Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Image superposition by optical means – Plural image superposition
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-08
2004-08-03
Shalwala, Bipin (Department: 2673)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Image superposition by optical means
Plural image superposition
C345S004000, C345S005000, C345S006000, C345S007000, C345S087000, C345S102000, C348S042000, C348S051000, C348S059000, C349S015000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06771231
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for displaying a two-dimensional picture containing a stereoscopic image and a method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a way of reproducing a stereoscopic image, there is a method using polarizing glasses in which a viewer wearing the polarizing glasses observes right and left parallax images of the picture corresponding to the polarized, which are states different from each other. However, there is a troublesome disadvantage in such a method because the viewer has to wear polarizing glasses whenever he views the picture, in addition to preparation of two parallax images thereof.
As to a method that does not use any polarizing glasses, a method for displaying a stereoscopic image using a lenticular lens is known. In such a method using the lenticular lens, a picture composed of a pair of striped images arranged alternately as right and left parallax images corresponding to right and left eyes of the viewer is displayed on the display screen. The lenticular lens is provided on the viewer's side of the display screen so as to give directivity of each stripe pixel of the parallax images toward the corresponding eye, thereby enabling the viewer to recognize a stereoscopic image. However, there is a disadvantage of the lenticular lens method in that resolution is reduced by 50% when the stereoscopic image is displayed, in addition to complicated structure thereof.
Japanese Patent Kokai Hei 10-221644 discloses an improved apparatus for displaying a stereoscopic image with a lenticular lens which is designed to prevent unnecessary reflected light on the display screen and to reduce moiré and color drift in the reproduced picture. In such a displaying apparatus, polarizing means is utilized in such a manner that a pair of polarizing plates each having polarizing stripe polarizing axes in the orthogonal direction to each other are suitably arranged alternately together with the display screen and the lenticular lens in a predetermined direction and at a predetermined pitch. The viewer can visually observe a stereoscopic image through the polarizing plate.
In view of the foregoing descriptions, it is apparent that all of these conventional stereoscopic image display apparatuses require two parallax images corresponding to both eyes of the viewer in the beginning stage of photographing for the picture to be displayed. Therefore, the conventional stereoscopic image display apparatuses naturally demand many steps and means for supplying parallax images for the stereoscopic image.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is made to overcome such a conventional problem and therefore an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for displaying a stereoscopic two-dimensional image which solves such problems and realizes the display of a stereoscopic image using a simple configuration.
An apparatus for displaying a stereoscopic two-dimensional picture according to the present invention comprises:
a display unit having a flat image display screen for displaying a two-dimensional picture containing a stereoscopic image; and
an image transmitting panel placed parallel to and apart from said image display screen, the image transmitting panel having a microlens array of a plurality of lenses and an effective area larger than that of the stereoscopic image contained in said two-dimensional picture, and a lens frame area surrounding a perimeter of the effective area of said microlens array, so that said image transmitting panel generates an image-formation plane for displaying a real image of said two-dimensional picture in a space located on an opposite side to said display unit with respect to said microlens array.
In one aspect of the apparatus for displaying a stereoscopic two-dimensional picture according to the invention, said microlens array is a micro-convex-lens board formed of a plurality of lens systems each consisting of a pair of convex lenses coaxially arranged. The lens systems are arranged in the two-dimensional manner so that the optical axes of the lens systems are parallel to one another.
In another aspect of the apparatus for displaying a stereoscopic two-dimensional picture according to the invention, said microlens array forms an erect real image of the two-dimensional picture.
In a further aspect of the apparatus for displaying a stereoscopic two-dimensional picture according to the invention, said lens frame area is a dark color area.
In still another aspect of the invention, the apparatus for displaying a stereoscopic two-dimensional picture further comprises a supporting member supporting said lens frame area and defining a distance between the image display screen and the image transmitting panel, at least an optical path side of the supporting member being a dark color.
In a still further aspect of the invention, the apparatus for displaying a stereoscopic two-dimensional picture further comprises a picture signal supply circuit for generating a picture signal for exhibiting an image portion other than stereoscopic images which is filled with a dark color in the two-dimensional picture to be reproduced and supplying the picture signal to said display unit.
In a further aspect of the invention, the apparatus for displaying a stereoscopic two-dimensional picture further comprises an image-formation-spot indicating unit placed adjacent to said image-formation plane.
In still another aspect of the apparatus for displaying a stereoscopic two-dimensional picture according to the invention, said display unit comprises;
a back-light illuminating unit;
a color liquid crystal display panel arranged so as to completely cover a surface of the back-light illuminating unit; and
picture signal supply unit supplying a picture signal including two-dimensional picture data and stereoscopic image data to the color liquid crystal display panel.
In a further aspect of the apparatus for displaying a stereoscopic two-dimensional picture according to the invention, said display unit further comprises;
a black-and-white liquid crystal panel unit arranged between the back-light illuminating unit and the color liquid crystal display panel; and
a mask signal generating-supplying unit generating a mask signal for masking an image portion except for stereoscopic image portions to be reproduced and supplying the mask signal to the black-and-white liquid crystal panel unit.
A method for displaying a stereoscopic two-dimensional picture according to the invention comprises the steps of:
providing a display unit having a flat image display screen for displaying a two-dimensional picture containing a stereoscopic image;
arranging an image transmitting panel parallel to and apart from said image display screen, said image transmitting panel having a microlens array of a plurality of lenses and an effective area larger than that of the stereoscopic image contained in said two-dimensional picture, and a lens frame area surrounding a perimeter of the effective area of said microlens array; and
defining a relative position relationship between said image display screen and said image transmitting panel so that said image transmitting panel generates an image-formation plane for displaying a real image of said two-dimensional picture in a space located on an opposite side to said display unit with respect to said microlens array.
In one aspect of the invention, the method for displaying a stereoscopic two-dimensional picture further comprises a step of supplying a picture signal to said display unit so as to make an image other than the stereoscopic image a two-dimensional picture in a dark color.
In another aspect of the invention, the method for displaying a stereoscopic two-dimensional picture further comprises a step of placing an image-formation-spot indicating unit adjacent to said image-formation plane.
In a further aspect of the invention, the method for displaying a stereoscopic two-dimensional picture further comprises a step of:
introducing, for said di
Kovalick Vincent E.
Morgan & Lewis & Bockius, LLP
Pioneer Corporation
Shalwala Bipin
LandOfFree
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