Apparatus for and method of generating image, and computer program product

Abstract

An apparatus includes a stereoscopic display region calculator calculating a stereoscopic display region to reproduce a three-dimensional positional relationship in image data displayed on a stereoscopic display device, based on two-dimensional or three-dimensional image data, a position of a target of regard of a virtual camera set in processing of rendering the image data, and orientations of the light beams output from the stereoscopic display device. The apparatus also includes an image processor performing image processing on image data outside a region representing the outside of the stereoscopic display region calculated by the stereoscopic display region calculator. The image processing is different from image processing on image data inside a region representing the inside of the stereoscopic display region. The apparatus also includes an image generator generating stereoscopic display image data from the two-dimensional or three-dimensional image data after processed by the image processor.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-057730 filed on Mar. 2, 2004 the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1) Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to an image generating apparatus, an image generating method, and an image generating program for performing image generation in an Integral-Imaging or multi-lens stereoscopic display device.[0004]2) Description of the Related Art[0005]When a stereoscopic video is displayed by a stereoscopic display device, specifically, by an Integral-Imaging or multi-lens stereoscopic display device a stereoscopic display device, there is a limit region where an observer can recognize the displayed object as a stereoscopic video. When a stereoscopic video is attempted to be displayed outside the region, because the observer sees the object double or tr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for generating stereoscopic display image data to be displayed on a stereoscopic display device. The apparatus includes a stereoscopic display region calculator that calculates a stereoscopic display region based on two-dimensional or three-dimensional image data and the position and orientations of light beams output from the display device. The apparatus also includes an image processor that performs image processing on image data outside the stereoscopic display region, which is different from image processing on image data inside the region. The image generator generates the stereoscopic display image data from the processed image data. The technical effect of the invention is to improve the quality and realism of stereoscopic display image data.

Problems solved by technology

When a stereoscopic video is attempted to be displayed outside the region, because the observer sees the object double or triple, it is difficult to recognize the object as a stereoscopic video.

However, in the Integral-Imaging or multi-lens stereoscopic display device, there is a limit for the region where the observer can see the displayed object as a stereoscopic video.

Further, as a problem common to stereoscopic display devices having capability of protruding representation including the Integral-Imaging or multi-lens system in general, there is a problem referred to as “image frame distortion”.

In this case, that brings discomfort to the observer such that the object is seen distorted as if the object stuck to the frame or the object near the frame is seen unstable.

As described above, the methods for solving the problem such as image frame distortion are proposed in a two-lens stereoscopic display device, however, there is no method for solving the problem such as image frame distortion in the Integral-Imaging or multi-lens stereoscopic display device, and a solving method is desired to be provided.

Thus, it is difficult to generate a video displayed in the Integral-Imaging or multi-lens stereoscopic display device by generating a stereoscopic video of a 3-D CG scene by locating a virtual camera and a point of regard within the 3D CG scene like a normal virtual camera for CG

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