Apparatus and method for displaying obliquely positioned thumbnails on a 3D image display apparatus

1. A three-dimensional image output apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to judge whether a thumbnail, which is a reduced size representation of an image content that can be displayed in three-dimensions (3D) and which is displayed in a partial area of a screen, is displayed as an oblique image that is turned obliquely by at least a first angle from a front image; and

a display controller configured to:

output an image signal relating to the thumbnail so that the thumbnail is displayed in two-dimensions (2D) when the processor judges that the thumbnail is displayed as the oblique image, and

output an image signal relating to the thumbnail so that the thumbnail is displayed in 3D when the processor judges that the thumbnail is not displayed as the oblique image,

wherein as a type of the thumbnail switches sequentially from the oblique image, the front image and the oblique image, the display controller is configured to switch the thumbnail from being displayed as a 2D representation, a 3D representation and the 2D representation.

2. The three-dimensional image output apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor judges whether the thumbnail is displayed as the oblique image based on a display angle of the thumbnail relating to an image content that can be displayed in 3D.

3. The three-dimensional image output apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the display angle of the thumbnail is compared with the first angle being a reference value.

4. The three-dimensional image output apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:

the reference value is an angle of at least thirty degrees (30°); and

the processor judges that the thumbnail is displayed as the oblique image when the display angle of the thumbnail is larger than the reference value.

5. The three-dimensional image output apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the image signal for displaying the thumbnail in 3D comprises:

a right-eye output signal to which a right-eye thumbnail image formed from the image content is added; and

a left-eye output signal to which a left-eye thumbnail image formed from the image content is added.

6. The three-dimensional image output apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the image signal for displaying the thumbnail in 2D comprises:

a right-eye output signal to which a right-eye thumbnail image formed from the image content is added; and

a left-eye output signal to which a right-eye thumbnail image formed from the image content is added.

7. The three-dimensional image output apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the image signal for displaying the thumbnail in 2D comprises:

a right-eye output signal to which a left-eye thumbnail image formed from the image content is added; and

a left-eye output signal to which a left-eye thumbnail image formed from the image content is added.

8. A three-dimensional image display apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to judge whether a thumbnail, which is a reduced size representation of an image content that can be displayed in three-dimensions (3D) and which is displayed in a partial area of a screen, is displayed as an oblique image that is turned obliquely by at least a first angle from a front image;

a display controller configured to:

output an image signal relating to a thumbnail so that the thumbnail is displayed in two-dimensions (2D) when the processor judges that the thumbnail is displayed as the oblique image, and

output an image signal relating to the thumbnail so that the thumbnail is displayed in 3D when the processor judges that the thumbnail is not displayed as the oblique image, and

as a type of the thumbnail for display switches sequentially from the oblique image, the front image and the oblique image, the image signal is configured for output for display in 2D, display in 3D and display in 2D; and

an image display module configured to:

receive the output image signal, and

displaying the thumbnail.

9. A three-dimensional image output method comprising the step of:

judging whether a thumbnail, which is a reduced size representation of an image content that can be displayed in three-dimensions (3D) and which is displayed in a partial area of a screen, is displayed as an oblique image that is turned obliquely by a first angle from a front image by a first processor; and

outputting an image signal relating to a thumbnail by a second processor so that the thumbnail is displayed in two-dimensions (2D) in a case that the first processor judges that the thumbnail is displayed as the oblique image and outputting an image signal relating to the thumbnail by the second processor so that the thumbnail is displayed in 3D in a case that the first processor judges that the thumbnail is not displayed as the oblique image,

wherein the outputting of the image signal relating to the thumbnail by the second processor comprises (i) outputting the image signal relating to the thumbnail by the second processor so that the thumbnail is displayed in 2D when the first processor judges that the thumbnail is displayed as the oblique image, (ii) outputting the image signal relating to the thumbnail by the second processor so that the thumbnail is displayed in 3D when the first processor judges that the thumbnail is displayed as the front image, and (iii) outputting the image signal relating to the thumbnail by the second processor so that the thumbnail is displayed in 2D when the first processor judges that the thumbnail is displayed as the oblique image.

10. The three-dimensional image output apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image signal output module to display the thumbnail as a 3D image or as a 2D image based on an orientation of the thumbnail itself.

11. The three-dimensional image display apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the image signal output module to display the thumbnail as a 3D image or as a 2D image based on an orientation of the thumbnail itself.

12. The three-dimensional image output method according to claim 9 , wherein the outputting of the image signal to cause the thumbnail to be displayed as a 3D image or as a 2D image based on an orientation of the thumbnail itself.

13. The three-dimensional image output apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the thumbnail is displayed as the oblique image when an inclination angle of the thumbnail from the front image is at least the first angle being greater than a threshold level in degrees.

14. The three-dimensional image output apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the threshold level in degrees from the front image is equal to thirty degrees.

15. The three-dimensional image display apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the thumbnail is displayed as the oblique image when an inclination angle of the thumbnail from the front image is at least the first angle being greater than a threshold level in degrees.

16. The three-dimensional image display apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the threshold level in degrees from the front image is equal to thirty degrees.

17. The three-dimensional image output method according to claim 9 , wherein the thumbnail is displayed as the oblique image when an inclination angle of the thumbnail from the front image is at least the first angle being greater than a threshold level in degrees.

18. The three-dimensional image display method according to claim 17 , wherein the threshold level in degrees from the front image is equal to thirty degrees.