JPH11164329A - 3D image display device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] To at least automatically adjust the amount of parallax of both eyes according to an individual observer, thereby reducing the trouble of the adjustment. A parallax amount of left and right image signals for performing stereoscopic display is controlled by parallax amount control means based on setting information from a setting control means. The observer previously stores the set parallax amount optimum for the observer in the setting information storage unit 117. The personal identification means 118 also recognizes the characteristics of the face of the user and saves it as a database. Thereby, when the observer views again, the amount of parallax is automatically set.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stereoscopic video display device which enables a stereoscopic vision by displaying an image having binocular parallax to both eyes of an observer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 9-179066 discloses a stereoscopic video display apparatus which displays a video having binocular parallax on the left and right eyes of an observer to display a stereoscopic video. FIG. 4 shows a basic configuration of a conventional stereoscopic video display device.

In FIG. 4, lenses 12 and 13 are disposed before and after a liquid crystal display panel 11, and light from a light source 14 is applied to a viewer 15 via the lens 12, the liquid crystal display panel 11 and the lens 13. You. The video signal from the video signal generator 16 is supplied to the liquid crystal display panel 11.
The video signal generator 16 alternately supplies the left-eye image signal and the right-eye image signal to the liquid crystal display panel 11 based on the timing signal from the arithmetic unit 17. The arithmetic unit 17 is
The position of the observer is monitored, and the imaging device camera 18
The distance between the observer 15 and the display unit is measured based on the imaging information from R and 18L. Then, the distance between the light emission positions L and R of the light source 14 is controlled, and the left-eye image and the right-eye image are displayed on the left and right eyes of the observer, respectively. The setting of the light emission positions L and R can be realized by a method of mechanically adjusting the illumination position of the light source 14 or a method of adjusting the light transmission open position of the liquid crystal. According to the three-dimensional image display device described above, the position of the three-dimensional image can be adjusted so that the observer can perform stereoscopic vision even if the observer moves.

[0004]

According to the apparatus for obtaining a stereoscopic image using binocular parallax as described above, there are the following problems. That is, there is an individual difference in the sensitivity to obtain a stereoscopic effect from the binocular parallax, and even if an image of the same binocular parallax is displayed, the observer feels that the stereoscopic effect is insufficient, or that the stereoscopic effect is excessive and causes fatigue. I do. Therefore, it is conceivable to appropriately adjust the amount of parallax between the two eyes at the time of viewing by the observer, but this is a very troublesome operation. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a stereoscopic video display device that can automatically adjust the amount of parallax between both eyes according to an individual observer.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides means for detecting the position of an observer,
In a three-dimensional image display device that displays an image having parallax in each of both eyes, a means for specifying an observer using information obtained from the detection means, and a means for storing the observer corresponding to the specified observer are stored in advance. Means for controlling the amount of parallax of an image displayed to both eyes using the amount of parallax setting information. This makes it possible to automatically set the optimal amount of parallax for each observer.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. First, the flow of a signal until a video signal is displayed in the stereoscopic video display device will be described. The broadcast signal received by the antenna 100 is tuned and demodulated by the tuning and demodulation circuit 101, and becomes a digital signal from which each information can be extracted by the next decoding circuit 102.

The decoding circuit 102 includes a left-eye image extracting unit 103, a parallax information extracting unit 104, and a voice information extracting unit 1.
05, caption information extracting means 106, additional information extracting means 10
7 are provided. The parallax information extracting unit 104 extracts at least a parallax amount between pixels of the left and right images. A right-eye image signal can be generated using the amount of parallax and the left-eye image signal from the left-eye image extraction unit 103.

The data of the parallax amount extracted by the parallax information extracting unit 104 is input to the right-eye image generating unit 109 via the parallax amount controlling unit 108. The right-eye image generating means 109 is also supplied with a left-eye image signal. The left-eye image signal and the right-eye image signal are input to the video adjustment unit 110. The image adjustment unit 110 performs image quality and color adjustment.

[0009] The left-eye image signal and the right-eye image signal output from the video adjustment means 110 are input to the subtitle insertion means 111. The caption signal from the caption information extracting means 106 is input to the caption inserting means 111. The left-eye image signal and the right-eye image signal output from the caption insertion unit 111 are input to an on-screen display (OSD) circuit 112, where a character or a figure to be displayed on a screen is inserted. On-screen display circuit 112
The signal passed through is supplied to the display device 113 and displayed as a stereoscopic image.

The audio signal extracted by the audio information extracting means 105 is supplied to a speaker 115 via an audio adjusting means 114. The additional information extracting unit 107 extracts information such as a comment on the program and viewer restriction information, and supplies the extracted information to the setting control unit 116. When such additional information arrives, the setting control unit 116 stores the information in a table together with the program identification information.

Next, the apparatus is equipped with a camera 119 using a solid-state image sensor, and an image signal picked up here is input to an individual specifying means 118. Personal identification means 1
18 captures the characteristics of the observer, stores the characteristic data in the memory, and again performs a stereoscopic image display suitable for the observer when the observer becomes an imaging target of the camera 119. This is for controlling the amount of parallax and the like.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a specific circuit of the individual identification means 118. A signal captured by the camera 119 is input to a digitizing circuit 201 and digitized. Next, the digitized signal is input to the face area extraction circuit 202. The face area extraction circuit 202 extracts a signal of the face area of the observer. When extracting, the face range is determined by identifying feature points such as the shoulder, neck, and head.
In addition, a moving image portion such as blinking is detected to determine the range of the face. Since the face area data extracted here is not fixed in direction and size depending on the observer's posture and distance,
It is input to a normalization circuit 203 to perform a normalization process. As a normalization method, affine transformation (primary coordinate transformation)
A method is known in which several candidate patterns are created by using the above method, and among them, the feature points of the features of the face are narrowed down by evaluation. The face image thus normalized is input to the next feature vector extraction circuit 204. The feature vector extraction circuit 204 extracts a feature vector. The feature vector is obtained by comparing a standard face image pattern with an input face image pattern by capturing the face pattern as a general image expressed as a two-dimensional array of gray values in each pixel. This is difference information to be obtained. This difference information indicates the characteristics of the individual's face.

The database unit 206 is preliminarily input with a feature vector of the observer in the feature capturing mode. Then, in the normal operation mode, the feature vector of the individual's face is acquired as described above, and
In step 5, the observer can be identified by collating with the data in the database unit 206.

In the above description, one input image is used from one of the imaging cameras 119, but a plurality of cameras may be used. If two input images from two cameras are used, more information for specifying an individual can be obtained, and specific accuracy can be improved.

Next, various setting controls for the entire display device will be described. Using the information sent from the individual specifying unit 118, the setting control unit 116 reads the setting information of the specified individual from the setting information storage circuit 117, and performs various settings corresponding to the specified individual. The various settings are, for example, the setting of the parallax amount for the parallax amount control unit 108. A remote control interface 120 is connected to the setting control means 116, so that an operation signal can be supplied from outside. Thus, audio information extraction, subtitle information extraction, image quality adjustment, audio adjustment, and the like can be performed via the setting control unit 116. Further, parallax amount control can also be performed.

For example, when various adjustments are made in the setting mode, the data of the characteristics of the face of the observer at that time and the data of the values set by the observer at this time are stored in association with each other. The facial features are stored in the database unit 206 as described above, and the setting values are stored in the setting information storage unit 11.
7 is stored.

Next, an example of use of the above device will be described. In a display device that performs stereoscopic display using two images having binocular parallax, it is effective to adjust the amount of parallax according to each observer. Therefore, the observer can be specified, and the optimal or preferred parallax amount for the observer is stored in advance, and when the observer is detected, the parallax amount control unit 108 is performed based on the information.
, The adjustment operation is not required for the observer.

In general, when viewing a program such as a movie, the selection (including non-display) of the audio language and subtitle language is appropriately selected by the observer. However, such a selection is often always fixed depending on the observer. Therefore, according to the above-described apparatus, the observer can be specified, and if the setting state of the observer is stored in advance, the optimal speech language and subtitles can be obtained when the observer is detected using the information. Language can be selected. That is, the fine adjustment conventionally performed becomes unnecessary.

In digital broadcasting, programs are multi-channeled to produce a large number of programs more suited to personal preference. In such a situation, the observer can select a program that better suits his or her preference, while the increase in the number of channels makes the selection of the program very cumbersome. Therefore, the observer can be specified by the device of the present invention, and the favorite program of the observer is set in advance,
When the observer is detected, a favorite program can be automatically selected. This facilitates the operation of the observer.

It is also possible to stochastically determine which observer watches what program at what time zone, and automatically store it in the setting information storage means 117,
Alternatively, the setting mode may be positively set and stored.

Some programs contain a lot of violence and sexual depictions, which adversely affect children. Therefore, there is a need for a mechanism that prevents such programs from being shown to children.
Therefore, in order to realize this, the observer (child) can be specified by the device of the present invention. Then, as additional information sent at the same time as the program, information not preferable to children is transmitted. Then, when such additional information is transmitted and it is detected that the observer is a child, the setting control means 116 operates the on-screen display circuit 112 so as not to display the program. Is programmed as

FIG. 3 shows an example in which the difference in the parallax between the left-eye image and the right-eye image causes the stereoscopic display image to have a different sense of depth. 3A and 3B, L11 is an image for the left eye, R11 is an image for the right eye, and the screen 20
The state shown in 0 is shown. The images shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B have different parallax amounts from D1 and D2. The distance from the screen 200 to the eyes of the observer is the same in all cases. If the amount of parallax is different for the above,
The stereoscopic display images 3DP1 and 3DP2 have different front-back positions, that is, different depth sensations.

As described above, the sense of depth can be adjusted by the amount of parallax. The optimum state for this sense of depth is preferred by the individual. Therefore, in the present invention, as described above, automatic adjustment is made to the optimum state for each observer.

As described above, the apparatus according to the present invention can display a stereoscopic image by specifying an observer and controlling the parallax amount to be optimal for the observer. There is no troublesome adjustment for the observer, and the display device always gives an optimal three-dimensional effect. In addition, this device can always adjust the image quality and sound quality according to the preference of the observer, and can control the language of the audio output and the specifications of the subtitles. Also, if there are scenes that are inappropriate for children in violence or sexual descriptions,
It is also possible to regulate the viewing. Further, in realizing such a function, a necessary imaging camera is also used as an imaging camera for detecting the positions of the observer's head and both eyes, so that the apparatus can be realized with minimum necessary cost increase.

There are various types of stereoscopic video display devices, and the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned type. As a method of viewing a stereoscopic image, there is a filter eye drop method. Representative filter eye drop systems include an anaglyph system, a density difference system, and a deflection filter system. The anaglyph method uses two complementary colors (for example, red and blue)
The left and right images are selected by a color filter that does not have a common transmission wavelength range, and the images with binocular parallax drawn in step (1) are stereoscopically viewed. The density difference method utilizes the visual characteristics that, when a filter with different transmittance is attached to the left and right eyes and a planar image with movement is observed, an image with a sense of depth corresponding to the perceived time difference due to the difference in transmittance is used. It is. The deflection filter system separates an image into right and left eyes by using a light shielding effect by a combination of orthogonal deflection elements.

As the eye drop system, there is a shutter eye in addition to a filter eye. In this method, the left and right images are alternately switched over time and presented to both eyes, and the shutter is opened and closed in synchronization with this to obtain stereoscopic vision.

There are a parallax barrier method and a lenticular method as a method without eyelashes. The parallax barrier method arranges images for the left and right eyes alternately at an appropriate interval behind a thin slit-shaped opening called a parallax barrier, and when viewed through this opening from a specific viewpoint The left and right images can be correctly separated and observed to enable stereoscopic viewing. In the lenticular method, the left and right images are arranged in a stripe pattern on the focal plane of each lens of a chicular screen in which lenses having a semi-cylindrical diameter are arranged,
When viewed through this screen, the left and right images are separated by the directivity of the lens, enabling stereoscopic viewing.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention,
At least the adjustment of the amount of parallax of both eyes can be automatically adjusted according to the individual observer, and the trouble of the adjustment can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a specific configuration example of a personal identification unit in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining that the depth of a stereoscopic image varies depending on the amount of parallax.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a basic configuration of a conventional stereoscopic display device.

[Explanation of symbols]

100: antenna, 101: tuning / demodulation circuit, 102:
Decoding circuit, 103: left-eye image extracting means, 104: disparity information extracting means, 105: audio information extracting means, 106: subtitle information extracting means, 107: additional information extracting means, 108 ...
Parallax amount control means 109 Right image synthesizing means 110 Video adjustment means 111 Subtitle insertion means 112 On-screen display circuit 113 Display device 114
Voice adjustment means, 115 ... speaker, 116 ... setting control means, 117 ... setting information storage means, 118 ... personal identification means, 119 ... camera.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI H04N 7/025 H04N 7/08 A 7/03 7/035 (72) Inventor Toru Sugiyama 8 Shinsugita-cho, Isogo-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken Inside the Toshiba Multimedia Technology Research Laboratories (72) Inventor Hideaki Okano 8 Shinsugita-cho, Isogo-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Pref.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A stereoscopic video display device for providing a means for detecting a position of an observer and displaying an image having parallax for each of both eyes, wherein a means for specifying an observer using information obtained from the detecting means. And a means for controlling the amount of parallax of an image displayed to both eyes using parallax amount setting information stored in advance corresponding to the specified observer. apparatus. 2. The stereoscopic video display device according to claim 1, further comprising means for adjusting video or audio using data stored in advance corresponding to the specified observer. 3. A means for controlling selection of an audio language stored in advance corresponding to a specified observer, selection of display / non-display of a subtitle, and selection of a subtitle language. 3. The stereoscopic video display device according to 1. 4. The stereoscopic video display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for controlling program selection using data stored in advance corresponding to the specified observer. 5. The three-dimensional image display device according to claim 1, further comprising means for controlling display of a restricted program using data stored in advance corresponding to the specified observer. .