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3d image display method and system thereof

3d image display method and system thereof description/claims

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2007-0050558, filed on May 23, 2007, 10-2007-0098961, filed on Oct. 1, 2007, and 10-2008-0035640, filed on Apr. 17, 2008, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a system and method of displaying a 3D image, more specifically to a 3D image display method, and a system thereof, having a background image for adding three-dimensionality.

2. Background Art

There have been a number of researches and developments on three-dimension imagery and image display technologies. As a new concept of virtual image media that will enhance the technological level of visual information, the three-dimensional image-related media are expected to lead the new generation of display technology. Consequently, academic institutions and industry researchers, both in Korean and overseas, are actively researching in this field.

Three-dimensional images are more realistic and natural than two-dimensional images, and are increasingly preferred to their two-dimensional predecessors. While the conventional two-dimensional display system provided an image on a flat plane, the three-dimensional display system provides the inherent, real image information of an object to an observer. In such sense, the three-dimensional display system is an ultimate image display technology.

For the display of such three-dimensional images, stereoscopy, holography and integral imaging have been developed.

In the stereoscopy method, which imitates the human visual system, images corresponding to the left eye and the right eye, respectively, are separately inputted. An image is separated into a left-eye image and a right-eye image, which are then inputted to the left eye and the right eye, respectively, of an observer, who is wearing polarized glasses.

The holography method allows an observer to experience a real-like three-dimensional image, without wearing any special glasses, when looking at the holography created by use of laser. With its high three-dimensionality, the holography method is known to be least physically demanding to the observer, hence the most ideal method for realizing three-dimensional imagery.

The integral imaging display method is mainly divided into image pick-up and image display. The image pick-up process is arranged by a two-dimensional sensor, such as an image sensor, and a lens array, before which a three-dimensional object is placed. A variety of information on the three-dimensional object is passed through the lens array and stored in the two-dimensional sensor. As an element image, the stored image is used for displaying the image three-dimensionally. A reverse process of the image pick-up process, the image display process of the integral imaging display method is arranged by an image display device, such as a liquid crystal display device, and a lens array. The element image obtained by the image pick-up process is displayed on the image display device, and the image information of the element image is passed through the lens array and displayed in space three-dimensionally.

A type of glass-less 3D display technology, the floating display system can be often found in museums or exhibition showcases.

Simple in the structure, the floating-image display system is easy to realize a high-resolution image in real space. Once an image from a flat display device, such as an LCD, passes through a floating lens, which uses a convex lens or a concave mirror, the image is formed in space, and the viewer can see the image floating in space in front of his or her eyes. The image displayed by the floating-image display system, however, is limited to a single real plane, hindering the system from displaying the image three-dimensionally.

The above 3D display methods, however, require an enormous amount of data to process a near-perfect sense of three-dimensionality, because they realize the 3D imagery from a single 2D or 3D image, and thus are unable to provide consecutive 3D images. Moreover, the three-dimensionality that a user senses has been somewhat limited when the 3D image is provided by a single system.

One aspect of the present invention is a 3D image display method, and a system thereof, having a background image.

Another aspect of the present invention is a 3D image display method, and the system thereof, which can render a more real-like three-dimensional image by solving the overlapping region problem, which is often occurred when two or more real planes are used in a 3D image display system.

Another aspect of the present invention is a 3D image display method, and a system thereof, which can solve the problem of deteriorated resolution when the image is realized by a three-dimensional image display method only, by displaying a 3D background image through the use of a three-dimensional image display method and by displaying a 3D image through a separate display of a high-resolution object image.

Another aspect of the present invention is a floating-image display method, and a system thereof, which can implement a more real-like background image by additionally using a 3D background image.

An aspect of the present invention features a 3D image display method.

The three-dimensional image display method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: displaying an object image; displaying a background image by using a three-dimensional image display method; and disposing the object image at a close distance and the background image at a far distance such that the object image and the background image overlap inside a same viewing angle.

In the step of disposing the object image and the background image, one of the object image and background image can be formed as a real image and the other can be formed as a virtual image, by using a half mirror, which permeates one of the object image and background image and reflects the other.

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