METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR ENCODING, DECODING, AND DISPLAYING A STEREOSCOPIC 3D IMAGE

• US 20110134227A1
• Filed: 12/06/2010
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: SHIN, Dong-han
• Application Number:
  US12/960,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20110134227A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/00 Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/597 specially adapted for multi-view video sequence encoding

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for encoding a 3D image, decoding a three-dimensional (3D) image, and 3D image display apparatus and system that reduce capacity and transmission bandwidth of a 3D image content. In a 3D image, 3D image frames may include similar images to be viewed by right and left eyes of a viewer to produce a stereoscopic effect. To increase coding efficiency and reduce a bandwidth required to transmit the 3D image, the 3D image frames to be viewed by one of the viewer'"'"'s eyes may be encoded based on the similar 3D image frames to be viewed by the other of the viewer'"'"'s eyes.

Claims

1. A method for encoding a three-dimensional (3D) image as an encoded 3D image, the method comprising:

receiving a 3D image, the 3D image including a first image frame, a second image frame, and a third image frame, the first image frame including a fist left-eye image frame and a first right-eye image frame and the second image frame including a second left-eye image frame and a second right-eye image frame;

dividing the first image frame into the left-eye image frame and the right-eye image frame and dividing the second image frame into the second left-eye image frame and the second right-eye image frame;

encoding the first left-eye image frame and encoding the second left-eye image frame; and

encoding at least one of the first right-eye image frame, the second right-eye image frame, and a third right-eye image frame that is divided from the third image frame, based on at least one of the encoded first left-eye image frame and the encoded second left-eye image frame, as an encoded right-eye image frame.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoding the first left-eye image frame comprises encoding the first left-eye image frame as one of a first left-eye image I frame, a first left-eye image P frame, and a first left-eye image B frame, and wherein the encoding the at least one of the first right-eye image frame, the second right-eye image frame, and the third right-eye image frame comprises forward prediction encoding the at least one of the first right-eye image frame, the second right-eye image frame, and the third right-eye image frame, based on the one of the first left-eye image I frame, the first left-eye image P frame, and the first left-eye image B frame, as the encoded right-eye image frame.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoding the first left-eye image frame comprises encoding the first left-eye image frame as one of a first left-eye image I frame, a first left-eye image P frame, and a first left-eye image B frame, and

wherein the encoding the at least one of the first right-eye image frame, the second right-eye image frame, and the third right-eye image frame comprises bidirectional prediction encoding the at least one of the first right-eye image frame, the second right-eye image frame, and the third right-eye image frame, based on the one of the first left-eye image I frame, the first left-eye image P frame, and the first left-eye image B frame, as the encoded right-eye image frame.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoding the at least one of the first right-eye image frame, the second right-eye image frame, and the third right-eye image frame comprises encoding the first right-eye image frame as the encoded right-eye image frame, and

wherein the method further comprises:

merging the encoded first left-eye image frame and the encoded right-eye image frame as a first encoded image frame of the encoded 3D image.

5. An apparatus for encoding a three-dimensional (3D) image as an encoded 3D image, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver that receives a 3D image, the 3D image including a first image frame, a second image frame, and a third image frame, the first image frame including a fist left-eye image frame and a first right-eye image frame and the second image frame including a second left-eye image frame and a second right-eye image frame;

a splitter that divides the first image frame into the left-eye image frame and the right-eye image frame and dividing the second image frame into the second left-eye image frame and the second right-eye image frame; and

an encoder that encodes the first left-eye image frame, encodes the second left-eye image frame, and encodes at least one of the first right-eye image frame, the second right-eye image frame, and a third right-eye image frame that is divided from the third image frame, based on at least one of the encoded first left-eye image frame and the encoded second left-eye image frame, as an encoded right-eye image frame.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the encoder encodes the first left-eye image frame as one of a first left-eye image I frame, a first left-eye image P frame, and a first left-eye image B frame, and forward prediction encodes the at least one of the first right-eye image frame, the second right-eye image frame, and the third right-eye image frame, based on the one of the first left-eye image I frame, the first left-eye image P frame, and the first left-eye image B frame, as the encoded right-eye image frame.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the encoder encodes the first-left eye image frame as one of a first left-eye image I frame, a first left-eye image P frame, and a first left-side image B frame, and bidirectional prediction encodes the at least one of the first right-eye image frame, the second right-eye image frame, and the third right-eye image frame, based on the one of the first side image I frame, the first left-eye image P frame, and the first left-eye image B frame, as the encoded right-eye image frame.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the encoder encodes the first right-eye image frame as the encoded right-eye image frame, and

wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a combiner that merges the encoded first left-eye image frame and the encoded right-eye image frame as a first encoded image frame of the encoded 3D image.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a recorder that records the encoded 3D image to a storage medium.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the storage medium is a DVD or a blu-ray disc.

17. The 3D image system of claim 6, wherein the receiving apparatus is a 3D television.

11. A three-dimensional (3D) image display apparatus that outputs a 3D image, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver that receives an encoded 3D image, the encoded 3D image including an encoded first image frame, an encoded second image frame, and an encoded third image frame, the encoded first image frame including an encoded first left-eye image frame and an encoded first right-eye image frame, the second encoded image frame including a second encoded left-eye image frame and a second encoded right-eye image frame, and the third encoded image frame including an encoded third left-eye image frame and an encoded third right-eye image frame, wherein at least one of the encoded first right-eye image frame, the encoded second right-eye image frame, and the encoded third right-eye image frame is encoded based on at least one of the encoded first left-eye image frame and the encoded second left-eye image frame;

an image processor that decodes the encoded 3D image; and

an image output part that displays the decoded 3D image as the 3D image.

12. The 3D image display apparatus of claim 11, wherein the encoded first left-eye image frame is one of a first left-eye image I frame, a first left-eye image P frame, and a first left-eye image B frame, and the at least one of the encoded first right-eye image frame, the encoded second right-eye image frame, and the encoded third right-eye image frame is forward prediction encoded based on the one of the first left-eye image I frame, the first left-eye image P frame, and the first left-eye image B frame.

13. The 3D image display apparatus of claim 11, wherein the encoded first left-eye image frame is one of a first left-eye image I frame, a first left-eye image P frame, and a first left-eye image B frame, and at the at least one of the encoded first right-eye image frame, the encoded second right-eye image frame, and the encoded third right-eye image frame is bidirectional prediction encoded based on the one of the first left-eye image I frame, the first left-eye image P frame, and the first left-eye image B frame.

14. The 3D image display apparatus of claim 11, wherein the image processor decodes the at least one of the encoded first right-eye image frame, the encoded second right-eye image frame, and the encoded third right-eye image frame based on at least one of the encoded first left-eye image frame and the encoded second left-eye image frame.

15. A 3D image system comprising:

a first transmitting apparatus that transmits a 3D image, the 3D image including a first image frame, a second image frame, and a third image frame, the first image frame including a fist left-eye image frame and a first right-eye image frame and the second image frame including a second left-eye image frame and a second right-eye image frame;

a second transmitter that receives the 3D image transmitted by the first transmitting apparatus, divides the first image frame into the left-eye image frame and the right-eye image frame and divides the second image frame into the second left-eye image frame and the second right-eye image frame, encodes at least one of the first right-eye image frame, the second right-eye image frame, and a third right-eye image frame that is divided from the third image frame, based on at least one of the encoded first left-eye image frame and the encoded second left-eye image frame, as an a portion of an encoded 3D image, and transmits the encoded 3D image; and

a receiving apparatus that receives the encoded 3D image, decodes the received 3D image, and displays the decoded 3D image on a display.

16. The 3D image system of claim 15, wherein the receiving apparatus decodes the at least one of the encoded first right-eye image frame, the encoded second right-eye image frame, and the encoded third right-eye image frame based on at least one of the encoded first left-eye image frame and the encoded second left-eye image frame.

18. A method of encoding a three-dimensional (3D) image frame of a 3D image as an encoded 3D image frame, the method comprising:

dividing a plurality of frames of the 3D image, the plurality of frames each including a left-eye image frame and a right-eye image frame, into a plurality of left-eye image frames and a plurality of right-eye image frames;

encoding one of a left-eye image frame among the plurality of left-eye image frames and a right-eye image frame among the plurality of right-eye image frames, as an encoded reference image frame;

encoding, if the encoded reference image frame is the right-eye image frame among the plurality of right-eye image frames, the left-eye image frame among the plurality of left-eye image frames based on the encoded reference image frame, as the encoded 3D image frame, and if the encoded reference image frame is the left-eye image frame among the plurality of left-eye image frames, the right-eye image frame among the plurality of right-eye image frames based on the encoded reference image frame, as the encoded 3D image frame.

19. A method of decoding a three-dimensional (3D) image frame of an encoded 3D image as a decoded 3D image frame, the method comprising:

dividing a plurality of frames of the encoded 3D image, the plurality of frames each including an encoded left-eye image frame and an encoded right-eye image frame, into a plurality of encoded left-eye image frames and a plurality of encoded right-eye image frames;

decoding one of an encoded left-eye image frame among the plurality of encoded left-eye image frames and an encoded right-eye image frame among the plurality of encoded right-eye image frames, as an encoded reference image frame;

decoding, if the encoded reference image frame is the encoded right-eye image frame among the plurality of encoded right-eye image frames, the encoded left-eye image frame among the plurality of encoded left-eye image frames based on the encoded reference image frame, as the decoded 3D image frame, and if the encoded reference image frame is the encoded left-eye image frame among the plurality of encoded left-eye image frames, the encoded right-eye image frame among the plurality of encoded right-eye image frames based on the encoded reference image frame, as the decoded 3D image frame.