JPH09147143A - Device and method for image composition - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device and method for image composition which enables variation in speed to be read out of video and can produce a feeling of speediness with high reality. SOLUTION: This is an image composition device which displays an image viewed from a view point moving in a given direction. The image composition device is constituted including a large-sized cylindrical screen 10 for projection which is curved with a specific curvature so as to cover the visual fields at both the ends of a player and a projector 30 for projection which can be rotated horizontally by a rotating device 40. The large-sized cylindrical screen 10 consists of a front screen part 14 positioned in front of a drivers seat, and a right screen part 12 and a left screen part 16 which are positioned on its right and left sides. The three screen parts function as one large-sized screen and are normally fixed, but the right screen part 12 and left screen part 16 have a driving device 20, which can vary their curvature.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image synthesizing apparatus and an image synthesizing method, and more particularly to an image synthesizing apparatus and an image synthesizing method for displaying an image viewed from a viewpoint moving in a given direction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a drive game device, a simulation device, or the like, an image viewed from a viewpoint moving in a given direction has been displayed. In such a drive game device and a simulation device, a display using a CRT has been generally used, but since the display screen is small, there is a problem that a feeling of speed is not felt so much and a feeling of immersion in the image is poor. there were.

That is, the change in speed when the brakes are applied is not clearly felt, and the player does not know what the speed actually is unless he / she looks at the speedometer. But
There was a problem that I didn't feel a lot of speed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides an image synthesizing apparatus and an image synthesizing method capable of reading a change in speed from an image and producing a highly realistic sense of speed. Is to provide.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image synthesizing apparatus for synthesizing an image viewed from a given viewpoint moving in a three-dimensional space, which covers both ends of a visual field of a viewer. A possible image display means, and a speed feeling effecting means for interposing a region for displaying a standard image in the direction of the center of the visual field as the speed increases, and displaying a speed feeling effect image in a region other than the region for displaying the standard image. Is characterized by.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image synthesizing method for synthesizing an image viewed from a given viewpoint moving in a three-dimensional space, including image display means capable of covering both ends of a visual field of a viewer. Therefore, as the speed increases, the area for displaying the standard image is sprinkled in the center direction of the visual field, and a feeling of speed is produced by displaying the feeling of speed effect image other than the area for displaying the standard image. .

The image display means may be a light emitting display such as a CRT or liquid crystal, or a screen such as a projector for projecting an image. In addition, the speed sense image is an image simulating that the scenery of the outside world seems to flow at the edge of the driver's field of view when driving at high speed, and the standard image, on the contrary, near the center of the driver's field of view. It is the one that imitates the normal view image of.

[0008] The present inventor has found that, while driving a vehicle, when the speed increases, only the image in the center of the field of view can be clearly seen, and the periphery looks like a flowing blur. We found that it is possible to read the change in speed from the video by reproducing the human visual field image on the display screen. The inventor has also found that the conventional screen cannot cover the edge of the visual field of the viewer, which is also a cause of impairing the sense of speed.

Therefore, by using the image display means capable of covering both ends of the visual field of the viewer, it is possible to display the side blur of the visual field at the time of high speed running, and the viewer can feel a sense of speed with high reality. You can taste it.

[0010] Then, by reproducing the visual field image of a person whose surroundings are blurred as the speed increases by the speed sensation producing means, the viewer can read the change in speed from the image and enjoy a highly realistic sense of acceleration. Can be done. In particular, since the images at both ends of the visual field change depending on the speed, for example, in an image simulating the field of view during driving, it is possible to experience a feeling similar to actual driving.

By doing so, it is possible to provide an image synthesizing apparatus and an image synthesizing method capable of giving the viewer a sense of speed and acceleration with high reality.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image display means according to the first aspect, the shape of the display screen is variable.
The speed feeling producing means is characterized in that, as the speed increases, the image displaying means transforms the image displaying means into a shape that covers the visual field of the viewer, and produces a sense of speed.

The inventor of the present invention, based on the empirical fact that when driving a car, even if they are running at the same speed, it feels as if they are running faster on a narrow road. We found that the narrower the field of view, the faster the viewer felt.

Therefore, in the speed sense producing means of the present invention,
As the speed increases, the image display means is moved in such a direction as to cover the visual field of the viewer, thereby narrowing the visual field of the viewer and producing a sense of speed.

By doing so, it is possible to provide an image synthesizing apparatus capable of further enhancing the sense of speed and acceleration with high reality and producing an image with a high sense of reality.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first and second aspects, a moving direction input means for inputting a moving direction of the viewpoint or a display object followed by the viewpoint, and input by the moving direction input means. Based on the moving direction, further has a line-of-sight direction determining means for determining the line-of-sight direction, the speed feeling production means, based on the line-of-sight direction determined by the line-of-sight direction determining means, of the area for displaying the standard image. It is characterized in that the position on the image display means is determined.

By doing so, an image synthesizing device and an image synthesizing device capable of producing a visual field image on the screen in accordance with the moving direction of the viewpoint or the display object followed by the viewpoint input by the moving direction input means. A method can be provided.

The display object that the viewpoint follows is, for example, a racing car or the like in a drive game or the like. Further, the moving direction input means refers to, for example, steering input in a drive game or the like. In a drive game, etc., the player inputs the moving direction of the racing car by steering input, so it can be said that the player is inputting the moving direction of the display object that the viewpoint follows. It can be said that the moving direction of the viewpoint is being input when the display of the view image visible from the front is displayed.

Therefore, for example, when the image synthesizing device and the image synthesizing method are used for a game device such as a drive or a simulating device, a game device and a simulating device having a more realistic simulated experience when turning left or right are provided. can do.

When the movable image display means is used, it is preferable that the image display means is moved according to the moving direction input by the viewer. That is, for example, in a drive game, when the player makes a right turn or a left turn, by moving the image display means in that direction in a direction that covers the player's field of view, the screen in the direction in which the player is going to bend is formed so as to approach the player. Because it is possible, it is possible to produce a more realistic simulated experience.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image synthesizing device for synthesizing images viewed from a given viewpoint moving in a three-dimensional space, the image display means having a variable display screen shape, and a speed. The image display means is deformed into a shape that covers the visual field of the viewer as the speed increases, and a speed sense producing means for producing a sense of speed is included.

An eleventh aspect of the invention is an image synthesizing method for synthesizing an image viewed from a given viewpoint moving in a three-dimensional space, including image display means in which the shape of the display screen is variably formed. As the speed increases, the image display means is deformed into a shape that covers the visual field of the viewer to produce a sense of speed.

The inventor of the present invention, based on the empirical fact that when driving a car, even if they are running at the same speed, it feels as if they are running faster on a narrow road We found that the narrower the field of view, the faster the viewer felt.

Therefore, in the speed sense producing means of the present invention,
As the speed increases, the image display means is moved in such a direction as to cover the visual field of the viewer, thereby narrowing the visual field of the viewer and producing a sense of speed.

By doing so, it is possible to provide an image synthesizing apparatus and an image synthesizing method capable of enhancing the sense of speed when accelerating or traveling at a high speed to produce a highly realistic image.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, there is further provided a speed input means for inputting a speed of the viewpoint or a display object followed by the viewpoint, and the speed feeling producing means. The content of the sense of speed is changed based on the speed input by the speed input means.

By doing so, it is possible to provide an image synthesizing apparatus and an image synthesizing method capable of producing a feeling of speed and a feeling of acceleration according to the speed input by the viewer.

The display object that the viewpoint follows is, for example, a racing car or the like in a drive game or the like. The speed input means means, for example, accelerator or brake input in a drive game or the like. In a drive game, etc., the player inputs the moving direction of the racing car by inputting the accelerator and brakes, so it can be said that the player is inputting the speed direction of the display object that the viewpoint follows. When the display of the view image seen from the driver's seat is displayed, it can be said that the moving speed of the viewpoint is being input.

Therefore, by using the image synthesizing device and the image synthesizing method for a game device such as a drive or a simulation device, it is possible to provide a game device or a simulation device having higher reality.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image synthesizing apparatus for synthesizing an image viewed from a given viewpoint moving in a three-dimensional space, the image synthesizing apparatus having a plurality of screen portions, and at least one of the plurality of screen portions. The left end of the screen portion of 1 is rotatably connected to the right end of the screen portion adjacent to the left, and the right end of the screen portion of 1 is
An image display unit rotatably connected to the left end of the screen unit on the right side, and at least one of the plurality of screen units of the image display unit is moved to a position that covers the visual field of the viewer as the speed increases. And a screen drive unit that produces a sense of speed.

In this way, as the speed increases,
By moving the image display means in the direction in which the screen display means covers the visual field of the viewer, the visual field of the viewer can be narrowed and a sense of speed can be produced.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image synthesizing device for synthesizing images viewed from a given viewpoint moving in a three-dimensional space, wherein an image display in which a part or the whole of the curvature is changeable. Means and a screen drive means for changing the curvature of part or all of the image display means so as to cover the visual field of the viewer as the speed increases.

In this way, as the speed increases,
By increasing the curvature of part or all of the image display means by the screen drive means, the visual field of the viewer can be narrowed and a sense of speed can be produced.

According to the invention of claim 8, in claim 7, the image display means includes a front screen portion located in front of the viewer, a left screen portion located on the left side, and a right screen portion located on the right side. The image driving means includes a screen driving means for changing the curvature of the left screen part or the right screen part so that the curvature of at least one of the left screen part and the right screen part increases as the speed increases. Is characterized by.

By doing this, as the speed increases,
By increasing the curvature of the left and right screen portions by the screen driving means, both ends of the visual field of the viewer can be effectively narrowed and a sense of speed can be produced.

The invention of claim 9 further comprises a projection means for projecting an image to be displayed on the screen according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the image display means projects the image projected by the projection means. It is characterized in that it is formed as a projection means.

With this configuration, when a screen for projecting an image such as a projector is used as the image display means,
When the screen drive means drives the screen so that the screen has a position or shape that covers the visual field of the viewer, the image in that portion can be blurred. Therefore, it is possible to produce a feeling of speed and a feeling of acceleration with a simple mechanical structure in which the driving means is driven so that the image display means narrows the visual field of the viewer as the speed increases. An image synthesizing device can be provided.

For example, by increasing the curvature of the left and right screen portions as the speed increases, the image of that portion can be blurred. In addition, since the curvature of the screen is controlled to increase as the speed increases, the screen resembles the range of a human visual field that is reduced as the speed increases, and a visual field image can be expressed more effectively.

When a screen for projecting an image such as a projector is used as the image display means, the standard image can be displayed at the line-of-sight position by changing the direction of the projection means according to the change of the line-of-sight direction. Therefore, it is possible to provide an image synthesizing apparatus and an image synthesizing method capable of producing a change in the line-of-sight direction with a simple mechanical structure.

[0040]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

1. First Embodiment Next, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described by taking an image synthesizing device used in a racing game device for racing on a racing course set in a three-dimensional game space as an example.

FIG. 1 shows a racing game device 1 which is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The racing game device 1 is formed by using a housing 90 that imitates an actual racing car and a large cylindrical screen 10.
The player sits in the driver's seat 80 of a housing 90 simulating a racing car and operates the steering wheel 50, the brake 60, the accelerator 70, etc. while watching the pseudo three-dimensional image (game screen) displayed on the cylindrical screen 10. Drive a fictitious racing car and play a game.

In this racing game device 1, a player racing car operated by a player is a racing car operated by another player or a computer car operated by a computer in a racing course set in a three-dimensional game space. It is formed to compete for rank.

Conventionally, in such a racing game device 1, a display using a CRT has been generally used. However, since the display screen is small, the feeling of immersion in the image is poor, and the feeling of speed and the change in speed are not very noticeable. There was a problem that I could not do it.

Therefore, if a large cylindrical screen is used as the display screen, the range of covering the player's field of view is wider than that of a display using a CRT, which has the effect of increasing the immersive feeling in the virtual space. The problem of not feeling a sense of speed and a change in speed was not improved by simply using a large cylindrical screen.

Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the following constitution is adopted in order to solve the above problems. That is, in the present racing game device 1, a large cylindrical screen 10 for projection is used in front of the player in order to display the game screen, and the projector 30 for projection is rotated by the rotating device 40. It is installed in the upper rear part of the driver's seat of a chassis 90 that imitates a racing car.

The large cylindrical screen 10 is located on the front side of the driver's seat in a chassis simulating a racing car, and is located on the right side of the front screen section 14 so as to cover the visual field at the right end of the player. The right screen portion 12 is curved with a curvature of, and the left screen portion 16 is curved with a predetermined curvature so as to cover the visual field at the left end of the player, which is located on the left side of the front screen portion 14. The three screen portions function as one large continuous screen and are usually fixed.

However, the right screen portion 12 and the left screen portion 16 have the driving device 20, and by the driving device 20,
It is formed so that its curvature can be changed.

That is, when the player accelerates the racing car from the accelerator 70, the right screen portion 12 and the left screen portion 16 are deformed by the drive device 20 so that the curvature becomes large, and the player uses the brake 60 to drive the racing car. When decelerating, the right screen unit 12 and the left screen unit 16 are
The drive device 20 is formed so as to be deformed so that its curvature becomes small.

FIG. 3 shows the right screen portion 12 and the left screen portion 1
It is the schematic showing the mode of modification of No. 6. S is the right screen part 1
2 and the left screen portion 16 represent the state of the screen when the curvature is normal, and T represents the screen when the curvature is larger than in the normal state.

As described above, the game apparatus of this embodiment uses the image synthesizing apparatus formed so that the curvatures of the left and right screens change depending on the acceleration and deceleration of the player.

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the projector 30 for projection is rotated by the rotating device 40 in the horizontal direction about the rotation center 31 shown in FIG.
It is rotatably formed, and is formed so as to rotate in response to a steering input from the player. That is,
When the player turns the steering wheel 50 to the right when making a right turn, the projector 30 rotates to the right, and when the player turns the steering wheel to the left when making a left turn, for example.
The projector 30 rotates to the left.

Since the projection type projector 30 is used in the embodiment of the present invention, when the projector 30 rotates, the sweet spot on the screen is formed so as to move in the rotation direction. The sweet spot refers to a position where the image on the screen is not blurred and is most clearly reflected.

Further, in this embodiment, in addition to the movement of the sweet spot, the curvature of the screen in this direction is controlled to be large when the vehicle turns left or right. By doing so, it is possible to form the screen in the direction of turning toward the player.

As described above, in the game device of this embodiment, the image synthesizing device formed so that the sweet spots on the screen and the curvatures of the left and right screen portions 12, 16 are changed according to the steering input of the player is used. Has been.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the image synthesizing device used in the game device.

The image synthesizing apparatus includes a speed input unit 110, a moving direction input unit 120, a screen control circuit 130, a projection direction control circuit 140, a screen drive unit 150, a projection control unit 160, a projection unit 170, and a projection unit 180. It is formed including.

The speed input section 110 is formed so that the player inputs acceleration and deceleration of the racing car by operating the brake 60, the accelerator 70 and the like shown in FIG. Specifically, when the player steps on the brake 60, deceleration is input, and the player releases the accelerator 70.
Acceleration is input by stepping.

The moving direction input unit 120 indicates the moving direction of the racing car by the player by the steering wheel 50 shown in FIG.
It is formed to input by operating. Specifically, when the player turns the steering wheel 50 from the reference position indicating the movement in the front direction to the right, the movement direction can be input so as to turn to the right, and the steering position is turned to the left from the reference position indicating the movement in the front direction. Then, you can enter the direction of movement so that you can turn left.

The screen control circuit 130 is formed to transmit the magnitudes of acceleration and deceleration, which are inputs from the speed input section 110, to the screen drive section 150 as a screen drive signal.

Further, as described above, when the vehicle turns right or left, the screen drive unit 15 increases the curvature of the screen in that direction.
Since 0 is driven, the screen control circuit 130
The magnitude of the rotation to the right or the left, which is the input from the moving direction input unit 110, is transmitted to the screen driving unit 150 as a screen driving signal.

The screen driving unit 150 is the right screen driving unit 152.
And a left screen drive unit 154, the right screen drive unit 152, based on the screen drive signal from the screen control circuit 130, the right screen drive unit 12 described later, the left screen drive unit 154 described later. It is formed so as to control the curvature of the left screen portion 16. Specifically, when the screen drive signal indicating the acceleration is received, the curvature of the left and right screen portions 12 and 16 is increased at a predetermined ratio according to the magnitude of the acceleration, and the screen drive indicating the deceleration is performed. When you receive a signal,
The left and right screen sections 1 are proportioned according to the magnitude of the deceleration.
Each screen drive unit 15 so that the curvature of 2 and 16 becomes small.
2 and 154 are driven.

Further, when the screen drive signal indicating the right turn is received, the right screen drive section 152 is driven so that the curvature of the right screen section 12 is increased at a predetermined rate according to the size of the right turn, and the left turn is performed. When receiving the screen drive signal indicating, the left screen drive unit 154 is driven so that the curvature of the left screen unit 16 increases at a predetermined rate according to the size of the left turn.

Since the present image synthesizing apparatus is formed so as to display an image by projecting the image projected by the projector 30 onto the cylindrical screen 10, the projector 30 is provided with the projection unit 180 and the cylindrical screen 10.
Are formed so as to function as the projection unit 170. Since the conventional screen cannot cover the edges of the visual field of the viewer, which is also a cause of impairing the sense of speed, the cylindrical screen 10 is formed to cover both edges of the visual field of the viewer. Has been done.

The cylindrical screen 10 shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the right screen unit 12, the front screen unit 14, and the left screen unit 16 are included. The front screen unit 14 is formed as a fixed screen having a predetermined curvature, and the right screen unit 12 and the left screen unit 16 have curvature shapes controlled by the right screen driving unit 152 and the right screen driving unit 154, respectively. It is formed as a deformable screen.

The projection direction control circuit 140 informs the projection control unit 160 of a change in the movement direction based on an input from the movement direction input unit 120 as a movement direction signal indicating how much the current position is rotated to the left or right. Is.

The projection control unit 160 determines the projection direction of the projector 30, which is the projection unit 180, based on the movement direction signal transmitted by the projection direction control circuit 140. Specifically, the direction of the projector 30 is determined. It is configured by using a rotating device 40 for rotating. When the movement direction signal indicating the rotation to the right is input, the rotation device 40 is at a predetermined ratio according to the magnitude of the rotation,
When the projector is rotated in the R direction shown in FIG. 3 and a movement direction signal indicating rotation to the left is input, the projector is moved in the L direction shown in FIG. 3 at a predetermined ratio according to the magnitude of the rotation. Rotate. By rotating the projector 30 in this manner, the sweet spot on the screen can be changed.

Here, as the speed increases, the area for displaying the standard image is narrowed in the direction of the center of the visual field, and the feeling of speed and the change in speed are displayed by displaying the feeling of speed effect image other than the area for displaying the standard image. The characteristic function of the present invention of expressing is realized as follows.

That is, when the player instructs acceleration,
The right screen portion 12 and the left screen portion 16 change from the curvature shape shown by S in FIG. 3 to the curvature shape shown by T. The position of the projector 30 and the image supplied by the projector 30 are formed so that a normal image with the best focus is displayed when the cylindrical screen 10 is in the shape of S. When the portion 12 and the left screen portion 16 are changed to the shape of T, the images at the ends of the right screen portion 12 and the left screen portion 16 are blurred. When the change in curvature is small, that is, slightly larger than the normal curvature, the change only blurs at the edges of the left and right screens, but when the change in curvature is large, that is, when the curvature is larger than the normal curvature. The farther away, the left and right screen parts 1
A blurred area spreads out from the edges of 2,16. That is, if the player accelerates, the left and right screen portions 12, 1
The curvature of 6 becomes large, and the range in which the standard image is displayed is narrowed toward the center of the screen.

Such a change in image corresponds to the empirical fact that when driving a car, as the speed increases, only the image in the center of the visual field can be clearly seen and the peripheral portion can be blurred. Therefore, by changing the curvature of the left and right screens based on the change in speed, it is possible to express the change in speed in the image.

Therefore, the blurred image displayed in such a blurred region has the same effect as the flowing blurred image on the side surface of the driver at the time of high-speed traveling, and functions as a sense of speed effect image. Further, since the front screen portion 14 is fixed, a standard image which is a normal image is displayed. That is, when a projection type projector or the like and a projection type screen are used, the screen control circuit 130 and the screen drive unit 15 are used.
0 acts as a speed feeling producing means by acting according to the speed.

The changes in the curvatures of the left and right screen portions 12 and 16 correspond to the empirical fact that the narrower the visual field of the viewer, the more the viewer feels a sense of speed. That is,
As the speed increases, the curvatures of the left and right screen portions 12 and 16 are increased, thereby narrowing the visual field of the viewer and functioning as a sense of speed producing means.

Next, the operation and effect of the image synthesizing apparatus of this embodiment will be described.

First, a case will be described in which an image is displayed that allows a speed change to be felt and a speed feeling is produced. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the acceleration and deceleration inputs of the player and changes in the state of the screen, and FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining changes in the shape of the screen and changes in the image due to changes in speed.

In FIG. 4, the following processing is performed until the end of the game (step 10). When the player inputs acceleration and deceleration speeds from the speed input unit 110 (step 20), the screen control circuit 130 transmits the input to the screen drive unit 150. When the acceleration input is transmitted (step 30), the screen driving unit 150 controls to increase the curvatures of the left and right screen units 12 and 16 at a predetermined rate according to the magnitude of the acceleration.

That is, in FIG. 5 (A), the left and right screens in the S state are increased in curvature at a predetermined rate according to the magnitude of acceleration, and are in the T state. At this time, the image on the screen changes from the state of FIG. 5 (B) to the state of FIG. 5 (C). As described above, the present image synthesizing apparatus has the configuration shown in FIG.
Since the normal image that is most focused is displayed in the state S of FIG.
In (B), the standard image 310 is displayed on the entire screen. However, when the left and right screen portions 12 and 16 are in the T state, the edges of the left and right screen portions 12 and 16 are out of focus as described above, and therefore, as shown in FIG. The area where the standard image 310 of the screen sections 12 and 16 is displayed is narrowed toward the center of the screen, and the speed effect image 3 is a blurred image that is out of focus near the edge of the screen.
20 is displayed.

When the deceleration input is transmitted from the screen control circuit 130 (step 30), the screen drive unit 1
The control unit 50 controls to reduce the curvatures of the left and right screen portions 12 and 16 at a predetermined rate according to the magnitude of the deceleration.

That is, in FIG. 5A, the left and right screen portions 12 and 16 in the T state are reduced in curvature at a predetermined rate according to the magnitude of deceleration, and are in the S state.
At this time, the image on the screen is changed from the state of FIG.
The state shown in FIG.

In this way, it is possible to reproduce a visual field image of a person whose surroundings are blurred as the speed increases. Therefore, as the speed becomes higher, the range of the speed feeling effect image 320 expands and the blurring increases, so that the viewer can feel the change in speed and experience a realistic sense of acceleration and deceleration.

Further, as is apparent from FIG. 5A, the states of the left and right screen portions 12 and 16 change in the direction (S to T) that covers the visual field of the viewer as the speed increases. In general, the narrower the visual field of the viewer, the more the viewer feels speed. Therefore, by doing so, the visual field of the viewer can be narrowed and a sense of speed can be produced.

Next, a case where a visual field image is rendered on the screen according to the input moving direction will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing steering input of the player, rotation of the projector 30, and changes in the state of the screen. FIG. 7 shows changes in the shape of the screen portion and the projection direction of the projector and changes in the image due to changes in the moving direction. It is a figure explaining.

In FIG. 6, the following processing is performed until the game ends (step 110). When the player inputs a moving direction of right turn or left turn from the moving direction input unit 120 (step 120), the projection direction control circuit 1
40 transmits the input to the projection control unit 160. When the right turn input is transmitted (step 130), the projection control unit 160
Controls the direction of the projector 30 at a predetermined ratio according to the size of the right turn (step 140), and controls the right screen drive unit 152 to increase the curvature of the right screen part 12 (step 150).

That is, in FIG. 7A, the projector 30 facing the front rotates to the right at a predetermined rate according to the size of the right turn, and enters the state E. Further, the right screen portion 12 in the S state has a curvature increasing at a predetermined rate according to the size of the right turn, and enters the T state. At this time, the image on the screen changes from the state of FIG. 5 (B) to the state of FIG. 5 (C). Since the image synthesizer displays the image projected by the projector on a large cylindrical horizontal screen, the sweet spot where the clearest image is displayed is normally displayed on the front screen portion 14 located in front of the projector. 330 will come.

However, when the projector 30 enters the E state, the sweet spot 330 moves to the right as shown in FIG. 7C.

When the left turn input is transmitted (step 130), the projection control section 160 controls the direction of the projector 30 at a predetermined ratio according to the size of the left turn (step 160), and the left screen drive section is operated. 154 is the left screen unit 12
Control is performed to increase the curvature of (step 170).

In either case of right turn or left turn, when the player returns the steering wheel 50 to the reference position (step 180), the direction of the projector and the curvature of the corresponding screen are returned to the state before the control in this processing. (Step 190).

In this way, it is possible to effectively display the visual field image generated when the driver's line of sight turns in the direction when the vehicle normally turns right or left. That is, when turning right, the driver's line of sight moves to the right,
At this time, the view on the left side changes drastically, so that the view on the left side appears blurred, and the opposite phenomenon occurs when turning left. In the image synthesizing apparatus of this embodiment, such a phenomenon is realized by rotating the projector 30 and moving the sweet spot left and right as described above.

Further, when making a right turn or a left turn, by forming the screen in the direction in which the player is about to turn toward the player, it is possible to perform a more realistic effect.

2. Second Example In the first example, the image synthesizing device that performs a sense of speed by deforming the shape of the projection screen has been described, but in the second example described below, the position of the projection screen is changed. An image synthesizing device that produces a sense of speed by changing the speed is described.

An image synthesizing device for changing the position of the projection screen is a screen 210 as shown in FIG.
Some use. The screen 210 includes a front screen part 214 formed on a flat surface, and a right screen part 212 and a left screen connected to the left and right of the front screen part 214 so as to be horizontally rotatable about hinges 213 and 215, respectively. The unit 216 and the drive device 220 that drives the right screen 212 and the left screen 216 to be horizontally rotatable.

A block diagram showing the structure of such an image synthesizing device is basically the same as that shown in FIG. However, in the case of the present embodiment, the screen driving unit 150 shown in FIG. 2 does not change the curvature of the left and right screen units but changes the positions of the left and right screen units. That is, the screen drive unit 150 of this embodiment.
Is formed so as to move the position of the right screen portion 212 or the left screen portion 216 from F to G at predetermined angles θ _R and θ _L based on the screen drive signal.

When such a screen 210 is used,
If the right screen part 212 and the left screen part 216 are formed to move from the F position to the G position as the speed increases, the left and right screen parts 212 and 216 are moved closer to the G. The image focus at the edges of the left and right screen portions 212 and 216 is out of focus. Therefore, the areas where the above-described standard image 310 is displayed on the left and right screen portions 212 and 216 are squeezed toward the center of the screen, and the sense of speed effect image 32 is a blurred image that is out of focus near the edges of the screen.
0 is displayed.

In this way, even if the screen 210 formed as shown in FIG. 8 is used, it is possible to reproduce on the screen the visual field image of a person whose surroundings are blurred as the speed increases.
Therefore, as the speed becomes higher, the range of the speed feeling effect image 320 expands and the blurring increases, so that the viewer can feel the change in speed and experience a realistic sense of acceleration and deceleration.

Further, as in the first and second embodiments, a projection type screen and a projector are used, and a blurred image for producing a speed change or a sense of speed by changing the physical positional relationship between them. In order to realize the image 320 for speed sense effect, the process of generating the image for projection does not matter. Therefore, a real image, a three-dimensional image synthesized by computer graphics, a two-dimensional image such as an animation, etc. But it's okay.

3. Third Embodiment In a third embodiment, an image synthesizing device using a self-luminous display such as a CRT or a liquid crystal instead of a projection screen will be described.

In such a case, it is impossible to realize a blurred image for producing a speed change or a sense of speed by changing the physical positional relationship as in the above-described embodiment. Therefore, in the process of image synthesis for display,
It is necessary to create a blurred image for producing a speed change or a sense of speed and form the image for display on the display on the side of the player.

First, the display which is the image display means of the image synthesizing apparatus of this embodiment will be described.

The display of this embodiment is also formed so as to cover both ends of the visual field of the player P, as shown in FIG. 9, in order to display the blurred visual field on the side surface during high speed running. Further, the positions of the left and right screen portions 312 and 316 are formed so that the left and right screen portions 312 and 316 can be changed in order to provide a sense of speed by physically narrowing the visual field. That is, the display 3 of this embodiment
As shown in FIG. 9, a reference numeral 10 denotes a front screen portion 314, and right and left screen portions 316 and 316 rotatably connected to the left and right sides of the front screen portion 314 in a horizontal direction via hinges 313 and 315. And the right screen part 312 and the left screen part 316.
Is formed to include a drive device 320 that drives the motor in a horizontal direction so as to be rotatable about rotation shafts 313 and 315.

When such a display 310 is used, if the right screen portion 312 and the left screen portion 316 are formed to move from the H position to the I position as the speed increases, the visual field is physically narrowed. It can produce a sense of speed.

However, when such a display 310 is used, a speed sense effect image 320, which is an image that should be displayed on the left and right screen portions 312 and 316 and which gives a sense of speed in a flowing blur, must be image-synthesized. I have to.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an image synthesizing device when such a display 310 is used in the racing game device.

The image synthesizing device includes a speed input section 110, a moving direction input section 120, a screen control circuit 330, an image control circuit 340, a screen drive section 320, an image synthesizing section 350, and a display 310. .

Speed input unit 110, moving direction input unit 120
The screen control circuit 330 has the same function as that shown in FIG.

The screen driving unit 320 is the right screen driving unit 322.
And a left screen drive unit 324, and based on a screen drive signal from the screen control circuit 130, the right screen drive unit 322 determines the position of the right screen unit 312, which will be described later.
The left screen drive unit 324 is formed to control the position of the left screen unit 316 described later. Specifically, when a screen drive signal indicating acceleration is received, the left and right screen portions 312 and 316 are moved to the rotary shafts 313 and 31 according to the magnitude of the acceleration.
It is rotated in the direction from H to I at a predetermined ratio with 5 as the center. Also, when a display drive signal indicating deceleration is received, the left and right screen portions 312, 3 depending on the magnitude of the deceleration.
16 is rotated about the rotating shafts 313 and 315 in the direction from I to H at a predetermined ratio.

Further, when a screen drive signal indicating a right turn is received, the right screen portion 312 is rotated from the rotation axis 313 at a predetermined ratio in the direction from H to I at a predetermined ratio according to the size of the right turn. When the screen drive signal indicating the left turn is received, the left screen unit 316 is rotated about the rotation shaft 315 in the direction from H to I at a predetermined ratio.

The structure of the display 310 is as described above.

The image control circuit 340 is configured to transmit the information to the image synthesizing unit 350 so that the image synthesizing that reflects the speed change and the moving direction input from the speed input unit 110 and the moving direction input unit 120 is performed. Has been done. Specifically, the magnitude of acceleration and deceleration, which are inputs from the speed input unit 110, and the movement direction input unit 120.
It is formed so that the change in the moving direction based on the input from is transmitted to the image synthesizing unit 350 as a moving direction signal indicating how much the current position is rotated left and right.

The image synthesizing unit 350 determines the area for displaying the standard image 310 or the area for displaying the speed feeling effect image 320, which is a blurred image, based on the magnitudes of acceleration and deceleration transmitted by the previous image control circuit 340. Then
The image is displayed there.

Further, the image synthesizing section 350 determines the sweet spot based on the moving direction signal transmitted by the previous image control circuit 340, and uses it as an element for determining the area for displaying the standard image.

As a method of displaying a blurred image, a texture for a blurred image may be prepared in advance and texture mapping may be performed.

In this way, as the speed increases, the area for displaying the standard image 310 is narrowed toward the center of the visual field,
In the area other than the area for displaying the standard image, the sense of speed effect image 320 that is a blurred image can be displayed.

The present invention is not limited to the first to third embodiments described above, but various modifications can be made.

In the above embodiment, the case where the image synthesizing apparatus of the present invention is used in the racing game apparatus 1 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. It may be a flight game device, a ski game device, or another game device in which a sense of speed is important, or may be used as a simulator. Alternatively, the image may be simply used as an image synthesizing device to display an image with a sense of speed.

[0113]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an appearance of a racing game device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of an image synthesizing apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a modification of a screen unit of the image synthesizing device according to the present exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a player's speed input and changes in the state of the screen section.

5 (A), (B), and (C) are diagrams for explaining changes in the shape of the screen portion and changes in the image due to changes in speed.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a player's movement direction input, the state of the screen section, and changes in the projection direction of the projector.

7 (A), (B), and (C) are diagrams for explaining the shape of the screen unit, the change in the projection direction of the projector, and the change in the image due to the change in the moving direction.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a screen used in an image synthesizing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a display used in an image composition device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of an image synthesizing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Cylindrical screen 30 Projector 40 Rotating device 50 Steering 60 Brake 70 Accelerator 110 Speed input unit 120 Moving direction input unit 130 Screen control circuit 140 Projection direction control circuit 150 Screen drive unit 160 Projection control unit 170 Projection unit 180 Projection unit 310 Display 330 Screen control circuit 340 Image control circuit 320 Screen drive unit 350 Image composition unit

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. An image synthesizing device for synthesizing images viewed from a given viewpoint moving in a three-dimensional space, comprising image display means capable of covering both ends of the visual field of a viewer, and an increasing speed. An image synthesizing device, characterized by including a speed sensation effecting means for displaying a speed sensation effect image in a region other than the area for displaying the standard image, by fitting an area for displaying the standard image in the center direction of the visual field. 2. The image display means according to claim 1, wherein a shape of a display screen is variably formed, and the speed sense producing means covers the image display means with a visual field of a viewer as the speed increases. An image synthesizing device characterized by being transformed into an image to produce a sense of speed. 3. The moving direction input means for inputting a moving direction of the viewpoint or a display object followed by the viewpoint according to claim 1, and the moving direction input by the moving direction input means. Based on the line-of-sight direction determined by the line-of-sight direction determining unit, further includes a line-of-sight direction determining unit that determines the line-of-sight direction, on the image display unit of the area for displaying the standard image. An image synthesizing device, characterized in that the position of the image is determined. 4. An image synthesizing device for synthesizing images viewed from a given viewpoint moving in a three-dimensional space, comprising: an image display means having a display screen whose shape is variably formed; An image synthesizing device, comprising: a speed sense producing unit that transforms the image display unit into a shape that covers a visual field of a viewer and produces a sense of speed. 5. The speed input means according to claim 1, further comprising a speed input means for inputting a speed of the viewpoint or a display object followed by the viewpoint, wherein the sense of speed production means is the speed input means. An image synthesizing device characterized by changing the contents of a sense of speed based on the speed input by. 6. An image synthesizing device for synthesizing images viewed from a given viewpoint moving in a three-dimensional space, the image synthesizing device having a plurality of screen portions, and at least one screen portion among the plurality of screen portions. Image display means in which the left end of the screen is rotatably connected to the right end of the screen part adjacent to the left, and the right end of the first screen part is rotatably connected to the left end of the screen part adjacent to the right. And an image driving means for moving at least one of the plurality of screen portions of the image display means to a position covering the visual field of the viewer as the speed increases to produce a sense of speed. Synthesizer. 7. An image synthesizing device for synthesizing images viewed from a given viewpoint moving in a three-dimensional space, comprising image display means formed so that a part or all of the curvature can be changed, An image synthesizing apparatus comprising: a screen driving means for changing a curvature of a part or the whole of the image display means so as to cover a visual field of a viewer as it goes up. 8. The image display means according to claim 7, further comprising: a front screen section located in front of a viewer, a left screen section located on the left side, and a right screen section located on the right side. The means includes a screen driving means for changing the curvature of the left screen part or the right screen part so that the curvature of at least one of the left screen part and the right screen part increases as the speed increases. Synthesizer. 9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising a projection means for projecting an image displayed on the screen.
The image synthesizing device, wherein the image display means is formed as a projection means for projecting an image projected by the projection means. 10. An image synthesizing method for synthesizing images viewed from a given viewpoint moving in a three-dimensional space, the image synthesizing method including image display means capable of covering both ends of a visual field of a viewer. An image synthesizing method, characterized in that a region for displaying a standard image is fitted in the direction of the center of the visual field as it goes up, and a sense of speed is produced by displaying a sense of speed effect image other than the region for displaying the standard image. 11. An image synthesizing method for synthesizing images viewed from a given viewpoint moving in a three-dimensional space, the image synthesizing method including image display means having a variable display screen shape. An image synthesizing method, characterized in that the image display means is deformed into a shape that covers a visual field of a viewer to produce a sense of speed.