COMBINED EXCHANGE OF IMAGE AND RELATED DEPTH DATA

• US 20100214393A1
• Filed: 06/20/2006
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Braspennig, Ralph, Funke, Eric Peter, Verburgh, Reinout, Beekers, Henricus Elbertus Wilhelma
• Granted Patent: US 8,189,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/139 Format conversion, e.g. of frame-rate or size
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/15 for colour aspects of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/161 Encoding, multiplexing or demultiplexing different image signal components for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/597 specially adapted for multi-view video sequence encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2213/003 Aspects relating to the "2D+depth" image format

Abstract

A method of combined exchange of image data and related depth data is disclosed. The method comprises: converting an input image signal, representing the image data, comprising a predetermined number of input color components (R,G,B) into an output image signal comprising a luminance component and a chrominance component; combining the output signal with the related depth data into a combined signal, comprising the luminance component, the chrominance component and a depth component (D) which is based on the depth data; and transmission of the combined signal over a number of channels (108-112) which is equal to the predetermined number of input color components (R,G,B).

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A method of combined exchange of image data and related depth data, comprising:

converting an input image signal, representing the image data, comprising a predetermined number of input color components comprising a red, a green and a blue color component, (R,G,B) into an output image signal comprising a luminance component and a chrominance component;

combining the output image signal with the related depth data into a combined signal, comprising the luminance component, the chrominance component and a depth component (D) which is based on the depth data; and

transmission of the combined signal over a number of channels (108-112) which is equal to the predetermined number of input color components (R,G,B).

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, whereby the luminance component is transmitted over a first one of the channels, the chrominance component is transmitted over a second one of the channels and the depth component is transmitted over a third one of the channels.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12, whereby the available bandwidth for the number of channels is substantially mutually equal.

15. A method as claimed in claim 12, whereby the chrominance component comprises a further number of output color components which are computed on basis of spatially subsampling the input image signal.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, whereby the further number of output components are transmitted over the second one of the channels by means of multiplexing.

17. A transmitting unit (104) for combined exchange of image data and related depth data, the transmitting unit comprising:

converting means (202) for converting an input image signal, representing the image data, comprising a predetermined number of input color components comprising a red, a green and a blue color component, into an output image signal comprising a luminance component and a chrominance component;

combining means (204) for combining the output image signal with the related depth data into a combined signal, comprising the luminance component, the chrominance component and a depth component which is based on the depth data; and

outputting means (206) for outputting the combined signal over a number of channels which is equal to the predetermined number of input color components.

18. An image processing apparatus (400) comprising the transmitting unit as claimed in claim 17.

19. A method of combined exchange of image data and related depth data, comprising:

reception of a combined signal, comprising a luminance component and a chrominance component representing the image data and comprising a depth component which is based on the depth data, the combined signal being transmitted over a number of channels;

extracting the luminance component and the chrominance component from the combined signal; and

converting the luminance component and the chrominance component into an image signal, representing the image data, the image signal comprising a predetermined number of input color components comprising a red, a green and a blue color component whereby the predetermined number of input color components is equal to the number of channels.

20. A receiving unit (106) for combined exchange of image data and related depth data, comprising:

reception means (306) for reception of a combined signal, comprising a luminance component and a chrominance component representing the image data and comprising a depth component which is based on the depth data, the combined signal being transmitted over a number of channels;

extracting means (304) for extracting the luminance component and the chrominance component from the combined signal; and

converting means (302) for converting the luminance component and the chrominance component into an image signal, representing the image data, the image signal comprising a predetermined number of input color components comprising a red, a green and a blue color component whereby the predetermined number of input color components is equal to the number of channels (108-112).

21. A multi-view display device (408) comprising the receiving unit (106) as claimed in claim 20.