Image processing device and method

• US 8,750,631 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2009
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Yoshitomo, Kitamura, Takuya, Yagasaki, Yoichi, Suzuki, Teruhiko, Yonemitsu, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): COUSO, JOSE L
• Application Number:
  US13/131,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20110242105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,644 Days
• US Class Current: 382/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/33 in the spatial domain
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/46 Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/597 specially adapted for multi-view video sequence encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/96 Tree coding, e.g. quad-tree coding

Abstract

The present invention relates to an image processing device and method whereby an image and so forth that a contents producer intends can be displayed in a case where a stereoscopic image content is displayed as a 2D image.

A generating unit 13 generates multiplexed data including viewpoint image data for the left eye, and viewpoint image data for the right eye that are two viewpoints of image data, and a view switching flag for specifying image data used for display of a 2D image, of the viewpoint image data for the left eye and the viewpoint image data for the right eye thereof. With decoding of multiplexed data, a view switching flag is extracted from the multiplexed data, and image data used for display of a 2D image is selected from viewpoint image data for the left eye and viewpoint image data for the right eye following the view switching flag thereof. The present invention may be applied to an encoding device or the like for encoding a stereoscopic vision image made up of a multiple-viewpoint image, for example.

Claims

1. An image processing device comprising:

circuitry configured to;

set a flag to specify an image data from N viewpoints of image data, the image data used to display a 2D image;

transform, when the flag specifies the image data to display the 2D image, the N viewpoints of image data into one piece of basic image data and N−

1 pieces of additional image data by switching one viewpoint of the image data of the N viewpoints of image data with another viewpoint of the N viewpoints of image data; and

transmit the one piece of basic image data the N−

1 pieces of additional image data and the flag, wherein

N is more than one, and

the one piece of basic image data is image data used to display the 2D image.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to encode the N viewpoints of image data to generate a bit stream.

3. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein

each viewpoint of the N viewpoints of image data includes one or more consecutive pictures, and

the circuitry is further configured to set the flag for each of the one or more consecutive pictures.

4. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the N viewpoints of image data include viewpoint image data for a left eye of an observer and viewpoint image data for a right eye of the observer.

5. The image processing device according to claim 2, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

attach the bit stream to the flag; and

transmit the connected bit stream and flag.

20. The image processing device according to claim 4, wherein the one piece of basic image data is a viewpoint image data for one of the left eye and the right eye of the observer.

6. An image processing method comprising:

setting, by circuitry, a flag to specify an image data from N viewpoints of image data, the image data used to display a 2D image;

transforming, by the circuitry, when the flag specifies the image data to display the 2D image, the N viewpoints of image data into one piece of basic image data and N−

1 pieces of additional image data by switching one viewpoint of the image data of the N viewpoints of image data with another viewpoint of the N viewpoints of image data; and

transmitting, by the circuitry, the one piece of basic image data, N−

1 pieces of additional image data and the flag, wherein

N is more than one, and

the one piece of basic image data is image data used to display the 2D image.

7. An image processing device comprising:

circuitry configured to;

receive a flag, one piece of basic image data and N−

1 pieces of additional image data, the flag specifying an image data from N viewpoints of image data used to display a 2D image, the one piece of basic image data being image data used to display the 2D image, and the one piece of basic image data and the N−

1 pieces of additional image data obtained by switching one viewpoint of the image data of the N viewpoints of image data with another viewpoint of the image data of the N viewpoints of image data; and

restore the one piece of basic image data and the N−

1 pieces of additional image data to N viewpoints of image data after reception of the flag, wherein

N is more than one.

8. The image processing device according to claim 7, wherein the circuitry is further configured to transform the N viewpoints of image data into stereoscopic vision image data for stereoscopic vision.

9. An image processing method comprising:

receiving a flag, one piece of basic image data and N−

1 pieces of additional image data, the flag specifying an image data from N viewpoints of image data used to display a 2D image, the one piece of basic image data being image data used to display the 2D image, and the one piece of basic image data and the N−

1 pieces of additional image data obtained by switching one viewpoint of the image data of the N viewpoints of image data with another viewpoint of the image data of the N viewpoints of image data; and

restoring the one piece of basic image data and the N−

1 pieces of additional image data to N viewpoints of image data after reception of the flag, wherein

N is more than one.

10. An image processing device comprising:

circuitry configured to;

set a flag including a preset value to specify an image data from N viewpoints of image data, the image data used to display a 2D image; and

transmit a bit stream and the flag, the bit stream obtained by encoding the N viewpoints of image data, wherein

N is more than one.

11. The image processing device according to claim 10, wherein the circuitry is configured to:

attach the bit stream and the flag; and

transmit the connected bit stream and flag.

12. The image processing device according to claim 10, wherein

each viewpoint of the N viewpoints of image data includes one or more consecutive pictures, and

the circuitry is configured to set the flag for each of the one or more consecutive pictures.

13. The image processing device according to claim 10, wherein the N viewpoints of image data include viewpoint image data for a left eye of an observer and viewpoint image data for a right eye of the observer.

14. The image processing device according to claim 10, wherein the circuitry is further configured to encode the N viewpoints of image data to generate the bit stream.

15. An image processing method comprising:

setting, by circuitry, a flag including a preset value to specify an image data from N viewpoints of image data, the image data used to display a 2D image; and

transmitting, by the circuitry, a bit stream and a flag, the bit stream obtained by encoding the N viewpoints of image data, wherein

N is more than one.

18. The image processing device according to claim 15, wherein the circuitry is further configured to decode the selected image data.

16. An image processing device comprising:

circuitry configured to;

receive a bit stream and a flag, the bit stream obtained by encoding N viewpoints of image data and the flag including a preset value to specify an image data used to display a 2D image from the N viewpoints of image data; and

select the image data used to display the 2D image from the N viewpoints of image data included in the bit stream after reception of the flag, wherein

N is more than one.

17. The image processing device according to claim 16, wherein the bit stream and the flag are connected.

19. An image processing method comprising:

receiving, by circuitry, a bit stream and a flag, the bit stream obtained by encoding N viewpoints of image data and the flag including a preset value to specify an image data used to display a 2D image from the N viewpoints of image data; and

selecting, by the circuitry, the image data used to display the 2D image from the N viewpoints of image data included in the bit stream after reception of the flag, wherein

N is more than one.