Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Single display system having stacked superimposed display... – Three-dimensional arrays
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-19
2003-02-25
Hjerpe, Richard (Department: 2674)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Single display system having stacked superimposed display...
Three-dimensional arrays
C345S419000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06525699
ABSTRACT:
This application is based on Patent Application Nos. 139602/1998 filed on May 21, 1998 in Japan, 262804/1998 filed on Sep. 17, 1998 in Japan, 280739/1998 filed on Oct. 2, 1998 in Japan, 304374/1998 filed on Oct. 26, 1998 in Japan, 326931/1998 filed on Nov. 17, 1998 in Japan and 60393/1999 filed on Mar. 8, 1999 in Japan, the content of which is incorporated hereinto by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional representation method and an apparatus capable of electronically reproducing a moving picture or video with a reduced amount of information on a three-dimensional image.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A liquid crystal shutter eyeglasses system shown in
FIG. 1
is well known as a conventional system which is electrically rewritable, has a small amount of information and can display a three-dimensional video.
The working principle of the liquid crystal shutter eyeglasses system will be explained below.
In this liquid crystal shutter eyeglasses system, a three-dimensional object &agr;
1
is shot by cameras (&agr;
2
, &agr;
3
) from different directions to generate images (parallactic images) representing the three-dimensional object &agr;
1
as viewed from different directions.
The images taken by the cameras (&agr;
2
, &agr;
3
) are combined by a video signal converter &agr;
4
into a single video signal and fed into a two-dimensional display (for example, CRT display) &agr;
5
.
An observer &agr;
7
views an image on the two-dimensional display &agr;
5
by wearing liquid crystal shutter eyeglasses &agr;
6
.
Here, when the two-dimensional display &agr;
5
is displaying an image from the camera &agr;
3
, the liquid crystal shutter eyeglasses &agr;
6
are made opaque on the left side and transparent on the right side. When the two-dimensional display &agr;
5
is displaying an image from the camera &agr;
2
, the liquid crystal shutter eyeglasses &agr;
6
are made transparent on the left side and opaque on the right side.
By switching the above operations at high speed, the viewer feels he is watching parallactic images with both eyes because of the after image affect and therefore can see the object three-dimensionally because of binocular parallax.
Further, a volumetric system as shown in
FIGS. 2A and 2B
as been proposed as one of the conventional systems that are electrically rewritable, have a small amount of information and can display a three-dimensional video.
The working principle of this volumetric system is explained in the following.
In the volumetric type, as shown in
FIG. 2B
, a three-dimensional object &bgr;
1
is sampled in the direction of depth as seen from the viewer to generate a set of two-dimensional images &bgr;
2
, which is reproduced in a depth direction on a time division basis on a volumetric three-dimensional display &bgr;
3
to display a reproduced three-dimensional image &bgr;
4
.
The liquid crystal shutter eyeglasses system shown in
FIG. 1
, however, has a drawback that because of the required use of the liquid crystal shutter eyeglasses &agr;
6
, the system, when used for teleconferencing, looks very unnatural.
Further, there are large inconsistencies among binocular parallax, convergence and focusing, which are physiological factors of stereoscopy.
That is, in the liquid crystal shutter eyeglasses system shown in
FIG. 1
, although the requirements of binocular parallax and convergence are almost met, this system will cause eyestrain because the focal plane is on the display surface.
In the volumetric type shown in
FIGS. 2A and 2B
, the depth positions of the reproduced three-dimensional object &bgr;
1
are close to the surfaces on which images are actually displayed, and are also disposed between these surfaces, so that unlike the liquid crystal shutter eyeglasses system, this volumetric system can suppress contradictions among binocular parallax, convergence and focusing.
With the volumetric system, however, because the depth positions of the reproduced images are discrete, it is difficult to reproduce a three-dimensional object located at an intermediate position between the discreet display positions, or a three-dimensional object that varies greatly in the depth direction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a three-dimensional representation method and apparatus capable of displaying a video without requiring a viewer to wear glasses.
Another object of the invention is to provide a three-dimensional representation method and apparatus which can suppress contradictions among physiological factors for stereoscopy.
Another object of the invention is to provide a three-dimensional representation method and apparatus which can be electrically erased and programmed.
These and other objects and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following descriptions in this specification and accompanying drawings.
Representative aspects of the present invention may be briefly summarized as follows.
This invention is characterized by a three-dimensional representation method for generating a three-dimensional image by displaying two-dimensional images on a plurality of image planes located at different depth positions, the method comprising the steps of: generating two-dimensional images by projecting an object to be presented, along the line of sight of an observer, onto a plurality of image planes located at different depth positions as seen from the observer; and changing brightness levels of the generated two-dimensional images individually for each image plane and displaying the generated two-dimensional images on the plurality of image planes.
According to the invention, when the object to be presented is displayed at a depth position close to the observer, the brightness levels of the two-dimensional images displayed on those image planes of the plurality of image planes which are close to the observer may be raised and the brightness levels of the two-dimensional images displayed on the image planes remote from the observer may be lowered. When the object to be presented is displayed at a depth position remote from the observer, the brightness levels of the two-dimensional images displayed on those image planes of the plurality of image planes which are close to the observer may be lowered and the brightness levels of the two-dimensional images displayed on the image planes remote from the observer may be raised.
The two-dimensional images are displayed on the plurality of image planes in such a way that the two-dimensional images overlap each other when the two-dimensional images are viewed from one point on a line which passes through the right and left eyes of an observer, and that an overall brightness level as seen by the observer is equal to the brightness level of the original object to be presented.
According to the invention, the two-dimensional images are arranged to overlap by viewing from one point on the line which passes through the right and left of the observer and the two-dimensional images are enlarged or reduced in the horizontal direction respectively.
According to the invention, the two-dimensional images may be switched successively to generate a three-dimensional moving image.
According to the invention, when the two-dimensional images include a plurality of images of an object moving in a direction of depth and the object is moving toward the observer, the brightness levels of the object images displayed on the plurality of image planes may be progressively raised toward an image plane close to the observer and progressively lowered toward an image plane remote from the observer in synchronism with the successive switching of the two-dimensional images, and when the two-dimensional images include a plurality of images of an object moving in a direction of depth and the object is moving away from the observer, the brightness levels of the object images displayed on the plurality of image planes may be progressively lowered toward an image plane close to the observer and progressively
Suyama Shiro
Takada Hideaki
Uehira Kazutake
Eisen Alexander
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Hjerpe Richard
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
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