THREE-DIMENSIONAL IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20130266213A1
• Filed: 06/03/2013
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: YAMASHITA, Haruo, ONO, Hiromichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,129,439 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/205 Image-based rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10012 Stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/507 from shading G06T7/586 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

A three-dimensional image processing apparatus includes an obtainer that obtains three-dimensional image information including information of a first image and a second image, a shade information obtainer that obtains shade information from the information of the first image and/or the second image, and a disparity adjuster that adjusts a disparity of a subject contained in the first and the second images based on the shade information.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional image processing apparatus comprising:

an obtainer that obtains three-dimensional image information including information of a first image and a second image;

a shade information obtainer that obtains shade information from the information of the first image and/or the second image; and

a disparity adjuster that adjusts a disparity of a subject contained in the first and the second images based on the shade information.

2. The three-dimensional image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the shade information obtainer comprises a low-frequency eliminator that eliminates predetermined low-frequency components from the information of the first image and/or the second image, and

the shade information obtainer obtains the shade information based on the information of the image of which predetermined low-frequency components are eliminated.

3. The three-dimensional image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the shade information obtainer further comprises a large amplitude eliminator that further eliminates components exceeding predetermined amplitude from the information of the image of which predetermined low-frequency components are eliminated, and

the shade information obtainer obtains the shade information based on the information of the image of which components exceeding the predetermined amplitude are eliminated.

4. The three-dimensional image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the shade information obtainer further comprises a high-frequency eliminator that further eliminates predetermined high-frequency components from the information of the image of which components exceeding the predetermined amplitude are eliminated, and

the shade information obtainer obtains the shade information based on the information of the image of which high-frequency components are eliminated.

5. The three-dimensional image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the disparity adjuster further comprises an irregularity estimator that determines information on irregularity of the subject contained in the first image and the second image based on the shade information, and

the disparity adjuster adjusts the disparity based on the information on irregularity.

6. The three-dimensional image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the irregularity estimator determines the information on irregularity based on the shade information and a position of a light source illuminating the subject in the first image and the second image.

7. A three-dimensional image processing apparatus comprising:

an obtainer that obtains three-dimensional image information including a first image and a second image;

a disparity detector that determines distance information from the information of the first image and the second image, the distance information including information indicating a disparity between a pixel of the first image and a pixel of the second image corresponding to the pixel of the first image, for each of pixels of the first image;

a shade information obtainer that obtains shade information from the information of the first image and/or the second image;

an irregularity estimator that determines information on irregularity of a subject contained in the first image and the second image based on the shade information; and

a synthesizer that newly determines distance information based on the distance information determined by the disparity detector and the information on irregularity, the newly determined distance information including information indicating a disparity between a pixel of the first image and a pixel of the second image corresponding to the pixel of the first image, for each pixel of the first image.

8. A three-dimensional image processing method comprising:

obtaining three-dimensional image information including information of a first image and a second image;

obtaining shade information from the information of the first image and/or the second image; and

adjusting a disparity of a subject contained in the first and the second images based on the shade information.

9. A three-dimensional image processing method comprising:

obtaining three-dimensional image information including information of a first image and a second image;

determining distance information from the information of the first image and the second image, the distance information including information indicating a disparity between a pixel of the first image and a pixel of the second image corresponding to the pixel of the first image, for each of pixels of the first image;

obtaining shade information from the information of the first image and/or the second image;

determining information on irregularity of a subject contained in the first image and the second image based on the shade information; and

newly determining distance information based on the distance information previously determined and the information on irregularity, the newly determined distance information including information indicating a disparity between a pixel of the first image and a pixel of the second image corresponding to the pixel of the first image, for each pixel of the first image.