JPH10172004A - 3D image display method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] A stereoscopic image display method for continuously and smoothly transitioning to non-stereoscopic display and stereoscopic vision. SOLUTION: In a three-dimensional image display device which displays a composite image of a right-eye image and a left-eye image to give an observer a three-dimensional effect, a right-eye image 704 and a left-eye image 7 are provided.
Two images for the left and right eyes using image separation and input means 709 for separating and inputting the image 05 into the right and left eyes to reproduce a stereoscopic image, and three-dimensional computer graphics for generating a captured image from information describing the three-dimensional space by a computer And a display state transition unit 706 capable of transitioning to a non-stereoscopic display and a stereoscopic display state based on a change in the amount of parallax between the two left and right images. Is continuously and smoothly performed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stereoscopic image which displays an image having a three-dimensional effect by using two images having parallax generated by three-dimensional computer graphics, and which is considered so as to be accepted by a viewer without discomfort. It concerns display.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a stereoscopic display apparatus for giving a stereoscopic effect to an observer, an apparatus using a method in which images for the right eye and the left eye with parallax are separated and input to the corresponding right and left eyes, respectively, has been widely used.

As a method of separating and inputting the left and right images of these stereoscopic display devices, a glasses system using a polarized light or a liquid crystal shutter, a lenticular lens system using a cylindrical lens array on a display surface, and the like are known. As a feature of the glasses system, the left and right images are displayed on the stereoscopic display device in a time-division manner, and the left and right images are alternately displayed on the display surface of the display device. Then, the polarization state of the liquid crystal shutter placed on the front of the display screen is alternately switched in synchronization with the switching of the left and right images. On the other hand, the observer can separate and input the left and right images into the right and left eyes by wearing polarized glasses having different left and right polarization states.

In the lenticular system, the left and right images are arranged with a special arrangement on the display surface, and the left and right images are optically separated by a columnar lens array placed on the front surface of the display surface. It is devised to enter.

[0005] The following two types of images are usually mainly used as images of these three-dimensional display devices. (1) Natural images taken by cameras placed at two different positions. (2) Computer graphics (CG) images obtained by rendering from two different viewpoints using three-dimensional computer graphics.

The rendering in this case refers to a process in which a computer generates a two-dimensional image in consideration of three-dimensional shape data and a viewpoint position. In this case, the parallax amount is fixed at the time of shooting. Instead of a natural image, a CG image (2) in which the amount of parallax can be arbitrarily controlled at the time of image generation is assumed.

At present, computer graphics are
It is widely used in many software such as AD design, games, and simulations, and stereoscopic display devices are beginning to be used in these fields. In the future, the use of stereoscopic display devices is expected to become more and more widespread in terms of improving the sense of presence and understanding of space.

[0008] Such three-dimensional computer graphics have a feature that a photographed image can be obtained from an arbitrary viewpoint based on three-dimensional shape data. It is now possible to generate images using computer graphics in real time.

Originally, the principle by which a person can obtain a three-dimensional effect with a three-dimensional display device is well known. However, looking back on FIG.
Numeral 1 920 is a view of the observer and the stereoscopic display device 950 as viewed from above. When a human observes an object in a three-dimensional space, as shown at 910 in FIG.
Adjust to cross at 30. This operation is equivalent to matching the positions of the left and right images on the retina of the left and right eyes,
This operation is called "fusion". In addition, since the lens of the eyeball is adjusted so that the image of the object of interest forms on the retina, that is, it tries to focus on the object of interest, these actions are induced by humans to give a three-dimensional effect. is there.

That is, the observer adjusts the optical axis of the eyeball in FIG. 9 in order to fuse the two images having parallax in the left and right eyes.
Control is performed as shown in FIG. As a result, it is felt that an object exists at point 940 as a point where the optical axes intersect. The three-dimensional display device handled here is of a type utilizing such fusion.

[0011]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, stereoscopic vision is performed based on the principle of three-dimensional effect called fusion. However, the human eye usually focuses on the object position in focus and the object performing fusion. The positions match as shown by 910 in FIG. 11, but when stereoscopic viewing is performed by the stereoscopic display device, the in-focus position and the fusion position as shown by 920 in FIG. 940 is different from the display surface 950 in a physiologically unnatural state.

As described above, the stereoscopic vision by the above-described stereoscopic display device, which simulates the stereoscopic effect perceived by a human in a real three-dimensional world, is suitable for a person who easily feels uncomfortable due to individual differences or an unnatural stereoscopic vision. On the other hand, some people who tend to have a strong rejection reaction have a problem that some observers may find it difficult to perform stereoscopic vision or cannot enter stereoscopic vision.

In the conventional three-dimensional display method, two images having parallax are displayed on the three-dimensional display device from the beginning.
When the observer gazes at the stereoscopic display device, the observer is forced to enter a stereoscopic viewing state. In consideration of this method, the stereoscopic display device responds softly to the observer by suppressing sudden and discontinuous changes from the physiologically natural gaze state to the physiologically unnatural gaze state of the stereoscopic image. However, since there is no interface for quietly inviting the user to the stereoscopic image environment, there is a problem that the observer can unilaterally bear the effort to physiologically follow and adapt to the discontinuous change in the gaze state.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is as follows.
Using a three-dimensional computer graphic, a photographed image from an arbitrary viewpoint can be instantaneously generated, and a transition to a physiologically natural non-stereoscopic display and a stereoscopic state can be performed continuously, more easily and more human-friendly. It is to provide a stereoscopic image display method.

[0015] Further, the object of the invention described in claim 2 is that, in addition to the object of the above-described claim 1, the observer can freely change the bidirectional display between the non-stereoscopic display and the stereoscopic viewing state by himself / herself. It is an object of the present invention to provide a stereoscopic image display method that can perform the method.

Further, the object of the invention described in claim 3 is, in addition to the object of the above-mentioned claim 1, automatically gentle so that the observer is not conscious of the transition to the non-stereoscopic display and the stereoscopic viewing state. It is to provide a stereoscopic image display method that can be performed.

It is still another object of the present invention to perform the transition to the non-stereoscopic display and the stereoscopic viewing state by continuously changing the amount of parallax between the left and right images according to a predetermined ratio. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a stereoscopic image display method capable of smoothing a transition feeling given to an observer without discomfort.

[0018]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a combined image of a right-eye image and a left-eye image is displayed to provide an observer with a three-dimensional effect. In the three-dimensional image display device, image separation and input means for separating and inputting the right-eye image and the left-eye image to the right eye and the left eye respectively to reproduce a three-dimensional image, and information describing a three-dimensional space by a computer Stereoscopic image generating means for generating the two images for the right eye and the left eye using three-dimensional computer graphics for generating a captured image from
A display state transition unit capable of transitioning between a two-dimensional display state without parallax and a stereoscopic display state by a change in the amount of parallax between the two left and right images to continuously change the amount of parallax between the two left and right images. A stereoscopic image display method characterized by continuously and smoothly transitioning between a display state having a parallax amount of zero and a display state having a finite parallax.

According to this configuration, the transition to non-stereoscopic display and stereoscopic vision can be performed continuously and smoothly for the sense of the observer.

According to another configuration for realizing the object of the invention according to the present application, in the stereoscopic image display method according to the first aspect, the continuous transition between the two display states is performed. A three-dimensional image display method characterized by being executed at an arbitrary timing required by an observer.

According to this configuration, even if the observer loses the stereoscopic vision state for some reason while watching the display device, the viewer can easily return to the stereoscopic vision state.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a continuous transition from non-stereoscopic display to stereoscopic display is performed in the stereoscopic image display method according to claim 1. Is automatically detected by detecting that the observer is seated in front of the display device.

According to this configuration, the observer can be automatically immersed in the stereoscopic image environment without being conscious.

In a specific configuration for realizing the object of the invention according to the present application, as described in claim 4, the display state transition means is provided with a viewpoint to be given to right-eye and left-eye rendering by the three-dimensional image generation means. The stereoscopic image display method according to claim 1, wherein the transition control is performed by controlling the position data.

According to this configuration, the amount of parallax between the left and right images can be changed by changing the viewpoint position data when the right-eye and left-eye images are generated by rendering.

According to another specific configuration for realizing the object of the invention according to the present application, the control of the viewpoint position data is performed based on the parallax amount L = 0 from the planar display state. Equation L ′ = L + for changing the amount of parallax based on the amount change rate d
d, and the viewpoint position for the right eye PR = (X
R, YR, ZR) and the line-of-sight position PL = (XL,
5. The stereoscopic display method according to claim 1, wherein, while changing the data of (YL, ZL), the increased parallax amount L ′ is continuously increased until an end condition is satisfied.

According to this configuration, the amount of parallax between the left and right images is changed according to the equation L '= L + d, and at the same time, the coordinate data (XR, YR, ZR) of the corresponding left and right eye viewpoint positions.
= PR, (XL, YL, ZL) = PL
Images with different left and right viewpoint positions can be generated to reproduce a stereoscopic image.

According to another specific configuration for realizing the object of the invention according to the present application, as set forth in claim 6, the viewpoint position data is located on the X axis from the viewpoint origin PO in a common viewpoint coordinate system. The stereoscopic image display method according to claim 5, wherein coordinates obtained by adding + L and -L are determined as a right-eye viewpoint position PR and a left-eye viewpoint position PL.

According to this configuration, each viewpoint position can be set on the left and right on the X axis centering on the viewpoint origin PO.

[0030]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 10 are diagrams according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The present embodiment is executed on a lenticular-type three-dimensional display device and a computer for three-dimensional computer graphics, which demonstrate the three-dimensional image display method of the present invention. Will be explained.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a stereoscopic display device used for verifying a stereoscopic image display method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a lenticular lens type stereoscopic display device, in which the relationship between displayed left and right images and the lenticular lens is shown in a top view. The left and right images 203 alternately arranged on the display surface 201 are separated in the left and right directions by the effect of the lenticular lens 202, and are separately incident on the left and right eyes of the observer.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of image synthesis in the stereoscopic display device shown in FIG. This method of separating and inputting the left and right images has already been put to practical use and is well known, and will be described below with reference to FIG. The left and right images 301 and 302 are alternately arranged in the vertical direction for each pixel, and one combined image 303 is created.

Further, when a stereoscopic display device of a system in which the left and right images are switched in a time-division manner is used, there is no particular need for the image synthesizing process. Further, in the method using the interlace scan of the display, a procedure for combining the left and right images in the horizontal direction is required.

Although the lenticular lens system has been described as the stereoscopic display device of the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the left and right images having parallax are separately input to the corresponding left and right eyes, respectively. The present invention can be applied to any three-dimensional device of a type that obtains a three-dimensional effect by using a human fusion operation.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a computer connected to the stereoscopic display device shown in FIG. A storage device 404 of the computer 403 shown in FIG. 3 stores a program for generating a stereoscopic image, and is executed by the CPU 405. The stereoscopic image is generated in the image memory 406 and output to the stereoscopic display device 402.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process for generating a computer graphics image by the computer shown in FIG.

As to the method of generating a CG image by using these three-dimensional computer graphics, there are various methods which have already been put to practical use and are well known.
Here, the description will be made based on a method called polygon rendering in which only the surface of the polygon is drawn from the shape data composed of polygons. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Various rendering techniques can be used. Hereinafter, images generated by three-dimensional computer graphics are referred to as C
It is abbreviated as G image.

The polygon rendering is based on three-dimensional shape data defined as a set of polygons (S50).
1) A CG image is generated through the respective processing steps shown in FIG.

First, the movement, rotation, and deformation of an object are expressed by local / world conversion, also called modeling conversion (S502). Next, an illumination calculation for giving an illumination effect to the object is performed. Specifically, the surface luminance value is calculated for each polygon from the normal vector and the illumination vector of the polygon (S503).

As the field of view conversion, the space defined in S502 is further converted into a coordinate system using the viewpoint position as the origin in consideration of the viewpoint position and the line of sight (S504). Subsequently, the three-dimensional object information is projected onto a two-dimensional projection plane as shown in FIG. 5 illustrating the projection processing onto the two-dimensional plane in FIG. 4 (S5).
05). After the projection, the polygon given as a two-dimensional figure is decomposed into scanning lines, and pixels inside the polygon are filled (S
506), a CG image is generated on the image memory.

A program for generating a CG image using such three-dimensional computer graphics is called a three-dimensional graphic library, and a software creator usually uses such a common three-dimensional graphic library to execute software. Create Currently 3
OpenGL and P
HIGS and the like are known and widely used. Recently, three-dimensional graphic libraries that can be used in personal computers have begun to spread. Also in the case of the present embodiment, the CG image generation unit performs processing using such a three-dimensional graphic library.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a system for demonstrating the stereoscopic image display method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 most specifically shows the configuration of the stereoscopic image display system according to the embodiment of the present invention.
Reference numeral 01 denotes a three-dimensional CG image generation unit that generates a CG image using a three-dimensional graphic library. The three-dimensional CG image generation unit 701 receives the three-dimensional object shape data 702 and the left and right viewpoint position (parallax) data 703 as input, performs rendering twice for right eye and left eye, and generates CG images 704 and 705 for right eye and left eye. Generate.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram when the viewpoint position data shown in FIG. 6 is determined.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 7, the coordinates obtained by adding + L and -L to the X axis from the viewpoint origin PO801 in the common viewpoint coordinate system are used as the right-eye viewpoint position PR802 and the left-eye viewpoint position PL803, respectively. I do. That is, PR and PL are determined according to the following equation 1.

PL = (XL, YL, ZL) = (− L, 0, 0) PR = (XR, YR, ZR) = (L, 0, 0) (1) Also, the line-of-sight direction and above the projection plane A vector defining Va
For t804 and Vup805, the same thing is used for the right eye and the left eye.

The viewpoint position data 703 shown in FIG.
2D / 3D for controlling transition when executing D / 3D transition operation
It is controlled by the transfer control unit 706. Further, the image obtained by performing the left and right rendering twice is synthesized by the image synthesizing unit 707 by the synthesizing method described above, generated in the image memory 708, and output to the stereoscopic display device 709.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the transition operation of the 2D / 3D transition control section shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram that best illustrates the contents of the present invention. The sequence of the 2D / 3D transition operation, which is the core of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIGS.

The 2D / 3D transition operation is a continuous transition operation from non-stereoscopic display without parallax, which is a feature of the present invention, to stereoscopic vision with parallax. The 2D / 3D transition control unit 706 initializes a variable L representing the amount of parallax to zero (S901). The left and right viewpoint positions are correspondingly arranged at the same point (S902).

Next, the CG image generation unit 701 generates an image based on the left and right viewpoint positions and the shape data (S90).
3). The generated left and right CG images are configured by the image combining unit 707 (S904) and displayed on the stereoscopic display device 709 (S9).
05). However, in this state, since the same left and right images are generated on the stereoscopic display device 709, the observer is observing a normal planar image.

Subsequently, the parallax amount L is increased according to the following equation: L '= L + d (2) where L': increased Ld: the rate of change of the parallax amount (change rate) (S906). The left and right viewpoint positions are also changed according to the equation (1), and S902 to S906 are repeated until the end condition of the parallax amount L> Lmax is satisfied (S90).
7).

In this case, the ratio d for changing the amount of parallax and the target parallax value Lmax may be appropriately selected.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the transition from the planar display state without parallax to the stereoscopic display state is performed as follows.
It can be performed smoothly continuously.

In the present embodiment, the 2D / 3D transition operation is performed in response to the operation of the input device by the observer, and the observer can arbitrarily transition between non-stereoscopic display and stereoscopic view by operating the input device. However, it is detected that the observer is seated in front of the stereoscopic display device by a detector (for example, a switch attached to a chair), and the shift operation shown in FIG. 8 is automatically started. May be configured.

Next, a three-dimensional image of a result actually obtained by the 2D / 3D transition control as shown in FIG. 8 is shown.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a stereoscopic image obtained by the 2D / 3D transition control shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a diagram when the parallax amount of the stereoscopic image shown in FIG. 9 is increased.

FIG. 9A is a two-dimensional display image when the amount of parallax L = 0.0, and FIG. 9B is a stereoscopic display image when L = 0.004. FIG. 10A shows L =
The stereoscopic display image when further increased to 0.008, FIG.
(B) is a stereoscopic display image when L is increased to 0.012, and shows a state in which a two-dimensional image is continuously shifted to a three-dimensional image as the parallax amount L increases.

As described above, when L is gradually increased continuously from the state of L = 0, L = L as shown in FIG.
It is possible to smoothly change from a plane image of 0 to a complete stereoscopic display image as shown in FIG.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, whether the operation is started by the observer's operation of the input device or automatically started so as not to make the observer aware, Since the 2D / 3D transition operation is configured to be continuously and smoothly transition-controlled, even a woman can experience a stereoscopic image environment without feeling too much of a burden.

(Correspondence between Claims and Embodiments) The image separation and input means refers to the lenticular lens type stereoscopic display device shown in FIG. 1. However, the present invention is not limited to the lenticular lens type, and is not limited to the lenticular type. Most of the stereoscopic display devices are included.

The three-dimensional image generating means mainly corresponds to the operation of the three-dimensional CG image generating unit shown in FIG. 6, and more specifically, the computer graphics shown in FIG. Although the CG image generation operation shown in the flowchart is included, the CG image generation is not limited to polygon rendering, and various generation methods can be applied.

The display state transition means is the center of the present invention, and is controlled by the 2D / 3D transition control section shown in FIG.
The processing of the flowchart shown in FIG.

(Other Embodiments) Up to this point, the 2D / 3D transition control of the stereoscopic image display method has been carried out mainly by a method in which the observer operates the input device without making the observer aware. Although the explanation was made separately from the method of automatically starting, when actually trying to configure a stereoscopic display device, the automatic start method was mainly used, and the priority was given to interrupt switching by the manual operation of the observer. Are considered as the most common-sense systems, but these are, of course, configurations within the scope of the present invention.

In addition, C is actually based on CG image generation.
In the world of AD design, games, and simulations, depending on the situation (for example, the X-axis with low relevance of Z-axis data,
(Linearity data such as dimensions in the up and down directions in the Y-axis direction, the number of stacks, etc.) If the two-dimensional display is clearer, a method of switching the three-dimensional display to the two-dimensional display screen and comparing and confirming it is Although it is frequently used, the 2D / 3D transition control of the present invention can be applied not only at the start of stereoscopic image display but also during such operations as 3D → 2D → 3D → 2D → 3D. It can reduce the physiological burden on the observer and improve efficiency.

[0068]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the image separation input means for separating and inputting the images for the left and right eyes, respectively, and the three-dimensional computer graphics three-dimensional image generation means. And a display state shifting means for changing the amount of parallax between the left and right two images, so that the amount of parallax is continuously changed from a planar display of zero to a state of stereoscopic vision. The display and the transition to the unnatural stereoscopic state can be performed continuously, easily and gently by a person.

Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention,
Since the continuous transition between the two display states of the two-dimensional display state and the stereoscopic view state can be executed at any timing required by the observer, in addition to the effect of claim 1, the observer can make his or her own The transition to the non-stereoscopic display and the stereoscopic display state can be freely performed by a manual operation at will.

Further, according to the third aspect of the present invention, a continuous transition from non-stereoscopic display to stereoscopic viewing is automatically performed. It becomes possible to automatically and gently perform the transition to the display and the stereoscopic view so as not to make the observer aware.

Further, according to the fourth to sixth aspects of the present invention, the parallax amount L is increased according to the change rate d,
Since the transition to the non-stereoscopic display and the stereoscopic view is performed while updating the viewpoint position data PR and PL of the rendering for the right eye, the sense given to the observer at the time of the transition given to the observer can be made smoother without any incongruity. The shift to stereoscopic display and stereoscopic vision can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a stereoscopic display device used for demonstrating a stereoscopic image display method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of image synthesis by the stereoscopic display device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a computer connected to the stereoscopic display device shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process for generating a computer graphics image by the computer shown in FIG. 3;

5 is an explanatory diagram of a projection process onto a two-dimensional plane shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a system that demonstrates a stereoscopic image display method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7 is an explanatory diagram of a method for determining viewpoint position data shown in FIG. 6;

8 is a flowchart of the operation of the 2D / 3D transition control unit shown in FIG.

9 is a diagram illustrating a stereoscopic image obtained by the 2D / 3D transition control illustrated in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a diagram when the amount of parallax of the stereoscopic image shown in FIG. 9 is increased.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the principle of conventional stereoscopic vision.

[Explanation of symbols]

 201 display surface 202 lenticular lens 203 synthetic image 401 input device 402 stereoscopic image display device 403 computer 404 stereoscopic image generation unit program 405 CPU 406 708 image memory 701 three-dimensional CG image generation unit 702 three-dimensional shape data 703 right and left viewpoint position data 704 right eye CG image 705 for left eye CG image 706 for 2D / 3D transition control section 707 Image synthesis section 709 Stereoscopic display device

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A stereoscopic image display device for displaying a composite image of a right-eye image and a left-eye image to give a three-dimensional effect to an observer, wherein the right-eye image and the left-eye image are respectively displayed on the right and left eyes. The two images for the right eye and the left eye are generated using image separation input means for reproducing a three-dimensional image by separating and inputting, and three-dimensional computer graphics for generating a photographed image from information describing a three-dimensional space by a computer. A stereoscopic image generating unit; and a display state transition unit capable of transitioning to a two-dimensional display state without parallax and a stereoscopic display state due to a change in the amount of parallax between the two left and right images. Is continuously changed so as to continuously and smoothly transition between a display state having a parallax amount of zero and a display state having a finite parallax. 2. The three-dimensional image display method according to claim 1, wherein a continuous transition between the two display states is performed at an arbitrary timing requested by an observer. 3. The stereoscopic image display method according to claim 1, wherein a continuous transition from non-stereoscopic display to stereoscopic display is automatically performed by detecting that an observer is seated in front of the display device. Stereoscopic image display method. 4. The stereoscopic image display according to claim 1, wherein the display state transition unit controls transition by controlling viewpoint position data given to right-eye and left-eye rendering by the stereoscopic image generation unit. Method. 5. The method of controlling the viewpoint position data, comprising:
= 0, the parallax amount is increased based on the parallax amount change rate d in accordance with the equation L '= L + d, and the right eye viewpoint position PR = (XR, YR, ZR) and the left eye viewpoint position PL 5. The stereoscopic image display method according to claim 1, wherein, while changing data of = (XL, YL, ZL), the increased amount of parallax L 'is continuously increased until an end condition is satisfied. 6. The viewpoint position data, wherein coordinates obtained by adding + L and −L on the X axis from the viewpoint origin PO in a common viewpoint coordinate system are determined as a right-eye viewpoint position PR and a left-eye viewpoint position PL. The stereoscopic image display method according to claim 5, characterized in that: