Three dimensional image data processing
First Claim
1. A method of providing three dimensional image data for use in rendering image elements of at least one view of the three dimensional image data, the method comprising:
- providing a 2D first image, as a background imageproviding a mixed image by overlaying a second image, as a foreground image, on the first image, said overlaying incorporating transparency data for the second image, wherein the mixed image includes background image objects and foreground image objects;
providing a transparency map related to the mixed image, the transparency map comprising transparency values for pixels of the mixed image;
providing a first depth indication map for the mixed image, the first depth indication map comprising depth indication values for pixels of the mixed image;
modifying values of a first set of values in an image region of the mixed image determined between a transition point in the transparency map and a transition point in the first depth indication map based on a second set of values, wherein the first set of values comprising a set of values corresponding to one of;
the transparency values and the depth indication values, and the second set of values comprising a set of values corresponding to one of;
the depth indication values and the transparency values, wherein the modified values of the first set of values represent modification of the first set of values dependent on the second set of values; and
generating the three dimensional image data, said three-dimensional image data comprising the first image, the mixed image, the transparency map and the first depth indication map.
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Abstract
Three dimensional image data is provided which includes data representing a first image which specifically may be a background image. A mixed image which is a combination of the first image and a second image which specifically may be a foreground image, a transparency map related to the mixed image comprising transparency values for pixels of the mixed image and a depth indication map for the mixed image comprising depth indication values for pixels of the mixed image. The use of a mixed image may allow three dimensional processing while at the same time allowing 2D backwards compatibility. Image quality around image objects may be improved by modifying transparency values in response to depth indication values and/or depth indication values in response to transparency values. Specifically, an improved alignment of transitions of depth indication values and transparency values may provide improved three dimensional foreground image object edge data.
15 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of providing three dimensional image data for use in rendering image elements of at least one view of the three dimensional image data, the method comprising:
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providing a 2D first image, as a background image providing a mixed image by overlaying a second image, as a foreground image, on the first image, said overlaying incorporating transparency data for the second image, wherein the mixed image includes background image objects and foreground image objects; providing a transparency map related to the mixed image, the transparency map comprising transparency values for pixels of the mixed image; providing a first depth indication map for the mixed image, the first depth indication map comprising depth indication values for pixels of the mixed image; modifying values of a first set of values in an image region of the mixed image determined between a transition point in the transparency map and a transition point in the first depth indication map based on a second set of values, wherein the first set of values comprising a set of values corresponding to one of;
the transparency values and the depth indication values, and the second set of values comprising a set of values corresponding to one of;
the depth indication values and the transparency values, wherein the modified values of the first set of values represent modification of the first set of values dependent on the second set of values; andgenerating the three dimensional image data, said three-dimensional image data comprising the first image, the mixed image, the transparency map and the first depth indication map. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of generating an image signal, the method comprising:
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providing a 2D first image, as a background image; providing a mixed image by overlaying a second image, as a foreground image, on the first image, the overlaying incorporating transparency value for the second image, wherein the mixed image includes background image objects and foreground image objects; providing a transparency map related to the mixed image, the transparency map comprising transparency values for pixels of the mixed image; providing a first depth indication map for the mixed image, the first depth indication map comprising depth indication values for pixels of the mixed image; modifying values of a first set of values in response to values of a second set of values in an image region of the mixed image determined based on a transition of one of the first set of values and the second set of values, wherein the first set of values corresponding to one of;
said transparency values and said depth indication values and the second set of values corresponding to one of;
said transparency values and said depth indication values, wherein the first set of values are modified from a transition point of the first set of values to a transition point of the second set of values; andgenerating the image signal representing the first image, the mixed image, the transparency map and the first depth indication map. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. A method of rendering an image, the method comprising:
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providing a first image; overlaying a second image onto a section the first image to render a mixed image as a combination of the first image and a second image, the second image being a foreground image relative to the first image and the combination incorporating a transparency value for the second image, wherein the mixed image includes first image objects and second image objects; providing a transparency map related to the mixed image, the transparency map comprising transparency values for pixels of the mixed image; providing a first depth indication map for the mixed image, the first depth indication map comprising depth indication values for pixels of the mixed image; setting values of a first set of values within in an image region of the mixed image representative of a transition point of the first set of values to a transition point of a second set of values, the first set of values corresponding to one of;
said transparency values and said depth indication values and the second set of values corresponding to the other of;
said transparency values and said depth indication values; andrendering the image, wherein the image comprises the first image, the mixed image, the transparency map and the first depth indication map.
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28. An image signal encoder comprising:
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a data processor, accessing software, which configures the data processor to; receive a first image; render a mixed image by overlaying a second image onto the first image, the second image being a foreground image relative to the first image and the overlaying incorporating a transparency value for the second image, wherein the mixed image includes image objects that occur in the first image and in the second image; generate a transparency map related to the mixed image, the transparency map comprising transparency values for pixels of the mixed image; generate a first depth indication map for the mixed image, the first depth indication map comprising depth indication values for pixels of the mixed image; modify values of a first set of values in response to values of a second set of values in an image region of the mixed image determined between a transition of the first set of values and a transition of the second set of values, wherein the first set of values corresponding to one of;
said transparency values of the transparency map and said depth indication values of the first depth indication map and the second set of values corresponding to the other of said transparency values of the transparency map and said depth indication values of the first depth indication map; andgenerate a signal comprising the first image, the mixed image, the transparency map and the first depth indication map; and encode said image to generate an image signal.
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29. An image rendering unit comprising:
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hardware configure to; receive, as a background image, a first image; render a mixed image as a combination of the first image and a second image by overlying the second image onto a section of the first image, the second image being a foreground image relative to the first image and the combination incorporating a transparency value for the second image, wherein the mixed image includes background image objects and foreground image objects; provide a transparency map related to the mixed image, the transparency map comprising transparency values for pixels of the mixed image; provide a first depth indication map for the mixed image, the first depth indication map comprising depth indication values for pixels of the mixed image; determine a transition point in each of the transparency map and the first depth indication map; modify values of a first set of values in an image region represented between the transition point in the transparency map and the first depth indication map, the first set of values comprising one of;
said transparency values and said depth indication values of the first depth indication map, and said second set of values comprising of the other of;
said transparency values and said depth indication values of the first depth indication map; andgenerate a composite image, said composite image comprising the first image, the mixed image, the transparency map and the first depth indication map; and render the composite image.
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30. An apparatus for generating an image signal, said apparatus comprising:
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a hardware platform configured to execute software, the software configuring the hardware to; process data representing a first image, said first image representing a background image; process data representing a mixed image by overlaying a second image onto the first image, the second image being a foreground image relative to the first image and the overlaying incorporating a transparency value for the second image, wherein the mixed image includes background image objects and foreground image objects; process data representing a transparency map related to the mixed image, the transparency map comprising transparency values for pixels of the mixed image; process data representing a first depth indication map for the mixed image, the first depth indication map comprising depth indication values for pixels of the mixed image; modify values of a first set of values in response to values of a second set of values in an image region of the mixed image, wherein the image region representing an edge region between the first image and the second image and is presented between a transition point in the transparent map and a transition point in the depth indication map, the first set of values corresponding to one of;
transparency values of the transparency map and depth indication values of the first depth indication map and the second set of values corresponding to one of;
said transparency values of the transparency map and said depth indication values of the first depth indication map; andgenerate the image signal, said image signal comprising the first image, the mixed image, the transparency map and the first depth indication map.
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Specification