Real time three-dimensional menu/icon shading
View Patent ↗An image display apparatus, comprising: a two-dimensional display for displaying three-dimensional object images; an imaging unit for capturing an image of a user who is in the state of viewing the display screen; a processing unit for determining a face direction orientation of the user from the captured image; a tilt sensor for determining an angle of the image display apparatus; wherein the processing unit determines a virtual light direction by subtracting the angle of the image display apparatus from the face direction; and a projection image generator for projecting the three-dimensional objects onto the display, wherein lighting and shading is applied to the three-dimensional objects based on the virtual light direction is disclosed. A method for displaying three-dimensional images and a computer program for implementing the method are also disclosed.
1. A method for displaying three-dimensional objects in a mobile terminal apparatus that comprises an imaging unit and a display unit having a two-dimensional screen, comprising the steps of:
capturing an image of a user who is in the state of viewing the display screen by the imaging unit;
detecting from the image an orientation of the user's face and a face direction;
detecting a yaw angle of the mobile terminal apparatus about an axis parallel to a surface of the display unit;
determining a virtual light direction by subtracting the yaw angle of the mobile terminal apparatus from the face direction; and
applying lighting and shading to the three dimensional objects on the screen based on the virtual light direction.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a face detection algorithm is used to determine the face direction from the captured image.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional objects are designed as models.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional objects are designed using bumpmaps.
5. An image display apparatus, comprising:
a two-dimensional display for displaying three-dimensional object images;
an imaging unit for capturing an image of a user who is in the state of viewing the display screen;
a processing unit for determining a face direction orientation of the user from the captured image;
a tilt sensor for determining a yaw angle of the image display apparatus about an axis parallel to a surface of the two-dimensional display;
wherein the processing unit determines a virtual light direction by subtracting the yaw angle of the image display apparatus from the face direction; and
a projection image generator for projecting the three-dimensional objects onto the display, wherein lighting and shading is applied to the three-dimensional objects based on the virtual light direction.
6. The image display apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein a face detection algorithm is used to determine the face direction from the captured image.
7. The image display apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the three-dimensional objects are designed as models.
8. The image display apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the three-dimensional objects are designed using bumpmaps.
9. The image display apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the image display apparatus is in a mobile terminal apparatus.
10. The image display apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the mobile terminal apparatus is a mobile phone.
11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer executable instructions which when executed on a processor of a terminal apparatus cause the terminal apparatus to perform the method according to claim 1 .
12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein detecting an angle of the mobile terminal apparatus includes using a tilt sensor operatively coupled to the mobile terminal apparatus.