JPH01251990A - Stereoscopic television device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perceive a stereoscopic image under a proper state by an observer by detecting difference between respective images due to the dislocations of the optical axes of lenses and the difference in zoom values, etc., accompanying the conditions of a photographing and changing and correcting the respective images displayed on an image display device based on this detected result. CONSTITUTION:The dislocations of the optical axes of lens groups 5a and 5b are detected/compared by comparing the positions and the sizes of reference marker images 17a and 17b at a marker image comparing device 31 when the reference marker images 17a and 17b are focused on image picking up elements 7a and 7b. Image reading timing for the image picking up elements 7a and 7b and fitting positions for respective cameras 1a and 1b are automatically adjusted at a stereoscopic video signal processor 29 by an optical axis dislocation correcting signal 33 outputted from the marker image comparing device 31 based on the result. Consequently, nonconformity in the image on a monitor television 35, which tends to occur due to the characteristic difference and the setting error in the lenses, can be compensated. Thus, a satisfactory stereoscopic perceiving state can be obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention relates to a three-dimensional television apparatus equipped with means for maintaining appropriate shadow conditions for a plurality of photographing cameras.

(Conventional technology) In some cases, such as work in the deep sea or in outer space, it is difficult for humans to go directly to the site, and in other cases, such as work inside a nuclear reactor, it is dangerous for humans to directly perform the work. There is work involved.

As a technology that enables work to be carried out in extreme environments such as the deep sea, outer space, or inside a nuclear reactor, manipulators can be sent to work sites where humans cannot go, and humans can remotely control them from a safe location away from the site. There is a teleoperation system that allows you to operate and perform tasks. In this method, a decoy image of the work 1El (work environment) is taken with a television camera, and this image is projected three-dimensionally on a video display device such as a monitor television and presented to the operator.The operator remotely controls the manipulator while viewing this image. Manipulate.

An example of such a remote control device is the one shown in FIG. 6, which is similar to the one described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-126985. Two television cameras 101a
, 101b are used horizontally on a camera platform (not shown) to photograph the 1g!K object 103 located in the η direction from slightly different directions.

The observer uses these television cameras 101a, 101bt,
: Often operated while changing the zoom value of the attached lens. Videos taken by these television cameras 101a and 101b are sent to a video mixer 105, and are outputted alternately in time. These time-series videos are subjected to flickerless processing (removal of video flickers) in a frame converter 107, and then sent to a monitor television 1, which is a video display device.
09 will be presented alternately. The observer M watches the image on the monitor television 109 with a shutter eye v whose left and right eyes alternately open and close based on the synchronization signal from the frame converter 107.
Multiply by 1111 to get a three-dimensional image. This shutter eye IA111 is driven by a glasses driver 113. The observer M operates the camera lens controller 115 to set the desired zoom value, etc., but at that time, the stereoscopic image is
When it is difficult to obtain A, the camera pan head controller 117 is operated to adjust the distance between the two television cameras 101a and 101b and the angle at which the observation object 103 is viewed (convergence angle).

By the way, when the observer M perceives a stereoscopic image with the above configuration, the images projected to the left and right eyes of the observer M must be relatively consistent in terms of magnification, device, posture, etc. There is. In order to achieve this, we needed two TV cameras to use I! The optical axis of the lens for the ia image element must be set within the same plane that extends in the direction in which these television cameras are lined up. Furthermore, when using a zoom lens or the like, careful selection of the lens and strict control of the setting position n are essential in order to keep the optical axis constant regardless of the zoom value.

However, in reality, it is extremely difficult to prepare lenses with exactly the same characteristics and to completely block the influence of external forces in order to maintain the set position.

That is, although it is preferable that the images of the two television cameras 101a and 101b displayed on the television 109 be shifted only in the horizontal direction, in reality, the optical axis shift due to zoom value manipulation, Due to misalignment of the TV camera installation position due to pan head operation, clumsy initial settings, etc., the image may not necessarily be misaligned only in the horizontal direction, but may be misaligned in the vertical or rotational direction. Furthermore, if the zoom values of the two television cameras differ, the sizes of the presented images will also differ. Furthermore, at the wide-angle end of the zoom lens, 2
Even if the difference in position and thickness between the left and right images taken with a TV camera is not noticeable, there are many cases where the difference becomes more accentuated as the zoom value is moved toward the telephoto side.

When these situations occur, the consistency of the images projected to the left and right eyes of the observer M deteriorates, making it extremely difficult to perceive a stereoscopic image.

This significantly impairs the movable range of the zoom lens of the 3D television, causing a reduction in work safety and reliability when remotely controlling machines using the 3D television in extreme environments. Also, these 3D TV systems 2? of,
It has not always been easy to incorporate this into a remote control system for working machines used in extreme environments to improve operability.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As mentioned above, in conventional 3D television devices, it is difficult to always maintain the optical axes and zoom values of multiple television cameras in an appropriate state, and as a result, 3D There is a problem in that the conditions in which the lens can be used are limited when sensing an image, and a desired image cannot necessarily be obtained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional camera device in which an operator does not have to worry about deviations in the optical axis of a lens or a zoom value, and can therefore freely perform lens zoom operations without restrictions.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problem) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention presents a plurality of images of the same observation target in different shooting directions to an observer using an image display device, In a 3D television device capable of sensing 3D images, there is a detection means for detecting differences in each image due to deviations in the optical axis of lenses or differences in zoom values due to shadow conditions, and a detection means for detecting differences in each image due to differences in zoom values, etc. The present invention is configured to include a correction means for changing and correcting each image to be presented.

(Function) An observer uses an appropriate means to view a 3D television Ha such that the image presented on an image display device such as a monitor television is perceived as a 3D image by 1%. When observing while operating multiple 3D cameras, the correction means corrects the relative relationships of the multiple images, such as magnification, position, orientation, etc., based on the detection by the detection means, and uses the lens. Regardless of the situation, the observer can perceive a stereoscopic image in an appropriate state.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a three-dimensional television apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, two television cameras 1a and 1b are installed horizontally side by side on a pan head (not shown), and take images of an observation target (not shown) on the side of the camera from slightly different directions.

External light 3a, 3b from an observation target not shown is the lens 8T5a, 5 including the zoom lens of the television camera 1a, 1b.
After passing through b, images are formed on bu image elements 7a and 7b.

Immediately in front of the lens groups 5a and 5b, beam splitters iia and iTo, such as half mirrors, are arranged while maintaining a relative positional relationship with the lens groups 5a and 5b, respectively. This beam splitter receives external light 3a and 3b as well as reflection [12a].

Reference marker images 17a and 17b are projected through the reference marker images 12b, and a reduced light flux is the image sensor 7a.

Sent to 7b. The reflecting mirrors 12a and 12b also maintain a relative positional relationship with the lens group and the beam splitter. The reference marker image is created by the marker image projection device 90 provided on the aforementioned pan head (not shown). This marker image projection device is composed of a light source 15, a filter 91 on which a marker image 9 is marked, and projection lenses 13a and 13b.

This reference marker image is, for example, a crosshair, and is located on the opposite side 1 between the filter 91 and the projection lenses 13a and 13b.
By adjusting i1fD with an adjustment mechanism (not shown), the image is focused on the positive image elements 7a and 7b.

Furthermore, since the beam splitter, the reflecting mirror, and the filter with the reference marker are optically coaxial,
In order to appear as a difference, the ll1l image probes 7a, 7b, the filter 91 having the reference marker 9, and the lenses 13a, 13
b. The light source 15 calibrates the detection means in this embodiment.

In this embodiment, one optical FA 15 is provided at the focal length of the lenses 13a and 13b, but depending on how the television cameras la and ib are used, for example, a single optical FA 15 is provided at the center of the cameras la and lb. When a dual-purpose light source 15 cannot be provided, separate light sources 15 may be provided. Furthermore, although external light 3a, 3t) may be used as the light source 15, it is not detected by the human eye and the silver image elements 7a, 7
If something to be detected, such as infrared light, is used for b, for example something other than the visible range, it will not interfere with the detection of the external light 3a, 3b.

The external world images received by the imaging elements 7a and 7b and the focused reference marker images 17a and 17b are transferred to the image separation device 218.21b.
and is separated into external image signals 23a-, 23b and marker image signals 25a, 25b by the image separator M21a, 21b. The external image signals 2.3a and 23b are stored in image memories 27a and 27b, respectively, and sent to the stereoscopic video signal processing device 29. Also, a marker image signal 25a.

25b is sent to the marker image comparison device 31, where the positions and sizes of the left and right reference marker images 17a, 17b are compared, and the deviation of the optical axes of the lens groups 5a, 5b from the proper positions, that is, the lens groups The optical axis deviation correction signal 333 for detecting and correcting the optical axis deviation of the optical axis deviations 5a and 5b is output.

The stereoscopic video signal processing device 29 includes a marker image comparison device 3
Based on the optical axis deviation correction signal 33 given from 1, the rise (magnification) of both is made equal, and the image sensor 7a,
A video signal is sent to a monitor television 35, which is a video display device, while changing the video readout timing of 7b and the mounting positions of cameras 1a and 1b, and correcting the positions due to vertical and lateral shifts of reference markers 917a and 17b. Therefore,
The stereoscopic video signal processing device 29 and the marker image comparison device 31 constitute a correction means in this embodiment.

The video signal sent to this monitor television 35 has a stereoscopic effect iq
The synchronizing signal is also sent to the shutter glasses driving device 37 for the shutter glasses 39 to provide a synchronizing signal for appropriately opening and closing the shutter glasses 39. The 112-viewer IM senses a three-dimensional image by viewing the image displayed on the monitor television 35 through the shutter eye V139.

According to the above configuration, when the reference marker images 17a, 17b are focused on the viewing elements 7a, 7b, the reference markers 1
By comparing the positions and sizes of Ji7a and 17b with the marker image comparison device 31, the optical axis deviation of the lens groups 5a and 5b is detected/compared, and based on the result, the light is output from the marker image comparison Vciff31. Axis deviation correction signal 33
Accordingly, the stereoscopic video signal processing device 29 outputs the image sensors 7a and 7b.
The image readout timing and the mounting position of each camera 1a, 1b are automatically adjusted. In this way, monitor TV 35 that tends to occur due to differences in lens characteristics and setting errors
You can compensate for the defects in the image above.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described in which the same elements as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a three-dimensional television apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

This embodiment uses a light source 15 that is outside the visible range, such as infrared light. Marker image separation filters 41a and 41b, which are composed of a filter that selectively transmits light and a half mirror, are installed between the lens groups 5a and 5b of the television cameras 1a and lb and the carrier elements 7a and 7b, The external world images 20a, 2Ob&, which have passed through the lens groups 5a, 5b, are sent as they are to the image elements 7a, 7b, and the reference marker images 17a, 17b are sent to the marker image detectors 43a, 43b. The external image signals 23a and 23b are sent to image memories 27a and 27b, respectively, and the marker image signals 25a and 25b are sent to a marker image comparison device 31.
The subsequent signal processing is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

Therefore, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

Further, according to this embodiment, the external world images 2Qa, 20b that have passed through the lens groups 5a, 5b and the reference marker images 17a, 17
Since only the markers 117a and 17b are detected by the marker image detectors 43a and 43b in minutes, the image separation devices 213 and 21b that were necessary in the first embodiment are removed.
can be omitted.

FIG. 3 is a partially omitted diagram of the schematic configuration of a three-dimensional television apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the light beam 44 of the light source 15 is directed toward the observation object 45. And TV camera 1a.

Filters 49a and 49b marked with wavelength-selective marker images 47a and 47b are installed immediately before the lens groups 5a and 5b (see FIG. 1) of lens group 1b, and reflect light 518.51b from the observation target 45 of the light source 15. is sent to lens groups 5a, 5b together with external light 3a, 3b. and lens group 5a,
The signal processing after passing through 5b is similar to the first or second embodiment described above. ! be done. Therefore, the same effect as the first embodiment or the second embodiment described above can be obtained.

Note that the light source 15 preferably has a beam shape.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the lenses 13a, 13b, etc. required in the first embodiment can be omitted.

In the first to third embodiments, if a light source outside the visible range is used as the light source 15, the reference marker image 17a,
The lens group 5a is determined by comparing the position and size of lens 17b.
, 5b is detected and compared, and based on this result. ! The signal processing process of changing and correcting the image reading timing of the elements 7a and 7b or the mounting position of the television cameras 1a and 1b can be performed at any time without being noticed by the observer. In addition, when executing between field operations (blanking time) of the television cameras 1a and Ib, or when using a marker with controllable light transmittance such as a liquid crystal for a filter, the type of light source 15 is not required. Zl1
An observer can perform the above series of signal processing processes without sensing it.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a stereoscopic television 5A according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the timing of reading out video from the stereoscopic video signal processing device 29 is controlled with reference to the table 53. The contents of this table 53 are created based on the zoom value 55 and focus value 57 of the television cameras 1a and ib in this embodiment.

Note that the table 53 may be created by adding parameters such as the distance between the cameras la and lb and the angle at which the observation target is viewed (convergence angle).

According to this embodiment, in addition to achieving the same effects as described above based on changes in the zoom value, etc., it is also possible to omit the process of detecting and comparing marker images. In other words, the light source 15. which was required in the first to third embodiments. Beam splitter ila, 11b.

Lenses 13a, 13b, image separation device 218.21b, marker image comparison device 31, marker image separation filter 41a,
41b,? - force image detectors 43, 43b and filter 4;
9a and 49b can be omitted -4.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a mechanical modification of a stereoscopic camera device and a schematic configuration of a correction means according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

In the first to third embodiments described above, an electronic method of mainly controlling the readout timing of the video signal is used as a means for correcting the video displayed on the monitor television 35, but this embodiment Now, TV camera 1a.
, 1b, and a mechanical device that mechanically adjusts and corrects the position and orientation of the lens and the zoom value of the lens.

That is, the optical axis deviation correction signal 33 processed and output in the same manner as in the first to third embodiments is transmitted to the control device 59.
sent to. The control device 59 controls the shutter glasses driving device 3.
7 and the monitor television 35, and simultaneously sends a signal to the camera position correction device driver 61. and,
The camera position correction device 65 is driven by a correction signal 863 output from the camera position correction device driver 61, and changes and corrects the positions and postures of the television cameras ia and ib or the zoom value of the lens.

The camera position correction device 65 is a type of multi-axis pan head, and is configured as follows. That is, the lens units of the television cameras 1a and 1b are equipped with motorized lenses (37a and 67b) that correct the zoom value and iris using a motor or the like.

These television cameras la and 1b are attached to individual pan heads 69a and 69b, respectively.
9a, 691) is a slider 71a.

It is placed on 7Ib. The individual pan heads 69a and 69b are capable of fine-tune rotation in the α1 direction in a vertical plane and fine-tune rotation in the β1 direction in a horizontal plane with respect to the sliders 71a and 71b. rail 7
3 in the horizontal plane in the Y1 direction. The rail 73 is attached to an integrated platform 77 via a jig 75.
The rail 73 is rotatable in the α2 direction in a plane perpendicular to the integrated pan head 77. Further, the integrated pan head 77 is placed on a mounting base 81 supported by a tripod 79, and the integrated pan head 77 can rotate in the β2 direction in a horizontal plane with respect to the mounting base 81.

Then, the motorized lenses 67a and 67b are driven by the correction signal 63 of the camera position correction device ff driver 61 to correct the lens zoom value, and the individual pan heads 69a and 69b are finely moved in the α1 direction, β1 direction, or Y1 direction. Adjustments are made to correct misalignment of the optical axes and magnifications of the television cameras 1a and 1b. Further, the integrated pan head 77 is adjusted in the α2 direction or the β2 direction to change the observation direction of the entire stereoscopic television V4 arrangement.

Note that this invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, the markers can be omitted by visually analyzing the external world images 20a and 20b projected onto the decoy @elements 7a and 7b of the cameras 1a and 1b to detect and compare optical axis deviations.

The means 16 for changing the position and size of the m images of the cameras 1a and 1b can also be configured by using an actuator such as a piezoelectric element for the magnetic image element installed in these cameras. ShiV
It can also be applied to other stereoscopic television systems other than the ivy type.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, the configuration of the present invention enables a work style in which the positions and sizes of the plurality of images from each camera are likely to differ due to zoom lens operation or position change of the stereoscopic camera. However, this difference is quickly corrected, and the image displayed on a video display device such as a monitor television can provide the viewer with a good three-dimensional sensation.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a stereoscopic television device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. FIG. 6, which is a diagram showing a schematic configuration, is a diagram illustrating a general stereoscopic television apparatus according to a conventional example. 1a, lb...TV camera 5a, 5b-1, z-lens BT 7a, 7b...imaging device 9a, 9b, 47a, 47b--marker image 1
1a, 11b--beam splitters 49a, 49b
. . . Filters 13a, 13b-1/lens 15 . , 41b... Marker image separation filter 43a,
43b... Marker image detector 53... Table 61... Driver for camera position correction device 65... Yasuo Miyoshi, patent attorney representing camera position correction device. Figure 1 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 6

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a 3D TV device that can sense a 3D image by presenting multiple images of the same observation target in different shooting directions to the viewer using a video display device, there is a problem in the optical axis shift of the lens and the difference in zoom value due to shooting conditions. A three-dimensional object comprising: a detection means for detecting a difference between each image due to the above, and a correction means for changing and correcting each image presented on an image display device based on the detection result so as to match each image. TV equipment.