Three dimensional image data processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10043304-B2
Application number	US-200913119773-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2009
Priority date	Sep 25, 2008
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

Three dimensional image data is provided which includes data representing a first image which specifically may be a background image. A mixed image which is a combination of the first image and a second image which specifically may be a foreground image, a transparency map related to the mixed image comprising transparency values for pixels of the mixed image and a depth indication map for the mixed image comprising depth indication values for pixels of the mixed image. The use of a mixed image may allow three dimensional processing while at the same time allowing 2D backwards compatibility. Image quality around image objects may be improved by modifying transparency values in response to depth indication values and/or depth indication values in response to transparency values. Specifically, an improved alignment of transitions of depth indication values and transparency values may provide improved three dimensional foreground image object edge data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of providing three dimensional image data for use in rendering image elements of at least one view of the three dimensional image data, the method comprising:
providing a 2D first image, as a background image
providing a mixed image by overlaying a second image, as a foreground image, on the first image, said overlaying incorporating transparency data for the second image, wherein the mixed image includes background image objects and foreground image objects;
providing a transparency map related to the mixed image, the transparency map comprising transparency values for pixels of the mixed image;
providing a first depth indication map for the mixed image, the first depth indication map comprising depth indication values for pixels of the mixed image;
modifying values of a first set of values in an image region of the mixed image determined between a transition point in the transparency map and a transition point in the first depth indication map based on a second set of values, wherein the first set of values comprising a set of values corresponding to one of: the transparency values and the depth indication values, and the second set of values comprising a set of values corresponding to one of: the depth indication values and the transparency values, wherein the modified values of the first set of values represent modification of the first set of values dependent on the second set of values; and
generating the three dimensional image data, said three-dimensional image data comprising the first image, the mixed image, the transparency map and the first depth indication map.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating an image signal comprising the three dimensional image data.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
rendering a view for a different viewing angle than a viewing angle of the first and second image in response to the three dimensional image data.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
rendering image elements corresponding to image elements of multiple views of the three dimensional image data for use in visualizing a three dimensional image in response to the three dimensional image data.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the image region corresponds to an image object edge.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
modifying a relationship between transparency values of the transparency map and depth indication values of the first depth indication map in the image region.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein modifying the relationship comprises aligning a transparency transition of the transparency map along an image direction and a depth transition in the depth indication values of the first depth indication map along the image direction.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
modifying transparency values of the transparency map in response to depth indication values of the first depth indication map.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein modifying transparency values comprises:
biasing transparency values of the transparency map towards higher transparency in the image region being part of a transparency transition in the transparency map and not being part of a depth transition in the depth indication values in the first depth indication map.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein modifying transparency values comprises modifying transparency values in at least part of the image region comprising a depth transition in the depth indication values and a transparency transition along an image direction by:
determining a first depth transition point in response to the depth indication values of the first depth indication map along the image direction;
biasing transparency values of the transparency map along the image direction towards higher transparency for pixels of an interval along the image direction extending from the first depth transition point in a direction of at least one of a higher transparency and a lower depth.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
determining a first transparency transition point in response to the transparency values of the first transparency map along the image direction and wherein the interval extends from the first transparency point to the first depth transition point.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
determining the first transparency transition point as a point along the image direction having a highest transparency value in an evaluation interval extending from the depth transition point in a direction of at least one of a higher transparency and a lower depth.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein said biasing comprises:
setting transparency values of all transparency values of the interval to a highest transparency value of the interval prior to biasing.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
providing a second depth indication map for the first image, the second depth indication map comprising depth indication values for pixels of the first image; and wherein determining the first depth transition point comprises further determining the first depth transition point in response to depth indication values of the second depth indication map.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein determining the depth transition point comprises:
determining the depth transition point in response to a comparison of depth indication values of the first depth indication map and depth indication values of the second depth indication map.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein determining the depth transition point comprises:
determining the depth transition point as a point along the image direction for which a difference between a depth indication value of the second depth indication map and a depth indication value of the first depth indication map crosses a threshold.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
modifying depth indication values of the first depth indication map in response to transparency values of the transparency map.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein modifying depth indication values comprises:
biasing depth indication values of the first depth indication map towards foreground depth indication values in the image region corresponding to a transparency transition in the transparency map.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein modifying depth indication values comprises:
modifying depth indication values in at least part of an image region comprising a depth transition and a transparency transition along an image direction by:
determining a first transition point in response to at least one of the transparency values of the transparency map and the depth indication values of the first depth indication map along the image direction;
biasing depth indication values of the first depth indication map along the image direction towards foreground depth indication values for pixels of an interval along the image direction ending at the first transparency transition point and extending from the first transparency point in a direction of lower transparency.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the first transition point is a first transparency transition point determined in response to the transparency values of the transparency map and further comprising:
determining a second transparency transition point in response to the transparency indication values of the transparency map along the image direction, the second transparency transition point corresponding to a lower transparency than the first transparency point; and
wherein the inte

Assignees

• Barenbrug Bart Gerard Bernard
• Zwaans Bernardus Antonius Maria
• Van Woerkom Harald Hermanus Albertus
• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Barenbrug Bart Gerard Bernard
• Zwaans Bernardus Antonius Maria
• Van Woerkom Harald Hermanus Albertus

Classifications

• G06T15/205 Primary

  Image-based rendering · CPC title