ADJUSTING PERSPECTIVE FOR OBJECTS IN STEREOSCOPIC IMAGES

• US 20110229012A1
• Filed: 03/22/2010
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Singhal, Amit
• Granted Patent: US 8,213,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/111 Transformation of image signals corresponding to virtual viewpoints, e.g. spatial image interpolation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/122 Improving the 3D impression of stereoscopic images by modifying image signal contents, e.g. by filtering or adding monoscopic depth cues H04N13/128 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity

Abstract

A method for manipulating a stereoscopic image, comprising receiving an original stereoscopic image including a left image and a right image; identifying one or more objects; determining actual object sizes and actual object locations in both the left and right images; determining original perceived three-dimensional object location and new perceived three-dimensional object locations for the identified one or more objects; determining a size magnification factors and location displacement values for each of the one or more objects; generating a new stereoscopic image by changing the actual object sizes and the actual object locations responsive to the corresponding size magnification factors and location displacement values; and storing the new stereoscopic image in a processor-accessible memory system.

Claims

1. A method for manipulating an original stereoscopic image, comprising:

a) receiving the original stereoscopic image including a left image corresponding to a left viewpoint and a right image corresponding to a left viewpoint;

b) identifying one or more objects represented in both the left and right images;

c) determining actual object sizes and actual object locations of the identified one or more objects in both the left and right images;

d) determining original perceived three-dimensional object locations for the identified one or more objects responsive to the actual object locations in the left and right images;

e) determining new perceived three-dimensional object locations for the identified one or more objects;

f) determining a size magnification factor for each of the one or more objects based at least upon the original perceived three-dimensional object location and the new perceived three-dimensional object location for the corresponding object;

g) determining location displacement values for each of the one or more objects based at least upon the original perceived three-dimensional object location and the new perceived three-dimensional object location for the corresponding object;

h) using a data processing system to generate a new stereoscopic image including a new left image and a new right image by changing the actual object sizes and the actual object locations for the one or more objects responsive to the corresponding size magnification factors and location displacement values; and

i) storing the new stereoscopic image in a processor-accessible memory system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step e) includes receiving a control signal from a viewer specifying the new perceived three-dimensional object location.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the control signal is received using a graphical user interface.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein step e) includes determining the new perceived three-dimensional object location to reposition the identified object to be within a specified depth range for comfortable viewing.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the size magnification factor (SMF) is determined using the equation:

6. The method of claim 1 wherein step f) includes receiving a control signal from a user specifying a scale factor, and wherein the size magnification factor is also responsive to the user-specified scale factor.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the size magnification factor (SMF) is determined using the equation:

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the location displacement value (LDV) is determined using the equation:

9. The method of claim 1 wherein step h) includes applying an image inpainting algorithm to fill in previously occluded image regions that are visible in the new stereoscopic image.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the original stereoscopic image corresponds to a frame of a stereoscopic video sequence.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the original stereoscopic includes at least a third image corresponding to a third viewpoint.

12. A system comprising:

a data processing system; and

a memory system communicatively connected to the data processing system and storing instructions configured to cause the data processing system to implement a method for manipulating an original stereoscopic image, wherein the instructions comprise;

receiving the original stereoscopic image including a left image corresponding to a left viewpoint and a right image corresponding to a left viewpoint;

identifying one or more objects represented in both the left and right images;

determining actual object sizes and actual object locations of the identified one or more objects in both the left and right images;

determining original perceived three-dimensional object locations for the identified one or more objects responsive to the actual object locations in the left and right images;

determining new perceived three-dimensional object locations for the identified one or more objects;

determining a size magnification factor for each of the one or more objects based at least upon the original perceived three-dimensional object location and the new perceived three-dimensional object location for the corresponding object;

determining location displacement values for each of the one or more objects based at least upon the original perceived three-dimensional object location and the new perceived three-dimensional object location for the corresponding object;

generating a new stereoscopic image including a new left image and a new right image by changing the actual object sizes and the actual object locations for the one or more objects responsive to the corresponding size magnification factors and location displacement values; and

storing the new stereoscopic image in the memory system.

13. A computer program product for manipulating an original stereoscopic image comprising an executable software application for causing a data processing system to perform the steps of:

a) receiving the original stereoscopic image including a left image corresponding to a left viewpoint and a right image corresponding to a left viewpoint;

b) identifying one or more objects represented in both the left and right images;

c) determining actual object sizes and actual object locations of the identified one or more objects in both the left and right images;

d) determining original perceived three-dimensional object locations for the identified one or more objects responsive to the actual object locations in the left and right images;

e) determining new perceived three-dimensional object locations for the identified one or more objects;

f) determining a size magnification factor for each of the one or more objects based at least upon the original perceived three-dimensional object location and the new perceived three-dimensional object location for the corresponding object;

g) determining location displacement values for each of the one or more objects based at least upon the original perceived three-dimensional object location and the new perceived three-dimensional object location for the corresponding object;

h) using a data processing system to generate a new stereoscopic image including a new left image and a new right image by changing the actual object sizes and the actual object locations for the one or more objects responsive to the corresponding size magnification factors and location displacement values; and

i) storing the new stereoscopic image in a processor-accessible memory system.