JPH1184313A - Video observation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the feeling of fatigue from being given to an observer while displaying a video with presence without using complicated control and an extra equipment by displaying either of an identical video or the different videos having parallax on a left and a right display means according to the detected result of the inclination of his head. SOLUTION: A head position detection device 3 is constituted of an angular velocity sensor so as to detect moving amount obtained when the head of the observer oscillates back and forth and right and left and the inclination obtained when the head is inclined right and left. By an image display position controller 4, the display position of an image is decided based on the detected result sent from the detection device 3 so that the images displayed on a left and right eyes are fixed on an actual space. By a video signal switching means 5, it is decided which signal out of the signal transmitted from a 3D video signal generation device 2a and the signal transmitted from a 2D video signal generation device 2b is given to display elements 1R and 1L based on the information on the inclination of the head sent from the device 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image observation apparatus for displaying a virtual image of an image taken by a video camera or an electronic image such as computer graphics on the left and right eyes of an observer. The present invention relates to an image observation device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a head-mounted image observation apparatus, a movement of a display image is moved in a direction opposite to the head movement by detecting a movement of an observer's head in order to improve a sense of reality. There are proposals for expressing an image as if it were fixed in a real space. Further, in such an image observation apparatus, a three-dimensional (3D) image is further displayed (an image having parallax information on the right and left sides is displayed), so that a more realistic image expression can be realized.

[0003]

However, in the above-described image observation apparatus, when displaying a 3D image,
To make the image follow the movement of the head, it is necessary to consider not only the position and orientation of the image but also the parallax information. If only the position or orientation of the video is changed, the processing is simple because the same video can be used. However, when parallax information is considered, image processing becomes complicated.

[0004] In particular, when the head moves to the left or right, the positional relationship between the left and right eyes changes. Therefore, since the parallax direction changes, very complicated image processing is required in consideration of the parallax information. In this case, there is a problem that the cost is increased, for example, enormous calculations and special input devices are required. on the other hand,
To solve these problems, if an image containing the same disparity information as when the head is not tilted is used even when the head is tilted, the disparity of the video and the positions of the left and right eyes This causes a sense of incongruity (difficulty of fusion, image shift, etc.) due to the difference, and causes a great deal of fatigue to the observer.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image observation apparatus that displays an image with a sense of reality without using complicated controls and extra devices, and that gives as little fatigue to the observer as possible.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a head mounted image observation apparatus for displaying an image on left and right display means and projecting a virtual image to each of the left and right eyes of an observer. Detecting means for detecting the inclination of the observer's head to the left and right, and displaying the images displayed on the left and right display means according to the detection result of the detecting means, either the same image or different images having parallax And control means.

In the above configuration, if the inclination of the head to the left and right detected by the detection means is small, the control means sets the image displayed on the display means to a different image having parallax. That is, the image is a 3D image. However, when the inclination of the head is large and the difference between the parallax direction when the head is not tilted and the actual parallax direction of the observer is large, the control unit sets the images displayed on the left and right display units to be the same image. That is, the image is a two-dimensional (2D) image.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image observation apparatus having the above-mentioned configuration, the control means determines whether the inclination detected by the detection means deviates from a predetermined reference inclination when the deviation is larger than a predetermined value. When the deviation amount is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the images displayed on the left and right display units are different images having parallax.

In the above configuration, first, a reference inclination is set in advance. Note that the reference is tilted when the head is not tilted (when the positional relationship between the left and right eyes is horizontal).
It is desirable to set the inclination at the time of observation and the inclination when the observer is in a natural posture. Then, based on whether or not the amount of deviation of the inclination detected by the detection means from the reference inclination exceeds a predetermined value, images displayed on the left and right display means are displayed in 3D and 2D.
D and display it. If the value exceeds the predetermined value, 2D is displayed, and if the value is less than the predetermined value, 3D is displayed.
Note that it is desirable to determine the predetermined value so that 3D display is performed within a range that does not cause a problem such as difficulty in fusing the image for an observer.

In the third aspect of the present invention, the control means reduces the parallax amount of the image displayed on the left and right display means as the deviation amount increases, and sets the parallax amount to 0 when the deviation amount is a predetermined value. It is configured to be controlled.

In the above arrangement, as the deviation of the head inclination from the reference inclination increases, the difference between the left and right images gradually decreases, and when the deviation amount reaches a predetermined value, the completely identical image is obtained. Since the displayed image is displayed, an unnatural feeling of the image switching is reduced for the observer, and a natural image can be obtained.

In the invention according to claim 4, when the predetermined value is θ _c , the predetermined value θ _c is set to satisfy 0.5 ° <θ _c <5.0 °. Even if the image is shifted by 5.0 ° or more from the reference inclination, if the image having the same parallax direction is continuously displayed, the difference between the image's parallax information and the observer's left-right direction becomes too large, and it becomes difficult to fuse right and left. This will give a great deal of fatigue to the elderly. On the other hand, when switching is performed with a small deviation of 0.5 ° or less from the reference inclination, the image with parallax information is frequently switched to the image without parallax information due to a slight head shake or posture change of the observer. The observer will be confused and the feeling of fatigue will increase. Therefore, by setting the predetermined value within the above range, the fatigue of the observer can be reduced as much as possible.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically by showing embodiments. <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image observation apparatus according to the present embodiment. The video observation device of the present embodiment is a head-mounted video observation device for displaying virtual images of electronic images such as computer graphics on the left and right eyes of an observer. Reference numerals 1R and 1L denote a right-eye image display element and a left-eye image display element as display means. 2a, 2b
Is a device for generating a video signal to be displayed on the display elements 1R and 1L. 2a is a video signal for left and right eyes (3D signal) having parallax information in a parallax direction at a reference inclination (described later).
2b generates a video signal for left and right eyes (a signal for 2D) without parallax information.
It is a video signal generation device.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a head position detecting device (detecting means) for detecting the position of the observer's head. Head position detection device 3
Will be described later. Reference numeral 4 determines the image display position based on the detection result sent from the head position detection device 3 so that the display images to the left and right eyes are observed as being fixed in the real space. This is an image display position control device. 5 is
Based on the information about the inclination of the head sent from the head position detection device 3, the video signal given to the display elements 1R and 1L may be a signal from the 3D video signal generation device 2a or a 2D video signal.
This is a video signal switching unit that is a control unit that determines whether to use the signal from the video signal generation device 2b and controls switching of the signal.

Next, the head position detecting device 3 of this embodiment will be described. The head position detection device 3 is configured by an angular velocity sensor, and shakes the observer's head back and forth (movement similar to the movement of the head at the time of looking up or down). (In the present embodiment, the amount of rotation around the x-axis, hereinafter referred to as x
), The amount of movement (in the present embodiment, the y-axis) caused by the right and left swing of the head (meaning the same movement as the movement of the head when looking left or right) A tilt amount caused by tilting the head to the left or right (meaning a movement similar to the movement of the head when tilting the neck). Is detected.

When the head position detecting device 3 detects that the head is shaken, for example, y, the image display position control device 4 moves the image to the right by the amount of the left shake based on this value. Control to display. Therefore, to the observer, the image looks as if it is fixed in the real space. As described above, the image display position control device 4 outputs x,
Using the values of y and the inclination, the position of the image is controlled so that the observer sees the image fixed in real space.

The tilt detected by the head position detecting device 3 is also sent to the video signal switching means 5. If the head is tilted left or right, the positional relationship between the left and right eyes will change. For example, from a state in which the left and right eyes are horizontally aligned (this state is referred to as a basic state in the present embodiment), when the head is tilted to the left, the right eye comes to a higher position than the left eye. .

In this embodiment, when the amount of deviation of the inclination of the head from the inclination of the basic state exceeds a predetermined value (described later), the signal switching means 5 outputs the signal given to the display elements 1R and 1L to two.
The signal is switched to the signal from the D video signal generation device 2b. still,
If the shift amount is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the signal given to the display elements 1R and 1L is a signal from the 3D video signal generation device 2a.

In this embodiment, the video signal switching means 5
Performs control (including determination of a predetermined value) so as to satisfy the conditions described in the control method 1 or the control method 2. (Control method 1) When | θ _h −θ ₀ |> θ _c , the signal from the 2D signal generation device 2a is sent to the display elements 1L and 1R. 2. When | θ _h −θ ₀ | ≦ θ _c , the signal from the 3D signal generation device 2b is sent to the display elements 1L and 1R. 3.5.0 ゜> θ _c > 0.5 ゜ Note that θ _h is the inclination of the head, θ ₀ is the reference inclination, and θ _c is the video switching angle (predetermined value).

When θ _c is larger than 5.0 °, when an image having parallax information in the same direction as the parallax direction at the reference inclination is displayed as an image given to the right and left eyes, the parallax direction of the image and the left and right of the observer are displayed. Is too large, and it becomes difficult for the observer to fuse the left and right images. Therefore,
The feeling of fatigue given to the observer increases. On the other hand, θ _c is 0.5
If the distance is smaller than ゜, the image with parallax information and the image without parallax information are frequently switched due to a slight head shake or a change in posture of the observer, so that the observer is confused and the feeling of fatigue increases. Therefore, it is desirable to satisfy the above conditions.

(Control Method 2) When | θ _h −θ ₀ |> θ _c , the signal from the 2D signal generation device 2a is sent to the display elements 1L and 1R. 2. When | θ _h −θ ₀ | ≦ θ _c , the signal from the 3D signal generation device 2b is sent to the display elements 1L and 1R. 3.10.0 / θ _f > θ _c > 0.0 Note that θ _h is the tilt of the head, θ ₀ is the reference tilt, θ _c is the video switching angle (predetermined value), and θ _f is the maximum in the video. Assume the convergence angle.

When an image having parallax information in the same direction as the parallax direction at the reference inclination is displayed as the left and right images when θ _c is larger than 10.0 / θ _f , the parallax information of the image and the left and right of the observer are displayed. Is too large, and the left and right fusion becomes difficult. Therefore, an observer's feeling of fatigue increases, and long-term observation becomes difficult. substantially always left and right images when theta _c is 0.0 will not be able to view the same next 3D image.

[0023] Incidentally, the reason the upper limit is set to 10.0 / theta _f of theta _c because of the following reasons. When θ _f is large, the switching angle θ _c takes a small value because the left-right parallax is large and the left-right shift due to the video parallax and the tilt of the observer's head becomes large even if the tilt of the observer's head is small. There is a need. Conversely, when θ _f is very small, the difference between the left and right images is small because the image originally has a very small parallax, so that the observer can perceive only the switching wherever the image is switched. Therefore, θ _c may be any value.
For these reasons, the upper limit of theta _c and 10.0 / θ _f.

Further, θ _f may fluctuate with time according to the video information. In that case, 10.0 / θ _f
It is also possible to temporally vary θ _c within the range of> θ _c > 0.0, or to make θ _c a constant value in consideration of the maximum θ _f within a certain time.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the displayed image and the tilt of the head when performing 3D display and 2D display. As shown in FIG. 2A, when the head is in the reference state, that is, when the head is not tilted, a 3D image including parallax information is displayed on the left and right images. As shown in FIG. 2B, when the head is tilted and the tilt of the head becomes larger than a predetermined value, a 2D video image including no parallax information is displayed on the left and right images. Note that 1R, 1L, and 3 in FIG. 2 are the same as those in FIG. 1, and are a right-eye display element, a left-eye display element, and a head position detection device, respectively.

In the above embodiment, the reference state is a state in which the left and right eyes are in a horizontal positional relationship. However, the reference state is not limited to this and may be, for example, a state in a natural posture of the observer. When the reference state is a state in which the left and right eyes are in a horizontal positional relationship as in the above-described embodiment, a more natural image sense can be obtained because the image matches the sense of gravity of the observer. On the other hand, when the reference state is a state in which the observer is in a natural posture, the observer can enjoy a 3D image with the best matching parallax direction (a 3D image without a sense of incongruity) when the observer is in the most comfortable posture. Fatigue due to the appreciation can be reduced.

In the above embodiment, the head position detecting device 3 is configured to detect three values of x, y, and inclination. It may be configured to detect the movement of the head up and down and the movement to the left and right accompanying the movement of the head. Again,
The image display position control device 4 controls the display image so that the video is observed as if it is fixed in the real space.

<Second Embodiment> FIG. 3 is an external view of a video observation device of the present embodiment. The video observation device 11 according to the present embodiment is a head-mounted video observation device 1 for displaying virtual images captured by the camera 10 on left and right eyes of an observer.
It is one. The video taken by the camera 10 is
Is transmitted from the communication antenna 7 to the communication antenna 6 of the image observation apparatus 11. On the other hand, information on x and y of the head position detected by the head position detection device 3 of the device 11 is transmitted from the communication terminal 6 to the communication terminal 7 of the camera 10.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the video observation device 11 of the present embodiment. 3 and 4, the right-eye image display element 1R and the left-eye image display element 1
L, the head position detecting device 3 and the video signal switching means 5 have the same configuration as in the first embodiment. Further, x, y, and the inclination, which are the detection values of the head position detection device 3, also represent the same detection values as in the first embodiment.

The camera 10 is a right-eye video camera 9R.
And a left-eye image photographing camera 9L, and a 3D image having left and right parallax information is photographed. Also, this camera 1
A camera position control device 8 that changes the position of the camera based on the detection result of the head position detection device 3 is provided so that 0 is linked to the movement of the observer's head. The camera position control device 8 uses the information on x and y of the observer's head sent from the head position detection device 3 to determine the position of the camera so that the camera 10 also has the same x and y values. Control.

As described above, the image captured by the camera 10 linked to the movement of the observer's head is converted into the right-eye camera image signal generation device 9R 'in the right-eye image shooting camera 9R.
And a display element 1R from a camera image signal generation device 9L ′ for the left eye in the image shooting camera 9L for the left eye via the communication antenna 7 of the camera 10 and the communication antenna 6 of the image observation device 11.
Sent to 1L, the observer observes a 3D virtual image.

In the case of 3D observation, if the deviation of the displayed image from the parallax direction becomes large, the observer will have difficulty in fusing the left and right images, and will observe an image with a sense of incongruity. If you keep observing, you will feel a lot of fatigue. In order to deal with such a problem, also in the present embodiment, the video signal switching unit 5 switches the signals applied to the display elements 1R and 1L, as in the first embodiment.

The tilt detected by the head position detecting device 3 is given to the video signal switching means 5. Then, the video signal switching means 5 controls video signal switching by the same control method 1 or control method 2 as in the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, when performing 3D display, the right-eye video signal generation device 9R ′ and the left-eye video signal generation device 9R ′ are used.
The signals sent from L ′ are directly used as display elements 1R, 1R,
L, and when performing 2D display, a video signal from one video signal generation device 9R 'or 9L' is supplied to the two display elements 1R and 1L. In this way, when performing 2D display, the same image is displayed on the two display elements 1R and 1L, so that the observer can observe an image without a sense of discomfort.

In the video observation device 11 of the present embodiment, since the video captured by the camera 10 having the right-eye video imaging camera 9R and the left-eye video imaging camera 9L is observed, it can be observed as a realistic 3D video. . When the head is tilted, the camera cannot follow this movement, but when the head is tilted beyond a certain value, 2D display is performed, so that the observer can continue to observe the image without feeling uncomfortable. Therefore, the camera that captures the 3D video to be provided to the video observation device of the present embodiment is
Anything that does not allow complicated movements is acceptable. Therefore, the drive mechanism of the camera can be simplified, and cost reduction and compactness can be achieved.

[0035]

According to the present invention, an image observation apparatus having left and right display means displays a 3D image to give a sense of realism. Further, when the head is tilted, an image without a sense of incongruity is given to the observer without using any special calculation means, so that it is possible to continue to display a natural image without increasing costs. On the other hand, the viewer can continue to observe the image without feeling fatigue by displaying the image that feels natural.

Also, when observing an image captured by a camera that cannot move in a complicated manner, if the parallax direction of the observer is different from the parallax direction of the image, there is provided a means for switching from 3D video to 2D video. You can observe a video without any.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a schematic configuration of a video observation device according to a first embodiment.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams schematically illustrating an example of a tilted head and an image displayed when (A) 3D display is performed and (B) when 2D display is performed.

FIG. 3 is an external view of a video observation device according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a schematic configuration of a video observation device according to a second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1L Image display element for right eye 1R Image display element for left eye 2a 3D image signal generation device 2b 2D image signal generation device 3 Head position detection device 4 Image display position control device 5 Image signal switching means 6 Communication antenna 11 Image observation device

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A head mounted image observation apparatus for displaying an image on left and right display means and projecting a virtual image to each of the left and right eyes of the observer, wherein a detection for detecting a tilt of the observer's head to the left and right is performed. And a control unit for changing the images displayed on the left and right display units into the same image or different images having parallax according to the detection result of the detection unit. 2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein when the amount of deviation of the inclination detected by the detection unit from a preset reference inclination is larger than a predetermined value, the images displayed on the left and right display units are the same image. 2. The image observation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the shift amount is equal to or less than a predetermined value, images displayed on the left and right display means are different images having parallax. 3. The control means controls the parallax amount of an image displayed on the left and right display means to be smaller as the deviation amount is larger and to be 0 when the deviation amount is a predetermined value. The image observation device according to claim 2. When 4. and the predetermined value theta _c, the predetermined value theta _c image observation apparatus according to 0.5 ° <theta _c claim 2 or 3, characterized in that <is 5.0 °.