WO2008123660A1

WO2008123660A1 - 3d lcd monitor control system

Info

Publication number: WO2008123660A1
Application number: PCT/KR2008/001225
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hyoung-Soo Kim; Seung-Chul Kang; Sang-Eun Lee
Original assignee: Pavonine Inc
Current assignee: Pavonine Inc
Priority date: 2007-04-04
Filing date: 2008-03-04
Publication date: 2008-10-16
Anticipated expiration: 2009-10-04
Also published as: KR100855040B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a 3D LCD monitor control system for analyzing a 3D pattern corresponding to an image or a moving image output from a PC main body and providing the analysis result to a monitor such that the monitor automatically operates a stereoscopic panel corresponding to the 3D pattern to automatically display a 3D image according to the image pattern. The 3D LCD monitor control system comprises a PC main body and a monitor having a stereoscopic panel formed on the surface thereof. The PC main body comprises an image recognition unit for recognizing information on a displayed image among information provided to the monitor, an image position confirmation unit for storing a display position signal of the recognized image, a 3D image pattern confirmation unit for confirming the pattern of the recognized image, an image signal generator for generating a pattern signal suitable for a 3D image pattern, and a signal transmitter for matching the pattern signal and the position signal to a 3D image and transmitting the pattern signal and the position signal to the monitor. The monitor comprises a 3D image converter for operating the stereoscopic panel of the monitor according to the pattern signal received from the PC main body to convert a 2D image into a 3D image, a 3D image output unit for outputting the 3D image in a size corresponding to the size and position according to the position signal, and a stereoscopic panel driver for operating the stereoscopic panel when receiving the pattern signal.

Description

Description 3D LCD MONITOR CONTROL SYSTEM

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a 3D LCD monitor control system for analyzing a

3D pattern corresponding to an image or a moving image output from a PC main body and providing the analysis result to a monitor such that the monitor automatically operates a stereoscopic panel corresponding to the 3D pattern to automatically display a 3D image according to the image pattern. Background Art

[2] In general, people sense a 3D effect based on a physiological factor and an empirical factor. 3D image display techniques generally represent the 3D effect of an object using binocular parallax that is the most important factor of sensing the 3D effect in a short distance. A method of displaying 3D images using the binocular parallax is divided into stereoscopy and autostereoscopy.

[3] The stereoscopy includes an anaglyph method using color glasses with blue and red lenses respectively for both eyes, a polarization method using polarizing glasses with different polarization directions for both eyes, and a time division method that periodically repeats a time-divided image and uses glasses having an electronic shutter in synchronization with the period. However, the stereoscopy has problems that it is inconvenient for the user because the user must wear glasses and the user wearing the glasses has trouble to observe objects other than a target image.

[4] The autostereoscopy does not require a special device and spatially separates left and right images from each other such that a 3D image is seen. The autostereoscopy includes a method using a lenticular lens array and a method using a parallax barrier.

[5] The parallax barrier method locates the parallax barrier formed by repeatedly arranging a transparent slit and an opaque portion in front of a monitor such that an observer can see an image displayed on the monitor as a 3D image through the transparent slit of the parallax barrier.

[6] A 3D image is generated as a left/right stereo 3D image or moving image, a top/ bottom stereo 3D image or moving image, a sequential stereo 3D image or moving image, or an interlaced stereo 3D image or moving image and displayed on the monitor through a PC main body. When this 3D image is displayed, a user operates a button for operating the parallax barrier of the monitor suitable for the type of the 3D image to display the 3D image.

[7] However, the aforementioned method is inconvenient for the user because the user must confirm whether an image or a moving image displayed on the monitor is converted into a 3D image one by one and manually operate a barrier operating button suitable for the type of the 3D image when it is confirmed that the image or moving image displayed on the monitor is converter into a 3D image. Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[8] Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the conventional art, and a primary object of the present invention is to provide a 3D LCD monitor control system for analyzing a 3D pattern corresponding to an image or a moving image output from a PC main body and providing the analysis result to a monitor such that the monitor automatically operates a stereoscopic panel corresponding to the 3D pattern and automatically displays a 3D image according to the image pattern.

[9] Another object of the present invention is to provide a 3D LCD monitor control system in which a monitor buffers image information received from a PC main body, extracts edge information through Canny edge detection and matches the edge information to stored 3D images to confirm whether the image information corresponds to a 3D image.

[10] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a 3D LCD monitor control system for receiving size and position information of a 2D image or moving image when the 2D image or moving image is displayed and displaying a 3D image or moving image converted from the 2D image or moving image in the same size and position as those of the 2D image. Technical Solution

[11] To accomplish the objects of the present invention, there is provided a 3D LCD monitor control system comprising a PC main body and a monitor that is connected to the PC main body through a clock line SCL and a signal line SDA of DDC lines and has a stereoscopic panel formed on the surface thereof, wherein the PC main body comprises: an image recognition unit for recognizing information on a displayed image among information provided to the monitor; an image position confirmation unit for confirming the display position of the image recognized by the image recognition unit to recognize coordinate information on the display position, generating a position signal corresponding to a position displayed on the monitor and storing the position signal; a 3D image pattern confirmation unit for confirming whether the image recognized by the image recognition unit corresponds to any one of a left/right stereo 3D image, a top/bottom stereo 3D image, a frame sequential stereo 3D image and an interlaced stereo 3D image; an image signal generator for generating a pattern signal suitable for the pattern of the 3D image confirmed by the 3D image pattern con- firmation and generating a position signal corresponding to the image recognized by the image position recognition unit; and a signal transmitter for matching the pattern signal and the position signal generated by the image signal generator to the 3D image and transmitting the pattern signal and the position signal to the monitor, and wherein the monitor comprises: a 3D image converter for operating the stereoscopic panel of the monitor according to the pattern signal received from the signal transmitter of the PC main body to convert a 2D image into a 3D image; a 3D image output unit for outputting the 3D image converted by the 3D image converter in a size corresponding to the size and position according to the position signal of the image signal generator; and a stereoscopic panel driver for operating the stereoscopic panel when receiving the pattern signal from the signal transmitter.

[12] The 3D image pattern confirmation unit may receive the first frame image buffer of the image recognized by the image recognition unit, extract edge information through Canny edge detection, divide an image buffer having only the edge information by two images according to image type, and classify the images by types according to the probability that the two images will be matched to each other.

[13] The 3D image pattern confirmation unit may comprise: a left/right image confirmation unit for extracting only the brightness of the image recognized by the image recognition unit, regarding left and right regions of the image as independent images, obtaining a difference image between the two images, and recognizing the image as a left/right stereo 3D image when an average of the sums of differences for respective pixels is lower than 30% since brightnesses of the left and right regions by positions are similar; a top/bottom image confirmation unit for regarding the top and bottom regions of the image recognized by the image recognition unit as independent images, obtaining a difference image between pixels corresponding to the two images, and recognizing the image as a top/bottom stereo 3D image when the average of the sums of differences for respective pixels is lower than 30% due to similar brightnesses of the top and bottom regions; and an interlaced image confirmation unit for arranging odd- numbered lines of the image recognized by the image recognition unit from the top to the bottom in a left region, arranging even-numbered lines of the image in a right region, extracting brightness of the image of each region, performing Canny edge detection, which is an edge detection algorithm providing a thin edge and considering directivity, on the image, and recognizing the image as an interlaced stereo 3D image when a degree to which edges of the right region are matched to edges of the left region is lower than 32%.

[14] The 3D image may correspond to a 3D image or a 3D moving image.

[15] The 3D image converter may convert a left/right stereo pattern into a 3D image when the 3D image corresponds to the left/right stereo pattern, convert a top/bottom stereo pattern into a 3D image when the 3D image corresponds to the top/bottom stereo pattern, and convert an interlaced stereo pattern into a 3D image when the 3D image corresponds to the interlaced stereo pattern.

[16] The 3D image output unit may output the 3D image in the same size as the image prior to being converted into the 3D image.

Advantageous Effects

[17] As described above, the 3D LCD monitor control system according to the present invention analyzes the 3D image pattern corresponding to an image or a moving image output from the PC main body and provides the 3D image pattern to the monitor. Then, the monitor operates the stereoscopic panel corresponding to the 3D image pattern to automatically display a 3D image even though the 3D image pattern is changed. [18] Furthermore, edge information is extracted from an image having no indication through Canny edge detection and matched to stored 3D image to confirm whether the image corresponds to a 3D image. [19] Moreover, size and position information of an image when the image is displayed as a 2D image is provided, and thus a 3D image or moving image converted from the

2D image can be displayed in the same size as the 2D image at the same position as the

2D image.

Brief Description of the Drawings [20] Further objects and advantages of the invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [21] [22] *FIG. 1 illustrates a 3D LCD monitor control system according to the present invention; [23] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a 3D LCD monitor control system located in a main body according to the present invention; and [24] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a 3D LCD monitor control system located in a monitor.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention [25] A 3D LCD monitor control system according to the present invention is explained with reference to the attached drawings. [26] FIG. 1 illustrates the 3D LCD monitor control system according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a 3D LCD monitor control system located in a

PC main body according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a

3D LCD monitor control system located in a monitor. [27] Referring to FIG. 1, the 3D LCD monitor control system according to the present invention confirms whether a displayed image or moving image corresponds to a 2D image or a 3D image through an application program in a PC main body 10 in real time and, when the displayed image corresponds to the 3D image, transmits the pattern and position information of the 3D image to a monitor 30. The monitor 30 operates a stereoscopic panel 35 according to the pattern of the 3D image transmitted through a clock line SCL and a signal line SDA of DDC lines to automatically display the 3D image.

[28] Referring to FIG. 2, the PC main body 10 according to the present invention includes an image recognition unit 11, an image position confirmation unit 12, a 3D image pattern confirmation unit 13, an image signal generator 14, a signal transmitter 15 and a controller 19.

[29] The image recognition unit 11 of the PC main body 10 recognizes information on an image or a moving image among information transmitted to the monitor 30 in real time and stores displayed images or moving images in a 3D image database 20. For example, the image recognition unit 11 detects the operation of an image viewer such as RC and ACDC, which displays an image, or a media player displaying a moving image, recognizes information on the displayed image or moving image and information on an image or a moving image displayed on Explorer through the Internet and temporarily stores the recognized information.

[30] When the image recognition unit 11 recognizes the displayed image or moving image, the image position confirmation unit 12 is provided with the position coordinates of the displayed image or moving image, stores the position coordinates in an image position database 21 and generates a position signal to be transmitted to the monitor. For example, when an image or a moving image is displayed through an image viewer or a media player, position information of the displayed image or moving image is provided to the image position confirmation unit 12. The image position confirmation unit 12 stores the position information and generates the position signal to be transmitted to the monitor.

[31] The 3D image pattern confirmation unit 13 confirms whether the image recognized by the image recognition unit 11 corresponds to any one of a left/right stereo 3D image, a top/bottom stereo 3D image, a frame sequential stereo 3D image and an interlaced stereo 3D image.

[32] The 3D image pattern confirmation unit 13 includes a left/right image confirmation unit 16, a top/bottom image confirmation unit 17 and an interlaced image confirmation unit 18. The left/right image confirmation unit 16 and the top/bottom image confirmation unit 17 of the 3D image pattern confirmation unit 13 receive the first start frame image buffer of the image recognized by the image recognition unit 11, extracts edge information from the first start frame image buffer through Canny edge detection, divides an image buffer having only the edge information by two images according to image type and classifies the images by types according to the probability that the two images will be matched to each other. Here, when a matching degree is lower than 32%, the corresponding image can be recognized as a 3D image.

[33] Furthermore, the left/right image confirmation unit 16 of the 3D image pattern confirmation unit 13 extracts only the brightness of an image, considers left and right regions of the image as independent images and obtains a difference image between the two images. Here, when the left and right images are mixed, brightness values of the left and right regions by positions are similar, and thus the image can be recognized as a left/right stereo 3D image when an average of the sums of differences for respective pixels is lower than 30%.

[34] The top/bottom image confirmation unit 17 considers a top region and a bottom region of an image as independent images and obtains a difference image between pixels corresponding to the two images as does the left/right image confirmation unit 16. Here, when the top and bottom images are mixed, an average of the sums of differences for respective pixels is decreased due to similar brightnesses of the top and bottom regions, and thus the image can be recognized as a 3D image when the average is lower than 30%.

[35] The interlaced image confirmation unit 18 arranges an image in the form of left and right images. That is, the interlaced image confirmation unit 18 arranges odd- numbered lines from the top to the bottom in a left region, arranges even-numbered lines in a right region, extracts brightness of each image and performs Canny edge detection, which is an edge detection algorithm providing a thin edge and considering directivity, on the image. When a degree to which edges of the right region are matched to edges of the left region is lower than 32%, the image can be recognized as an interlaced stereo 3D image.

[36] Accordingly, it can be easily confirmed whether the image or moving image displayed in real time has one of a left-right stereo 3D image pattern, a top/bottom stereo 3D image pattern and an interlaced stereo 3D image pattern through the 3D image pattern confirmation unit 13.

[37] When the 3D image pattern confirmation unit 13 confirms the 3D image pattern corresponding to the image or moving image displayed in real time, the image signal generator 14 generates a pattern signal suitable for the 3D image pattern. For example, the image signal generator 14 generates a left/right pattern signal when the displayed image or moving image corresponds to the left/right stereo 3D image, generates a top/ bottom pattern signal when the displayed image or moving image corresponds to the top/bottom stereo 3D image, and generates an interlaced pattern signal when the displayed image or moving image corresponds to the interlaced stereo 3D image. The pattern signal generated by the image signal generator 14 can be temporarily stored in an image signal database 22.

[38] The signal transmitter 15 matches the pattern signal generated by the image signal generator 14 and the position signal generated by the image position confirmation unit 12 to 3D images stored in the 3D image database 20 of the image recognition unit 11 and transmits the pattern signal and the position signal to the monitor 30.

[39] The controller 19 controls data flow in each component.

[40] Referring to FIG. 3, the monitor 30 according to the present invention includes a 3D image converter 31, a 3D image output unit 32 and a stereoscopic panel driver 33.

[41] The 3D image converter 31 operates the stereoscopic panel of the monitor 30 according to the pattern signal transmitted from the signal transmitter 15 through a clock line SCL and a signal line SDA of DDC lines connected to the PC main body 10 to convert a 2D image into a 3D image. For example, the 3D image converter 31 operates the stereoscopic panel to be adapted to the left/right stereo 3D image when the left/right pattern signal is transmitted, operates the stereoscopic panel to be adapted to the top/bottom stereo 3D image when the top/bottom pattern signal is transmitted, and operates the stereoscopic panel to be adapted to the interlaced stereo 3D image when the interlaced pattern signal is transmitted.

[42] The 3D image output unit 32 outputs the 3D image converted by the stereoscopic panel in the 3D image converter 31 in a size corresponding to the position signal generated by the image position confirmation unit 12 at a position corresponding to the position signal. Accordingly, the 3D image can be accurately displayed on a screen of an image viewer or a media player.

[43] The stereoscopic panel driver 33 drives the stereoscopic panel when receiving the pattern signal from the signal transmitter 15. That is, the stereoscopic panel driver 33 drives the stereoscopic panel in connection with the pattern signal transmitted when the 3D image is transmitted to the monitor, and thus a user is not required to operate the stereoscopic panel through an additional button as does for a conventional monitor.

[44] While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

[1] A 3D LCD monitor control system comprising a PC main body and a monitor that is connected to the PC main body through a clock line SCL and a signal line SDA of DDC lines and has a stereoscopic panel formed on the surface thereof, wherein the PC main body comprises: an image recognition unit for recognizing information on a displayed image among information provided to the monitor; an image position confirmation unit for confirming the display position of the image recognized by the image recognition unit to recognize coordinate information on the display position, generating a position signal corresponding to a position displayed on the monitor and storing the position signal; a 3D image pattern confirmation unit for confirming whether the image recognized by the image recognition unit corresponds to any one of a left/right stereo 3D image, a top/bottom stereo 3D image, a frame sequential stereo 3D image and an interlaced stereo 3D image; an image signal generator for generating a pattern signal suitable for the pattern of the 3D image confirmed by the 3D image pattern confirmation and generating a position signal corresponding to the image recognized by the image position recognition unit; and a signal transmitter for matching the pattern signal and the position signal generated by the image signal generator to the 3D image and transmitting the pattern signal and the position signal to the monitor, and wherein the monitor comprises: a 3D image converter for operating the stereoscopic panel of the monitor according to the pattern signal received from the signal transmitter of the PC main body to convert a 2D image into a 3D image; a 3D image output unit for outputting the 3D image converted by the 3D image converter in a size corresponding to the size and position according to the position signal of the image signal generator; and a stereoscopic panel driver for operating the stereoscopic panel when receiving the pattern signal from the signal transmitter.

[2] The 3D LCD monitor control system according to claim 1, wherein the 3D image pattern confirmation unit retrieves the first frame image buffer of the image recognized by the image recognition unit, extracts edge information through Canny edge detection, divides an image buffer having only the edge information by two images according to image type, and classifies the images by types according to the probability that the two images will be matched to each other.

[3] The 3D LCD monitor control system according to claim 1, wherein the 3D image pattern confirmation unit comprises: a left/right image confirmation unit for extracting only the brightness of the image recognized by the image recognition unit, regarding left and right regions of the image as independent images, obtaining a difference image between the two images, and recognizing the image as a left/right stereo 3D image when an average of the sums of differences for respective pixels is lower than 30% since brightnesses of the left and right regions by positions are similar; a top/bottom image confirmation unit for regarding the top and bottom regions of the image recognized by the image recognition unit as independent images, obtaining a difference image between pixels corresponding to the two images, and recognizing the image as a top/bottom stereo 3D image when the average of the sums of differences for respective pixels is lower than 30% due to similar brightnesses of the top and bottom regions; and an interlaced image confirmation unit for arranging odd-numbered lines of the image recognized by the image recognition unit from the top to the bottom in a left region, arranging even-numbered lines of the image in a right region, extracting brightness of the image of each region, performing Canny edge detection, which is an edge detection algorithm providing a thin edge and considering directivity, on the image, and recognizing the image as an interlaced stereo 3D image when a degree to which edges of the right region are matched to edges of the left region is lower than 32%.

[4] The 3D LCD monitor control system according to claim 1, wherein the 3D image is a 3D image or a 3D moving image.

[5] The 3D LCD monitor control system according to claim 1, wherein the 3D image converter operates the stereoscopic panel to convert a left/right stereo pattern into a 3D image when the 3D image corresponds to the left/right stereo pattern, operates the stereoscopic panel to convert a top/bottom stereo pattern into a 3D image when the 3D image corresponds to the top/bottom stereo pattern, and operates the stereoscopic panel to convert an interlaced stereo pattern into a 3D image when the 3D image corresponds to the interlaced stereo pattern.

[6] The 3D LCD monitor control system according to claim 1, wherein the 3D image output unit outputs the 3D image in the same size as the image prior to being converted into the 3D image.