Stereoscopic image display apparatus, method of displaying stereoscopic image, and recording medium

A method of displaying a stereoscopic image for displaying a stereoscopic image by a programmed computer, comprising:

• inputting positions of a pair of eyeballs located in vicinities of a pair of stereoscopic eyeglasses having an optical element for a left eye and an optical element for a right eye whose states of transmission and nontransmission of light can be alternately changed over on the basis of signals inputted respectively thereto;
• inputting positions on a display area of display means having the display area for displaying an image;
• defining a virtual stereoscopic space included between said display means and said stereoscopic eyeglasses on the basis of the positions of the eyeballs and the positions on the display area, alternately displaying an image for the left eye of a virtual object and an image for the right eye of the virtual object so as to allow the virtual object to be perceived in the virtual stereoscopic space, and causing the states of transmission and nontransmission of light of said optical element for the left eye and said optical element for the right eye to be mutually changed over alternately in synchronism with the changeover;
• and
• determining in advance a relationship of correspondence between a perceived position in said virtual stereoscopic space and at least one of the position inputted by said visual-point position input means and the position inputted by said display-position input means, and correcting coordinates in the virtual stereoscopic space for displaying the virtual object on the basis of the relationship of the correspondence,
• wherein said determining includes calculating the image for the left eye of the virtual object and the image for the right eye of the virtual object on the basis of the relationship of the correspondence, and
• wherein said determining includes determining the relationship of correspondence on the basis of an error between a position of the virtual object displayed in the virtual stereoscopic space and measured in advance and a measurement position used in the measurement of the perceived position of the virtual object.

A recording medium in which a stereoscopic-image display program is recorded for displaying a stereoscopic image by a computer by:

• inputting positions of a pair of eyeballs located in vicinities of a pair of stereoscopic eyeglasses having an optical element for a left eye and an optical element for a right eye whose states of transmission and nontransmission of light can be alternately changed over on the basis of signals inputted respectively thereto;
• inputting positions on a display area of display means having the display area for displaying an image;
• defining a virtual stereoscopic space included between said display means and said stereoscopic eyeglasses on the basis of the positions of the eyeballs and the positions on the display area, alternately displaying an image for the left eye of a virtual object and an image for the right eye of the virtual object so as to allow the virtual object to be perceived in the virtual stereoscopic space, and causing the states of transmission and nontransmission of light of said optical element for the left eye and said optical element for the right eye to be mutually changed over alternately in synchronism with the changeover;
• and
• determining in advance a relationship of correspondence between a perceived position in said virtual stereoscopic space and at least one of the position inputted by said visual-point position input means and the position inputted by said display-position input means, and correcting coordinates in the virtual stereoscopic space for displaying the virtual object on the basis of the relationship of the correspondence,
• wherein said determining includes calculating the image for the left eye of the virtual object and the image for the right eye of the virtual object on the basis of the relationship of the correspondence, and
• wherein said determining includes determining the relationship of correspondence on the basis of an error between a position of the virtual object displayed in the virtual stereoscopic space and measured in advance and a measurement position used in the measurement of the perceived position of the virtual object.

A stereoscopic image display apparatus comprising:

• display means for displaying an image;
• a plurality of pairs of stereoscopic eyeglasses disposed at positions spaced apart from said display means, each of said plurality of pairs of stereoscopic eyeglasses having notifying means for notifying an operator's own position as well as an optical element for a left eye and an optical element for a right eye whose states of transmission and nontransmission of light can be mutually changed over on the basis of signals inputted respectively thereof;
• selecting means for selecting stereoscopic eyeglasses subject to perception from among said plurality of pairs of stereoscopic eyeglasses;
• display-position input means for inputting positions on said display means;
• and
• controlling means for defining a virtual stereoscopic space included between said display means and said stereoscopic eyeglasses on the basis of the positions on said display means and a reference position spaced apart from said display means and set in advance, for causing an image for the left eye of a virtual object and an image for the right eye of the virtual object to be alternately displayed by said display means by being mutually changed over so as to allow the virtual object to be perceived in the virtual stereoscopic space, and for outputting changeover signals to cause said optical element for the left eye and said optical element for the right eye of said stereoscopic eyeglasses subject to perception to repeat the transmission and nontransmission of the light alternately in synchronism with the changeover.

A method for displaying a stereoscopic image by a programmed computer, comprising:

• inputting positions on a display area of display means having the display area for displaying an image;
• selecting a pair of stereoscopic eyeglasses subject to perception from among a plurality of pairs of stereoscopic eyeglasses, each of said plurality of pairs of stereoscopic eyeglasses having an optical element for a left eye and an optical element for a right eye whose states of transmission and nontransmission of light can be mutually changed over on the basis of signals inputted respectively thereto;
• and
• defining a virtual stereoscopic space included between said display means and said stereoscopic eyeglasses on the basis of the positions on said display means and a reference position spaced apart from said display means and set in advance, causing an image for the left eye of a virtual object and an image for the right eye of the virtual object to be alternately displayed by said display means by being mutually changed over so as to allow the virtual object to be perceived in the virtual stereoscopic space, and causing the states of transmission and nontransmission of light of said optical element for the left eye and said optical element for the right eye of said stereoscopic eyeglasses subject to perception to be mutually changed over alternately in synchronism with the changeover.

A recording medium in which stereoscopic-image display program is recorded for displaying a stereoscopic image by a computer by:

• inputting positions on a display area of display means having the display area for displaying an image;
• selecting a pair of stereoscopic eyeglasses subject to perception from among a plurality of pairs of stereoscopic eyeglasses, each of said plurality of pairs of stereoscopic eyeglasses having an optical element for a left eye and an optical element for a right eye whose states of transmission and nontransmission of light can be mutually changed over on the basis of signals inputted respectively thereto;
• and
• defining a virtual stereoscopic space included between said display means and said stereoscopic eyeglasses on the basis of the positions on said display means and a reference position spaced apart from said display means and set in advance, causing an image for the left eye of a virtual object and an image for the right eye of the virtual object to be alternately displayed by said display means by being mutually changed over so as to allow the virtual object to be perceived in the virtual stereoscopic space, and causing the states of transmission and nontransmission of light of said optical element for the left eye and said optical element for the right eye of said stereoscopic eyeglasses subject to perception to be mutually changed over alternately in synchronism with the changeover.

A stereoscopic image display apparatus comprising:

• a display having a display area, the display displaying an image;
• a pair of stereoscopic eyeglasses disposed at a position spaced apart from the display and having an optical element for a left eye and an optical element for a right eye whose states of transmission and nontransmission of light can be mutually changed over on the basis of signals inputted respectively thereto;
• a visual-point position input, the visual-point position input adapted to input data representing positions of a pair of eyeballs located in vicinities of said stereoscopic eyeglasses;
• a display-position input, the display-position input adapted to input data representing positions on the display area of the display;
• and
• a controller which is programmed to define a virtual stereoscopic space included between the display and the stereoscopic eyeglasses on the basis of the eyeball position data the display area data, and to cause an image for the left eye of a virtual object and an image for the right eye of the virtual object to be alternately displayed by the display by being mutually changed over so as to allow the virtual object to be perceived in the virtual stereoscopic space, and to output changeover signals to cause the optical element for the left eye and the optical element for the right eye to alternate the transmission and nontransmission of the light in synchronism with the changeover.