IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM, DISPLAY DEVICE, PROGRAM, AND INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM

Abstract

An image processing system for stereoscopic view using a parallax barrier method, includes an image information generation section that generates image information composed of the number of pixels corresponding to a lower resolution than an actual resolution for every viewpoint of a first through an nth (n is an integer one of equal to and larger than two) viewpoints, a screen buffer divided as dedicated areas respectively corresponding to the first through the nth viewpoints, a transmission section that transmits the image information to each of the dedicated areas in the screen buffer, and an output section that outputs an image signal to a liquid crystal panel in accordance with the image information transmitted to each of the dedicated areas in the screen buffer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers refer to like elements.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a display device in the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a hardware block diagram of a display device in the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an image processing procedure in the related art.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an image processing procedure of the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a pixel group for a first viewpoint.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a pixel group for a second viewpoint.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a pixel group for a third viewpoint.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a pixel group for a fourth viewpoint.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a pixel arrangement in a dedicated area to a first viewpoint.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a pixel arrangement in a liquid crystal panel.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of stereoscopic view using a two-viewpoint parallax barrier method.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of stereoscopic view using a four-viewpoint parallax barrier method.

Claims

1. An image processing system for stereoscopic view using a parallax barrier method, comprising: an image information generation section that generates image information composed of the number of pixels corresponding to a lower resolution than an actual resolution for every viewpoint of a first through an nth (n is an integer one of equal to and larger than two) viewpoints;a screen buffer divided as dedicated areas respectively corresponding to the first through the nth viewpoints;a transmission section that transmits the image information to each of the dedicated areas in the screen buffer; andan output section that outputs an image signal to a liquid crystal panel in accordance with the image information transmitted to each of the dedicated areas in the screen buffer.

2. The image processing system according to claim 1, whereinthe number of the pixels corresponding to the lower resolution is, assuming that a displayed, image using the parallax barrier method is observed as stereoscopic view simultaneously observed by at least the right and the left eyes as different images, the number of pixels obtained by dividing the number of the total pixels composing the whole displayed image by the number of viewpoints n.

3. The image processing system according to claim 1, whereinthe image information generation section generates the image information by rendering.

4. The image processing system according to claim 1, whereinthe output section simultaneously refers to the dedicated areas in the screen buffer in accordance with mask patterns respectively corresponding to the viewpoints, and combines components of subpixels to output the image signal to the liquid crystal panel so that a stereoscopic image is observed.

5. The image processing system according to claim 1, further comprisinga plurality of line buffers each corresponding to the respective viewpoints and capable of performing reading/writing operations at a higher speed than the screen buffer,wherein,the output section transmits partial information corresponding to one through several lines included in the image information stored in the dedicated areas in the screen buffer to the line buffers assigned to the respective viewpoints while outputting the partial information to the liquid crystal panel as the image information obtained by combining the components of subpixels in accordance with mask patterns corresponding to the respective viewpoints.

6. A display device including the image processing system according to claim 4, comprising a liquid crystal panel provided with the parallax barrier corresponding to each of the subpixels,whereinthe mask patterns are set in accordance with positions of the parallax barriers.

7. A program for instructing a computer provided with a display device including a liquid crystal panel for stereoscopic view using a parallax barrier method and a screen buffer divided as dedicated areas respectively corresponding to a first through nth (n is an integer one of equal to and larger than two) viewpoints to function as: an image information generation section that generates image information composed of the number of pixels corresponding to a lower resolution than an actual resolution for every viewpoint of the first through the nth viewpoints;a transmission section that transmits the image information to each of the dedicated areas in the screen buffer; andan output section that outputs an image signal to the liquid crystal panel in accordance with the image information transmitted to each of the dedicated areas in the screen buffer.

8. A computer-readable information storage medium for storing the program according to claim 7.