Three-dimensional image display apparatus, method and program

1. A three-dimensional image display apparatus, comprising:

a display unit comprising a two-dimensional image display device comprising a display surface with a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, and a plurality of light ray control elements provided on the display surface of the two-dimensional image display device corresponding to the pixels, the light ray control elements being configured to control light rays from the pixels, an intensity of each of the light rays measured at a distance from the lens distributing in a range; and

an optimal elemental image generating unit configured to generate an optimal elemental image by determining a value of at least one pixel from a weighted sum of values of at least two pixels of a generated image or an input image, and weights calculated based on light ray distributions indicating directions and scattering degrees of light rays from the light ray control elements,

the display unit displaying the optimal elemental image,

wherein the optimal elemental image generating unit receives a target image displayed on the display unit from at least one predetermined viewpoint, and wherein the optimal elemental image generating unit obtains weights for reducing an energy function indicating a difference between the target image and an overlap image viewed from the predetermined viewpoint and calculated from the light ray distributions.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the optimal elemental image generating unit calculates the weights based on a gradient of the energy function.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the weight reduces the energy function, and the optimal elemental image generating unit calculates the weights based on a generalized inverse matrix of a matrix determined from the light ray distributions.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the target image is a parallax image that is selected from a plurality of parallax images to be displayed on the three-dimensional image display apparatus, and that is captured from a position corresponding to the predetermined viewpoint.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a parallax image generating unit configured to generate a parallax image to be viewed from an arbitrary viewpoint, based on three-dimensional coordinates and a luminance of an object to be displayed on the three-dimensional image display apparatus,

wherein the optimal elemental image generating unit receives the parallax image as the target image.

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

a camera configured to detect a face area of an observer who is viewing the three-dimensional image display apparatus;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a camera image captured by the camera; and

a detecting unit configured to detect, in the camera image, an observer position indicating the face area of the observer,

wherein the optimal elemental image generating unit generates the optimal elemental image using the observer position as the predetermined viewpoint.

7. A three-dimensional image display apparatus, comprising:

a display unit comprising a two-dimensional image display device comprising a display surface with a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, and a plurality of light ray control elements provided on the display surface of the two-dimensional image display device corresponding to the pixels, the light ray control elements being configured to control light rays from the pixels, an intensity of each of the light rays measured at a distance from the lens distributing in a range; and

an optimal elemental image generating unit configured to generate an optimal elemental image by determining a value of at least one pixel from a weighted sum of values of at least two pixels of a target image displayed on the display unit from at least one predetermined viewpoint, and weights calculated based on light ray distributions indicating directions and scattering degrees of light rays from the light ray control elements,

the display unit displaying the optimal elemental image,

wherein the optimal elemental image generating unit receives a target image displayed on the display unit from at least one predetermined viewpoint, and wherein the optimal elemental image generating unit obtains weights for reducing an energy function indicating a difference between the target image and an overlap image viewed from the predetermined viewpoint and calculated from the light ray distributions.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the optimal elemental image generating unit calculates the weights based on a gradient of the energy function.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the weight reduces the energy function, and the optimal elemental image generating unit calculates the weights based on a generalized inverse matrix of a matrix determined from the light ray distributions.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the target image is a parallax image that is selected from a plurality of parallax images to be displayed on the three-dimensional image display apparatus, and that is captured from a position corresponding to the predetermined viewpoint.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a parallax image generating unit configured to generate a parallax image to be viewed from an arbitrary viewpoint, based on three-dimensional coordinates and a luminance of an object to be displayed on the three-dimensional image display apparatus,

wherein the optimal elemental image generating unit receives the parallax image as the target image.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising:

a camera configured to detect a face area of an observer who is viewing the three-dimensional image display apparatus;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a camera image captured by the camera; and

a detecting unit configured to detect, in the camera image, an observer position indicating the face area of the observer,

wherein the optimal elemental image generating unit generates the optimal elemental image using the observer position as the predetermined viewpoint.

13. A three-dimensional image display method, comprising:

preparing a display unit comprising a two-dimensional image display apparatus comprising a display surface with a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, and a plurality of light ray control elements provided on the display surface of the two-dimensional image display device corresponding to the pixels, the light ray control elements controlling light rays from the pixels, an intensity of each of the light rays measured at a distance from the lens distributing in a range; and

generating an optimal elemental image by determining a value of at least one pixel from a weighted sum of values of at least two pixels of a generated image or an input image, and weights calculated based on light ray distributions indicating directions and scattering degrees of light rays from the light ray control elements,

the display unit displaying the optimal elemental image,

wherein the generating an optimal element image further comprises receiving a target image displayed on the display unit from at least one predetermined viewpoint, and wherein the generating an optimal element image further comprises obtaining weights for reducing an energy function indicating a difference between the target image and an overlap image viewed from the predetermined viewpoint and calculated from the light ray distributions.

14. A three-dimensional image display method, comprising:

preparing a display unit comprising a two-dimensional image display apparatus comprising a display surface with a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, and a plurality of light ray control elements provided on the display surface of the two-dimensional image display device in accordance with positions of elemental images as display data items corresponding to the pixels, the light ray control elements controlling light rays from the pixels, an intensity of each of the light rays measured at a distance from the lens distributing in a range; and

generating an optimal elemental image by determining a value of at least one pixel from a weighted sum of values of at least two pixels of a target image displayed on the display unit from at least one predetermined viewpoint, and weights calculated based on light ray distributions indicating directions and scattering degrees of light rays from the light ray control elements,

the display unit displaying the optimal elemental image,

wherein the generating an optimal element image further comprises receiving a target image displayed on the display unit from at least one predetermined viewpoint, and wherein the generating an optimal element image further comprises obtaining weights for reducing an energy function indicating a difference between the target image and an overlap image viewed from the predetermined viewpoint and calculated from the light ray distributions.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, comprising:

preparing a display unit comprising a two-dimensional image display apparatus comprising a display surface with a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, and a plurality of light ray control elements provided on the display surface of the two-dimensional image display device corresponding to the pixels, the light ray control elements controlling light rays from the pixels, an intensity of each of the light rays measured at a distance from the lens distributing in a range; and

generating an optimal elemental image by determining a value of at least one pixel from a weighted sum of values of at least two pixels of a generated image or an input image, and weights calculated based on light ray distributions indicating directions and scattering degrees of light rays from the light ray control elements,

the display unit displaying the optimal elemental image,

wherein the generating an optimal element image further comprises receiving a target image displayed on the display unit from at least one predetermined viewpoint, and wherein the generating an optimal element image further comprises obtaining weights for reducing an energy function indicating a difference between the target image and an overlap image viewed from the predetermined viewpoint and calculated from the light ray distributions.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, comprising:

preparing a display unit comprising a two-dimensional image display apparatus comprising a display surface with a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, and a plurality of light ray control elements provided on the display surface of the two-dimensional image display device in accordance with positions of elemental images as display data items corresponding to the pixels, the light ray control elements controlling light rays from the pixels, an intensity of each of the light rays measured at a distance from the lens distributing in a range; and

generating an optimal elemental image by determining a value of at least one pixel from a weighted sum of values of at least two pixels of a target image displayed on the display unit from at least one predetermined viewpoint, and weights calculated based on light ray distributions indicating directions and scattering degrees of light rays from the light ray control elements,

the display unit displaying the optimal elemental image,

wherein the generating an optimal element image further comprises receiving a target image displayed on the display unit from at least one predetermined viewpoint, and wherein the generating an optimal element image further comprises obtaining weights for reducing an energy function indicating a difference between the target image and an overlap image viewed from the predetermined viewpoint and calculated from the light ray distributions.