Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Image superposition by optical means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-23
2003-04-08
Chow, Dennis-Doon (Department: 2675)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Image superposition by optical means
C345S008000, C348S052000, C348S053000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06545650
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for three-dimensionally displaying an object by casting stereo-images on an observer's eyes, and also to a method of doing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various apparatuses have been developed for three-dimensionally displaying an object. Three-dimensional display aims at reproduction of the same images as images obtained when a man observes an object, unlike planar display accomplished by a cathode ray tube (CRT). Three-dimensional display makes it possible to display an object approaching a spectator in a movie, or three-dimensionally grasp an object, which is difficult to grasp in a planar image.
Three-dimensional images we usually look at are established through focus control on which a distance to an object is reflected, convergence indicative of an angle formed by intersection between lines of sight of an observers eyes, and parallax indicative of a two-dimensional positional gap on images cast on observer's retinas.
A conventional apparatus for three-dimensionally displaying an object is usually comprised of two cameras and a device for reproducing images. The two cameras are spaced away from each other by 65 mm which is equal to an average distance between a man's eyes. In operation, stereo-images are taken by means of the two cameras, and the image-reproducing device casts images taken by the cameras on an observer's eyes. As a result, parallax is generated on retinas of an observer's eyes, and hence, three-dimensional display is accomplished.
FIG. 1
illustrates an example of a conventional apparatus for three-dimensionally displaying an object. The illustrated apparatus is comprised of a pair of image-displaying devices
101
located in front of an observer's eyes for focusing images on an observer's eyes, and a circuit
102
which provides image data to the image-displaying devices
101
.
The image-displaying device
101
may be comprised of a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display, or a combination of an image-displaying device such as CRT and liquid crystal acting as a shutter. The image-displaying devices
101
form images in an observer's eyes, or display images for right and left eyes frame by fame, and separate them by a liquid crystal shutter into right and left eyes of an observer. As a result, the image-displaying devices
101
form images having parallax to thereby accomplish three-dimensional display,
When an observer observes a three-dimensional object in actual space, the observer's eyes recognize parallax, and at the same time, convergence is generated in the observer's eyes in accordance with a distance between the observer and the object.
In a conventional method for accomplishing three-dimensional display by stereo-images, as mentioned above, two cameras positioned in parallel with each other are used, and images are taken so that they are focused on an object to be observed. Accordingly, convergence is coincident with parallax only when an observer observes an object which has been selected by the cameras as on-focus. Hence, if an observer who has observed only stereo-images so far observes an object other than objects having been selected as on-focus, a relation between parallax and convergence becomes quite different from a relation between parallax and convergence obtained when a three-dimensional object is observed in a usual three-dimensional space, resulting in a problem that coincidence cannot be made between images in the observer's eyes.
There have been suggested various apparatuses for three-dimensionally displaying an object, as well as the apparatus illustrated in FIG.
1
.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-167633 has suggested an apparatus for three-dimensionally displaying an object, wherein minimum parallax in an observer's eyes to an object is calculated, locations of reproduced images are calculated, and then, convergence points are determined so that the thus calculated locations of reproduced images are within a range of viewing angles of an observer's eyes, based on results of the calculations. Optical axes of cameras are controlled in accordance with the thus determined convergence points.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-166559 has suggested an apparatus for three-dimensionally displaying an object, comprised of monitor devices monitoring movement of eye-balls of an observer, a display device for two-dimensionally displaying images, a mover which two-dimensionally the display device, a lens, a calculator which calculates a gazing point of an observer's eyes, based on the movement of eye-balls monitored by the monitor devices, and a controller which controls the mover to vary a location of the display device, based on the calculated gazing point.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-211332 has suggested an apparatus for three-dimensionally displaying an object, which utilizes parallax of an observer's eyes. The apparatus is comprised of means for determining an appropriate convergence angle in reproduction of images, and a controller which controls locations of reproduced images, based on the thus determined convergence angle. The locations of reproduced images are controlled by controlling a location at which image data starts to be written in a liquid crystal display.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-234141 has suggested an apparatus for three-dimensionally displaying an object, including liquid crystal displays for an observer's eyes Images having parallax are displayed in each of the liquid crystal displays to thereby accomplish three-dimensional display. In
use, this apparatus is put around an observer's head. The apparatus is comprised of a device detecting a line of sight of at least one of an observers eyes, and determines a gazing point of an observer in an observing area, a image-processor which transmits an adjust signal by which a diopter is adjusted in dependence on parallax or convergence angle of images at the gazing point, and a motor for adjusting a diopter of the liquid crystal displays in accordance with the adjust signal.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-218376 has suggested an apparatus for three-dimensionally displaying an object, comprising a distance calculator which calculates a distance to a gazing point, based on a convergence angle, a controller which determines a distance by and a direction in which image-displays and a focusing system are moved in order to move displayed images relative to an observer's eyes with a size of displayed images being kept constant, and a driver which moves the image-displays and the focusing system in accordance with the decision made by the controller.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-48569 has suggested an apparatus for three-dimensionally displaying an object, comprising image-formers which form two images having parallax, on image-presentation planes, a monitor which detects movement of an observer's eye-balls to thereby obtain data about gazing point of the eye-balls on the image-presentation plane, a distance calculator which calculates a distance between the observer and an object located at the gazing point in images presented on the image-presentation plane, based on the data about gazing point, an adjuster which adjusts an convergence angle formed by lines of sight when the observer gazes at the object, based on the distance calculated by the calculator.
The above-mentioned conventional apparatuses for three-dimensionally displaying an object are common in that three-dimensional images are formed based almost only on parallax. If three-dimensional image is formed based only on parallax, it would be impossible to accomplish compatibility between parallax and convergence, which could be accomplished in natural observation. In general, since an observer does not always observe only on-focus locations, there is inevitable caused a problem that if an observer observers an object for a long
Kuriyama Toshihide
Yamada Keizo
Chow Dennis-Doon
Foley & Lardner
NEC Corporation
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