Stereo matching using segmentation of image columns

• US 20040223640A1
• Filed: 05/09/2003
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Bovyrin, Alexander V.
• Application Number:
  US10/434,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20040223640A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10012 Stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/97 Determining parameters from multiple pictures depth or shape recovery from multiple images G06T7/55; stereo camera calibration G06T7/85
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/24 Aligning, centring, orientation detection or correction of the image

Abstract

In one embodiment of the present invention, a method includes grouping pixels of columns of a first image of an image pair into column segments; and creating a disparity map for the image pair using the column segments.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

grouping pixels of columns of a first image of an image pair into column segments; and

creating a disparity map for the image pair using the column segments.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising grouping the pixels based on an intensity gradient of the pixels.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein grouping the pixels comprises performing a linear approximation of intensity of the columns.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein performing the linear approximation comprises allowing a user to select a desired approximation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the disparity map comprises estimating a disparity for all rows of the image pair simultaneously.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically determining an occlusion cost.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein automatically determining the occlusion cost comprises selecting a minimum value of a sum of disparity dispersions for the column segments.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the disparity map further comprises calculating a single intensity difference between the image pair for each of the column segments.

9. A method comprising:

obtaining a first image and a second image of an image pair; and

simultaneously processing all image rows of the image pair to determine a disparity map for the image pair.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising segmenting columns of at least one of the first image and the second image into a plurality of segments.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein segmenting the columns comprises performing a linear approximation of intensity of the columns.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising automatically determining an occlusion cost.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein automatically determining the occlusion cost comprises selecting a minimum value of a sum of disparity dispersions for the plurality of segments.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein simultaneously processing the image rows comprises calculating a single intensity difference between the image pair for each of the plurality of segments.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein simultaneously processing the image rows comprises selecting an optimal pass for the image rows based on connections between the plurality of segments of an adjoining pair of the columns.

16. An article comprising a machine-readable storage medium containing instructions that if executed enable a system to:

group pixels of columns of a first image of an image pair into column segments, and

create a disparity map for the image pair using the column segments.

17. The article of claim 16, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to group the pixels based on an intensity gradient of the pixels.

18. The article of claim 16, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to automatically determine an occlusion cost.

19. The article of claim 16, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to calculate a single intensity difference between the image pair for each of the column segments.

20. An apparatus comprising:

at least one storage device containing instructions that if executed enable the apparatus to group pixels of columns of a first image of an image pair into column segments and to create a disparity map for the image pair using the column segments; and

a processor coupled to the at least one storage device to execute the instructions.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising at least one video capture device coupled to the processor to provide information regarding the image pair.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the apparatus to group the pixels based on an intensity gradient of the pixels.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the apparatus to estimate a disparity for all rows of the image pair simultaneously.

24. A system comprising:

a dynamic random access memory containing instructions that if executed enable the system to group pixels of columns of a first image of an image pair into column segments and to create a disparity map for the image pair using the column segments; and

a processor coupled to the dynamic random access memory to execute the instructions.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising at least one video capture device coupled to the processor to provide information regarding the image pair.

26. The system of claim 24, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to group the pixels based on an intensity gradient of the pixels.