Stereo Base Extension for Autostereoscopic Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autostereoscopic multi-user display devices suffer from a reduced depth impression due to wider viewing zones that violate Lüscher's basic rule of equal viewing angles during capture and observation, leading to a perceived eye distance smaller than the camera lens distance, which limits the freedom of movement and depth perception for multiple viewers.
Innovation Solution
The method involves generating virtual perspectives outside the captured camera perspectives, extending the stereo base to create additional viewing zones, allowing viewers to move freely while maintaining a consistent depth impression by synthesizing in-between perspectives that align with the camera lenses' viewing direction, thus enhancing the perceived eye distance and depth impression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the viewing zone width is increased to allow multiple viewers freedom of movement, then the freedom of movement for viewers is improved, but the perceived eye distance becomes significantly smaller than the camera lens distance, leading to reduced depth impression
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the stereo base in the horizontal dimension by generating virtual camera perspectives outside the original captured perspectives. This dimensional extension allows the system to maintain proper depth perception (perceived eye distance) while accommodating wider viewing zones through synthesized perspectives that preserve the original stereo base geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual camera perspectives that are synthesized copies of the original captured perspectives. These virtual perspectives are generated through image synthesis techniques that replicate the optical properties of the original camera positions, allowing multiple viewers to observe from different angles while maintaining the correct perceived eye distance and depth impression.
2Adaptability or versatility
If in-between perspectives are synthesized to create multiple viewing zones, then the number of viewing zones is improved, but the perceived eye distance is reduced, violating Lüscher's basic rule of equal viewing angles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the viewing space into multiple distinct viewing zones, each with its own set of virtual perspectives. By dividing the overall viewing area into separate zones with optimized perspective sets, the system maintains Lüscher's basic rule within each zone while providing adaptability across multiple zones for different viewer positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of perspective position by generating virtual cameras at extended positions outside the original stereo base. This parameter change allows the creation of multiple viewing zones with different perspective configurations, each maintaining the correct perceived eye distance through synthesized images that adapt to the zone-specific geometry.
3Manufacturing precision
If the stereo base is extended by generating virtual perspectives outside the captured perspectives, then the depth impression is improved, but the complexity of image synthesis increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing the geometric relationships and projection parameters for virtual camera positions during system setup. This preliminary computation of perspective transformation matrices and occlusion handling strategies reduces the complexity of real-time image synthesis while maintaining accurate depth impression through the extended stereo base.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method and a device for improving the depth impression of stereoscopic images and image sequences. In autostereoscopic multi-viewer display devices, generally a plurality of intermediate perspectives are generated, which lead to a reduced stereo base upon perception by the viewers. The stereo base widening presented in this application leads to a significant improvement and thus to a more realistic depth impression. It can either be effected during recording in the camera or be integrated into a display device. The improvement in the depth impression is achieved by the generation of synthetic perspectives situated, in the viewing direction of the camera lenses, on the left and right of the extreme left and extreme right recorded camera perspective on the right and left lengthening of the connection line formed by the extreme left and extreme right camera perspectives. These synthetic perspectives are calculated only on the basis of a disparity map, which is supplied or which is calculated in a preprocessing step. In this case, the method presented solves the following problems: 1. Calculation of the new extension perspectives, 2. Correct repositioning of the camera perspectives supplied within the visual zones, 3. Definition of which disparities are intended to be continued in the case of collision in the extension and 4. Interpolation of the image regions which become visible as a result of the extension of the stereo base. In this case, instances of left and right masking are also identified and optically correctly maintained and supplemented in the extension perspectives.