SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING PERCEIVED DEPTH OF AN IMAGE

• US 20170178298A1
• Filed: 12/16/2016
• Published: 06/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Bonnier, Nicolas Pierre Marie Frederic, Wong, Anna, Irrgang, Steven Richard, Pakulski, Peter Jan, Fredembach, Clement
• Granted Patent: US 10,198,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/06 Ray-tracing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20008 Globally adaptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/73 Deblurring; Sharpening
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/194 involving foreground-background segmentation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/144 for flicker reduction

Abstract

A system and computer-implemented method of altering perceptibility of depth in an image. The method comprises receiving a desired change in the perceptibility of depth in the image; receiving a depth-map corresponding to the image; and determining at least one characteristic of the image. The method further comprises applying an image process to the image, the image process varying in strength according to the depth map, and in accordance with a non-linear predetermined mapping relating a strength of the applied image process to a change in the perceptibility of depth, the mapping being determined with respect to the identified characteristic.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of altering perceptibility of depth in an image, the method comprising:

receiving a desired change in the perceptibility of depth in the image;

receiving a depth map corresponding to the image;

determining at least one characteristic of the image; and

applying an image process to the image, the image process varying in strength according to the depth map, and in accordance with a non-linear predetermined mapping relating a strength of the applied image process to a change in the perceptibility of depth, the mapping being determined with respect to the determined at least one characteristic.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one characteristic is determined with respect to a foreground region and a background region of the image.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 wherein application of the image process to the image is a local application limited to one of a foreground and background region of the image.

4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the image process relates to one of clarity, sharpness, colour shift, saturation, brightness, exposure, noise, contrast and vibrance of the image.

5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the percetibility of depth in the image relates to one or more of foreground/background separation, a sense of volume in objects in a scene of the image, and a sense of physicality in object textures of the image.

6. A computer-implemented method of altering perceptibility of depth in an image, the method comprising:

receiving a desired change in the perceptibility of depth in the image;

determining at least one characteristic of the image based on a measured difference of the at least one characteristic in a foreground region of the image and a background region of the image;

selecting an image process for altering the perceptibility of depth in the image, said selected process having a different perceptual impact in the foreground region and the background region of the image as a result of the determined at least one characteristic in the regions; and

applying the image process globally to the image, in accordance with a non-linear predetermined mapping relating a strength of the globally applied image process to a change in perceptibility of depth.

7. A computer-implemented method of altering perceptibility of depth in an image, the method comprising:

receiving a desired change in the perceptibility of depth in the image;

deteremining at least one characteristic of the image; and

applying a combination of at least two image processes to the image, wherein a process strength of the combination is determined in accordance with corresponding non-linear predetermined mappings relating the strengths of the at least two applied image processes and the perceptibility of depth in the image, said mappings being determined with respect to the determined at least one characteristic.

8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 7, wherein the at least two image processes are each associated with a predetermined effectiveness measure, and wherein the strengths of the applied image processes are determined according to the associated effectiveness measure.

9. A computer-implemented method of interacting with an image displayed on a display screen to alter perceptibility of depth in the image, said method comprising:

receiving a selection of a region of the displayed image and an indication associated with a desired change in the perceptibility of depth in the image;

and

applying an image process to the selected region of the image to change the perceived depth of the image, wherein size and position of the image remain constant.

10. The computer-implemented method according to claim 9, wherein the indication is received in the form of at least one of a gesture, a voice command to an object, and a vocal request to an image of a person in the image.

11. The computer-implemented method according to claim 9, wherein the indication is received in the form of ray-casting from a user gesture .

12. The computer-implemented method according to claim 9, wherein the indication is received in the form of a pinch gesture.

13. The computer-implemented method according to claim 9, wherein the region of the image is selected by at least one of user indication and automatic segmentation.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a program stored thereon for altering perceptibility of depth in an image, the program comprising:

code for receiving a desired change in the perceptibility of depth in the image;

code for receiving a depth map corresponding to the image;

code for determining at least one characteristic of the image; and

code for applying an image process to the image, the image process varying in strength according to the depth map, and in accordance with a non-linear predetermined mapping relating a strength of the applied image process to a change in the perceptibility of depth, the mapping being determined with respect to the determined at least one characteristic.

15. Apparatus for altering perceptibility of depth in an image, the apparatus configured to:

receive a desired change in the perceptibility of depth in the image;

determine at least one characteristic of the image based on a measured difference of the at least one characteristic in a foreground region of the image and a background region of the image;

select an image process for altering the perceptibility of depth in the image, said selected process having a different perceptual impact in the foreground region and the background region of the image as a result of the determined at least one characteristic in the regions; and

apply the image process globally to the image, in accordance with a non-linear predetermined mapping relating a strength of the globally applied image process to a change in perceptibility of depth.

16. A system comprising:

a memory for storing data and a computer readable medium; and

a processor coupled to the memory for executing a computer program, the program having instructions for;

receiving a desired change in the perceptibility of depth in the image;

receiving a depth map corresponding to the image;

determining at least one characteristic of the image; and

applying an image process to the image, the image process varying in strength according to the depth map, and in accordance with a non-linear predetermined mapping relating a strength of the applied image process to a change in the perceptibility of depth, the mapping being determined with respect to the determined at least one characteristic.