STEREOSCOPIC INTENSITY ADJUSTMENT DEVICE, STEREOSCOPIC INTENSITY ADJUSTMENT METHOD, PROGRAM, INTEGRATED CIRCUIT AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20130063576A1
• Filed: 04/24/2012
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okubo, Masafumi, Yamaji, Osamu
• Application Number:
  US13/642,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20130063576A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/51
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/27 involving lenticular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/33 involving directional light or back-light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/261 with monoscopic-to-stereoscopic image conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

A parallax map acquisition unit acquires a parallax map indicating a parallax value for each pixel in a set of main-view data and sub-view data constituting stereoscopic video images. A parallax map assessment unit assesses the accuracy of the acquired parallax map. A stereoscopic intensity adjustment method selection unit selects either pixel shifting by a DIBR execution unit using the parallax map or plane shifting by a plane shift execution unit. The DIBR execution unit and the plane shift execution unit adjust stereoscopic intensity in accordance with the selection of the stereoscopic intensity adjustment method by the stereoscopic intensity adjustment method selection unit.

Claims

1. A stereoscopic intensity adjustment device for adjusting stereoscopic intensity of stereoscopic video images, comprising:

a parallax map acquisition unit configured to acquire a parallax map indicating a parallax value for each pixel in a set of main-view data and sub-view data constituting the stereoscopic video images;

an accuracy determination unit configured to determine accuracy of the parallax map; and

a stereoscopic intensity adjustment unit configured to adjust the stereoscopic intensity of the stereoscopic video images, wherein

in accordance with the accuracy of the parallax map, the stereoscopic intensity adjustment unit selectively performs one of pixel shifting and plane shifting, the pixel shifting referencing the parallax map.

2. The stereoscopic intensity adjustment device of claim 1, wherein

the accuracy determination unit determines the accuracy of the parallax map with reference to the stereoscopic intensity of the stereoscopic video images, the stereoscopic intensity being yielded by the parallax values indicated in the parallax map, and

the stereoscopic intensity adjustment unit selects pixel shifting with reference to the parallax map when the stereoscopic intensity of the stereoscopic video images is at least a first predetermined intensity and selects plane shifting when the stereoscopic intensity of the stereoscopic video images is at most a second predetermined intensity.

3. The stereoscopic intensity adjustment device of claim 2, wherein

the stereoscopic intensity of the stereoscopic video images is based on parallax angle, and

the accuracy determination unit determines the accuracy of the parallax map by calculating the parallax angle with reference to the parallax values indicated in the parallax map and comparing the calculated parallax angle with a predetermined threshold.

4. The stereoscopic intensity adjustment device of claim 1, wherein

the parallax map acquisition unit acquires the parallax map by searching for corresponding points between the main-view data and the sub-view data,

the accuracy determination unit determines the accuracy of the parallax map with reference to an amount of error occurring when the parallax map acquisition unit searches for the corresponding points, and

the stereoscopic intensity adjustment unit selects pixel shifting with reference to the parallax map when the accuracy throughout the parallax map is at least a first predetermined accuracy and selects plane shifting when the accuracy throughout the parallax map is at most a second predetermined accuracy.

5. The stereoscopic intensity adjustment device of claim 4, wherein

the amount of error is the number of pixels for which no corresponding point is detected and of pixels for which a plurality of candidate corresponding points are detected during the search for corresponding points, and

the accuracy determination unit determines the accuracy of the parallax map by comparing the number of pixels for which no corresponding point is detected and of pixels for which a plurality of candidate corresponding points are detected during the search for corresponding points with a predetermined threshold.

6. The stereoscopic intensity adjustment device of claim 1, further comprising:

a screen size acquisition unit configured to acquire a size of a screen on which the stereoscopic video images are displayed, wherein

during the pixel shifting, the stereoscopic intensity adjustment unit

changes an amount of parallax indicated by the parallax map with reference to the size of the screen and the accuracy of the parallax map, and

regenerates the sub-view data by shifting coordinates of each pixel in the main-view data by a number of pixels corresponding to the changed amount of parallax.

7. The stereoscopic intensity adjustment device of claim 6, wherein

the accuracy determination unit determines the accuracy of a foreground region and of a background region in the parallax map, and

during the pixel shifting, the stereoscopic intensity adjustment unit invalidates the amount of parallax in the background region of the parallax map when the accuracy of the background region of the parallax map is less than a predetermined accuracy.

8. The stereoscopic intensity adjustment device of claim 6, wherein

the accuracy determination unit determines the accuracy of a foreground region and a background region in the parallax map, and

during the pixel shifting, the stereoscopic intensity adjustment unit averages the amount of parallax in the foreground region of the parallax map when the accuracy of the foreground region of the parallax map is less than a predetermined accuracy.

9. The stereoscopic intensity adjustment device of claim 8, wherein

during the pixel shifting, the stereoscopic intensity adjustment unit extracts an outline of an object included in the foreground region of the parallax map and averages the amount of parallax in the foreground region of the parallax map when accuracy of extraction of the outline is at least a predetermined accuracy.

10. The stereoscopic intensity adjustment device of claim 6, wherein

the accuracy determination unit determines the accuracy of the parallax map with reference to the stereoscopic intensity of the stereoscopic video images, the stereoscopic intensity being yielded by the parallax values indicated in the parallax map, and

during the pixel shifting, the stereoscopic intensity adjustment unit reduces the amount of parallax indicated by the parallax map when the stereoscopic intensity of the stereoscopic video images is at least a predetermined intensity.

11. The stereoscopic intensity adjustment device of claim 10, wherein

during the pixel shifting, the stereoscopic intensity adjustment unit changes the amount of parallax indicated by the parallax map so that an amount by which the stereoscopic video images project or recede with respect to the size of the screen is based on a predetermined parallax angle.

12. The stereoscopic intensity adjustment device of claim 6, wherein

during the pixel shifting, the stereoscopic intensity adjustment unit changes the amount of parallax indicated by the parallax map so that a ratio between a viewing distance and an amount by which the stereoscopic video images project or recede becomes a predetermined fixed value.

13. The stereoscopic intensity adjustment device of claim 6, wherein

during the pixel shifting,

when the size of the screen is at least a first predetermined size, the stereoscopic intensity adjustment unit changes the amount of parallax indicated by the parallax map so that an amount by which the stereoscopic video images project or recede with respect to the size of the screen is based on a predetermined parallax angle, and

when the size of the screen is at most a second predetermined size, the stereoscopic intensity adjustment unit changes the amount of parallax indicated by the parallax map so that an amount by which the stereoscopic video images project or recede with respect to the size of the screen is based on an angle that is at least a predetermined parallax angle and is within a parallax angle indicating a limit for stereoscopic integration.

14. The stereoscopic intensity adjustment device of claim 1, further comprising:

planes including a left-view plane and a right-view plane; and

a rendering engine configured to write video data in the planes, wherein

when the accuracy throughout the parallax map is at least a first predetermined accuracy, the rendering engine writes main-view data and sub-view data after the adjustment of stereoscopic intensity into the planes, and

when the accuracy throughout the parallax map is at most a second predetermined accuracy, the rendering engine writes the main-view data before the adjustment of stereoscopic intensity into both the left-view plane and the right-view plane.

15. The stereoscopic intensity adjustment device of claim 1, wherein

the parallax map acquisition unit reacquires the parallax map when the accuracy of the parallax map is less than a predetermined accuracy.

16. The stereoscopic intensity adjustment device of claim 15, wherein

the parallax map acquisition unit reacquires the parallax map using a different method than during a previous acquisition of the parallax map.

17. A stereoscopic intensity adjustment method for adjusting stereoscopic intensity of stereoscopic video images, comprising the steps of:

acquiring a parallax map indicating a parallax value for each pixel in a set of main-view data and sub-view data constituting the stereoscopic video images;

determining accuracy of the parallax map; and

adjusting the stereoscopic intensity of the stereoscopic video images, wherein

during the step of adjusting the stereoscopic intensity, in accordance with the accuracy of the parallax map, one of pixel shifting and plane shifting is selectively performed, the pixel shifting referencing the parallax map.

18. A program for causing a computer to perform stereoscopic intensity adjustment to adjust stereoscopic intensity of stereoscopic video images, the program causing the computer to perform the steps of:

acquiring a parallax map indicating a parallax value for each pixel in a set of main-view data and sub-view data constituting the stereoscopic video images;

determining accuracy of the parallax map; and

adjusting the stereoscopic intensity of the stereoscopic video images, wherein

during the step of adjusting the stereoscopic intensity, in accordance with the accuracy of the parallax map, one of pixel shifting and plane shifting is selectively performed, the pixel shifting referencing the parallax map.

19. An integrated circuit for stereoscopic intensity adjustment to adjust stereoscopic intensity of stereoscopic video images, comprising:

a parallax map acquisition unit configured to acquire a parallax map indicating a parallax value for each pixel in a set of main-view data and sub-view data constituting the stereoscopic video images;

an accuracy determination unit configured to determine accuracy of the parallax map; and

a stereoscopic intensity adjustment unit configured to adjust the stereoscopic intensity of the stereoscopic video images, wherein

in accordance with the accuracy of the parallax map, the stereoscopic intensity adjustment unit selectively performs one of pixel shifting and plane shifting, the pixel shifting referencing the parallax map.

20. A recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing a computer to perform stereoscopic intensity adjustment to adjust stereoscopic intensity of stereoscopic video images,

the program causing the computer to perform the steps of:

acquiring a parallax map indicating a parallax value for each pixel in a set of main-view data and sub-view data constituting the stereoscopic video images;

determining accuracy of the parallax map; and

adjusting the stereoscopic intensity of the stereoscopic video images, wherein

during the step of adjusting the stereoscopic intensity, in accordance with the accuracy of the parallax map, one of pixel shifting and plane shifting is selectively performed, the pixel shifting referencing the parallax map.