Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Graphic manipulation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-21
2002-04-09
Luu, Matthew (Department: 2672)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Graphic manipulation
Reexamination Certificate
active
06369831
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a picture data generating method and apparatus for processing data of a string of parallax images composed of plural pictures containing the parallax information with parallax conversion to generate data of a new string of parallax images.
2. Description of the Related Art
A holographic stereogram is prepared by sequentially recording a large number of pictures, as original image, obtained on sequentially imaging an object from plural viewing points, on a sole recording medium for hologram as strip-shaped or dot-shaped elementary holograms.
For producing a holographic stereogram having the parallax information only in the horizontal direction, an object
100
is imaged sequentially from different viewing points in the horizontal direction to produce a string of parallax images
101
which is made up of plural images
102
having the parallax information in the horizontal direction. The images
102
making up this string of parallax images
101
are sequentially recorded as strip-shaped elementary holograms on a hologram recording medium
103
so that the images will be contiguous to one another in the horizontal direction. This gives a holographic stereogram having the parallax information in the horizontal direction.
With this holographic stereogram, the information of plural images
102
, obtained on sequentially imaging from different viewing points arrayed in the horizontal direction, is sequentially recorded as strip-shaped elementary holograms in a horizontally contiguous row of images. Thus, if a viewer observes the holographic stereogram with both eyes, the two-dimensional pictures as seen by the left and right eyes differ slightly from each other because of the slight difference in the positions of the left and right eyes in the horizontal direction. Thus, the viewer feels the parallax, with the reproduced picture being recognized as a three-dimensional picture.
The string of parallax images, from which the holographic stereogram is produced, is obtained on horizontally translating a camera
104
, oriented towards the object
100
, with its orientation being kept unchanged, and imaging the object
100
a number of times from different positions. That is, the camera
104
, oriented towards the object
100
, is translated, from a position in which the object
100
begins to be captured by the camera
104
up to a position in which the object
100
ceases to be captured by the camera
104
, and a number of images are shot during this time interval, whereby the string of parallax images, form which the holographic stereogram is derived, is obtained. Meanwhile, this system of translating the camera
104
, with the orientation of the camera
104
remaining fixed, and imaging the object
100
a number of times from different positions, is termed a straight track system.
It is noted that, in the holographic stereogram, the relative position between the viewing point of the camera
104
and the object
100
during imaging is kept in the reproduced images of the produced holographic stereogram. Thus, if the string of the parallax images, produced as described above, is directly used for preparation of the holographic stereogram, a reproduced image Z is formed at a recessed position as from a hologram surface Ha of a holographic stereogram
100
, as shown in FIG.
3
. Thus, in such holographic stereogram H, the reproduced image Z is distorted or blurred, unless the reproduced image is viewed with the viewing point S set on the hologram surface Ha, so that a distance d
o
between the reproduced image Z and the viewing point S of the viewer coincides with a distance d between the object
100
being imaged and the viewing point of the camera
104
.
Therefore, if, in producing the holographic stereogram, the above-mentioned problem is to be solved, it is necessary to process data of the original string of parallax images with viewing point conversion so that the reproduced image Z will be imaged in the vicinity of the hologram surface Ha of the holographic stereogram
100
. By this viewing point conversion processing, the reproduced image Z free of distortion or blurring can be produced even if the viewing point S is spaced apart from the hologram surface Ha.
In preparing the holographic stereogram, it is necessary to execute the above-described viewing point conversion processing, which, however, requires a complex arithmetic operations. For this reason, preparation of the holographic stereogram is time-consuming. That is, the operation of processing the data of the string of the parallax images with viewing point conversion to produce new data of the string of the parallax images is time-consuming such that a holographic stereogram cannot be prepared promptly.
However, if the holographic stereogram producing system is to be practically used as a printer device for outputting a hard copy from which a three-dimensional image can be prepared, the time as from the inputting of images as a source of the holographic stereogram until completion of the holographic stereogram needs to be shortened. That is, expedited viewing point conversion processing is desired strongly.
The viewing point conversion processing is desired to be expedited in other processes than the above-described process for preparing the holographic stereogram. For example, there are occasions wherein the viewing point conversion processing is carried out for displaying a stereoscopic image on a display device by exploiting the parallax. It goes without saying that, in such case, the viewing point conversion processing is desirably carried out expeditiously.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an image data generating method and apparatus whereby, in processing data of the parallax image string made up of plural images carrying the parallax information with viewing point conversion processing to generate data of a new parallax image string, these data of the new parallax image string can be generated expeditiously.
In one aspect, the present invention provides an image data generating apparatus in which viewing point conversion processing is performed on data of a first string of parallax images made up of plural images containing the parallax information to generate data of a second string of parallax images. The apparatus includes lookup table storage means for storing a lookup table giving the relation of correspondence between pixels of a first string of parallax images and those of a second string of parallax images. The data of the second string of parallax images from data of the first string of parallax images are generated by performing the viewing point conversion processing by pixel interchanging based on the lookup table stored in the lookup table storage means.
In the viewing point conversion processing general, the relation of correspondence between pixels of a first string of parallax images and those of a second string of parallax images is constant at all times if the parameters for the viewing point conversion processing are constant. Therefore, if the relation of correspondence is previously known, the viewing point conversion processing may be realized simply by pixel interchanging which is based on the above relation of correspondence.
In the image data generating apparatus, the viewing point conversion processing can be realized promptly without the necessity of executing complex arithmetic processing operations.
The image data generating apparatus preferably includes image data storage means for storing data of a string of parallax images. When generating data of the second string of parallax images, data of respective images making up the string of parallax images are sequentially stored in the image data storage means, and the viewing point conversion processing is effectuated after storing the entire data of the string of parallax images into the image data storage means. This renders it possible to input the string of parallax images to the apparatus in real-time
Akimoto Osamu
Baba Shigeyuki
Kihara Nobuhiro
Shirakura Akira
Frommer William S.
Frommer & Lawrence & Haug LLP
Harrison Chante′
Luu Matthew
Simon Darren M.
LandOfFree
Picture data generating method and apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Picture data generating method and apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Picture data generating method and apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2872975