JPH0879801A - Stereoscopic projector - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To attain stereoscopic image display even when a conventional NTSC television camera or a conventional projector is in use by adopting image pickup sections and image generating sections of a video camera separated into each half so as to allocate them to a right eye image and a left eye image respectively. CONSTITUTION: A video signal directly from a video camera 10 is fed to a projector 32. The projector 32 has an image generator 34 and an output lens 36 to provide a right eye optical image and a left eye optical image. The projector 32 is provided with a right eye use 1st polarized filter 38 just before a right half of an output screen of the image generator 34 and a left eye use 2nd polarized filter 40 just before a left half of the output screen of the image generator 34 respectively. The 1st polarized light filter 38 polarizes the right eye optical image into the vertical direction and the 2nd polarized light filter 40 polarizes the left eye optical image into the horizontal direction. A viewer uses an eyeglasses 70 whose one eye is seen through the 1st direction polarized filter and whose other eye is seen through the 2nd direction polarized filter to view an image on a screen 64 thereby viewing a stereoscopic image.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stereoscopic projector device capable of stereoscopic display using inexpensive hardware.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A three-dimensional display device uses a parallax of the right and left eyes of an observer to display a right-eye optical image and a left-eye optical image that are displaced according to a distance from the observer on a display screen.
It is a device that allows an image to pop out of this display screen and look three-dimensional. This three-dimensional display device is used for entertainment and virtual reality such as various simulated designs. In particular, since a stereoscopic projector device displays a stereoscopic image on a large screen, many observers can observe it at one time, and it is suitable for presentations and educational sites.

One of the conventional stereoscopic projector devices (first
In the conventional example), a right-eye image signal and a left-eye image signal obtained by shooting with a right-eye video camera and a left-eye video camera,
The right-eye image signal and the left-eye image signal edited and output by the computer are reproduced by the dedicated right-eye projector and left-eye projector, respectively, and are overlapped on the reproduced image screen. At this time, the light output of the right-eye projector and the light output of the left-eye projector are polarized by the vertical polarization filter and the horizontal polarization filter having different polarization angles by 90 degrees. Therefore, the right-eye light image displayed on the screen is vertically polarized, and the left-eye light image is horizontally polarized. On the other hand, the observer observes the screen through the glasses in which one eye is a vertical polarization filter and the other one is a horizontal polarization filter, so the image for the right eye on the screen is visible only to the observer's right eye, The image for the left eye can be seen only by the left eye of the observer, and its depth appears different depending on the shift between the right eye image and the left eye image. Therefore, a stereoscopic image is observed.

In another conventional stereoscopic projector device (second conventional example), a variable polarization filter whose polarization angle can be switched is provided at the optical image output end of one projector. The projector transmits the right-eye optical image and the left-eye optical image to T
While the V signal is alternately generated for each field (or frame), the polarization angle of the variable polarization filter is alternately switched in synchronization with the switching of the optical image, that is, for each field (or frame). Therefore, for example, the light image for the right eye is vertically polarized and the light image for the left eye is horizontally polarized, and is projected on the screen. By observing the screen with the same glasses as in the first conventional example, a stereoscopic display can be experienced. This device is manufactured and sold by the applicant as a 4190 Option 33 type projection system.

[0005]

In the first conventional example, since two video cameras and two projectors are required, the structure is expensive. On the other hand, in the second conventional example, since the right-eye image and the left-eye image are displayed alternately, the number of fields per unit time is required to be twice the normal number, and the frequency band of the stereoscopic projector device must be wide. In addition, a polarization filter whose polarization angle can be switched for each field is required, and the configuration of the second conventional example also becomes expensive.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a stereoscopic projector device which can be realized by using an inexpensive conventional device. Another object of the present invention is to provide a stereoscopic projector device that prevents the formation of unnecessary projected images on the screen.

[0007]

In the stereoscopic projector apparatus of the present invention, the first optical means forms the right-eye optical image of the subject on almost half of the image pickup element of the video camera, and the left-eye optical image of the subject. Is imaged on approximately the other half of the image sensor of the video camera. The image generator reproduces the optical image in response to the electrical signal from the video camera. First
The polarizing filter passes almost half of the light image from this image generator and polarizes it in the first direction, and the second polarizing filter
Passing almost the other half of the light image from the image generator,
The light is polarized in a second direction different from the first direction. The third polarization filter is arranged to face the first polarization filter with the lens interposed therebetween, and polarizes in one of the first direction and the second direction, and
The polarization filter is arranged so as to face the second polarization filter with the lens in between, and polarizes in the first direction or the other of the second directions. The second optical means superimposes the light image that has passed through the third polarization filter and the light image that has passed through the fourth polarization filter on the screen. The observer observes the screen through the glasses whose one eye is the polarization filter in the first direction and the other one is the polarization filter in the second direction.

[0008]

According to the present invention, the screen of the image pickup section of the video camera and the screen of the image generator are divided into halves and the right-eye image and the left-eye image are allocated, so that the conventional inexpensive NTSC television camera and projector are used. Can be used as it is to display a stereoscopic image, and at that time, it is possible to prevent formation of an unnecessary projected image due to the property of the optical means for superimposing the right-eye image and the left-eye image on the screen.

[0009]

1 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The video camera 10 is a conventional NTSC standard format.
A camera, for example, DXC-93 manufactured by Sony Corporation
A Type 0 video camera is available. A camera adapter 12 is attached in front of the lens of the video camera 10. The adapter 12 includes an enclosure 14 having openings 16 and 18 and a reflecting mirror 20 accommodated in the enclosure 14,
A first optical means 28 consisting of 22, 24 and 26. The first optical means 28 displays the right-eye optical image of the subject as a video image.
The image is formed on almost half of the image pickup device in the camera 10, and the left-eye optical image of the subject is formed on almost the other half of the same image pickup device in the video camera 10. Therefore, the opening 16 allows the right-eye optical image from the subject to pass therethrough, and the opening 18 allows the left-eye optical image from the same subject to pass. Opening 16
The distance between and 18 is determined by considering the standard human right and left eye spacing. The image pickup device of the video camera 10 is, for example, a CCD image pickup device.

The light from the aperture 16 is reflected by the reflecting mirrors 20 and 22.
And is incident on the video camera 10. Similarly, the light from the aperture 18 is reflected by the reflecting mirrors 24 and 26 and enters the video camera 10. The light incident on the camera 10 is imaged on the image sensor via the lens in the camera 10.

Since the image pickup device of the video camera 10 receives an optical image, its output electric signal (video signal) is divided and assigned to the right eye image and the left eye image in one field. The video camera 10 may be of an interlaced type or a non-interlaced type. The video signal from the video camera 10 is recorded on a video tape recorder (VTR) 30 which is a recording / playback device, as necessary. This VTR 30 does not require any special specifications, and a normal VTR can be used as it is.

The video signal directly from the video camera 10 or the video signal reproduced from the VTR 30 is supplied to the projector 32. The projector 32 has an image generator 34 and an output lens 36 that are a combination of a cathode ray tube or a liquid crystal display device and a backlight, and outputs a right-eye light image and a left-eye light image. The projector 32 is further arranged immediately before the right half of the output surface of the image generator 34, and has a first polarizing filter 38 that passes the right-eye optical image, and a projector 32 that is arranged immediately before the left half and transmits the left-eye optical image. 2 polarizing filter 40. The first polarization filter 38 polarizes the right-eye light image in a first direction, for example, vertically (vertically),
The second polarization filter 40 polarizes the left-eye light image in a second direction, for example, laterally (horizontal direction).

A projector adapter 42 is attached to the output lens 36 side of the projector 32. The adapter 42 includes a housing 44 having openings 46 and 48.
And a second optical means 58 comprising reflecting mirrors 50, 52, 54 and 56 housed within the housing 44. The housing 44 has the same construction as the housing 14, the second optical means 58 has the same construction as the first optical means 28, and the reflecting mirrors 50, 52, 54 and 56 correspond to the reflecting mirrors 20, 22, 24 and 26. However, the second
In the optical means 58, the traveling direction of light is opposite to that of the first optical means. The adapter 42 further includes a third polarization filter 60 facing the first polarization filter 38 and a fourth polarization filter facing the second polarization filter 40 with the output lens 36 sandwiched between the adapter 42 and the projector 32. 62. The polarization directions of the third polarization filter 60 and the fourth polarization filter 62 are the same as the polarization directions of the second polarization filter 40 and the first polarization filter 38, respectively. In front of the adapter 42, a screen 64 on which the light image generated by the image generator 34 is projected is arranged.

FIG. 2 shows the projector 32 and the adapter 4.
It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of 2. The right eye light image and the left eye light image generated by the image generator 34 are indicated by arrows. The light beam from the left-eye optical image is polarized by the second polarization filter 40 in the second direction. Lens 36 out of the rays of the polarized left-eye light image
A light beam reaching the third polarizing filter 60 via the filter 60 passes through this filter 60 and is reflected by the reflecting mirrors 52 and 50 to form a projected image 66 on the screen 64. On the other hand, among the light rays of the left-eye optical image, the light rays reaching the fourth polarization filter 62 are
It is blocked by this filter 62. If this filter 62 is not present, the light ray of the left-eye optical image advances as shown by the dotted line, and an unnecessary projected image 68 is formed on the screen 64. Therefore, the fourth polarization filter 6
2 prevents the formation of an unnecessary projected image 68 of the left-eye optical image.
Since the projected images 66 and 68 are similar images, either one may be adopted. Third and fourth polarization filters 60 and 62
If the polarization directions of the
4 is formed.

Although not shown in the drawing, similarly for the right-eye optical image, the light ray reaching the fourth polarizing filter 62 among the light rays of the right-eye optical image passes through this filter 62 and is reflected by the reflecting mirror 56.
And 54, and a projected image is formed on the screen 64. The third polarization filter 60 of the rays of the right-eye optical image
Since the light ray reaching to (1) is blocked by this filter 60, formation of an unnecessary projection image of the right-eye optical image is prevented. By adjusting the angles of the reflecting mirrors 50 to 56, the projected images of the right eye and the left eye are superimposed on the screen 64.

The observer observes the screen 64 through the spectacles 70 in which one of the eyes is a polarization filter in the first direction and the other one is a polarization filter in the second direction. And the left-eye optical image is observed with the left eye, the projected image on the screen 64 can be stereoscopically observed.

The above is a description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, although reflecting mirrors are used for the first and second optical means, prisms may be used to achieve the same effect. As such a prism, a special effect filter "Vari Mirage" manufactured by Kenko Co., Ltd. can be used. Further, although the linear polarization filter has been described, a circular polarization filter in which a λ / 4 retardation plate and a linear polarization filter are combined may be used. Instead of using the first optical means and the video camera as the image signal generating means, a computer is used to generate an image signal having a right eye image in almost half of one frame image and a left eye image in approximately the other half. May occur. In this case, the original image is
What is recorded by a video camera may be used and processed by a computer as a special effect device. Alternatively, the original image itself may be created using a computer graphic device.

[0018]

According to the present invention, the screen of the image pickup unit of the video camera and the screen of the image generator are divided in half, and the right-eye image and the left-eye image are allocated to the conventional inexpensive NTSC.
A television camera and a projector can be used as they are to display a stereoscopic image, and at this time, formation of an unnecessary projected image due to the property of optical means for superimposing the right-eye image and the left-eye image on the screen can be prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 video camera 28 first optical means 30 recording / reproducing apparatus 32 projector 34 image generator 36 lens 38 first polarizing filter 40 second polarizing filter 58 second optical means 60 third polarizing filter 62 fourth polarizing filter 64 screen 70 eyeglasses

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A video camera for converting an optical image into an electric signal, a right-eye optical image of a subject is formed on almost half of an image pickup element of the video camera, and a left-eye optical image of the subject is recorded by the video camera. First optical means for forming an image on almost the other half of the image pickup device of the camera, an image generator for reproducing an optical image in response to an electric signal from the video camera, and an optical image for the optical image from the image generator. A first polarizing filter that passes half of the light and that polarizes in a first direction, and a second polarizing filter that passes almost the remaining half of the light image from the image generator and that polarizes in a second direction different from the first direction. A filter, a lens arranged in front of the first and second polarizing filters, a lens arranged opposite to the first polarizing filter with the lens interposed therebetween, and polarized in one of the first direction and the second direction. A third polarization filter that A fourth polarization filter, which is arranged to face the second polarization filter with the lens in between, and which polarizes in the other of the first direction or the second direction, a screen, and an optical image that has passed through the third polarization filter. And second optical means for superimposing the light images that have passed through the fourth polarization filter on the screen, wherein the observer has one eye as the polarization filter in the first direction and the other as the second eye. A stereoscopic projector device characterized by observing the screen through spectacles which are directional polarization filters. 2. An image signal generating means for generating an image signal having a right-eye image in almost half of one frame image and a left-eye image in the other half, and an image signal generating means for generating an image signal from the image signal generating means. An image generator that reproduces a light image by means of a first polarization filter that passes approximately half of the light image from the image generator and that is polarized in a first direction; A second polarizing filter that passes half of the light and that polarizes in a second direction different from the first direction, a lens arranged in front of the first and second polarizing filters, and the first polarized light that sandwiches the lens. A third polarizing filter arranged to face the filter and polarized in one of the first direction or the second direction; and a third polarizing filter arranged to face the second polarizing filter with the lens in between, It is polarized in the other direction of the second direction. A fourth polarizing filter, a screen, and second optical means for superimposing on the screen the optical image that has passed through the third polarizing filter and the optical image that has passed through the fourth polarizing filter. A stereoscopic projector device, wherein one of the eyes is a polarizing filter in the first direction and the other one is a polarizing filter in the second direction, and the screen is observed through glasses.