Line depth augmentation system and method for conversion of 2D images to 3D images

• US 9,007,365 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Legend3D, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Legend3D, Inc.
• Inventors: Sandrew, Barry, Sandrew, Jared, Hunt, Jill, Baldridge, Tony, Prola, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K
• Application Number:
  US13/686,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20140146037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/420, 345/421, 382/186, 382/187, 348/370
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/261 with monoscopic-to-stereoscopic image conversion

Abstract

A line depth augmentation system and method for conversion of 2D images to 3D images. Enables adding depth to regions by altering depth of lines in the regions, for example in cell animation images or regions of limited color range. Eliminates creation of wireframe or other depth models and complex modeling of regions to match the depth of lines therein. Enables rapid conversion of two-dimensional images to three-dimensional images by enabling stereographers to quickly add/alter line depth without artifacts in images for example lines in monochrome regions. Embodiments may output a stereoscopic image pair of images with lines having desired depth, or any other three-dimensional viewing enabled image, such as an anaglyph image. Although the lines may be of a different depth than the region they appear in, the human mind interprets the monochromatic region as having depth associated with the line.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional annotation method performed by a computer system for conversion of two-dimensional images to three-dimensional images comprising:

obtaining a two-dimensional source image;

displaying said two-dimensional source image on a screen associated with a first computer;

accepting a mask having an area associated with a line in a monochrome region in said two-dimensional source image;

accepting a depth associated with said line within said monochrome region in said two-dimensional source image via an input device coupled with said first computer;

applying said depth to said line of said area of said mask in said two-dimensional image to create a three-dimensional image without altering a depth of a remainder of the monochrome region where said line of said area of said mask does not occur.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said input device comprises a graphics tablet, mouse, keyboard or microphone or any combination thereof and wherein said accepting said mask or accepting said depth or both, comprises accepting input from said graphics tablet, or said mouse, or said keyboard, or said microphone or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said accepting said mask further comprises:

accepting an input location within said two-dimensional source image;

obtaining a color of a pixel at said input location;

increasing said area of said mask to include all contiguous pixels that are within a predetermined range of said color of said pixel.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprises setting said predetermined range of said color to a predetermined percentage of a volume of a color space.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprises setting said predetermined range of said color to a predetermined threshold of luminance associated with said color.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprises setting said predetermined range of said color to zero so that contiguous pixels have said color to be included in said area of said mask.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein said increasing said area of said mask further comprises:

increasing said area of said mask by a predetermined number of pixels.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein obtaining said depth comprises analyzing motion data obtained from said graphics tablet or mouse, or parsing alphanumeric data from said keyboard to determine said depth.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining said depth comprises analyzing annotations associated with said mask.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining said depth comprises asserting voice recognition software.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said applying said depth to said area of said mask in said two-dimensional image to create a three-dimensional image comprises generating a pair of images comprising an image for viewing with a left and right eye respectively.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said applying said depth to said area of said mask in said two-dimensional image to create a three-dimensional image comprises generating an anaglyph image.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said applying said depth to said area of said mask in said two-dimensional image to create a three-dimensional image comprises generating an polarized image.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said applying said depth to said area of said mask in said two-dimensional image to create a three-dimensional image comprises generating single image capable of displaying differing depths.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displacing at least said area of said mask in said two-dimensional source image left and right based on said depth to create said three-dimensional image.

16. A three-dimensional annotation method performed by a computer system for conversion of two-dimensional images to three-dimensional images comprising:

obtaining a two-dimensional source image;

displaying said two-dimensional source image on a screen associated with a first computer;

accepting a mask having an area associated with a line in a monochrome region in said two-dimensional source image via an input device coupled with said first computer wherein said input device comprises any combination of graphics tablet, mouse, keyboard or microphone;

accepting a depth associated with said line within said monochrome region in said two-dimensional source image via an input device coupled with said first computer wherein said accepting said depth comprises accepting input from said graphics tablet, or said mouse, or said keyboard, or said microphone or analyzing annotations associated with said mask or any combination thereof;

applying said depth to said line of said area of said mask in said two-dimensional image to create a three-dimensional image without altering a depth of a remainder of the monochrome region where said line or said area of said mask does not occur.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said accepting said mask further comprises:

accepting an input location within said two-dimensional source image;

obtaining a color of a pixel at said input location;

increasing said area of said mask to include all contiguous pixels that are within a predetermined range of said color of said pixel.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprises setting said predetermined range of said color to a predetermined percentage of a volume of a color space or a predetermined threshold of luminance associated with said color.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said increasing said area of said mask further comprises:

increasing said area of said mask by a predetermined number of pixels.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

displacing at least said area of said mask in said two-dimensional source image left and right based on said depth to create said three-dimensional image.