Patent Publication Number: US-2013243305-A1

Title: Image processing method for stereoscopic images

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an image processing method, and more particularly, to an image processing method for stereoscopic images. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     As related technology keeps improving, functions of a display device are getting more powerful. Besides displaying images, current display devices can be utilized for surfing the Internet, and making free Internet calls, etc. In order to satisfy entertainment demands of consumers, some display devices is capable of displaying stereoscopic images. A 3D display device displays left visual angle images and right visual angle images on a display panel, such that a left eye and a right eye of a user can see the left visual angle images and the right visual angle images respectively, in order to generate a stereoscopic effect. 
     Generally, there are two kinds of methods for displaying the left visual angle image and the right visual angle image by the 3D display device. In one method, the display panel displays the left visual angle image and the right visual angle image simultaneously, and utilizes an optical polarization component for arranging a polarization direction of the left visual angle image to be different from a polarization direction of the right visual angle image, and the left eye and the right eye of the user can see the left visual angle image and the right visual angle image respectively through a pair of polarized glasses. In another method, the display panel displays the left visual angle image and the right visual angle image sequentially, and the left eye and the right eye of the user can see the left visual angle image and the right visual angle image respectively through a pair of shutter glasses, which shutter a left glass and a right glass sequentially. 
     However, due to issues of light leakage or difference of polarization directions of the 3D glasses, there are differences in color, brightness, and color temperature between the left visual angle image and the right visual angle image seen by the user, such that affects image quality of the stereoscopic images displayed on the 3D display devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an image processing method for stereoscopic images. The image processing method comprises providing image data of a first visual angle image and image data of a second visual angle image; performing first image processing to the image data of the second visual angle image according to performance of a first display parameter of the image data of the first visual angle image on a display panel, for adjusting performance of the first display parameter of the image data of the second visual angle image on the display panel to correspond to the performance of the first display parameter of the image data of the first visual image on the display panel; and displaying the first visual angle image and the second visual angle image after the first image processing. 
     Compared with the prior art, the image processing method for stereoscopic images of the present invention can perform image processing to the left visual angle image and/or the right visual angle image, in order to make the color, brightness, and color temperature of the left visual angle images and the right visual angle image consistent with each other, so as to further improve the image quality of the stereoscopic images. 
     These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating a first embodiment of an image processing method for stereoscopic images of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the image processing method for stereoscopic images of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating a third embodiment of the image processing method for stereoscopic images of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram illustrating a fourth embodiment of the image processing method for stereoscopic images of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a fifth embodiment of the image processing method for stereoscopic images of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a flowchart showing the image processing method for stereoscopic images of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating a first embodiment of an image processing method for stereoscopic images of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 , after receiving image data of first visual angle images R and image data of second visual angle images L, an image processor  110  is utilized for performing image processing to the second visual angle images L, and a display panel then sequentially displays the first visual angle images R and the second visual angle images L′ after the first image processing in different periods. In order to solve the problem of differences in color, brightness, and color temperature between left visual angle images and right visual angle images caused by 3D glasses, the image processor  110  can perform image processing to the image data of the second visual angle images L according to performance of the image data of the first visual angle image R on the display panel  120 , for adjusting performance of a display parameter of the image data of the second visual angle image L′ on the display panel  120  to correspond to the performance of the display parameter of the image data of the first visual image R on the display panel  120 . 
     For example, color gamut of the first visual angle image R may be different from color gamut of the second visual image L due to the 3D glasses, such that colors of an object in the first visual angle image R is different from colors of the object in the second visual angle image L to the user. Therefore, the image processor  110  can perform color matrix processing to the image data of the second visual angle image L according to performance of a color gamut parameter of the image data of the first visual angle image on the display panel  120 , for adjusting performance of the color gamut parameter of the image data of the second visual angle image L′ on the display panel  120  to correspond to the performance of the color gamut parameter of the image data of the first visual image R on the display panel  120 , in order to make the colors of the object in the first visual angle image R consistent with the colors of the object in the second visual angle image L to the user. 
     In addition, a gray level curve of the first visual angle image R may be different from a gray level curve of the second visual image L due to the 3D glasses, such that brightness of an object in the first visual angle image R is different from brightness of the object in the second visual angle image L to the user. Therefore, the image processor  110  can perform color tracking processing to the image data of the second visual angle image L according to performance of a gray level parameter of the image data of the first visual angle image R on the display panel  120 , for adjusting performance of the gray level parameter of the image data of the second visual angle image L′ on the display panel  120  to correspond to the performance of the gray level parameter of the image data of the first visual image R on the display panel  120 , in order to make the brightness of the object in the first visual angle image R consistent with the brightness of the object in the second visual angle image L to the user. Moreover, after performing the color tracking processing to the second visual angle image L, performance of white color temperature of the second visual angle image L′ at each gray level on the display panel  120  can be consistent. 
     On the other hand, color temperature of the first visual angle image R may be different from color temperature of the second visual image L due to the 3D glasses, such that color temperature of an object in the first visual angle image R is different from color temperature of the object in the second visual angle image L to the user. Therefore, the image processor  110  can perform color gain processing to the image data of the second visual angle image L according to performance of a color temperature parameter of the image data of the first visual angle image on the display panel  120 , for adjusting performance of the color temperature parameter of the image data of the second visual angle image L′ on the display panel  120  to correspond to the performance of the color temperature parameter of the image data of the first visual image R on the display panel  120 , in order to make the color temperature of the object in the first visual angle image R consistent with the color temperature of the object in the second visual angle image L to the user. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the image processing method for stereoscopic images of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 2 , after receiving the image data of the first visual angle images R and the image data of the second visual angle images L, the image processor  110  is utilized for performing image processing to the second visual angle images L, for example, the image processor  110  can perform the color matrix processing, the color tracking processing, and the color gain processing to the second visual angle images L according to performance of the display parameters of the image data of the first visual angle image R on the display panel  120 , and the display panel  120  then simultaneously displays the first visual angle images R and the second visual angle images L′ after the first image processing. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 3  to  FIG. 5  together.  FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating a third embodiment of the image processing method for stereoscopic images of the present invention.  FIG. 4  is a diagram illustrating a fourth embodiment of the image processing method for stereoscopic images of the present invention.  FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a fifth embodiment of the image processing method for stereoscopic images of the present invention. After receiving the image data of the first visual angle images R and the image data of the second visual angle images L, the image processor  110  can respectively perform image processing to the first visual angle images R and the second visual angle images L. For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the image processor  110  can perform the color matrix processing and the color tracking processing to the image data of the second visual angle image L according to the performance of the color gamut parameter and the gray level parameter of the image data of the first visual angle image R on the display panel  120 , and the image processor  110  can further perform the color gain processing to the image data of the first visual angle image R according to the performance of the color temperature parameter of the image data of the second visual angle image L on the display panel  120 , the display panel then displays the first visual angle image R′ after the image processing and the second visual angle image L′ after the image processing; or, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the image processor  110  can perform the color matrix processing and the color gain processing to the image data of the second visual angle image L according to the performance of the color gamut parameter and the color temperature parameter of the image data of the first visual angle image R on the display panel  120 , and the image processor  110  can further perform the color tracking processing to the image data of the first visual angle image R according to the performance of the gray level parameter of the image data of the second visual angle image L on the display panel  120 , the display panel then displays the first visual angle image R′ after the image processing and the second visual angle image L′ after the image processing; or, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the image processor  110  can perform the color tracking processing and the color gain processing to the image data of the second visual angle image L according to the performance of the gray level parameter and the color temperature parameter of the image data of the first visual angle image R on the display panel  120 , and the image processor  110  can further perform the color matrix processing to the image data of the first visual angle image R according to the performance of the color gamut parameter of the image data of the second visual angle image L on the display panel  120 , the display panel then displays the first visual angle image R′ after the image processing and the second visual angle image L′ after the image processing. According to the above arrangement, performance of color, brightness, and color temperature of the object in the first visual angle image R′ and the second visual angle image L′ seen by the user can be consistent with each other. 
     In the above embodiments, the first visual angle image is a right visual angle image, and the second visual angle image is a left visual angle image. However, in other embodiments of the present invention, the first visual angle image can be a left visual angle image, and the second visual angle image can be a right visual angle image. 
     In addition, the image processor  110  can perform the image processing to the first visual angle image R and the second visual angle image L according to a look-up table, such that when the image processor  110  receives the image data of the first visual angle image R and the second visual angle image L, the image processor  110  can instantly adjust the display parameters of the first visual angle image R and/or the second visual angle image L according to the look-up table 
     Please refer to  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 6  is a flowchart  600  showing the image processing method for stereoscopic images of the present invention. The image processing method for stereoscopic images of the present invention comprises the following steps: 
     Step  610 : Provide image data of a first visual angle image and image data of a second visual angle image; 
     Step  620 : Perform first image processing to the image data of the second visual angle image according to performance of a first display parameter of the image data of the first visual angle image on a display panel, for adjusting performance of the first display parameter of the image data of the second visual angle image on the display panel to correspond to the performance of the first display parameter of the image data of the first visual image on the display panel; and 
     Step  630 : Display the first visual angle image and the second visual angle image after the first image processing. 
     Compared with the prior art, the image processing method for stereoscopic images of the present invention can perform image processing to the left visual angle image and/or the right visual angle image, in order to make the color, brightness, and color temperature of the left visual angle images and the right visual angle image consistent with each other, so as to further improve the image quality of the stereoscopic images. 
     Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.