METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING STEREOSCOPIC VIDEO DATA

• US 20120257011A1
• Filed: 04/07/2011
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SES AMERICOM, Inc. (SES SA)
• Original Assignee: SES AMERICOM, Inc. (SES SA)
• Inventors: Mengwasser, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 9,088,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/43
• 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 19/597 specially adapted for multi-view video sequence encoding

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for processing stereoscopic video data for transmission into a single frame or field, including multiplexing color data for left-eye and right-eye image into a single frame or field in a spatially incongruous manner. Embodiments of the invention also relate to methods and systems for processing such a single frame or field and displaying the corresponding stereoscopic video data either on a passive monitor or on an active monitor, to render three-dimensional (3D) video content. The invention also relates to corresponding computer programs and signals.

Claims

1. Method for processing stereoscopic video data for transmission, the method including

being inputted with a left-eye image and a right-eye image, wherein each of the left-eye image and the right-eye image includes pixels, and each of the pixels is associated with color data;

and

multiplexing the left-eye image and the right-eye image into a single frame or field by

associating, with each of a set of positions selected from the left-eye image and each of a set of positions selected from the right-eye image, color data, wherein the color data associated with a selected position is derived either from the color data of the pixel identified by the selected position or from the color data of a group of pixels centered on the selected position; and

arranging the color data associated with the selected positions from the left-eye image and the color data associated with the selected positions from the right-eye image into the single frame or field;

wherein the set of positions selected from the left-eye image at least partially differs from the set of positions selected from the right-eye image.

2. Method of claim 1, wherein each of the pixels of the left-eye image and of the right-eye image is identified by a pair of coordinates, a pair of coordinates being here referred to as pixel address, and wherein each selected position is a pixel address.

3. Method of claim 1, wherein none of the positions selected from the left-eye image is the same as a position selected from the right-eye image.

4. Method of claim 3, wherein the set of positions selected from the left-eye image and the set of positions selected from the right-eye image include positions selected from within pixels from a first set of pixels rows from the left-eye image and positions selected from within pixels from a second set of pixels rows from the right-eye image, wherein none of the rows of the first set is that same as a row of the second set.

5. Method of claim 4, wherein the set of positions selected from the left-eye image and the set of positions selected from the right-eye image include one of:

a set of positions selected from within pixels from the even scan lines of the left-eye image and a set of positions selected from within pixels from the odd scan lines of the right-eye image; and

a set of positions selected from within pixels from the odd scan lines of the left-eye image and a set of positions selected from within pixels from the even scan lines of the right-eye image.

6. Method of claim 5, wherein the set of positions selected from the left-eye image and the set of positions selected from the right-eye image include one of:

a set of positions selected from half of the pixels from the even scan lines of the left-eye image and a set of positions selected from half of the pixels from the odd scan lines of the right-eye image; and

a set of positions selected from half of the pixels from the odd scan lines of the left-eye image and a set of positions selected from half of the pixels from the even scan lines of the right-eye image.

7. Method of claim 5, wherein the set of positions selected from the left-eye image and the set of positions selected from the right-eye image include one of:

a set of positions selected from all the pixels from the even scan lines of the left-eye image and a set of positions selected from all the pixels of the odd scan lines from the right-eye image; and

a set of positions selected from all the pixels from the odd scan lines of the left-eye image and a set of positions selected from all the pixels from the even scan lines of the right-eye image.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein the left-eye image and the right-eye image are multiplexed into a single field, and the single field is an interlaced scan field.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein the left-eye image and the right-eye image are multiplexed into a single frame, and the single frame is a progressive scan frame.

10. Method according to claim 1, wherein arranging the color data associated with the selected positions from the left-eye image and the color data associated with the selected positions from the right-eye image into the single frame or field is carried out in any one of a side-by-side manner, a top-bottom manner, a line-by-line manner, and a checkerboard manner.

35. Computer program including computer-understandable instructions configured, when executed on a computer, to carry out the method according to claim 1.

11. Method for processing stereoscopic video data formatted into a succession of frames or fields and for displaying the processed stereoscopic video data on a video display device suitable for use with passive glasses, the video display device being here referred to as passive monitor, the method including

being inputted with a frame or field, wherein the frame or field includes pixels and each of the pixels is associated with color data;

and

displaying simultaneously, on the passive monitor, pixels to be viewed by the left eye and pixels to be viewed by the right eye of a user bearing passive glasses suitable for use with the passive monitor, wherein each of the displayed pixels is associated with color data;

wherein

the color data associated with the displayed pixels to be viewed by the left eye are derived from one part of the inputted frame or field, that part being referred to here as input left eye part;

the color data associated with the displayed pixels to be viewed by the right eye are derived from another part of the inputted frame or field, that part being referred to here as input right eye part; and

referring, in sequence from the leftmost, uppermost pixel to the rightmost, lowermost pixel, to the displayed pixels to be viewed by the left eye as pixels DL_i, wherein i is an integer with 1≦

i≦

p,

referring, in sequence from the leftmost, uppermost pixel to the rightmost, lowermost pixel, to the displayed pixels to be viewed by the right eye as pixels DR_i, wherein i is an integer with 1≦

i≦

p,

referring, in sequence from the leftmost, uppermost pixel to the rightmost, lowermost pixel, to the pixels of the input left eye part as pixels InL_j, wherein j is an integer with 1≦

j≦

q,

referring, in sequence from the leftmost, uppermost pixel to the rightmost, lowermost pixel, to the pixels of the input right eye part as pixels InR_j, wherein j is an integer with 1≦

j≦

q,

for at least some values of i, the color data associated with displayed pixel DL_i is derived from the color data of one or more of pixels InL_j in the same manner as the color data associated with displayed pixel DR_i is derived from the color data of one or more of pixels InR_j.

12. Method of claim 11, wherein displaying simultaneously, on the passive monitor, pixels to be viewed by the left eye and pixels to be viewed by the right eye of a user bearing passive glasses suitable for use with the passive monitor includes one of:

displaying pixels to be viewed by the left eye on even scan lines and pixels to be viewed by the right eye on odd scan lines; and

displaying pixels to be viewed by the left eye on odd scan lines and pixels to be viewed by the right eye on even scan lines.

13. Method of claim 11, wherein the step of being inputted with a frame or field is a step of being inputted with a field, and the inputted field is an interlaced scan field.

14. Method of claim 11, wherein the step of being inputted with a frame or field is a step of being inputted with a frame, and the inputted frame is a progressive scan frame.

15. Method for processing stereoscopic video data formatted into a succession of frames or fields and for displaying the processed stereoscopic video data on a video display device suitable for use with active glasses, the video display device being here referred to as active monitor, the method including

being inputted with a frame or field, wherein the frame or field includes pixels and each of the pixels is associated with color data;

and

displaying, on the active monitor,

in a first frame, pixels to be viewed by the left eye of a user bearing active glasses suitable for use with the active monitor; and

in a second frame, either following or preceding the first frame, pixels to be viewed by the right eye of the user,

wherein each of the displayed pixels is associated with color data;

wherein

the color data associated with the displayed pixels to be viewed by the left eye are derived from one part of the inputted frame or field, that part being referred to here as input left eye part;

the color data associated with the displayed pixels to be viewed by the right eye are derived from another part of the inputted frame or field, that part being referred to here as input right eye part; and

referring, in the first frame, in sequence from the leftmost, uppermost pixel to the rightmost, lowermost pixel, to the displayed pixels to be viewed by the left eye as pixels DL_i, wherein i is an integer with 1≦

i≦

2p,

referring, in the second frame, in sequence from the leftmost, uppermost pixel to the rightmost, lowermost pixel, to the displayed pixels to be viewed by the right eye as pixels DR_i, wherein i is an integer with 1≦

i≦

2p,

referring, in sequence from the leftmost, uppermost pixel to the rightmost, lowermost pixel, to the pixels of the input left eye part as pixels InL_j, wherein j is an integer with 1≦

j≦

q,

referring, in sequence from the leftmost, uppermost pixel to the rightmost, lowermost pixel, to the pixels of the input right eye part as pixels InR_j, wherein j is an integer with 1≦

j≦

q,

for at least some values of i, the color data associated with displayed pixel DL_i is derived from the color data of one or more of pixels InL_j in a different manner than the color data associated with displayed pixel DR_i is derived from the color data of one or more of pixels InR_j.

16. Method of claim 15, wherein the step of being inputted with a frame or field is a step of being inputted with a field, and the inputted field is an interlaced scan field.

17. Method of claim 15, wherein the step of being inputted with a frame or field is a step of being inputted with a frame, and the inputted frame is a progressive scan frame.

18. System for processing stereoscopic video data for transmission, the system including

an input unit configured for being inputted with a left-eye image and a right-eye image, wherein each of the left-eye image and the right-eye image includes pixels, and each of the pixels is associated with color data;

and

a multiplexing unit configured for multiplexing the left-eye image and the right-eye image into a single frame or field by

associating, with each of a set of positions selected from the left-eye image and each of a set of positions selected from the right-eye image, color data, wherein the color data associated with a selected position is derived either from the color data of the pixel identified by the selected position or from the color data of a group of pixels centered on the selected position; and

arranging the color data associated with the selected positions from the left-eye image and the color data associated with the selected positions from the right-eye image into the single frame or field;

the system being configured so that the set of positions selected from the left-eye image at least partially differs from the set of positions selected from the right-eye image.

19. System of claim 18, configured so that each of the pixels of the left-eye image and of the right-eye image is identified by a pair of coordinates, a pair of coordinates being here referred to as pixel address, and wherein each selected position is a pixel address.

20. System of claim 18, configured so that none of the positions selected from the left-eye image is the same as a position selected from the right-eye image.

21. System of claim 20, configured so that the set of positions selected from the left-eye image and the set of positions selected from the right-eye image include positions selected from within pixels from a first set of pixels rows from the left-eye image and positions selected from within pixels from a second set of pixels rows from the right-eye image, wherein none of the rows of the first set is that same as a row of the second set.

22. System of claim 21, configured so that the set of positions selected from the left-eye image and the set of positions selected from the right-eye image include one of:

a set of positions selected from within pixels from the even scan lines of the left-eye image and a set of positions selected from within pixels from the odd scan lines of the right-eye image; and

a set of positions selected from within pixels from the odd scan lines of the left-eye image and a set of positions selected from within pixels from the even scan lines of the right-eye image.

23. System of claim 22, configured so that the set of positions selected from the left-eye image and the set of positions selected from the right-eye image include one of:

a set of positions selected from half of the pixels from the even scan lines of the left-eye image and a set of positions selected from half of the pixels from the odd scan lines of the right-eye image; and

a set of positions selected from half of the pixels from the odd scan lines of the left-eye image and a set of positions selected from half of the pixels from the even scan lines of the right-eye image.

24. System of claim 22, configured so that the set of positions selected from the left-eye image and the set of positions selected from the right-eye image include one of:

a set of positions selected from all the pixels from the even scan lines of the left-eye image and a set of positions selected from all the pixels of the odd scan lines from the right-eye image; and

a set of positions selected from all the pixels from the odd scan lines of the left-eye image and a set of positions selected from all the pixels from the even scan lines of the right-eye image.

25. System according to claim 18, configured so that the left-eye image and the right-eye image are multiplexed into a single field, and the single field is an interlaced scan field.

26. System according to claim 18, configured so that the left-eye image and the right-eye image are multiplexed into a single frame, and the single frame is a progressive scan frame.

27. System according to claim 18, configured so that arranging the color data associated with the selected positions from the left-eye image and the color data associated with the selected positions from the right-eye image into the single frame or field is carried out in any one of a side-by-side manner, a top-bottom manner, a line-by-line manner, and a checkerboard manner.

28. System for processing stereoscopic video data formatted into a succession of frames or fields and for displaying the processed stereoscopic video data on a video display device suitable for use with passive glasses, the video display device being here referred to as passive monitor, the system including

an input unit configured for being inputted with a frame or field, wherein the frame or field includes pixels and each of the pixels is associated with color data;

and

a displaying unit configured for displaying simultaneously, on the passive monitor, pixels to be viewed by the left eye and pixels to be viewed by the right eye of a user bearing passive glasses suitable for use with the passive monitor, wherein each of the displayed pixels is associated with color data;

the system being configured so that

the color data associated with the displayed pixels to be viewed by the left eye are derived from one part of the inputted frame or field, that part being referred to here as input left eye part;

the color data associated with the displayed pixels to be viewed by the right eye are derived from another part of the inputted frame or field, that part being referred to here as input right eye part; and

referring, in sequence from the leftmost, uppermost pixel to the rightmost, lowermost pixel, to the displayed pixels to be viewed by the left eye as pixels DL_i, wherein i is an integer with 1≦

i≦

p,

referring, in sequence from the leftmost, uppermost pixel to the rightmost, lowermost pixel, to the displayed pixels to be viewed by the right eye as pixels DR_i, wherein i is an integer with 1≦

i≦

p,

referring, in sequence from the leftmost, uppermost pixel to the rightmost, lowermost pixel, to the pixels of the input left eye part as pixels InL_j, wherein j is an integer with 1≦

j≦

q,

referring, in sequence from the leftmost, uppermost pixel to the rightmost, lowermost pixel, to the pixels of the input right eye part as pixels InR_j, wherein j is an integer with 1≦

j≦

q,

for at least some values of i, the color data associated with displayed pixel DL_i is derived from the color data of one or more of pixels InL_j in the same manner as the color data associated with displayed pixel DR_i is derived from the color data of one or more of pixels InR_j.

29. System of claim 28, configured so that displaying simultaneously, on the passive monitor, pixels to be viewed by the left eye and pixels to be viewed by the right eye of a user bearing passive glasses suitable for use with the passive monitor includes one of:

displaying pixels to be viewed by the left eye on even scan lines and pixels to be viewed by the right eye on odd scan lines; and

displaying pixels to be viewed by the left eye on odd scan lines and pixels to be viewed by the right eye on even scan lines.

30. System of claim 28, wherein the input unit is configured for being inputted with a field, and the inputted field is an interlaced scan field.

31. System of claim 28, wherein the input unit is configured for being inputted with a frame, and the inputted frame is a progressive scan frame.

32. System for processing stereoscopic video data formatted into a succession of frames or fields and for displaying the processed stereoscopic video data on a video display device suitable for use with active glasses, the video display device being here referred to as active monitor, the system including

an input unit configured for being inputted with a frame or field, wherein the frame or field includes pixels and each of the pixels is associated with color data;

and

a displaying unit configured for displaying, on the active monitor,

in a first frame, pixels to be viewed by the left eye of a user bearing active glasses suitable for use with the active monitor; and

in a second frame, either following or preceding the first frame, pixels to be viewed by the right eye of the user,

wherein each of the displayed pixels is associated with color data;

the system being configured so that

the color data associated with the displayed pixels to be viewed by the left eye are derived from one part of the inputted frame or field, that part being referred to here as input left eye part;

the color data associated with the displayed pixels to be viewed by the right eye are derived from another part of the inputted frame or field, that part being referred to here as input right eye part; and

referring, in the first frame, in sequence from the leftmost, uppermost pixel to the rightmost, lowermost pixel, to the displayed pixels to be viewed by the left eye as pixels DL_i, wherein i is an integer with 1≦

i≦

2p,

referring, in the second frame, in sequence from the leftmost, uppermost pixel to the rightmost, lowermost pixel, to the displayed pixels to be viewed by the right eye as pixels DR_i, wherein i is an integer with 1≦

i≦

2p,

referring, in sequence from the leftmost, uppermost pixel to the rightmost, lowermost pixel, to the pixels of the input left eye part as pixels InL_j, wherein j is an integer with 1≦

j≦

q,

referring, in sequence from the leftmost, uppermost pixel to the rightmost, lowermost pixel, to the pixels of the input right eye part as pixels InR_j, wherein j is an integer with 1≦

j≦

q,

for at least some values of i, the color data associated with displayed pixel DL_i is derived from the color data of one or more of pixels InL_j in a different manner than the color data associated with displayed pixel DR_i is derived from the color data of one or more of pixels InR_j.

33. System of claim 32, wherein the input unit is configured for being inputted with a field, and the inputted field is an interlaced scan field.

34. System of claim 32, wherein the input unit is configured for being inputted with a frame, and the inputted frame is a progressive scan frame.

36. (canceled)