System and method of processing stereo images
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A computer implemented method for processing stereo images comprising the steps of:
- (a) preprocessing, using a stereo image pre-processor module, left and right stereo images;
(b) constructing, using a pyramid generator module, left image pyramids of the left stereo image at a plurality of levels;
(c) constructing, using the pyramid generator module, right image pyramids of the right stereo image at the plurality of levels;
(d) generating, using an adaptive disparity estimation module, estimated left and right disparity maps at the coarsest level of the plurality of the levels of the left and the right image pyramids, said estimated left and right disparity maps having estimated disparity values at each pixel;
(e) determining, using an iterative local disparity optimization module, disparity values of all neighboring pixels of each said pixel in the estimated left and right disparity maps at the coarsest level;
(f) computing, using the iterative local disparity optimization module, a first iteration of TotalCost values for each of the estimated disparity value at each said pixel and the first iteration of the TotalCost values for the disparity values of said neighboring pixels in the estimated left and right disparity maps at the coarsest level;
wherein a second iteration of TotalCost values is computed using result of the first iteration of the Total Cost values;
(g) selecting, using the iterative local disparity optimization module, the disparity at each said pixel having a minimum value of the first and the second iterations of the TotalCost values to generate optimized left and right disparity maps at the coarsest level.
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Abstract
The present invention is a system and a method for processing stereo images utilizing a real time, robust, and accurate stereo matching system and method based on a coarse-to-fine architecture. At each image pyramid level, non-centered windows for matching and adaptive upsampling of coarse-level disparities are performed to generate estimated disparity maps using the ACTF approach. In order to minimize propagation of disparity errors from coarser to finer levels, the present invention performs an iterative optimization, at each level, that minimizes a cost function to generate smooth disparity maps with crisp occlusion boundaries.
18 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method for processing stereo images comprising the steps of:
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(a) preprocessing, using a stereo image pre-processor module, left and right stereo images; (b) constructing, using a pyramid generator module, left image pyramids of the left stereo image at a plurality of levels; (c) constructing, using the pyramid generator module, right image pyramids of the right stereo image at the plurality of levels; (d) generating, using an adaptive disparity estimation module, estimated left and right disparity maps at the coarsest level of the plurality of the levels of the left and the right image pyramids, said estimated left and right disparity maps having estimated disparity values at each pixel; (e) determining, using an iterative local disparity optimization module, disparity values of all neighboring pixels of each said pixel in the estimated left and right disparity maps at the coarsest level; (f) computing, using the iterative local disparity optimization module, a first iteration of TotalCost values for each of the estimated disparity value at each said pixel and the first iteration of the TotalCost values for the disparity values of said neighboring pixels in the estimated left and right disparity maps at the coarsest level;
wherein a second iteration of TotalCost values is computed using result of the first iteration of the Total Cost values;(g) selecting, using the iterative local disparity optimization module, the disparity at each said pixel having a minimum value of the first and the second iterations of the TotalCost values to generate optimized left and right disparity maps at the coarsest level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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- 10. The method of claim S further comprising repeating step (d) using the enhanced left and the right disparity maps at the coarsest level to generate estimated left and right disparity maps at another level of said plurality of levels.
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15. A system for processing stereo images comprising:
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a stereo image preprocessor module for capturing, digitizing and preprocessing stereo imagery of left and right stereo images; a pyramid generator module for constructing left and right pyramids for the left and right stereo images at a plurality of levels; an adaptive disparity estimation module for generating estimated left and right disparity maps of the left and the light image pyramids at the coarsest level of the plurality of the levels, said estimated left and right disparity maps having estimated disparity values at each pixel; and an iterative local disparity optimization module for determining disparity values of all neighboring pixels of each said pixel in the estimated left and right disparity maps at the coarsest level, said iterative local disparity optimization module for computing a first iteration of TotalCost values for each of the estimated disparity value at each said pixel and a first iteration of the TotalCost values for the disparity values of said neighboring pixels in the estimated left and right disparity maps at the coarsest level, said iterative local disparity optimization module for computing a second iteration of TotalCost values using results from the first iteration of the TotalCost values;
said iterative local disparity optimization module for selecting the disparity value at each said pixel having a minimum value of the first and the second iteration of the TotalCost values to generate optimized left and right disparity maps at the coarsest level. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification