Image analysis – Applications – 3-d or stereo imaging analysis
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-01
2002-12-17
Mancuso, Joseph (Department: 2623)
Image analysis
Applications
3-d or stereo imaging analysis
C382S103000, C382S107000, C382S232000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06496598
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to stereoscopic image systems, and in particular to the synthesis of stereoscopic image pairs from monoscopic images for stereoscopic display. The present invention may also be directed towards a five module method for producing stereoscopic images, that digitises a monoscopic source, analyses it for motion, generates the stereoscopic image pairs, optimises the stereoscopic effect, transmits or stores them and then enables them to be displayed on a stereoscopic display device.
BACKGROUND ART
The advent of stereoscopic or three dimensional (3D) display systems which create a more realistic image for the viewer than conventional monoscopic or two dimensional (2D) display systems, requires that stereoscopic images be available to be seen on the 3D display systems. In this regard there exists many monoscopic image sources, for example existing 2D films or videos, which could be manipulated to product stereoscopic images for viewing on a stereoscopic display device.
Preexisting methods to convert such monoscopic images for stereoscopic viewing do not product acceptable results. Other attempts in film and video have used techniques to duplicate the stereoscopic depth cue of “Motion Parallax”. These involved producing a delay for the images presented to the trailing eye when laterals, left or right, motion is present in the images. Other attempts have used ‘Lateral Shifting’ of the images to the left and right eyes to provide depth perception.
However, these two techniques are limited and generally only suit specific applications. For example, the Motion Parallax technique is only good for scenes with left or right motion and is of limited value for the stereoscopic enhancement of still scenes. The Lateral Shifting technique will only give an overall depth effect to a scene and not allow different objects at varying depths to be perceived at the depths where they occur. Even the combination of these two techniques will only give a limited stereoscope effect for most 2D films or videos.
Some existing approaches demonstrate limitations of these techniques. When an image has vertical motion and some lateral motion and a delay is provided to the image presented to the trailing eye then the result is often a large vertical disparity between the left and right views such that the images are uncomfortable to view. Scenes with contra motion, such as objects moving left and right in the same scene are also uncomfortable to view. Certain embodiments of these methods define that when objects of varying depths are present in an image there is a distinct ‘card board cut-out’ appearance of the objects with distinct depth modules rather than a smooth transition of objects from foreground to background.
In all these approaches no successful attempt has been made to develop a system or method to suit all image sequences or to resolve the problem of viewer discomfort or to optimise the stereoscopic effect for each viewer or display device.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
There is therefore a need for a system with improved methods of converting monoscopic images into stereoscopic image pairs and a system for providing inproved stereoscopic images to a viewer.
An object of the present invention is to provide such a system with improved methods.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
In order to address the problems noted above the present invention provides in one aspect a method for converting monoscopic images for viewing in three dimensions including the steps of:
receiving said monoscopic images;
analysing said monoscopic images to determine characteristics of the images;
processing said monoscopic images based on the determined image characteristics;
outputting the processed images to suitable storage and/or stereoscopic display systems.
wherein analysing of said monoscopic images to determine the motion includes the steps of:
dividing each image into a plurality of blocks, wherein corresponding blocks on an adjacent image are offset horizontally and/or vertically; and
comparing each said block with said corresponding blocks to find the minimum mean square error and thereby the motion of the block.
An image conversion system for converting monoscopic images for viewing in three dimensions including:
an input means adapted to receive monoscopic images;
a preliminary analysis means to determine if there is any continuity between a first image and a second image of the monoscopic image sequence;
a secondary analysis means for receiving monoscopic images which have a continuity, and analysing the images to determine at least one of the speed and direction of motion, or the depth, size and position of objects, wherein analysing of said monoscopic images to determine the motion includes the steps of: dividing each image into a plurality of blocks, wherein corresponding blocks on an adjacent image are offset horizontally and/or vertically, and comparing each said block with said corresponding blocks to find the minimum mean square error and thereby the motion of the block;
a first processing means for processing the monoscopic images based on data received from the preliminary analysis means and/or the secondary analysis means.
Ideally, the input means also includes a means to capture and digitise the monoscopic images.
Preferably the image analysis means is capable of determining the speed and direction of motion, the depth, size and position of objects and background within an image.
In a further aspect the present invention provides a method of optimising the stereoscopic image to further improve the stereoscopic effect and this process is generally applied prior to transmission, storage and display.
In yet a further aspect the present invention provides a method of improving stereoscopic image pairs by adding a viewer reference point to the image.
In still yet a further aspect the present invention provides a method of analysing monoscopic images for conversion to stereoscopic image pairs including the steps of: scaling each image into a plurality of regions; comparing each region of a first image with corresponding and adjacent regions of a second image to determine the nature of movement between said first image and said second image.
Preferably a motion vector is defined for each image based on a comparison of the nature of motion detected with predefined motion categories ranging from no motion to a complete scene change.
In yet a further aspect the present invention provides a system for converting monoscopic images for viewing in three dimensions including:
a first module adapted to receive a monoscopic image;
a second module adapted to receive the monoscopic image and analyse the monoscopic image to create image date, wherein analysing of said monoscopic image to determine the motion includes the steps of: dividing each image into a plurality of blocks, wherein corresponding blocks on an adjacent image are offset horizontally and/or vertically, and comparing each said block with said corresponding blocks to find the minimum mean square error and thereby the motion of the block;
a third module adapted to create stereoscopic image pairs from the monoscopic image using at least one predetermined technique selected as a function of the image data;
a fourth module adapted to transfer the stereoscopic image pairs to a stereoscopic display means;
a fifth module consisting of a stereoscopic display means.
Preferably the first module is further adapted to convert any analogue images into a digital image. Also, the second module is preferably adapted to detect any objects in a scene and make a determination as to the speed and direction of any such motion. Conveniently, the image may be compressed prior to any such analysis.
Preferably the third module further includes an optimisation stage to further enhance the stereoscopic image pairs prior to transmitting the stereoscopic image pairs to the stereoscopic display means. Conveniently, the fourth module may also include a storage means for storing the stereoscopic image pairs for display on the stereoscopic display mea
Bali Vikkrami
Dynamic Digital Depth Research Pty. Ltd.
Mancuso Joseph
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