Three dimensional image display method and device utilizing a two dimensional image signal at low-depth areas

1. A 3D image display device, comprising:

a display unit including a display panel and an optical panel, the display panel including a plurality of pixels and the optical panel disposed at a front side of the display panel and configured to selectively change a path of light emanating from the display panel; and

a controller configured to generate a signal for controlling the display unit,

wherein the controller includes an image signal processor generating an input image signal based on image information including two-dimensional (2D) image information and depth information,

wherein the image signal processor generates a three-dimensional (3D) image signal based on the 2D image information and the depth information,

wherein the image signal processor extracts a low-depth area having a smaller absolute value of a depth than a reference value and generates a 2D image signal corresponding to the low-depth area, and

wherein the display unit displays the low-depth area as a 2D image,

wherein the image signal processor divides the low-depth area into a plurality of sub areas according to a depth thereof, and generates the 2D image signal which gradually decreases resolution for each of the sub areas, and

wherein the image signal processor generates the 2D image signal which gradually decreases resolution for each of the sub areas as a depth of the sub area becomes larger to smooth the resolution difference at a boundary between the 2D image and a displayed 3D image.

2. The 3D image display device of claim 1 , wherein the image signal processor generates an input image signal, in which a part of the 3D image signal corresponding to the low-depth area is substituted with the 2D image signal.

3. The 3D image display device of claim 2 , wherein the image signal processor generates the 2D image signal corresponding to an area in which pixels occluded by other areas when viewed at a 3D view position within a 3D view are excluded from pixels included in the low-depth area.

4. The 3D image display device of claim 2 , wherein the display panel alternately displays a 3D image and a 2D image, and the optical panel changes a path of light only when displaying the 3D image.

5. The 3D image display device of claim 4 , wherein the display panel replaces an area corresponding to the 2D image with black when displaying the 3D image, and replaces an area corresponding to the 3D image with black when displaying the 2D image.

6. The 3D image display device of claim 2 , wherein the display panel simultaneously displays a 3D image and a 2D image, and the optical panel changes a path of light only in an area corresponding to the area in which the 3D image is displayed.

7. The 3D image display device of claim 1 , wherein the controller further comprises:

a driver configured to drive the display panel and the optical panel; and

a signal controller configured to control the driver.

8. The 3D image display device of claim 7 , wherein the image signal processor is included in the signal controller.

9. A method of displaying an image in a 3D image display device, the method comprising:

receiving image information containing two-dimensional (2D) image information and depth information;

generating a 3D image signal from the 2D image information and the depth information; identifying a low-depth area from the depth information;

generating a 2D image signal from the 2D image information corresponding to the low-depth area;

simultaneously displaying the 2D image signal and a portion of the 3D image signal,

the method further comprising:

dividing the low-depth area into a plurality of sub areas according to a depth thereof,

wherein the generating of the 2D image signal includes generating a 2D image signal which gradually decreases resolution for each of the sub areas, and

wherein the gradually decreasing the resolution includes gradually decreasing resolution for each of the sub areas as a depth of the sub area becomes larger to smooth the resolution difference at a boundary between the 2D image signal and the displayed portion of the 3D image signal.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising generating an input image signal in which a part of the 3D image signal corresponding to the low-depth area is substituted with the 2D image signal.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising examining connectivity of pixels within the low-depth area, and configuring a low-depth pixel set that is a set of connected pixels, wherein the generating of the 2D image signal includes generating a 2D image signal corresponding to the low-depth pixel set.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising obtaining a 2D displayable pixel set in which pixels occluded by other areas when viewed at a 3D view position within a 3D view range are excluded from pixels included in the zero-depth area, wherein the generating of the 2D image signal includes generating a 2D image signal corresponding to the 2D displayable pixel set.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising examining discontinuity outside and inside a boundary of the 2D displayable pixel set based on at least one of a depth and brightness.

14. A method for displaying an image, including:

receiving a three-dimensional (3D) image signal including a two-dimensional (2D) image signal and depth information;

identifying a region of the 3D image signal having a low depth based on the depth information, wherein low depth is defined as depth below a predetermined threshold;

removing the low depth region from the 3D image signal;

displaying the low depth-removed 3D image signal in 3D at a first resolution;

displaying the low depth region in 2D at a second resolution greater than the first resolution,

the method further comprising:

dividing the low-depth region into a plurality of sub areas according to a depth thereof,

wherein the 2D image signal gradually decreases resolution for each of the sub areas, and

wherein the gradually decreasing the resolution includes gradually decreasing resolution for each of the sub areas as a depth of the sub area becomes larger to smooth the resolution difference at a boundary between the low depth region in 2D and the displayed low depth-removed 3D image.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the low depth-removed 3D image signal and the low depth region are displayed simultaneously.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the low depth-removed 3D image signal and the low depth region are displayed in alternating frames.