METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING MULTI-VIEWPOINT DEPTH MAP, METHOD FOR GENERATING DISPARITY OF MULTI-VIEWPOINT IMAGE

• US 20100309292A1
• Filed: 11/28/2008
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, KT Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, KT Corporation
• Inventors: Kim, Sung-Yeol, Lee, Eun-Kyung, HO, Yo-Sung
• Application Number:
  US12/745,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20100309292A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/47
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/55 from multiple images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/261 with monoscopic-to-stereoscopic image conversion

Abstract

There are provided a method and an apparatus for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map, and a method for generating a disparity of a multi-viewpoint image. A method for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map according to the present invention includes the steps of: (a) acquiring a multi-viewpoint image constituted by a plurality of images by using a plurality of cameras (b) acquiring an image and depth information by using a depth camera; (c) estimating coordinates of the same point in a space in the plurality of images by using the acquired depth information; (d) determining disparities in the plurality of images with respect to in the same point by searching a predetermined region around the estimated coordinates; and (e) generating a multi-viewpoint depth map by using the determined disparities. According to the above-mentioned present invention, it is possible to generate a multi-viewpoint depth map within a shorter time and generate a multi-viewpoint depth map having higher quality than a multi-viewpoint depth map generated by using known stereo matching.

Claims

1. A method for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map, comprising the steps of:

(a) acquiring a multi-viewpoint image constituted by a plurality of images by using a plurality of cameras;

(b) acquiring an image and depth information by using a depth camera;

(c) estimating coordinates of the same point in a space in the plurality of images by using the acquired depth information;

(d) determining disparities in the plurality of images with respect to in the same point by searching a predetermined region around the estimated coordinates; and

(e) generating a multi-viewpoint depth map by using the determined disparities.

2. The method for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map according to claim 1, wherein in the step (b), the disparities in the plurality of images with respect to the same point in the space are estimated from the acquired depth information and the coordinates are acquired depending on the estimated disparities.

3. The method for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map according to claim 2, wherein the disparities are estimated by the following equation:

4. The method for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map according to claim 1, wherein the step (d) includes the steps of:

(d1) establishing a window having a predetermined size, which corresponds to the coordinate with respect to the same point in the image, which is acquired by the depth camera;

(d2) acquiring similarities between pixels included in the window having the predetermined size and pixels included in windows having the same size in the predetermined region; and

(d3) determining the disparities by using the coordinates of the pixels corresponding to a window having the largest similarity in the predetermined region.

5. The method for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined region is decided depending on coordinates acquired by adding and subtracting a predetermined value to and from the estimated coordinates around the estimated coordinates.

6. The method for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map according to claim 1, wherein when the depth camera has the same resolution as the plurality of cameras, the depth camera is disposed between two cameras in the array of the plurality of cameras.

7. The method for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map according to claim 1, wherein when the depth camera has resolution different from the plurality of cameras, the depth camera is disposed adjacent to a camera in the array of the plurality of cameras.

8. The method for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map according to claim 7, further comprising the step of:

(b2) converting the image and depth information acquired by the depth camera into an image and depth information corresponding to the camera adjacent to the depth camera,

wherein in the step (c), the coordinates are estimated by using the converted depth information.

9. The method for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map according to claim 8, wherein in the step (b2), the image and depth information of the depth camera are converted into the corresponding image and depth information by using internal and external parameters of the depth camera and the camera adjacent to the depth camera.

10. A computer-readable recording medium where a program for executing a method for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map according to claim 1

11. A method for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map, comprising the steps of:

(a) acquiring a multi-viewpoint image constituted by a plurality of images by using a plurality of cameras;

(b) acquiring an image and depth information by using a depth camera;

(c) estimating coordinates of the same point in a space in the plurality of images by using the acquired depth information; and

(d) determining disparities in the plurality of images with respect to in the same point by searching a predetermined region around the estimated coordinates.

12. An apparatus for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map, comprising:

a first image acquiring unit acquiring a multi-viewpoint image constituted by a plurality of images by using a plurality of cameras;

a second image acquiring unit acquiring an image and depth information by using a depth camera;

a coordinate estimating unit estimating coordinates of the same point in a space in the plurality of images by using the acquired depth information;

a disparity generating unit determining disparities in the plurality of images with respect to in the same point in a space by searching a predetermined region around the estimated coordinates; and

a depth map generating unit generating a multi-viewpoint depth map by using the generated disparities.

13. The apparatus for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map according to claim 12, wherein the coordinate estimating unit estimates disparities in the plurality of images with respect to the same point in the space from the acquired depth information and acquires the coordinates depending on the estimated disparities.

14. The apparatus for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map according to claim 13, wherein the disparities are estimated by using the following equation:

15. The apparatus for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map according to claim 12, wherein the disparity generating unit determines the disparities by using a coordinate of a pixel corresponding to a window having the largest similarity in the predetermined region depending on similarities between pixels included in a window corresponding to the coordinate of the same point in the image acquired by the depth camera and pixels included in the window in the predetermined region.

16. The apparatus for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined region is decided depending on coordinates acquired by adding and subtracting a predetermined value to and from the estimated coordinates around the estimated coordinates.

17. The apparatus for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map according to claim 12, wherein when the depth camera has the same resolution as the plurality of cameras, the depth camera is disposed between two cameras in the array of the plurality of cameras.

18. The apparatus for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map according to claim 12, wherein when the depth camera has resolution different from the plurality of cameras, the depth camera is disposed adjacent to a camera in the array of the plurality of cameras.

19. The apparatus for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map according to claim 18, further comprising:

an image converting unit converting the image and depth information acquired by the depth camera into an image and depth information corresponding to the camera adjacent to the depth camera,

wherein the coordinate estimating unit estimates the coordinates by using the converted depth information.

20. The apparatus for generating a multi-viewpoint depth map according to claim 19, wherein the image converting unit converts the image and depth information of the depth camera into the corresponding image and depth information by using internal and external parameters of the depth camera and the camera adjacent to the depth camera.