Depth estimation data generating device, computer readable recording medium having depth estimation data generating program recorded thereon, and pseudo-stereo image display device

• US 8,976,175 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2012
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Original Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Inventors: Kida, Shingo
• Primary Examiner(s): Faulk, Devona
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ge, Jin
• Application Number:
  US13/356,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20120188244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326, 345/426, 345/419
• US Class Current: 345/426
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/261 with monoscopic-to-stereoscopic image conversion

Abstract

A depth estimation data generating device includes a difference data generator and negative and positive shift amount generators. The difference data generator calculates the difference between a non-stereo image and the average value data of the average brightness of the non-stereo image to generate the difference data. The negative shift amount generator generates a negative shift amount, wherein the difference data generated using the minimum value data of the minimum brightness of the non-stereo image has a minimum value of shift amount and the shift amount approaches zero from the minimum value as the difference data approaches zero. The positive shift amount generator generates a positive shift amount, wherein the difference data generated using the maximum value data of the maximum brightness of the non-stereo image has a maximum value of shift amount and the shift amount approaches zero from the maximum value as the difference data approaches zero.

Claims

1. A depth estimation data generating device comprising:

an average value detector which detects an average brightness of brightness signal components of an image to generate average value data;

a minimum value detector which detects a minimum brightness of the brightness signal components of the image to generate minimum value data;

a maximum value detector which detects a maximum brightness of the brightness signal components of the image to generate maximum value data;

a difference data generator which calculates a difference between the brightness signal components of the image and the average value data to generate difference data;

a negative shift amount generator which generates a negative shift amount in a manner such that the difference data, which has a value smaller than zero, is subject to a normalization process according to a first equation in which the average value data is transformed into zero and the minimum value data is transformed into a lower limit threshold of the negative shift amount acting in a withdrawing direction;

a positive shift amount generator which generates a positive shift amount in a manner such that the difference data, which has a value larger than zero, is subject to a normalization process according to a second equation in which the average value data is transformed into zero and the maximum value data is transformed into an upper limit threshold of the positive shift amount acting in a projecting direction; and

a depth estimation data output unit which outputs the negative shift amount and the positive shift amount as depth estimation data for generating a pseudo-stereo image from the image.

2. A nontransitory physical computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a depth estimation data generating program causing a computer to execute:

an average value detecting step of detecting an average brightness of brightness signal components of an image to generate average value data;

a minimum value detecting step of detecting a minimum brightness of the brightness signal components of the image to generate minimum value data;

a maximum value detecting step of detecting a maximum brightness of the brightness signal components of the image to generate maximum value data;

a difference data generating step of calculating a difference between the brightness signal components of the image and the average value data to generate difference data;

a negative shift amount generating step of generating a negative shift amount in a manner such that the difference data, which has a value smaller than zero, is subject to a normalization process according to a first equation in which the average value data is transformed into zero and the minimum value data is transformed into a lower limit threshold of the negative shift amount acting in a withdrawing direction;

a positive shift amount generating step of generating a positive shift amount in a manner such that the difference data, which has a value larger than zero, is subject to a normalization process according to a second equation in which the average value data is transformed into zero and the maximum value data is transformed into an upper limit threshold of the positive shift amount acting in a projecting direction; and

a depth estimation data output step of outputting the negative shift amount and the positive shift amount as depth estimation data for generating a pseudo-stereo image from the image.

3. A pseudo-stereo image display device for generating and displaying a pseudo-stereo image from a non-stereo image which is not provided with depth information explicitly or even implicitly, as with a stereo image, the display device comprising:

a depth estimation data generating device which generates the depth estimation data;

the depth estimation data generating device including;

an average value detector which detects an average brightness of brightness signal components of an image to generate average value data;

a minimum value detector which detects a minimum brightness of the brightness signal components of the image to generate minimum value data;

a maximum value detector which detects a maximum brightness of the brightness signal components of the image to generate maximum value data;

a difference data generator which calculates a difference between the brightness signal components of the image and the average value data to generate difference data;

a negative shift amount generator which generates a negative shift amount in a manner such that the difference data, which has a value smaller than zero, is subject to a normalization process according to a first equation in which the average value data is transformed into zero and the minimum value data is transformed into a lower limit threshold of the negative shift amount acting in a withdrawing direction;

a positive shift amount generator which generates a positive shift amount in a manner such that the difference data, which has a value larger than zero, is subject to a normalization process according to a second equation in which the average value data is transformed into zero and the maximum value data is transformed into an upper limit threshold of the positive shift amount acting in a projecting direction; and

a depth estimation data output unit which outputs the negative shift amount and the positive shift amount as depth estimation data for generating a pseudo-stereo image from the image;

a stereo pair generating device which generates a different-viewpoint image for displaying a pseudo-stereo image by shifting the texture of the non-stereo image by an amount in accordance with the depth of the corresponding part using the depth estimation data and the non-stereo image; and

a stereo display device which displays the pseudo-stereo image using the different-viewpoint image and the non-stereo image.