Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Norio Ito

Hiroyuki Katata

Hiroshi Kusao

Tomoko Aono

Toshio Nomura

Shuichi Watanabe

Tadashi Uchiumi

Ryuji Kitaura

Maki Takahashi

Shinya Hasegawa

Motohiro Ito

Masatoshi Tsujimoto

Hiroyasu Hamamura

Masahiro Shioi

Tamaki Nakamura

Keiji Taniguchi

Hiroaki Yabe

Masaaki Sasa

Yoshio Umeda

A server () analyzes request information from a client () by a request analyzer () and selects necessary image data from multiple viewpoint image data () to be output to an image generator (). The image data is generated by interpolation and output to an image synthesizer (), in which a plurality of images data is synthesized in a form suitable for encoding. An encoder () encodes the image data and transfers it to a network (). The client () receives the encoded image data, decodes the data through a decoder () and outputs the decoded image data to an image processor (), where it is converted into a stereoscopic display format and displayed on a display unit (). The client () includes an input unit () for changing the viewpoint, and transmits the request information of viewpoint alternation to the network () by a request output unit ().

Image data delivery system, image data transmitting device thereof, and image data receiving device thereof

Disclosed herein is a 3-D image display unit that can be controlled flexibly to protect the user from eyestrain and operated easily. The 3-D image display unit includes measuring means for measuring a display time of a 3-D image, parallax adjusting means for instructing 3-D image forming means to adjust the parallax of the 3-D image. In the case where the 3-D image display time measured by the measuring means exceeds a predetermined time, the parallax adjusting means instructs the 3-D image forming means to reduce the parallax of the 3-D image to be formed, thereby the display means comes to display a 3-D image having a small parallax. The user can thus be protected from eyestrain.

3-D image display unit, 3-D image recording device and 3-D image recording method

An image data recording apparatus includes a three-dimensional display control information generation unit receiving a parameter indicating a condition for picking up a three-dimensional image, and encoding the parameter so as to generate image pick-up condition information, and a file generation unit generating a multimedia information file including both of the image pick-up condition information and three-dimensional image data or at least one of the three-dimensional image data and two-dimensional image data.

Image data generation apparatus for adding attribute information regarding image pickup conditions to image data, image data reproduction apparatus for reproducing image data according to added attribute information, and image data recording medium related thereto

A retention memory retains 2D image data picked-up and output by camera portion in association with corresponding thumbnail image data. The 2D image data retained in the retention memory is converted to 3D image data formed of image data for left-eye and for right-eye for stereoscopic vision of the image as desired. A retention portion creates thumbnail image data with a shrunken image based on this 3D image data and stores the created thumbnail image data and the 3D image data in the retention memory in association with each other. The thumbnail image data is created, for example, by reducing the left-eye image data and the right-eye image data of the 3D image data to satisfy a thumbnail size. A listing of thumbnails based on the thumbnail image data in retention memory is displayed on a display portion so that the retained image can be recognized at a glance.

Image display device and method for displaying thumbnail based on three-dimensional image data

In an electronic equipment provided with 2D (two-dimensional) and 3D (three-dimensional) displaying functions, an easily viewable 2D image screen and an enjoyable 3D image screen are switched and displayed with a simple key operation. A first display portion of the electronic equipment does not generate optical parallax during the display of 2D image, enabling display of an easily viewable 2D image screen. The electronic equipment shares the data, permitting switching of the 2D image display to 3D image display.

Electronic equipment

An image encoder/decoder by which a partial image is encoded easily with a resolution meeting the user's demand, wherein the encoded amount of data is not increased and a necessary capacity of memory can be reduced. The image encoder has a tile decomposition portion which divides image data into tiles of N pixels&#xd7;M pixels, a wavelet transform coding portion which extrapolates predetermined data at the peripheries of the tiles outputted from the tile decomposition portion and performs subdivision to perform wavelet encoding. A management information generating portion generates information for managing the encoded data in order that the encoded data outputted from the wavelet transform coding portion can be decoded for each tile and for each subband of the wavelet encoding. Also, a coded data integration portion links the encoded data encoded by wavelet encoding for each tile by using the output of the management information generating portion and adds the managing information to the encoded data.

Image encoder and image decoder

When a background interpolation-judging section judges that parts areas of a lower layer and an upper layer move significantly, and a visual effect can be obtained by the background interpolation, a controller controls a switch based on the area information of the parts area of the lower layer to perform the background interpolation. A weighted average section takes an average by weighting to the upper layer and the lower layer by using the interpolated background to generate an interpolated image. By using this interpolated image, the prediction-encoding/decoding of the upper layer is performed. On the contrary, when the background interpolation-judging section judges that parts areas do not move so significantly, and a visual effect cannot be obtained by the background interpolation, a background is synthesized by using the output of the interpolated image-forming section to generate an interpolated image. Hence, the shape information for the background interpolation is reduced and high quality of an image can be obtained.

Moving picture encoder and moving picture decoder

A motion picture coding and decoding apparatus synthesizes a lower layer frame at a certain time by using first component area information of a lower layer preceding in the time and second component area information of a lower layer succeeding in the time. For an area where the first and second component areas overlapped, or for an area which is neither the first nor the second component area on the lower layer frame, lower layer frames preceding and succeeding in time are subjected to weighted average for synthetisization. For the area corresponding to the first component area only, the lower layer frame succeeding in time is used, and for the area corresponding to the second component area only on the synthesized lower layer frame, the lower layer frame preceding in time is used, for synthesizing the lower layer.

Motion picture coding and decoding apparatus

An image coding apparatus inputs pixel data of a part image of high resolution. An upper layer coding portion ( ), a second shape data generating portion ( ), and a second shape data coding portion ( ) perform coding of shape data and pixel data in the upper layer. A down sampling portion ( ) generates pixel data of low resolution. A lower layer coding portion ( ), a first shape data generating portion ( ), and a first shape data coding portion ( ) code shape data and pixel data in the lower layer.

Motion image coding apparatus for performing hierarchical coding

If coding is carried out on the block basis on subband coding of an image, the hierarchical characteristic which a subband image inherently has would be lost. Thus, efficient coding is to be carried out while holding the hierarchical characteristic of the subband image. After the subband image is coded on the block basis, symbol information and coefficient information are decomposed and relocated for every subband before producing coded data.

Picture coding device and picture decoding device

An image coding apparatus inputs pixel data of a part image of high resolution. An upper layer coding portion (,), a second shape data generating portion (,), and a second shape data coding portion (,) perform coding of shape data and pixel data in the upper layer. A down sampling portion (,) generates pixel data of low resolution. A lower layer coding portion (,), a first shape data generating portion (,), and a first shape data coding portion (,) code shape data and pixel data in the lower layer.

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Chiba, Japan

Norio Ito