Image signal coding method, image signal coding apparatus and storage medium

• US 7,016,411 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2002
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nobori, Kunio, Azuma, Takeo, Uomori, Kenya, Morimura, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): PHILIPPE, GIMS S
• Application Number:
  US10/167,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20030012277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 375/240.08, 375/240.12, 375/240.24, 382/103, 382/154, 382/173, 382/162, 382/243, 348/43, 348/399.1, 348/417.1
• US Class Current: 375/240.08
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80

Abstract

Provided are a depth image obtaining section that obtains a depth image from the same viewpoint as in the input image, a layer section that separates the input image into a foreground image and a background image as layered images using depth information of the depth image, a coding section that encodes the foreground image, a background sprite generating section that generates a background sprite image from the background image, and a sprite coding section that encodes the background sprite image. The depth image from the same viewpoint as in the input image is obtained in the depth image obtaining section, the input image is separated into a foreground image and a background image as layered images using the depth information, and based on the separated background image, a background sprite image is generated.

Claims

1. An image signal coding method for generating a sprite image from moving images, the method comprising:

inputting an image to be encoded;

obtaining a depth image from the same viewpoint as the input image;

separating the input image into a foreground image and a background image as layered images using depth information of the depth image;

coding the foreground image;

generating a background sprite image from the background image; and

coding the background sprite image.

2. The image signal coding method according to claim 1, further comprising:

extending a background region of the background sprite image.

3. The image signal coding method according to claim 1, further comprising:

extending the foreground region, and thereby correcting a position of a region boundary between the foreground image and the background image.

4. The image signal coding method according to claim 1, further comprising:

performing local decoding on coded data generated in coding the foreground image;

performing local decoding on coded data generated in coding the background sprite image;

obtaining a residual between the input image and a decoded image resulting from the local decoding on coded data generated in coding the foreground image and the local decoding on coded data generated in coding the background sprite image; and

adding a pixel with a large residual to the foreground and thereby correcting the foreground.

5. The image signal coding method according to claim 4, further comprising:

not adding to the foreground image a region among regions with a residual from the input image more than a first threshold.

6. The image signal coding method according to claim 1 wherein, in coding the foreground image, VOP coding is performed on the foreground image.

10. The image signal coding method according to claim 5, wherein the region that is not added has an area less than a second threshold.

7. An image signal coding apparatus that generates a sprite image from moving images, the apparatus comprising:

an image inputter that inputs an image to be encoded;

a depth image obtainer that obtains a depth image from the same viewpoint as the input image;

an image separator that separates the input image into a foreground image and a background image as layered images using depth information of the depth image;

a foreground coder that encodes the foreground image;

a background sprite generator that generates a background sprite image from the background image; and

a sprite coder that encodes the background sprite image.

8. A computer readable storage medium storing an image signal coding program, the program comprising:

an input procedure of inputting an image to be encoded;

a depth image obtaining procedure of obtaining a depth image from the same viewpoint as the input image;

a layer procedure of separating the input image into a foreground image and a background image as layered images using depth information of the depth image;

a coding procedure of coding the foreground image;

a background sprite generating procedure of generating a background sprite image from the background image; and

a sprite coding procedure of coding the background sprite image.

9. A program for use in making a computer execute:

an input procedure of inputting an image to be encoded;

a depth image obtaining procedure of obtaining a depth image from the same viewpoint as in the input image;

a layer procedure of separating the input image into a foreground image and a background image as layered images using depth information of the depth image;

a coding procedure of coding the foreground image;

a background sprite generating procedure of generating a background sprite image from the background image; and

a sprite coding procedure of coding the background sprite image.