The stereoscopic image apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the camera moving unit determines a position on a circumference of the stereoscopic camera based on the rotation angle information . The circumferential trajectory is preset by a circular rail,
The stereoscopic image apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the camera moving unit controls movement of the stereoscopic camera on the rail . A stereoscopic image that stereoscopically displays on a stereoscopic display using a plurality of parallax images obtained by the stereoscopic camera by moving the position of a stereoscopic camera that captures a plurality of parallax images with respect to the subject on a circumference close to the subject. In the display method,
  A detection step of detecting an observer's viewpoint position with respect to the stereoscopic display;
  A display rotation step for controlling rotation of the stereoscopic display based on the viewpoint position of the observer detected by the detection step;
  A camera moving step of moving the position of the stereoscopic camera on the circumference from a shooting direction corresponding to a rotation angle of the stereoscopic display to a position where a subject can be shot in conjunction with the rotation of the stereoscopic display by the display rotating step. A stereoscopic image display method comprising:

Images