Stereoscopic Format Converter Matrix
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stereoscopic image formats are not universally compatible with various hardware configurations, leading to inconsistent viewing experiences across different PCs and monitors, and there is a need for converting between formats to accommodate different display capabilities and user preferences.
Innovation Solution
A software-enabled stereoscopic content converter that utilizes a matrix-based approach to convert input images from one format to another, employing a pipeline of processing stages for scaling, alignment, and presentation to ensure compatibility and generate ersatz stereo images from planar content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If field-sequential stereoscopic display is used on CRT monitors, then stereoscopic viewing is achieved, but liquid crystal displays cannot display the image properly due to image lag
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts stereoscopic content between different formats by changing the temporal and spatial parameters of image presentation. It transforms field-sequential formats into simultaneous display formats (side-by-side, above-below, interlaced) that LCD monitors can display without image lag, while maintaining stereoscopic viewing capability through format conversion rather than direct display of the original format
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a format conversion process as an intermediary between the source stereoscopic content and the display device. This intermediary transforms the content into a compatible format that suits the specific display hardware characteristics, whether CRT or LCD, thereby resolving the incompatibility between field-sequential formats and LCD display capabilities
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple stereoscopic formats are supported, then compatibility with different hardware is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal format conversion system that can handle multiple stereoscopic formats (field-sequential, side-by-side, above-below, interlaced, anaglyph) through a single multi-functional converter. This converter performs various transformations including scaling, cropping, color space conversion, and temporal reordering, allowing one system to serve multiple format requirements without needing separate dedicated systems for each format
Solution Approach 2:
The format conversion process is divided into distinct functional stages: input format detection, format selection, image processing (scaling, cropping, color conversion), and output generation. Each stage handles a specific aspect of the conversion, making the overall complex process manageable and modular, with each segment performing a well-defined function in the transformation pipeline
3Reliability
If anaglyph format is used, then compatibility with liquid crystal displays is achieved, but color accuracy is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different processing methods to different regions and channels of the image data. When converting to anaglyph format, it selectively applies color filtering to specific color channels (typically red and cyan) while preserving full color information in other formats. The conversion is optional and format-dependent, applying color reduction only when anaglyph output is selected, not to all output formats
Solution Approach 2:
The patent provides dynamic format selection where the output format (including whether to use anaglyph color encoding) can be changed based on display capabilities and user preference. The system adapts between full-color stereoscopic formats and anaglyph format, allowing color information to be preserved when possible and only reduced when necessary for compatibility, with the ability to switch between modes
Data Source
AI summary
A device and method for converting one stereoscopic format into another. A software-enabled matrix is used to set forth predefined relationships between one type of format as an input image and another type of format as an output image. The matrix can then be used as a look-up table that defines a correspondence between input pixels and output pixels for the desired format conversion.