Patent ID: 8860784

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: an image conversion section inputting an image signal of an original signal, and generating and outputting images for right and left eyes for allowing binocular stereovision; and an image output section outputting the images for right and left eyes output from the image conversion section, wherein the image conversion section extracts a spatial feature quantity of the input image signal, and performs image conversion processing comprising applying the extracted spatial feature quantity to the input image signal so that either an image for a right eye or an image for a left eye is generated, the extracted spatial feature quantity comprises one of: a differential luminance signal of the input image signal, or a signal produced by non-linearly converting the differential luminance signal, the image conversion section generates a signal by at least adding the extracted spatial feature quantity to the input image signal, due to adding the extracted spatial feature quantity to the input image signal, a simulated local depth perceived as a result of local retinal disparity between the images for right and left eyes is a function of local spatial frequency of the original image, such that the higher the local spatial frequency, the smaller the local retinal disparity becomes, and the lower the local spatial frequency, the larger the local retinal disparity becomes, wherein areas of higher spatial frequencies are stereoscopically perceived to be in front of areas of lower spatial frequencies; and wherein the local retinal disparity is a function of an annular frequency of the input image signal.