JPH02305291A - Stereoscopic picture communication equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To communicate stereoscopic pictures by alternately reading out and displaying picture information stored in first and second picture memories in response to the vertical synchronizing signal from a vertical synchronizing signal generating means and seeing the display picture through shutter spectacles switched in response to the vertical synchronizing signal. CONSTITUTION:A system controller 12 controls a stereo control circuit 8 to store picture data picked up by cameras 10 and 11 in a transmission picture memory 5 for left eye and a transmission picture memory 6 for right eye respectively and reads out picture data from memories 5 and 6 in response to a vertical synchronizing signal V and outputs these data to a communication line through a picture processing circuit 2 and an interface 1. The picture signal received through the communication line and the interface 1 is distributed to and stored in a reception picture memory 3 for left eye and a reception picture memory 4 for right eye by a picture processing circuit 2. The stereo control circuit 8 outputs the vertical synchronizing signal V to a switch circuit 7 and shutter spectacles 15 as the control signal, and data alternately read out of memories 3 and 4 are outputted to a display device 9 and shutter spectacles 15 synchronously with the vertical synchronizing signal V.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a three-dimensional image communication device, and in particular, to a three-dimensional image communication device that transmits and receives audio, captures and transmits three-dimensional images, and receives three-dimensional images. -Relates to a three-dimensional image communication device having a display function.

[Prior Art] Based on the viewpoint that voice communication would be even more useful if it was accompanied by images, videophones and other devices that allow you to talk while looking at the other party far away have been provided. Videophones and the like have been limited to two-dimensional images being transmitted and received.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As described above, in conventional voice and image communication devices such as videophones, the imaging and display processing system was provided for two-dimensional images, so it is difficult to capture and display images three-dimensionally. There was a point where it was impossible to display images, in other words, image communication using 3D images was impossible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a one-dimensional three-dimensional image communication device that includes a processing system for capturing and displaying three-dimensional images and enables image communication using three-dimensional images.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A three-dimensional image communication device according to the present invention includes first and second imaging means for imaging a subject to be transmitted, and images captured by the first and second imaging means. first and second image memories that store data; and image data transmission control means that controls the image data stored in the first and second image memories to be read and transmitted alternately; means for receiving and alternately distributing received image data; third and fourth image memories for alternately storing the alternately received image data distributed by the distributing means; and generating a vertical synchronization signal. means for alternately reading image information stored in the third and fourth image memories in response to a vertical synchronizing signal from the vertical synchronizing signal generating means; The display device includes display means for displaying image information alternately read out from the fourth image memory, and shutter glasses for viewing the display means, the shutters of which can be switched alternately in response to the vertical synchronization signal. Ru.

[Operation] The three-dimensional image communication device according to the present invention includes means for generating a vertical synchronizing signal, and in response to the vertical synchronizing signal from the vertical synchronizing signal generating means, the three-dimensional image communication device stores information in the first and second image memories. Based on a three-dimensional image display method in which image information is read out and displayed alternately by a reading means and viewed through shutter glasses, it is equipped with two sets of processing systems each for image capturing and display, and furthermore, it is capable of displaying the image information as a three-dimensional image. Communication of stereoscopic images is made possible by providing a processing system that controls transmission and reception.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a three-dimensional image communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the processing of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 when transmitting image data.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the processing of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 when receiving image data.

First, the configuration of a three-dimensional image communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG. Note that this device displays stereoscopic images using the OrgNative method, and the displayed images are viewed using shutter glasses. Note that the alternative method is a method in which image data for the right eye and image data for the left eye are displayed alternately in synchronization with a vertical synchronization signal, and the display screen is viewed using shutter glasses that are controlled in synchronization with this vertical synchronization signal. This is a method that attempts to display a three-dimensional image. Furthermore, the image data is a still image. The audio that is transmitted and received along with the image is processed in the same manner as in conventional videophone calls, so it will not be specifically explained here.

In FIG. 1, the device includes an interface that connects the device and a communication line, an image processing circuit 2 that processes image signals to be transmitted and received, a received image memory 3 for the left eye that stores received images for the left eye, and a received image memory 3 for the right eye. a right-eye reception image memory 4 that stores received images for the left eye, a left-eye transmission image memory 5 that stores left-eye transmission images, a right-eye transmission image memory 6 that stores right-eye transmission images, and a stereoscopic image. A switch circuit 7 that switches between left and right displays, a stereoscopic control circuit 8 that controls the display and imaging of stereoscopic images, a display 9 that displays stereoscopic images based on an alternative method, and a left eye that captures left-eye stereoscopic images. a camera 10 for the right eye, a right eye camera 11 that captures a stereoscopic image for the right eye, a system controller that controls and monitors the entire device] 2, a voice/call processing circuit that processes telephone voice and ringtone] 3. In order to operate the device from the outside, it includes a receiver/operation panel 14 and shutter glasses 15.

Note that the switch circuit 7 and the shutter glasses 15 receive a vertical synchronization signal V from the stereoscopic control circuit 8, and are controlled based on the input vertical synchronization signal V.

Each of the above-mentioned components can be configured using well-known techniques. Here, the handset/operation panel 14 is equipped with a telephone pushbutton, a changeover switch, etc., and enables communication operations from the outside.

Next, the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be explained separately in transmission processing and reception TG processing with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. First, the credit processing will be explained.

When the sender wants to capture an image to be transmitted, the sender issues an imaging instruction to the system controller 12 via the receiver/operation panel 14. In response to the imaging instruction, the system controller 12 instructs the stereoscopic control circuit 8 to control imaging. As a result, the image data captured by the cameras 10 and 11 is sent to the stereoscopic control circuit 8, the circuit 8 quantizes the image data, and the signal from the left eye camera ]-0 is sent to the left eye transmission image memory 5. Then, the signal from the right eye camera 11 is stored in the right eye transmission image memory 6.

The image data stored in the transmission image memories 5 and 6 is
If the user wishes to send an image, the receiver/operation panel 14 instructs the system controller 12 to send the image. In response, system controller 12 controls image processing circuit 2, which reads image data from memories 5 and 6. The reading of the image data for transmission from the memories 5 and 6 at this time will be explained with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of quantizing analog image data with 4 bits. As shown in the figure, when transmitting image data, R4 is the most significant quantized bit data of the image data for the left eye, then R4 is the most significant quantized bit data of the image data for the right eye, and then is R3, R3,
The pid data for the left eye and the right eye are alternately read out from the memories 5 and 6 in order starting from the highest pid data, such as R2, R2, Ll, and R1.

The image data for transmission read out from the memory in this order is converted into an analog quantity by the image processing circuit 2 and outputted to the interface 1. The interface 1 modulates the image signal manually input from the circuit 2, and then outputs the signal to a communication line and transmits it.

The above description describes a process in which an object imaged by a camera is converted into image data and transmitted via a communication line. At this time, the image data obtained by imaging may be transferred to the handset/operation panel 14 if the sender desires.
It can also be displayed on the display by operating . That is, when the three-dimensional control circuit 8 receives an instruction to display an image captured by a camera via the handset/operation panel 14 and the system controller 12, the circuit 8 transmits the reading light of the image data to be displayed to the received image. The memory is switched to the transmission image memory, and the transmission image data is read and displayed on the display 9. Therefore, the sender can confirm the image he or she wants to send before sending it. Details of the display processing for image day-9=evening will be described later.

Further, the voice data is processed by the voice/call processing circuit 13 via the receiver/operation panel 14, and is transmitted from the interface 1 via the communication line.

Next, reception processing will be explained.

The image signal received via the communication line is first subjected to processing such as signal demodulation at the interface, and then input to the image processing circuit 2. Accordingly, the circuit 2 quantizes the input image signal in an analog quantity into a digital quantity, and then distributes and stores the image data in the received image memory 3 for the left eye and the received image memory 4 for the right eye. This situation is shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the image processing circuit 2 stores the image data received via the communication line in the memory 3 if it is for the left eye;
If it is for the right eye, it is sequentially distributed and stored in the memory 4. At this time, when the system controller 12 detects reception of image data via the interface 1, it controls the image processing circuit 2 and the stereoscopic side control circuit 8 as follows. First, when the image processing circuit 2 has completed storing the most two-color quantized bit data L4 and R4 of the image data received in the memories 3 and 4, the stereoscopic control circuit 8 is configured to store only the data L4 and 4. The received image memories 3 and 4 are read out and controlled to be displayed on the display 9, respectively. Subsequently, the reception image memory 3 of the next bit data L3 and R3
When the storage in the data L4 and R4 is completed, the data L3 and R3 are displayed on the display superimposed on the plane of the data L4 and R4 displayed on the display. Similarly,
Storage and display are controlled in the following manner: data L2 and R2, data L] and R]-, and the received quantized bit data is displayed on the display superimposed on the received plane. At this time, the stereoscopic control circuit 8 sends the vertical synchronizing signal V to the switch circuit 7 and the shutter glasses 15 as a control signal. The switch circuit 7 receives the vertical synchronization signal V
The switching operation of the switch is performed in synchronization with the Therefore, the destination of reading the image data to be displayed on the display 9 is alternately specified as the left-eye reception image memory 3 and the right-eye reception image memory 4 in synchronization with the vertical synchronization signal V. The data read out is displayed on the display 9. On the other hand, the shutter glasses 15 also operate in synchronization with the vertical synchronization signal V to alternately block and close the left eye and the right eye. Therefore, by providing images alternately in synchronization with the synchronization signal, it is possible to provide a three-dimensional effect to the images.

As a result, the same image as the image on the sending side is reproduced on the receiving side.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transmitting side alternately transmits image data for the left eye and image data for the right eye.

On the other hand, the receiving side sequentially and alternately displays the image data received in this form in the order in which they were received. Therefore, when the receiving side receives the image data L4 and R4, it is possible to quickly stereoscopically view the entire image of the image currently being sent, although the image has few gradations.

In addition, the voice of the other party to be transmitted is also transmitted to the voice/call height processing circuit 13 via the communication line and the interface 1.
The signal is processed so that it becomes audible, and can be heard from the receiver/operation panel 14.

As described below, this device includes two sets of processing systems for the imaging and display, one for the right eye and one for the left eye, and a communication control mechanism for converting them into stereoscopic images. By adding , it is possible to communicate three-dimensional images.

In this embodiment, the quantization bits of the image data are set to 4 bits, but this is determined depending on the memory capacity of the image data provided in the apparatus and is not specified.

[Effects of the Invention] The stereoscopic image communication device according to the present invention has means for generating a vertical synchronization signal, and has Nyatta glasses that are switched in response to the vertical synchronization signal. Further, in response to a vertical synchronizing signal from the vertical synchronizing signal generating means, the first and second
The image information stored in the image memory is alternately read out and displayed, and this display screen is viewed through the shutter glasses to provide a vertical-13 integrated image. Further, two sets of processing systems for capturing and displaying stereoscopic images, one for the right eye and one for the left eye, are provided, and a processing system for communicating and controlling them as stereoscopic images is provided, thereby making it possible to communicate stereoscopic images. Therefore, according to the present invention, the image of conventional image communication, such as a videophone, is expanded from two dimensions to three dimensions, and the effect is that it is possible to give mutual communicators a sense of realism and presence due to stereoscopic images. .

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a three-dimensional image communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the processing of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 when transmitting image data. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the processing of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 when receiving image data. In the figure, ■ is a vertical synchronization signal, 2 is an image processing circuit, and 3 is a vertical synchronization signal.
is the received image memory for the left eye, 4 is the received image memory for the right eye,
5 is a left eye transmission image memory, 6 is a right eye transmission image memory, 7 is a switch circuit, 8 is a stereoscopic control circuit, 9 is a display, 10 is a left eye camera, 1] is a right eye camera, R1
is the quantized bit data of the right eye image and Li is the quantized bit data of the left eye image (1-1.2.3.4
). In each figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. Hiro = 675-

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] First and second imaging means for imaging a subject to be transmitted; first and second image memories for storing image data captured by the first and second imaging means; , an image data transmission control means for controlling the image data stored in the first and second image memories to be alternately read and transmitted; and for receiving and alternately distributing the alternately transmitted image data. means, third and fourth image memories for alternately storing the alternate received image data distributed by the distribution means, means for generating a vertical synchronization signal, and vertical synchronization from the vertical synchronization signal generation means. means for alternately reading image information stored in the third and fourth image memories in response to a signal; and image information alternately read from the third and fourth image memories by the reading means. display means for displaying; and shutter glasses for viewing the display means, the shutters of which can be switched alternately in response to the vertical synchronization signal;
Three-dimensional image communication device.