Systems and methods for generating depth maps and corresponding confidence maps indicating depth estimation reliability
First Claim
1. A method of estimating distances to objects within a scene based upon a set of images captured from different viewpoints using a processor configured by an image processing application, the method comprising:
- selecting the viewpoint of an image from the set of images captured from different viewpoints as a reference viewpoint;
normalizing the set of images to increase the similarity of corresponding pixels within the set of images;
determining depth estimates for pixel locations in an image from the reference viewpoint using at least a subset of the set of images, wherein generating a depth estimate for a given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint comprises;
identifying pixels in the at least a subset of the set of images that correspond to the given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint based upon expected disparity at a plurality of depths;
comparing the similarity of the corresponding pixels identified at each of the plurality of depths; and
selecting the depth from the plurality of depths at which the identified corresponding pixels have the highest degree of similarity as a depth estimate for the given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint; and
generating confidence metrics for the depth estimates for pixel locations in the image from the reference viewpoint, where a confidence metric for a given depth estimate for a given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint encodes at least one confidence factor indicating the reliability of the given depth estimate including a confidence factor determined using a measure of the signal to noise ratio (SNR) in a region surrounding the given pixel of the image from the set of images captured from the reference viewpoint.
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Abstract
Systems in accordance with embodiments of the invention can perform parallax detection and correction in images captured using array cameras. Due to the different viewpoints of the cameras, parallax results in variations in the position of objects within the captured images of the scene. Methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention provide an accurate account of the pixel disparity due to parallax between the different cameras in the array, so that appropriate scene-dependent geometric shifts can be applied to the pixels of the captured images when performing super-resolution processing. In a number of embodiments, generating depth estimates considers the similarity of pixels in multiple spectral channels. In certain embodiments, generating depth estimates involves generating a confidence map indicating the reliability of depth estimates.
612 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method of estimating distances to objects within a scene based upon a set of images captured from different viewpoints using a processor configured by an image processing application, the method comprising:
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selecting the viewpoint of an image from the set of images captured from different viewpoints as a reference viewpoint; normalizing the set of images to increase the similarity of corresponding pixels within the set of images; determining depth estimates for pixel locations in an image from the reference viewpoint using at least a subset of the set of images, wherein generating a depth estimate for a given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint comprises; identifying pixels in the at least a subset of the set of images that correspond to the given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint based upon expected disparity at a plurality of depths; comparing the similarity of the corresponding pixels identified at each of the plurality of depths; and selecting the depth from the plurality of depths at which the identified corresponding pixels have the highest degree of similarity as a depth estimate for the given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint; and generating confidence metrics for the depth estimates for pixel locations in the image from the reference viewpoint, where a confidence metric for a given depth estimate for a given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint encodes at least one confidence factor indicating the reliability of the given depth estimate including a confidence factor determined using a measure of the signal to noise ratio (SNR) in a region surrounding the given pixel of the image from the set of images captured from the reference viewpoint. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of synthesizing a higher resolution image from a set of lower resolution images captured from different viewpoints, the method comprising:
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estimating distances to objects within a scene from a set of images captured from different viewpoints using a processor directed by an image processing application to; select the viewpoint of an image from the set of images captured from different viewpoints as a reference viewpoint; normalize the set of images to increase the similarity of corresponding pixels within the set of images; determine depth estimates for pixel locations in an image from the reference viewpoint using at least a subset of the set of images, wherein generating a depth estimate for a given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint comprises; identifying pixels in the at least a subset of the set of images that correspond to the given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint based upon expected disparity at a plurality of depths; comparing the similarity of the corresponding pixels identified at each of the plurality of depths; and selecting the depth from the plurality of depths at which the identified corresponding pixels have the highest degree of similarity as a depth estimate for the given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint; and generating confidence metrics for the depth estimates for pixel locations in the image from the reference viewpoint using a processor directed by an image processing application, where a confidence metric for a given depth estimate for a pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint encodes at least one confidence factor indicating the reliability of the given depth estimate; determining the visibility of the pixels in the set of images from the reference viewpoint using a processor directed by an image processing application; and fusing pixels from the set of images using the processor directed by the image processing application based upon the depth estimates that are indicated as being reliable by the confidence metrics to create a fused image having a resolution that is greater than the resolutions of the images in the set of images by; identifying the pixels from the set of images that are visible in an image from the reference viewpoint and that have reliable depth estimates using the visibility information and the confidence metrics; and applying scene dependent geometric shifts to the pixels from the set of images that are visible in an image from the reference viewpoint and that have reliable depth estimates to shift the pixels into the reference viewpoint, where the scene dependent geometric shifts are determined using the depth estimates; and fusing the shifted pixels from the set of images to create a fused image from the reference viewpoint having a resolution that is greater than the resolutions of the images in the set of images. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An image processing system, comprising:
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a processor; memory containing a set of images captured from different viewpoints and an image processing application; wherein the image processing application directs the processor to; select a viewpoint of an image from the set of images captured from different viewpoints as a reference viewpoint; normalize the set of images to increase the similarity of corresponding pixels within the set of images; determine depth estimates for pixel locations in an image from the reference viewpoint using at least a subset of the set of images, wherein generating a depth estimate for a given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint comprises; identify pixels in the at least a subset of the set of images that correspond to the given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint based upon expected disparity at a plurality of depths; compare the similarity of the corresponding pixels identified at each of the plurality of depths; and select the depth from the plurality of depths at which the identified corresponding pixels have the highest degree of similarity as a depth estimate for the given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint; and generate confidence metrics for the depth estimates for pixel locations in the image from the reference viewpoint, where a confidence metric for a given depth estimate for a given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint encodes at least one confidence factor indicating the reliability of the given depth estimate including a confidence factor determined using a measure of the signal to noise ratio (SNR) in a region surrounding the given pixel from the reference viewpoint.
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Specification