Method and apparatus for providing personal 3-dimensional image using convergence matching algorithm

1. An apparatus for providing a personalized three-dimensional image using convergence matching, the apparatus comprising:

a fixed screen set as a horopter region;

an eye-tracking unit configured to calculate three-dimensional coordinates using eye information acquired by eye-tracking a user and extract an eye focal length corresponding to the three-dimensional coordinates;

a calculation unit configured to calculate a shift value of an image projected onto the screen based on a distance from a center of a virtual stereo camera to a target object;

a convergence matching unit configured to match a convergence angle to the horopter region based on the shift value;

a blurring processor configured to set a range within a predetermined distance from the horopter region as Panum's area and perform blurring on a focus of an area outside the Panum's area; and

a controller configured to control the convergence matching unit to maintain the convergence angle when the user's gaze is shifted to a nearby object having the same depth value as the distance from the center of the virtual stereo camera to the target object.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the calculation unit calculates a screen disparity value d formed on the screen by the virtual stereo camera and the target object, and calculates a positive shift value when a depth value of the target object is greater than a depth value of the screen, and a negative shift value when the depth value of the target object is less than the depth value of the screen.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the positive shift value is d/2, and the negative shift value is −d/2.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the horopter region is obtained by modeling a human eye horopter having a form of a curve into a straight line having a predetermined distance from human eyes.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a correction processor configured to calculate a focal length from the virtual stereo camera to the target object and an object distance from the virtual stereo camera to the target object, and correct a perspective and a focus within content for three-dimensional display using the focal length and the object distance.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the controller controls the calculation unit to calculate the shift value based on the eye focal length.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the eye-tracking unit acquires, as the eye information, a two-dimensional coordinate on the screen monitored by the user through eye-tracking of the user, and extracts the eye focal length by calculating a distance between a calculated value of the two-dimensional coordinate and the virtual stereo camera.

8. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein, when the user's gaze is shifted to an object having a depth value different from the depth value of the target object, the controller controls determines whether to maintain the convergence angle based on an attribute of the object.

9. A method of providing a personalized three-dimensional image using convergence matching, the method comprising:

setting a fixed screen of a personalized three-dimensional image providing apparatus as a horopter region;

calculating three-dimensional coordinates using eye information acquired by eye-tracking a user and extract an eye focal length corresponding to the three-dimensional coordinates;

calculating a shift value of an image projected onto the screen based on a distance from a center of a virtual stereo camera to a target object;

matching a convergence angle to the horopter region based on the shift value;

setting a range within a predetermined distance from the horopter region as Panum's area and performing blurring on a focus of an area outside the Panum's area; and

controlling the personalized three-dimensional image providing apparatus to maintain the convergence angle when the user's gaze is shifted to a nearby object having the same depth value as the distance from the center of the virtual stereo camera to the target object.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the calculating of the shift value comprises:

calculating a screen disparity value d formed on the screen by the virtual stereo camera and the target object;

comparing the depth value of the target object with a depth value of the screen; and

calculating a positive shift value when the depth value of the target object is greater than the depth value of the screen, and a negative shift value when the depth value of the target object is less than the depth value of the screen.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the positive shift value is d/2, and the negative shift value is −d/2.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the horopter region is obtained by modeling a human eye horopter having a curve characteristic into a straight line having a predetermined distance from human eyes.