Abstract:
A mobile device for rendering or transforming three-dimensional images is disclosed. The mobile device determines a distance and/or location of a user relative to the device and adjusts the three-dimensional image to provide improved viewing of the three-dimensional image at the sensed distance and/or location. This Abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an Abstract that allows a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain subject matter of the technical disclosure. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Technical Field  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to display screens affording three-dimensional imaging, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to three-dimensional imaging for specific applications such as mobile telephone and computer display screens.  
         [0003]     2. History of the Related Art  
         [0004]     The popularity and worldwide acceptance of computers and hand-held mobile telephones is well recognized. This wide spread use has resulted in the computer and mobile telephone becoming common parts of both modern society and contemporary business. There are many reasons for the success of these technologies, and they include the inherent ease with which a user can communicate and/or access information, as well as popular amenities associated therewith. Inherent in both telephonic communication and the accessing of information is the display screen for both mobile telephones and computers.  
         [0005]     Within recent years, both computer screens and mobile telephone hand set display screens have manifested technological innovation and related amenities. Today, both computer and mobile telephone display screens are being manufactured and sold in a variety of sizes and shapes which utilize the most advanced liquid crystal display (LCD) technology to provide enhanced, color, and low power viewing. The “low power” aspect of the display screen is particularly significant in the area of mobile telephones. Demands on the function of modern mobile telephones have required improved efficiency in power consumption and battery life. Likewise, viewing enhanced by certain display technologies have afforded the user of both computer and mobile telephones more clarity and efficiency, which allows improvements in aspects such as three-dimensional display imaging.  
         [0006]     Stereoscopic, or three-dimensional, imaging is a technique for creating an illusion of depth in a two-dimensional image. Three-dimensional imaging is gaining acceptance and popularity in various applications such as photography, video, gaming, mobile telephones, and animation.  
         [0007]     Three-dimensional imaging is currently rendered by a pair of two-dimensional images. To create a perception of depth, or a three-dimensional image, the left eye of a viewer is provided a different image than that of the right eye. The different images are two perspectives of the same image, with a minor deviation similar to the perspectives that both eyes naturally receive in binocular vision. In the mid-19 th  century, Charles Wheatstone created the first version of stereoscopy by printing two slightly different images side-by-side. The viewer is required to force his eyes either to cross or diverge so that the two images appear to be three. Then as each eye sees a different image, the effect of depth is achieved in the central image of the three. This technique was later refined to include special cameras for taking simultaneous slightly different pictures and a double lens stereoscope for viewing the special pictures.  
         [0008]     To create a stereoscopic movie, two images are projected superimposed onto the same screen through orthogonal polarizing filters. The viewer wears eyeglasses that include a pair of orthogonal polarizing filters. As each filter passes light which is similarly polarized and blocks the orthogonally polarized light, each eye only sees one of the images, and the effect of three-dimensional imaging is created. In a similar endeavor, a three-dimensional image may be created using color filters instead of polarizing filters. An image for one eye of the viewer is created in a first color, such as red, and the image for the other eye is created in a contrasting color, such as blue or green. The viewer then views the image through a pair of eyeglasses with color filters for each eye. The color filter system works well for black and white images, however, the color filters affect the appearance of colors in a colored image.  
         [0009]     Current three-dimensional graphics for applications on a screen, such as a mobile telephone or computer laptop, may be rendered by sending a specific set of images to a left eye of the viewer and a different set of images to a right eye of the viewer, thus creating a depth impression. The relative position of the screen and the eye are fixed such that the eye is a predetermined range from the screen (e.g., 30-50 cm) and the eye is leveled at a straight angle from the center of the screen. The sets of images are superimposed on the screen, however, the sets of images show a slightly different perspective of the three-dimensional image. The images for one eye are slightly shifted horizontally from the images for the other eye. When a viewer is not within the predetermined range from the screen, then the three-dimensional image is not viewed properly. For example, the three-dimensional image may be blurred break down into the separate sets of images for the right and left eyes. In addition, three-dimensional images for mobile telephones, laptops, etc. are currently only viewable from a front angle.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     The present invention relates to display screens and more particularly, to mobile telephone handsets, and computer display screens and related communication devices utilizing three-dimensional imaging to facilitate enhanced viewing. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a device adapted for displaying a three dimensional image. The device comprises a display surface for displaying the three dimensional image, a sensor for gathering distance data related to at least one of a location and a distance between the device and a user of the device, and an image generator for generating the three dimensional image based on the distance data. The sensor may be a proximity sensor, a camera which creates distance data based on a size of a feature of the user, or systems utilizing other distance detecting technology.  
         [0011]     In another embodiment, the above described location or distance data comprises a sensed distance between the user and the device, or a difference between a previous set of distance data and a currently sensed set of distance data. In certain embodiments, the invention is incorporated into at least one of a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a laptop computer.  
         [0012]     In yet another aspect, one embodiment of the invention includes a method of rendering a three dimensional image. The method comprises the steps of sensing at least one of a location and a distance of a user, creating distance data based on the location and/or distance of the user, and rendering the three dimensional image based on the distance data. The method may further comprise the steps of re-sensing the location and/or distance of the user, determining whether the rendered three dimensional image requires adjusting, adjusting the rendered three dimensional image if it is determined that the rendered three dimensional image requires adjusting, and determining whether an imaging application requiring rendering of the three dimensional image should be ended. If it is determined that the imaging application should not be ended, one embodiment of the invention includes repeating the steps of re-sensing, determining whether the rendered three dimensional image requires adjusting, adjusting, and determining whether an imaging application requiring rendering of the three dimensional image should be ended.  
         [0013]     In a further aspect, one embodiment of the invention includes a method of transforming a pre-rendered three dimensional image. The method comprises the steps of receiving the pre-rendered three dimensional image, sensing at least one of a location and a distance of the user, generating distance data based on the sensed location or sensed distance of the user, and transforming the pre-rendered three dimensional image based on the distance data. The above-described method may also include the steps of re-sensing the location or distance of the user, determining whether the transformed pre-rendered three dimensional image requires adjusting, adjusting the transformed pre-rendered three dimensional image if it is determined that the pre-rendered three dimensional image requires adjusting, and determining whether an imaging application requiring transforming of the three dimensional image should be ended. If it is determined that the imaging application should not be ended, one embodiment of the invention includes repeating the steps of re-sensing, determining whether the transformed pre-rendered three dimensional image requires adjusting, adjusting, and determining whether an imaging application requiring transforming of the three dimensional image should be ended. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]     A more complete understanding of the method and apparatus of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the following Detailed Description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings wherein:  
         [0015]      FIGS. 1A-1D  is a diagram illustrating three-dimensional imaging shown in a two dimensional medium;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating a mobile telephone according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a mobile telephone incorporating an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a mobile telephone incorporating an alternative embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating a method of rendering three-dimensional images in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  is a flow diagram illustrating a method of rendering three-dimensional images in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0021]     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, a proximity sensor may be utilized to establish the distance of a viewer of the mobile telephone relative to a display screen. A variety of proximity sensors, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,532,447 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/818,006, both incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, may be utilized to determine distance data. Embodiments of the present invention provide a proximity sensor that may be used to adopt the perspective and shifting of the “left” and “right” image of a three dimensional image. The shifting and/or rendering based on the distance data from the proximity sensor allows the user to experience ideal viewing at any distance. This applies to both real-time rendered three-dimensional images and to pre-rendered images. The former are rendered based on the distance data and the latter are perspective transformed and shifted. Stereoscopic images can also be transformed on-the-fly based on the distance data. The distance data may also be calculated from a camera of the device, if the camera is directed at the viewer (a video telephony enabled mobile phone, for instance). As defined in more detailed below, the present invention contemplates using image analysis wherein the camera itself is used as a proximity sensor by locating a feature of the viewer and utilizing the size and/or spacing thereof to compute distances.  
         [0022]     Referring now to  FIGS. 1A-1C , three-dimensional imaging on a two-dimensional medium is illustrated. A user may view a front view of a three-dimensional image on a two-dimensional screen  100  at a predetermined distance. For optimal viewing, the eyes  102  of the user should be substantially at the predetermined distance of the screen  100 . Typically, the three-dimensional image is created by providing the left eye  102  with an image having a slightly different perspective than the image provided to the right eye  102 . When the user is not substantially at the predetermined distance from the screen  100 , then the image may be blurry, or break down into the two separate images viewed by each eye  102 .  
         [0023]     The three-dimensional image is displayed in a front view (e.g., viewed at a perpendicular angle) on the display  100 . If the user moves in the x-direction, then the image is re-rendered in a front view at the new user&#39;s location, in accordance with  FIG. 1C . In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, three-dimensional images may be rendered to provide a side view of the three-dimensional image to the user.  
         [0024]     Referring now to  FIG. 1D , viewing a side view of a three-dimensional image is illustrated. By rendering different views of the three-dimensional object, a user may be able to see around, above, underneath, etc. the three-dimensional object. The user may move in an x-direction to see the sides of the three-dimensional image or the user may move in the z-direction to see the top or bottom of the three-dimensional image.  
         [0025]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a mobile telephone incorporating an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The mobile telephone  200  includes a display  202  for viewing images and a sensor  204  for determining the location of the user or the distance between the mobile telephone  200  and the user. As noted above, a variety of sensors may be employed to determine the distance or location of an object as described in commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/818,006. For example, a proximity (e.g., a capacitive, inductive, temperature, IR, etc.) sensor may be utilized to determine the distance from the sensor  202  to a user. Based on data received from the sensor  204 , the display  202  may show a three-dimensional image rendered specifically for the distance sensed by the sensor  204 . In addition, the display may show a three-dimensional image rendered with a front view, side view, etc. based on data received from the sensor  204 .  
         [0026]     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a mobile device  300 , such as a mobile telephone, PDA, laptop, etc., in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The device  300  includes a sensor  204  for sensing the location or distance of the user and a display  202  for displaying an image. The device also includes a processor  302  for controlling the device  300  and an image generator  306  for generating the three-dimensional images. The image generator  306  may be co-located within the processor  302  or separate from the processor  302  in various embodiments. The device may optionally include a battery  304  for providing power to the device  300 .  
         [0027]     The processor  302  or image generator  306  receives location or distance data from the sensor  204  and determines a location or distance between the device  300  and a user. Location data as defined herein relates to any type of data utilized to determine a location of the user in two or three-dimensions. Distance data as defined herein relates to any type of data utilized to determine a distance between the device  200  and the user. For example, distance data may be the actual distance (e.g., in centimeters, inches, etc.) from the device  200  to the user. Alternatively, as shown below with reference to  FIG. 4 , the distance data may relate to a particular parameter that is then looked-up in a data table accessed by the processor  302  or image generator  306 . For example, the distance data may relate to a size of a feature of the user&#39;s face or a distance between various features of the user&#39;s face (e.g., distance between pupils of the user&#39;s eyes). The location or distance data relating to features of the user may be calculated by using a camera as described below. Relative sizes of features and distances may be cross-referenced in the data table so that when the processor  302  receives a feature size, the distance may be determined by retrieving the distance associated with the feature size in the data table.  
         [0028]     When rendering three-dimensional images in real-time, the location or distance data is utilized to render the three-dimensional image on the display  202 . The three-dimensional image is rendered for the specific location or distance sensed by the sensor  204 . When the device  300  is utilized to present pre-rendered three-dimensional images, the perspective images are transformed and shifted to improve the image quality at the sensed distance. Stereoscopic images may also be rendered on-the-fly based on the distance data transmitted from the sensor  204 .  
         [0029]     More specifically, three-dimensional images shown on the display  202  are made up of two constituent parts, namely a right image and a left image. The right image is viewed by the right eye and the left image is viewed by the left eye. When rendering the images in three-dimensional imaging, in accordance with the present invention, the left and right images are adapted to the location or sensed distance by shifting the left and right images to achieve an improved user experience at the sensed distance. For example, the sensor  204  may sense a distance d between the user and the device  300 . The right and left images are then rendered or transformed and shifted to provide a three-dimensional image to be viewed at distance d. The user may then move the device  300  closer to the user&#39;s face, during which the sensor  204  determines that the distance between the device  300  and the user is d−4 centimeters (cm). The right and left images may then be re-rendered or re-transformed and shifted to provide a three-dimensional image to be viewed at distance d−4 cm. Regardless of how far each user holds a device  300  from himself, the three-dimensional image may be adjusted to provide an optimal viewing experience.  
         [0030]     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a mobile device  400  in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The mobile device  400  includes a processor  402 , image generator  406 , display  202 , and optional battery  304  in a manner similar to that shown in  FIG. 3 . However, a camera  404  may be used in place of, or in conjunction with, an optional sensor  204  for determining the distance between the user and the device  400 . In one embodiment, the sensor  204  and the camera  404  may be utilized together to determine a location or an accurate distance d. In an alternate embodiment, the camera  404  may replace the sensor  204  in determining the location or distance d. In the alternate embodiment, the camera  404  is solely responsible for providing location or distance data to the processor  402  and the sensor  204  may not be present in the device  400 .  
         [0031]     As the sensor  204  may sense the location or distance from the device  400  to a particular feature of the user (e.g., nose, eyes, face, ear, etc.), the camera  404  may determine the location or distance from the device  400  to the user based on a number of techniques. For example, the camera  404  may capture an image of the user and determine the location or distance based on the size of a particular feature (e.g., eyes, nose, face, mouth, etc.). As a user moves to either side of the device  400  or closer to or farther from the device  400 , the image captured by the camera  404  may be analyzed to determine the size or location of the particular feature. As a user moves, the processor  402  may receive one or more images from the camera  404  and compare the relative size of a particular feature from two or more images to determine a location or change in distance. Alternatively, the processor  402  may receive one or more images and calculate a location or distance independent of any other received images from the camera  404 .  
         [0032]     For example, the camera  404  may capture an image and the processor  402  then determines a location or distance d based on that image. The camera  404  may then capture an additional image at a later point in time and the processor compares the later image to the previous image to determine a difference in location or distance, such as +2 cm, between the captured images. The right and left images for presentation on the display  202  may then be adjusted for a viewing distance of d+2 cm. Alternatively, the images may be adjusted for viewing a side, top, bottom, etc. view of the image. As noted above, the camera  404  may capture an image and the processor  402  calculates the distance between the user and the device  400  based on the captured image without a comparison to any other previous or later captured images. Furthermore, the camera  404  may be used in conjunction with, or in place of, the sensor  204  to sense the location or distance between the user and the device  400 . The camera  404  may be utilized to determine the initial location or distance and the sensor  204  may sense the location or distance at predetermined intervals. Alternatively, the sensor  204  may sense the initial location or distance and the camera  404  may be utilized to update the sensed location or distance at predetermined intervals. It will be understood by one skilled in the art that various other combinations between the camera  404  and the sensor  204  may be utilized to determine the location or distance between the device  400  and the user.  
         [0033]     In addition, a range may be created around the sensed location or distance to prevent the image from being adjusted based on minor changes in the sensed location or distance. For example, if the user is currently viewing a three-dimensional image at distance d, then the image may not be adjusted if the user remains in an acceptable range of, for example, d±5 cm. When the sensor  204  or camera  404  determines that the user has gone outside of the acceptable range, then the image is adjusted for the user&#39;s new viewing distance. It will be understood by one skilled in the art that the range of d±5 cm is merely exemplary in nature and other ranges may be utilized without departing from aspects of the present invention.  
         [0034]     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a flow diagram illustrating a method  500  for rendering three-dimensional images is illustrated. At step  502 , the location or distance between the device and the user is sensed via a sensor  204 , camera  404 , or both. The image is rendered for viewing at the sensed location or distance at step  504 . At step  506 , the location or distance of the user is sensed at a predetermined time interval from the sensing of step  502 . Alternatively, step  506  may be initiated in response to an action, such as a sensed movement of the user or the device  400 . At step  508 , the image generator  306 ,  406  determines whether the image should be adjusted. As previously mentioned, the image may be adjusted at each change in the sensed location/distance or when the sensed location/distance falls outside of an acceptable range.  
         [0035]     If it is determined at step  508  that the image should be adjusted, then the method loops back to step  504 . If it is determined that the image should not be adjusted, then, at step  510 , it is determined whether imaging should be terminated. If the imaging should be terminated, then at step  512 , the imaging application is ended. If at step  510  it is determined that imaging should not be terminated, then the method loops back to step  506 . Step  510  may loop back to step  506  at predetermined intervals or in response to an action, such as a user initiated action (e.g., activation of a button or key), sensed movement of the user, or sensed movement of the device  400 .  
         [0036]     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , a flow diagram illustrating a method  600  for adjusting pre-rendered three-dimensional images is illustrated. At step  602 , the pre-rendered image is received or initiated at the device  300 ,  400 . At step  604 , the location or distance between the device  300 ,  400  and the user is sensed via a sensor  204 , camera  404 , or both. The image is adjusted for viewing at the sensed location or distance at step  606 . At step  608 , the location or distance between the user and the device  300 ,  400  is sensed. Step  608  may be initiated at predetermined time intervals or in response to an action, such as a sensed movement of the user or the device  300 ,  400 . At step  610 , the image generator  306 ,  406  determines whether the image should be adjusted based on the location or distance data. As previously mentioned, the image may be adjusted at each change in the sensed location/distance or when the sensed location/distance falls outside of an acceptable range.  
         [0037]     If it is determined at step  610  that the image should be adjusted, then the method loops back to step  606 . If it is determined that the image should not be adjusted, then, at step  612 , it is determined whether imaging should be terminated. If the imaging should be terminated, then at step  614 , the imaging application is ended. If at step  612  it is determined that imaging should not be terminated, then the method loops back to step  608 . Step  612  may loop back to step  608  at predetermined intervals or in response to an action, such as a user initiated action, sensed movement of the user, or sensed movement of the device  300 ,  400  as noted above.  
         [0038]     It is thus believed that the operation and construction of various embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the foregoing Detailed Description. While various devices have been described, it will be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims. Therefore, the spirit and the scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.