DEPTH SIGNAL GENERATION APPARATUS, PSEUDO STEREO IMAGE SIGNAL GENERATION APPARATUS, DEPTH SIGNAL GENERATION METHOD, PSEUDO STEREO IMAGE SIGNAL GENERATION METHOD, COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM RECORDING DEPTH SIGNAL GENERATION PROGRAM, AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM RECORDING PSEUDO STEREO IMAGE SIGNAL GENERATION PROGRAM

• US 20130242047A1
• Filed: 04/11/2013
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Original Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Inventors: NOGUCHI, Hiroshi, HASEGAWA, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,179,132 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/43
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/50 Depth or shape recovery
• 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 13/271 wherein the generated image signals comprise depth maps or disparity maps
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

A depth signal generation apparatus includes a depth signal estimation unit, a depth signal histogram generator, and a depth signal level converter. The depth signal estimation unit estimates a depth signal for each pixel of a predetermined unit in a video image signal. The depth signal histogram generator divides a range of a depth signal level which the depth signal can have, into depth signal level regions each having a predetermined range size, determines which depth signal level region includes the depth signal for each pixel, counts the number of pixels included in each depth signal level region to generate depth signal histogram data according to the count value. The depth signal level converter generates a depth signal level conversion curve according to the depth signal histogram data and generates a depth signal after level conversion by executing depth signal level conversion according to the depth signal level conversion curve.

Claims

1. A depth signal generation apparatus comprising:

a depth signal estimation unit configured to generate a depth signal which expresses a depth for each pixel of a predetermined unit in a video image signal;

a depth signal histogram generator configured to divide a range of a depth signal level which the depth signal can have, into a plurality of depth signal level regions each having a predetermined size, determine which depth signal level region includes the depth signal for each pixel of the predetermined unit, and count the number of pixels included in each depth signal level region to generate depth signal histogram data which expresses a level distribution of the depth signal in the depth signal level regions, according to the counted number of pixels;

a gain correction value calculator configured to calculate a dispersion value of the depth signal histogram data and calculate a gain correction value according to the dispersion value;

a point generator configured to generate points for generating a depth signal level conversion curve to be used to perform level conversion of the depth signal, according to the gain correction value;

an interpolation data generator configured to generate interpolation data which interpolates between the points in the depth signal level conversion curve; and

a conversion curve generator configured to generate the depth signal level conversion curve using the points and the interpolation data to perform the level conversion of the depth signal using the depth signal level conversion curve.

2. The depth signal generation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a limit processor configured to generate points after limit processing by providing normalization limit processing for the points according to a predetermined limit threshold value; and

an integration processor configured to generate points after integration processing by performing a predetermined leak-type integration processing for the points after limit processing, wherein

the conversion curve generator generates the depth signal level conversion curve using the points after integration processing and interpolation data generated according to the points after integration processing.

3. The depth signal generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

among the plurality of depth signal level regions, a region having a minimum level is denoted by a first level region and a region having a maximum level is denoted by a second level region,

the depth signal histogram generator includes:

a first depth signal histogram generator configured to count the number of pixels included in the first level region to a third level region which has a level higher than that of the first level region and smaller than that of the second level region to generate a first depth signal histogram data which expresses a level distribution of the depth signal in the regions from the first level region to the third level region; and

a second depth signal histogram generator configured to count the number of pixels included in the third level region to the second level region to generate a second depth signal histogram data which expresses a level distribution of the depth signal in the regions from the third level region to the second level region.

4. A pseudo stereo image signal generation apparatus comprising:

the depth signal generation apparatus according to claim 1; and

a stereo pair generation apparatus configured to generate a left eye image signal and a right eye image signal by shifting a texture of the video image signal according to the video image signal and the depth signal which is provided with the level conversion by the depth signal generation apparatus.

5. A depth signal generation method, comprising:

generating a depth signal which expresses a depth for each pixel of a predetermined unit in a video image signal;

dividing a range of a depth signal level which the depth signal can have, into a plurality of depth signal level regions each having a predetermined size, determining which depth signal level region includes the depth signal for each pixel of the predetermined unit, and counting the number of pixels included in each depth signal level region to generate depth signal histogram data which expresses a level distribution of the depth signal in the depth signal level regions, according to the counted number of pixels;

calculating a dispersion value of the depth signal histogram data and calculating a gain correction value according to the dispersion value;

generating points for generating a depth signal level conversion curve to be used to perform level conversion of the depth signal, according to the gain correction value;

generating interpolation data which interpolates between the points in the depth signal level conversion curve; and

generating the depth signal level conversion curve using the points and the interpolation data to perform the level conversion of the depth signal using the depth signal level conversion curve.

6. A pseudo stereo image signal generation method comprising:

the depth signal generation method according to claim 5; and

generating a left eye image signal and a right eye image signal by shifting a texture of the video image signal according to the video image signal and the depth signal which is provided with the level conversion.

7. A computer readable non-transitory recording medium recording a depth signal generation program therein for causing a computer to execute a method comprising:

generating a depth signal which expresses a depth for each pixel of a predetermined unit in a video image signal;

dividing a range of a depth signal level which the depth signal can have, into a plurality of depth signal level regions each having a predetermined size, determining which depth signal level region includes the depth signal for each pixel of the predetermined unit, and counting the number of pixels included in each depth signal level region to generate depth signal histogram data which expresses a level distribution of the depth signal in the depth signal level regions, according to the counted number of pixels;

calculating a dispersion value of the depth signal histogram data and calculating a gain correction value according to the dispersion value;

generating points for generating a depth signal level conversion curve to be used to perform level conversion of the depth signal, according to the gain correction value;

generating interpolation data which interpolates between the points in the depth signal level conversion curve; and

generating the depth signal level conversion curve using the points and the interpolation data to perform the level conversion of the depth signal using the depth signal level conversion curve.

8. A computer readable non-transitory recording medium recording a pseudo stereo image signal generation program therein for causing a computer to execute a method comprising:

the method according to claim 7; and

generating a left eye image signal and a right eye image signal by shifting a texture of the video image signal according to the video image signal and the depth signal which is provided with the level conversion.