Television – Stereoscopic – Picture signal generator
Reexamination Certificate
1997-10-15
2001-05-15
Rao, Andy (Department: 2713)
Television
Stereoscopic
Picture signal generator
C348S042000, C348S039000, C348S051000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06233004
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image processing method and apparatus and, more particularly, to an image processing method and apparatus capable of displaying an image seen from an arbitrary photo-taking viewpoint based on an input image from image sensing means, such as cameras.
There are stereoscopic display systems and lenticular display systems, and so on, known as conventional apparatuses for displaying images, seen from a plurality of viewpoints, to be seen stereoscopically. The former displays an image to be seen stereoscopically by alternatively displaying images from two cameras on a screen at high speed. When a viewer sees the images through shutter glasses which operates in synchronization with the alternating speed, or polarizing glasses, the images are observed as stereoscopic image.
The latter rearranges images from four cameras, for example, by pixel unit. Then, by placing a lenticular sheet in front of a display, the images seen from four viewpoints can be displayed so as to be seen stereoscopically.
However, the conventional stereoscopic display system has a problem in that a viewer can see a stereoscopic image only from fixed viewpoints where cameras are set. More specifically, when two cameras are set at fixed positions and pick up object images for stereoscopic display, even after the viewer moved his/her viewpoint, the viewer sees the same stereoscopic image.
In contrast, by using the lenticular display system, the viewer can observe different images after changing his/her viewpoint to the right and left direction. However, in this case, the viewer can see images from each camera discontinuously, and can not see continuous images corresponding to changing of the viewpoints. In addition, it is not possible for the viewer to see continuous images when his/her viewpoints are changed in the back and forth direction.
It is possible to display continuous images corresponding to changing of the viewpoints in the vertical direction when an image produced by computer graphics is displayed stereoscopically, however, not possible when an image, such as an object image, picked up by a plurality of cameras at fixed positions is displayed stereoscopically.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and has as its object to obtain a continuous image corresponding to the movement of the viewer's viewpoints by using images picked up by a plurality of cameras at fixed positions.
According to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing an image processing method comprising: a corresponding pixel detecting step of detecting corresponding pixels among object images picked up from a plurality of viewpoints; and a generation step of presuming object images seen from viewpoints other than the plurality of viewpoints on the basis of the detected corresponding pixels.
Further, the foregoing object is also attained by providing a three dimensional viewpoint movement corresponding image processing method comprising: a viewpoint detecting step of detecting positions of viewer's eyes; and an image generating step of generating images seen from the positions of viewer's eyes detected at the viewpoint detecting step by using at least a part of the images, corresponding to each viewpoint, which are generated by the image processing method according to the claim
1
.
Further, the foregoing object is also attained by providing a three dimensional viewpoint movement corresponding image processing method comprising: a viewpoint detecting step of detecting positions of viewer's eyes; an image generating step of generating images seen from the positions of the viewer's eyes on the basis of the positions of viewer's eyes detected at the viewpoint detecting step and generated images seen at the plurality of different distances from the object to the plurality of viewpoints, where the picked-up images are generated by the three dimensional viewpoint movement corresponding image processing method according to claim
9
; and a displaying step of displaying images generated at the image generating step.
Further, the foregoing object is also attained by providing an image processing apparatus comprising: corresponding pixel detecting means for detecting corresponding pixels among object images picked up from a plurality of viewpoints; and generation means for presuming object images seen from viewpoints other than the plurality of viewpoints on the basis of the detected corresponding pixels.
Further, the foregoing object is also attained by providing a three dimensional viewpoint movement corresponding image processing apparatus comprising: viewpoint detecting means for detecting positions of viewer's eyes; and image generating means for generating images seen from the positions of viewer's eyes detected by the viewpoint detecting means by using at least a part of the images, corresponding to each viewpoint, which are generated by the image processing apparatus according to the claim
14
.
Further, the foregoing object is also attained by providing a three dimensional viewpoint movement corresponding image processing apparatus comprising: viewpoint detecting means for detecting positions of viewer's eyes; image generating means for generating images seen from the positions of the viewer's eyes on the basis of the positions of viewer's eyes detected by the viewpoint detecting means and generated images seen at the plurality of different distances from the object to the plurality of viewpoints, where the picked-up images are generated by the three dimensional viewpoint movement corresponding image processing apparatus according to claim
22
; and a displaying means for displaying images generated by the image generating means.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.
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Katayama Akihiro
Oshino Takahiro
Tanaka Koichiro
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Morgan & Finnegan , LLP
Rao Andy
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