KR101696473B1 - Stereoscopic image display device and drving method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a stereoscopic image display apparatus and a driving method thereof. The stereoscopic image display apparatus of the present invention includes: a display panel for displaying a left eye image and a right eye image separately; A distance sensor for measuring a distance between a viewer and the display panel and outputting the result as distance data; A data shifting unit for calculating a data shift value from the distance data and shifting pixel data of the left eye image and the right eye image in opposite directions by the data shift value; And a display panel driver for displaying the pixel data that is data-shifted by the data shift unit on the display panel. The present invention provides a stereoscopic image display apparatus and a method of driving the stereoscopic image display apparatus which can reduce fatigue or dizziness of a viewer's eyes by adjusting depth of a stereoscopic image according to a viewing distance of a viewer.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a stereoscopic image display device,

The present invention relates to a stereoscopic image display apparatus and a driving method thereof.

The stereoscopic display is divided into a stereoscopic technique and an autostereoscopic technique. The binocular parallax method uses parallax images of right and left eyes with large stereoscopic effect, and both glasses and non-glasses are used, and both methods are practically used. The glasses system displays polarized light of right and left parallax images on a direct-view type display device or a projector in a time-division manner. The glasses system implements a stereoscopic image using polarized glasses or liquid crystal shutter glasses. In the non-eyeglass system, an optical plate such as a parallax barrier or a lenticular lens is generally used to separate the optical axes of the left and right parallax images to realize a stereoscopic image.

1 is a view showing an operation principle of a shutter glasses type stereoscopic image display apparatus. Referring to FIG. 1, the portion indicated by black in the shutter glasses SG is a shutter that blocks light traveling toward the observer, and the portion indicated by white means a shutter that transmits light toward an observer.

For radix-frame period of the 3D mode, the left eye image data to the display panel (DIS) (RGB _L) is written, the left-eye shutter _(L ST) of the shutter glasses (SG) is opened. The right eye image data RGB _R is written on the display panel DIS and the right eye shutter ST _R of the shutter glasses SG is opened during the excellent frame period in the 3D mode. Left-eye shutter _(L ST) and the right-eye shutter _(R ST) of the shutter glasses (SG) is electrically controlled via a wired / wireless interface are synchronized with the display panel (DIS). Therefore, the observer sees only the left eye image in his / her left eye frame during the odd frame, and only the right eye image is seen in his / her right eye during the excellent frame period, so that he can feel the stereoscopic effect with the binocular disparity.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an operation principle of a polarizing glasses type stereoscopic image display apparatus. 2, the display panel DIS displays the left eye image data RGB _L during the odd frame period in the 3D mode and the right eye image data RGB _R during the excellent frame period. On the display panel DIS, there is attached an active retarder (AR) which converts the polarization characteristics of the left eye image and the polarization characteristics of the right eye image differently.

The light of the left-eye image and the right-eye image, which are displayed on the display panel DIS in a time-division manner, is converted into a specific polarized light, for example, left-polarized light through the polarizer of the display element and is incident on the active retarder AR. The active retarder AR is synchronized with the display element DIS. When the left eye image is displayed on the display panel DIS, the active retarder AR passes the light without changing the polarization characteristic of the light incident from the display panel DIS. On the other hand, when the right eye image is displayed on the display panel DIS, the active retarder AR converts the polarization characteristic of the light incident from the display panel DIS into another polarized light, for example, postal light. The active retarder AR may be realized by a TN (Twisted Nematic) mode liquid crystal panel including a common electrode and a plurality of scan electrodes facing each other with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween and having no polarizer, color filter, and black matrix. When the voltage Von is applied to the scan electrodes, the active retarder AR transmits the incident light as it is. When the voltage Voff is applied to the scan electrodes, the active retarder AR shifts the phase of the incident light by? (? The polarization characteristic of the incident light can be changed.

The polarizing glasses PG include a left eye filter F _{L for} passing only left-polarized light and a right eye filter F _{R for} passing only the light of postal light. Therefore, the observer sees only the left eye image in his / her left eye frame during the odd frame, and only the right eye image is seen in his / her right eye during the excellent frame period, so that he can feel the stereoscopic effect with the binocular disparity.

Meanwhile, the display panel DIS of FIGS. 1 and 2 may display a two-dimensional plane image in the 2D mode and display a three-dimensional image in which the left eye image and the right eye image are time-divided in the 3D mode.

The process of perceiving an image through the stereoscopic image display device of FIGS. 1 and 2 differs in various aspects from the process of perceiving a real scene. In a real environment, both the convergence of two eyes and the accommodation process that changes the thickness of the lens are systematically changed according to the distance from the subject. On the contrary, when the stereoscopic image display device is viewed, the convergence process depends on the parallax of the displayed image, but the adjustment of the eyes is always adjusted to the surface on which the image is presented.

Such a difference in the process of perceiving a real scene and a stereoscopic image not only causes problems such as eye fatigue or dizziness after a long time of viewing a stereoscopic image but also causes a decrease in the naturalness and presence of the image, And distortion in the depth, there are problems that become an obstacle to perceiving accurate three-dimensional space.

The present invention provides a stereoscopic image display apparatus and a method of driving the stereoscopic image display apparatus which can reduce fatigue or dizziness of a viewer's eyes by adjusting depth of a stereoscopic image according to a viewing distance of a viewer.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stereoscopic image display apparatus including: a display panel for displaying a left eye image and a right eye image separately; A distance sensor for measuring a distance between a viewer and the display panel and outputting the result as distance data; A data shifting unit for calculating a data shift value from the distance data and shifting pixel data of the left eye image and the right eye image in opposite directions by the data shift value; And a display panel driver for displaying the pixel data that is data-shifted by the data shift unit on the display panel.

A method of driving a stereoscopic image display apparatus according to the present invention is a stereoscopic image display apparatus including a display panel for displaying a left eye image and a right eye image separately from each other and measuring a distance between a viewer and the display panel, ; Calculating a data shift value from the distance data and shifting the pixel data of the left eye image and the right eye image in directions opposite to each other by the data shift value; And displaying the data shifted pixel data on the display panel.

The present invention measures the viewing distance of the viewer and adjusts the depth of the stereoscopic image by shifting the left and right eye images according to the viewing distance when viewing the three-dimensional image. As a result, the present invention can reduce the fatigue or dizziness of the eyes by maintaining an appropriate depth according to the viewing distance. In addition, the present invention allows the viewer to accurately perceive a three-dimensional space, thereby enhancing the quality of the stereoscopic image.

1 is a view showing an operation principle of a shutter glasses type stereoscopic image display apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an operation principle of a polarizing glasses type stereoscopic image display apparatus.
3 is a diagram showing a virtual image and a viewing distance of a stereoscopic image in the stereoscopic image display apparatus.
4 is a graph showing an adjustment reaction of the eyes according to the degree of separation of the left eye and right eye images.
5 and 6 are graphs showing the relationship between the virtual image position D of the stereoscopic image, the distance between the actual screen RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image, and the viewing distance with respect to the actual screen RS.
Figs. 7 and 8 are diagrams showing data shifted left and right eye images. Fig.
9 is a block diagram illustrating a stereoscopic image display apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a block diagram showing the data shifting unit of FIG. 9 in detail.
11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of driving a stereoscopic image display apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals throughout the specification denote substantially identical components. In the following description, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear.

The component names used in the following description are selected in consideration of ease of specification, and may be different from actual product names.

The present invention adjusts the depth of a stereoscopic image according to the viewing distance of a viewer to reduce eye fatigue or dizziness. Depth means the degree of stereoscopic image of the stereoscopic image display device. The stereoscopic effect can be felt by the viewer as the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is far away from the real screen (RS) of the stereoscopic image display device. The depth adjustment is used to control how far the virtual image of the stereoscopic image located on the front or rear side of the actual screen (RS) is positioned forward or backward. Through FIGS. 3 to 8, the relationship between the viewing distance of the viewer and the depth of the stereoscopic image, and the depth control according to the viewing distance are examined.

3 is a diagram showing a virtual image and a viewing distance of a stereoscopic image in the stereoscopic image display apparatus. Referring to FIG. 3, the virtual image of the stereoscopic image may be located at the front (I _F ) or the rear (I _R ) of the actual screen (RS). A DOF (depth of field) refers to an allowable distance range (DOF) at which a sharp stereoscopic image can be formed around a focal length of an eye lens (lens). If the virtual image of the stereoscopic image and the actual screen (RS) are located within the DOF, the viewer can not feel the fatigue and dizziness of the eyes even if the viewer watches the stereoscopic image for a long time. However, when the actual screen (RS) is located outside the DOF centered on the virtual image of the stereoscopic image, the eyes are easily tired and dizziness due to the mismatch of the control / convergence of the eyes. Therefore, the distances (D _F , D _R ) between the virtual image of the stereoscopic image and the actual screen (RS) are very important in relation to eye fatigue and dizziness due to stereoscopic effect in viewing the 3D image. The relationship between the virtual image of the stereoscopic image and the actual screen (RS) distance (D _F , D _R ) can be derived as follows.

The position of the virtual image DELTA D from the actual screen RS is represented by a diopter (D), which is the refractive index unit of the lens of the eye, and the diopter is expressed by the inverse of the focal length. If ΔD is zero, the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is located in the actual screen (RS), ΔD is greater than zero, and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is located in front of (I _F) of the real screen (RS), if ΔD is less than zero stereoscopic Is located at the rear (I _R ) of the actual screen RS.

When the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is located at the front side I _F of the actual screen RS, the position of the virtual image DELTA D from the actual screen RS is expressed by Equation (1).

In Equation 1, ΔD is the location of the virtual image from the real screen (RS), L _w is the distance between the eye and the real screen (RS), i.e., viewing distance, L _F is the front of the virtual image of the three-dimensional image the actual screen (RS) ( If located in I _F) between the eye and the virtual image distance between the three-dimensional image, D _F is when the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is located in front of (I _F) of the real screen (RS) real screen (a virtual image of the RS) and the stereoscopic image It means distance. Equation (1) can be summarized as Equation (2) as D _F , the distance between the real screen (RS) and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image.

When the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is located at the rear I _R of the real screen RS, the position D of the virtual image from the actual screen RS is expressed by Equation (3).

In Equation (3), L _R is the distance between the eye and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image when the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is located at the rear I _R of the real screen RS, D _R is the distance between the virtual image of the stereoscopic image and the virtual screen RS, The distance between the real screen RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is the distance (I _R ). ΔD L and _w are the same as equation (1). In summary Equation (3) to D _R is the distance between the actual screen (RS) and a virtual image of a stereoscopic image shown in equation (4).

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the experimental results of the eye regulating reaction on the distance between the left eye and the right eye image. Referring to FIG. 4, the X axis represents the distance between the left eye image and the right eye image. The Y axis represents the control response of the eye, and the unit is expressed as diopter (D). A solid line crossing the first quadrant and the third quadrant represents the position (DELTA D) of the virtual image from the actual screen RS and the dotted line represents the adjustment reaction tendency line of the eye. Subjects were asked to adjust their eyes at 1.6m and 2.4m positions, respectively, with KR and YS.

As a result of the experiment shown in FIG. 4, the distance between the left eye and the right eye image is approximately +0.86, the control response of the eyes is approximately + 0.20D. When the distance between the left eye and the right eye image is +0.86 or more and the eye regulating response is + 0.20D or more, the subject's control reaction tendency line (dotted line) is out of alignment with the position (? D) .

The distance between the left eye and the right eye image is approximately -0.86, and the control response of the eye is approximately -0.20 D (solid line) from the control reaction tendency line (dotted line) and the actual screen (RS) Match. When the distance between the left eye and the right eye image is -0.86 or less and the eye control response is -0.20D or less, the subject's adjustment reaction tendency line (dotted line) is out of alignment with the position (ΔD) .

4, when the position D of the virtual image from the actual screen RS is + 0.20D or more or -0.20D or less, the control of the eye changes from the actual screen RS to the virtual image position D Because of the inconsistency, viewers may feel fatigue or dizziness in the eyes. As a result, when the position D of the virtual image from the actual screen RS is +0.20 D or -0.20 D, it can be seen that the viewer can feel the maximum stereoscopic effect without feeling fatigue or dizziness of the eyes. Therefore, the distance between the real screen RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is derived based on the viewing distance based on the case where the virtual image position D of the stereoscopic image is + 0.20D or -0.20D from the actual screen RS. This will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG.

5 and 6 are graphs showing the relationship between the position of the virtual image DELTA D from the real screen RS, the distance between the real image RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image, and the viewing distance. 5 is a graph when the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is located on the front side I _F of the actual screen RS and FIG. 6 is a graph when the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is located on the rear side I _R of the actual screen RS .

Referring to FIG. 5, the X axis represents the position (? D) of the virtual image from the real screen RS, and the Y axis represents the distance (D _F ) between the real screen RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image. Here, the distance (D _F ) between the real screen RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image means a distance that the viewer can watch while feeling the stereoscopic effect as much as possible without feeling tiredness or dizziness of the eyes.

The graph of Fig. 5 shows a case where viewing distances are 1 m, 2 m, and 3 m, respectively. 5 is a graph when the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is located on the front side I _F of the actual screen RS. Therefore, the position D of the virtual image from the actual screen RS is +0.2 D as a reference. In FIG. 5, when the viewing distance is 1 m, the distance D _F between the actual screen RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is approximately 0.2 m. When the viewing distance is 2 m, the distance D _F between the real screen RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is approximately 0.55 m. When the viewing distance is 3 m, the distance D _F between the real screen RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is approximately 1.2 m.

6 is a graph when the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is located on the rear side I _R of the actual screen RS. Therefore, the position D of the virtual image from the actual screen RS is -0.2 D as a reference. In FIG. 6, when the viewing distance is 1 m, the distance D _R between the real screen RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is approximately 0.2 m. When the viewing distance is 2 m, the distance D _R between the real screen RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is approximately 1.2 m. When the viewing distance is 3 m, the distance D _R between the real screen RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is approximately 4.5 m.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the distance (D _F , D _R ) between the actual screen RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image becomes farther away as the viewing distance of the viewer becomes farther away. This means that as the viewing distance of the viewer becomes farther, the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is located further ahead in the actual screen (RS), or that the viewer can watch for a long time without feeling tiredness or dizziness of the eyes . Therefore, by adjusting the stereoscopic effect, that is, the depth of the stereoscopic image according to the viewing distance of the viewer, the present invention provides an optimal 3D viewing environment for the viewer. The depth adjustment method of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG.

FIG. 7 is a view showing an image in which left and right eye images are shifted when the viewing distance is 1 m, and FIG. 8 is a view showing images in which left and right eye images are data shifted when the viewing distance is 3 m. Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, the pixel data of the left eye and right eye images are shifted from the reference point REF by the data shift value L _D. The reference point (REF) means the centerline of the image when the left and right eye images are completely overlapped and appear as one image. The data shift value L _D means the distance between the left eye or the right eye image and the pixel data. The left eye and right eye images are shifted from the reference point REF by the same data shift value L _D.

The pixel data of the left eye image shifts from the reference point REF to the left by the data shift value L _D and the pixel data of the right eye image shifts from the reference point REF to the right by the data shift value L _D. The data shift value L _D can be calculated as the number of pixels from the center line of the left eye and right eye images to the reference point REF.

The depth of the stereoscopic image can be adjusted according to how far the left eye image is shifted left from the reference point REF and how right the right eye image is shifted from the reference point REF to the right. 5 and 6, when the viewing distance is 1 m, when the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is located on the front side I _F of the actual screen RS, the distance between the actual screen RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image D _F ) Is 0.2 m. When the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is located on the rear side I _R of the actual screen RS, the distance D _R between the actual screen RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is 0.2 m. Here, the distance (D _R ) between the real screen RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image means a distance that the viewer can watch while feeling the stereoscopic effect as much as possible without feeling tiredness or dizziness of the eyes.

The distances D _F and D _R between the actual screen RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image are only 0.2 m from the front side I _F or the rear side I _R of the actual screen RS, By reducing the depth of the stereoscopic image and reducing the stereoscopic effect of the image, the viewer can feel less tiredness or dizziness of the eyes. In Fig. 7, when the viewing distance is 1 m, the data shift value L _D is decreased to reduce the stereoscopic effect of the image. Further, when the left eye and right eye images are completely overlapped and viewed as one image, the distance (W ₁ ) from the actual screen to the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is shortened.

5 and 6, when the viewing distance is 3 m, when the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is located on the front side I _{F of the} actual screen RS, the distance between the actual screen RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image D _F ) is 1.2 m. When the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is located on the rear side I _{R of the} actual screen RS, the distance D _R between the actual screen RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image is 4.5 m. Here, the distance (D _R ) between the real screen RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image means a distance that the viewer can watch while feeling the stereoscopic effect as much as possible without feeling tiredness or dizziness of the eyes.

The distance D _F between the actual screen RS and the virtual image of the stereoscopic image can be increased up to 1.2 m at the front side I _F and 4.5 m at the rear side I _R in the case where the viewing distance is 3 m, Even if the depth of the stereoscopic image is deeply adjusted to thereby increase the stereoscopic effect of the image, the viewer can watch the stereoscopic image for a long time without the fatigue or dizziness of the eyes. In Fig. 8, when the viewing distance is 3 m, the stereoscopic effect of the image can be increased, so that the data shift value L _D becomes larger. Also, when the left eye and right eye images are completely overlapped and viewed as one image, the distance (W ₂ ) from the actual image to the virtual image of the stereoscopic image becomes long.

9 is a block diagram illustrating a stereoscopic image display apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The stereoscopic image display device of the present invention can be applied to a liquid crystal display (LCD), a field emission display (FED), a plasma display panel (PDP), an organic light emitting diode Diodes, and OLEDs). Although the present invention has been described with reference to liquid crystal display elements in the following embodiments, it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to liquid crystal display elements. In addition, the stereoscopic image display apparatus of the present invention can be realized by a time division method like the shutter glasses method of FIG. 1, a space division method such as the polarized glasses method of FIG. 2, and a time and space division method.

9, the stereoscopic image display apparatus of the present invention includes a display panel 10, a distance sensor 20, a liquid crystal shutter glasses 30, a display panel driver 110, a data shift unit 120, A control signal receiving unit 130, a liquid crystal shutter glasses control signal transmitting unit 140, a timing controller 150, and a system board 160.

The display panel 10 alternately displays the left eye image data and the right eye image data under the control of the timing controller 150. The display panel 10 may display two-dimensional image data without any distinction between the left eye image and the right eye image under the control of the timing controller 150. [ The display panel 10 can be selected as a hold-type display element requiring a backlight unit. As the hold-type display element, a transmissive liquid crystal display panel which modulates light from the backlight unit may be selected.

The transmissive liquid crystal display panel includes a thin film transistor (hereinafter referred to as "TFT") substrate and a color filter substrate. A liquid crystal layer is formed between the TFT substrate and the color filter substrate. On the TFT substrate, data lines and gate lines (or scan lines) are formed to intersect each other on a lower glass substrate, and liquid crystal cells are arranged in a matrix form in cell regions defined by data lines and gate lines do. The TFT formed at the intersection of the data lines and the gate lines transmits a data voltage supplied to the pixel electrode of the liquid crystal cell via the data lines in response to a scan pulse from the gate line. To this end, the gate electrode of the TFT is connected to the gate line, and the source electrode is connected to the data line. The drain electrode of the TFT is connected to the pixel electrode of the liquid crystal cell. A common voltage is supplied to the common electrode facing the pixel electrode. The color filter substrate includes a black matrix and a color filter formed on the upper glass substrate. The common electrode is formed on the upper glass substrate in a vertical electric field driving method such as a TN (Twisted Nematic) mode and a VA (Vertical Alignment) mode, and a horizontal electric field such as IPS (In Plane Switching) mode and FFS (Fringe Field Switching) Is formed on the lower glass substrate together with the pixel electrode in the driving method. In each of the upper glass substrate and the lower glass substrate of the transmissive liquid crystal display panel, a polarizing plate is attached and an alignment film for setting a pre-tilt angle of the liquid crystal is formed. A spacer for maintaining a cell gap of the liquid crystal layer is formed between the upper glass substrate and the lower glass substrate of the transmissive liquid crystal display panel. The liquid crystal mode of the transmissive liquid crystal display panel can be implemented not only in the TN mode, the VA mode, the IPS mode, and the FFS mode, but also in any liquid crystal mode.

The display panel driving unit 110 includes a data driving circuit and a gate driving circuit. The data driving circuit converts the data of the left eye image and the right eye image, which are input from the timing controller 150 in the three-dimensional image, to positive / negative gamma compensation voltages to generate positive / negative analog data voltages. The positive / negative polarity analog data voltages output from the data driving circuit are supplied to the data lines of the display panel 10. The gate driving circuit sequentially supplies gate pulses (or scan pulses) synchronized with the data voltage to the gate lines of the display panel 10. [

A backlight unit may be disposed behind the display panel 10. The backlight unit illuminates the display panel 10 for a predetermined period of time, and extinguishes the light for another period. The backlight unit includes a light source, a light guide plate (or diffusion plate), and a plurality of optical sheets that are turned on in accordance with the driving power supplied from the backlight unit driving unit. The backlight unit may be implemented as a direct type backlight unit or an edge type backlight unit. The light sources of the backlight unit may include any one of a light source of HCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp), CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp), EEFL (External Electrode Fluorescent Lamp), LED .

The backlight unit driving unit generates driving power for lighting the light sources of the backlight unit. The backlight unit driving unit periodically turns on / off the driving power supplied to the light sources.

The distance sensor 20 measures the distance between the viewer and the display panel 10. The distance sensor 20 may be implemented by any one of an infrared distance sensor, a laser distance sensor, and an ultrasonic distance sensor which are currently being commercialized. The distance measured by the distance sensor 20 is converted into distance data D _D and output to the data shifting unit 120.

The data shifting unit 120 receives distance data D _D from the distance sensor 20 and receives RGB data RGB from the system board 160. The data shifting unit 120 receives the RGB data of the two-dimensional image in the 2D mode and the RGB data of the left and right eye images of the three-dimensional image in the 3D mode.

In the 2D mode, the data shifting unit 120 outputs the input RGB data to the timing controller 150 as it is. In the 3D mode, the data shifting unit 120 shifts the left and right eye images of the input left and right eye images in units of pixels of the display panel according to the distance data D _D. The RGB data RGB 'of the left-eye and right-eye images shifted by the data shift unit 120 are output to the timing controller 150. A detailed description of the data shifting unit 120 will be given later with reference to FIG.

The liquid crystal shutter glasses 30 are provided with an electrically controlled left eye shutter ST _L and a right eye shutter ST _R. Each of the left eye shutter ST _L and the right eye shutter ST _R includes a first transparent substrate, a first transparent electrode formed on the first transparent substrate, a second transparent substrate, a second transparent electrode formed on the second transparent substrate, 1 and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched on the second transparent substrate. A reference voltage is supplied to the first transparent electrode and an ON / OFF voltage is supplied to the second transparent electrode. Each of the left eye shutter ST _L and the right eye shutter ST _R transmits the light from the display panel 10 when the ON voltage is supplied to the second transparent electrode while when the OFF voltage is supplied to the second transparent electrode And blocks light from the display panel 10.

The liquid crystal shutter glasses control signal transmitting unit 140 is connected to the timing controller 150 and transmits the liquid crystal shutter glasses control signal C _ST inputted from the timing controller 150 to the liquid crystal shutter glasses control signal receiving unit 130 . The liquid crystal shutter glasses control signal receiving unit 130 is installed in the liquid crystal shutter glasses 30 and receives the liquid crystal shutter control signal C _ST through the wireless interface and outputs the liquid crystal shutter control signal C _ST in accordance with the liquid crystal shutter control signal C _ST . (ST _L ) and the right-eye shutter (ST _R ) of the shutter unit 30 are alternately opened and closed.

When the liquid crystal shutter control signal C _ST is input to the liquid crystal shutter control signal receiving unit 130 with the first logic value, the ON voltage is supplied to the second transparent electrode of the left eye shutter ST _L , while the right eye shutter ST _R is supplied with an OFF voltage. When the liquid crystal shutter control signal C _ST is input to the liquid crystal shutter control signal receiving unit 130 with the second logic value, the OFF voltage is supplied to the second transparent electrode of the left eye shutter ST _L while the right eye shutter ST _R ) is supplied with the ON voltage. Therefore, the left eye shutter ST _L of the liquid crystal shutter glasses 30 is opened when the liquid crystal shutter control signal C _ST is generated as the first logical value, and the right eye shutter ST _R of the liquid crystal shutter glasses 30 is opened And is opened when the liquid crystal shutter control signal C _ST is generated as the second logic value. The first logic value may be set to a High logic voltage, and the second logic value may be set to a High logic voltage.

The display panel control signal C _DIS includes a data control signal for controlling the operation timing of the data driving circuit and a gate control signal for controlling the operation timing of the gate driving circuit. The data control signal includes a source start pulse (SSP), a source sampling clock (SSC), a source output enable (SOE) signal, a polarity control signal (POL) The source start pulse SSP controls the data sampling start timing of the data driving circuit. The source sampling clock is a clock signal that controls the sampling operation of the data driving circuit based on the rising or falling edge. The source start pulse SSP and the source sampling clock SSC may be omitted if the digital video data to be input to the data driving circuit is transmitted in the mini LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling) interface standard. The polarity control signal POL inverts the polarity of the data voltage output from the data driving circuit to L (L is a positive integer) horizontal period period. The source output enable signal SOE controls the output timing of the data driving circuit.

The gate control signal includes a gate start pulse (GSP), a gate shift clock (GSC), a gate output enable signal (GOE), and the like. The gate start pulse (GSP) controls the timing of the first gate pulse. The gate shift clock GSC is a clock signal for shifting the gate start pulse GSP. The gate output enable signal GOE controls the output timing of the gate drive circuit.

The timing controller 150 outputs the liquid crystal shutter glasses control signal C _ST to the liquid crystal shutter glasses control signal transmission unit 140. The liquid crystal shutter glasses control signal C _ST is transmitted to the liquid crystal shutter glasses control signal receiving unit 130 to alternately open and close the left eye shutter ST _L and the right eye shutter ST _{R of the} liquid crystal shutter glasses 30.

The timing controller 150 outputs a backlight unit control signal to the backlight unit driving unit. The backlight unit control signal controls the backlight unit driving unit to periodically turn on and off the light sources of the backlight unit.

The system board 160 converts the resolution of the image data RGB input from the outside into the resolution of the display panel 10 and outputs various timing signals Vsync, Hsync, DE, and CLK to the timing controller 150, Lt; / RTI >

10 is a block diagram showing the data shifting unit of FIG. 9 in detail. Referring to FIG. 10, the data shifting unit 120 includes a 3D look-up table 121. The data shifting unit 120 receives RGB data (RGB) of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image and a 2D / 3D separation signal (S _{2D / 3D} ) from the system board 160. Further, the data shifting unit 120 receives the distance data D _D from the distance sensor 20.

The data shifting unit 120 can determine whether the RGB data (RGB) input through the 2D / 3D separation signal S _{2D / 3D} is a two-dimensional image or a three-dimensional image. When the RGB data of the two-dimensional image is input, the data shifting unit 120 outputs the RGB data to the timing controller 150 without conversion. The data shifting unit 120 outputs the distance data D _D to the 3D look-up table 121 when the RGB data of the three-dimensional image is input.

The 3D look-up table 121 receives the distance data D _D and outputs the data shift value L _D of the left eye and right eye images stored at the input address. The larger the data shift value (L _D ), the smaller the left eye image and the right eye image are overlapped. As the data shift value (L _D ) is smaller, the left eye image and the right eye image are overlapped so much that the stereoscopic effect is reduced. The data shift value L _D can be derived as shown in Equation (5).

In Equation (5), L _D denotes a data shift value,? Denotes a weight, and L _W denotes a viewing distance. As shown in Equation (5), the data shift value L _D varies in proportion to the viewing distance L _W. The weight a can be determined through a preliminary experiment.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the closer the viewing distance L _W is, the smaller the stereoscopic effect is, so that the viewer does not feel fatigue or dizziness in the eyes, so the data shift value L _D has a small value. Even if the viewing distance L _W is longer and the stereoscopic effect of the image is larger, the viewer can watch the image without fatigue or dizziness for a long time, so that the data shift value L _D has a large value.

The 3D look-up table 121 outputs the data shift value L _D of the left eye and right eye images to the data shifting unit 120 and the data shifting unit 120 shifts the left eye image by the data shift value L _D Shift to the left, and shift the right eye image to the right. The left eye and right eye RGB data (RGB ') shifted by the data shift unit 120 are output to the timing controller 150.

In addition, the data shift unit 120 may not include the 3D look-up table 121. In this case, the calculation of Equation (5) is performed in real time with respect to the inputted distance data (D _D ), and the left eye and right eye images are shifted by the data shift value (L _D ) calculated by the calculation.

11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of driving a stereoscopic image display apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. A method of driving a stereoscopic image display apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 9 and 10. Fig.

Referring to FIG. 11, when RGB data (RGB) is input, it is determined whether RGB data of a two-dimensional image or RGB data of a three-dimensional image. The data shifting unit 120 can determine whether the RGB data (RGB) input through the 2D / 3D separation signal S _{2D / 3D} is a two-dimensional image or a three-dimensional image. When the RGB data of the two-dimensional image is input, the data shifting unit 120 outputs the RGB data to the timing controller 150 without conversion. (S101, S102)

When the RGB data of the three-dimensional image is inputted, the distance sensor 20 measures the distance between the display panel 10 and the viewer. The distance sensor 20 converts the measured distance into distance data D _D and outputs the distance data D _D to the data shifting unit 120. (S103)

The data shifting unit 120 receives the distance data D _D and outputs data shift values L _D of the left eye and right eye images according to the distance data D _D. The data shift value L _D may be stored in the 3D look-up table 121 or may be calculated by performing the operation of Equation 5 in real time in the data shifting unit 120. When the data shift value L _D is stored in the 3D look-up table 121, the 3D look-up table 121 receives the distance data D _{D and} stores the left and right eye images And outputs the data shift value L _D. (S104)

The data shifting unit 120 shifts the pixel data of the left eye image to the left by the data shift value L _D and shifts the pixel data of the right eye image to the right. The left eye and right eye RGB data (RGB ') shifted by the data shift unit 120 are output to the timing controller 150. (S105)

The RGB data RGB 'of the two-dimensional or three-dimensional image outputted from the data shifting unit 120 is outputted to the display panel driving unit 110 by the timing controller 150. The gate driver and the data driver display the RGB data (RGB ') of the two-dimensional or three-dimensional image on the display panel. (S106)

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to the details described in the detailed description, but should be defined by the claims.

10: display panel 20: distance sensor
30: liquid crystal shutter glasses 110: display panel driver
120: data shifting unit 130: liquid crystal shutter glasses control signal receiving unit
140: liquid crystal shutter glasses control signal transmission unit 150: timing controller
160: System board
L _W : Viewing distance L _F , L _R : Distance between eye and virtual image
I _F , I _R : virtual image of stereoscopic image L _D : data shift value
D _F , D _R : Distance between the real screen (RS) and the virtual image

Claims (8)

A display panel for displaying the left eye image and the right eye image in a time-division manner;
A distance sensor for measuring a distance between a viewer and the display panel and outputting the result as distance data;
A data shifting unit for calculating a data shift value from the distance data and shifting pixel data of the left eye image and the right eye image in opposite directions by the data shift value; And
And a display panel driver for displaying the pixel data that is data-shifted by the data shift unit on the display panel. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the data shift value is proportional to the distance data. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the data shifting unit comprises:
And a 3D look-up table for receiving the distance data and outputting the data shift value stored at the input address. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the data shifting unit comprises:
And calculates the data shift value by performing an arithmetic operation on the distance data in real time. A stereoscopic image display apparatus comprising a display panel for displaying a left eye image and a right eye image in a time-division manner,
Measuring the distance between the viewer and the display panel and outputting the result as distance data;
Calculating a data shift value from the distance data and shifting the pixel data of the left eye image and the right eye image in directions opposite to each other by the data shift value; And
And displaying the data shifted pixel data on the display panel. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the data shift value is proportional to the distance data. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the step of calculating the data shift value from the distance data and shifting the pixel data of the left eye image and the right eye image in opposite directions by the data shift value,
And outputting the data shift value stored in the input address in the 3D look-up table. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the step of calculating the data shift value from the distance data and shifting the pixel data of the left eye image and the right eye image in opposite directions by the data shift value,
And calculating the data shift value by performing an operation on the distance data in real time.

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