METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIA FOR GENERATING STEREOSCOPIC CONTENT VIA DEPTH MAP CREATION

• US 20110025830A1
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 3DMedia Corporation
• Original Assignee: 3DMedia Corporation
• Inventors: Mauney, Patrick, Markas, Tassos, McNamer, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/842,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20110025830A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/50
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/56 Accessories carrying-cases A45C11/38
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/06 with axial movement of lens or gate between exposures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/207 using a single 2D image sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/211 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for generating stereoscopic content via depth map creation are disclosed herein. According to one aspect, a method includes receiving a plurality of images of a scene captured at different focal planes. The method can also include identifying a plurality of portions of the scene in each captured image. Further, the method can include determining an in-focus depth of each portion based on the captured images for generating a depth map for the scene. Further, the method can include generating the other image of the stereoscopic image pair based on the captured image where the intended subject is found to be in focus and the depth map.

Claims

1. A method for generating a stereoscopic image pair of a scene using a depth map, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of images of a scene captured at different focal planes;

identifying a plurality of portions of the scene in each captured image;

determining an in-focus depth of each portion based on the captured images for generating a depth map for the scene;

identifying the captured image where the intended subject is found to be in focus as being one of the images of a stereoscopic image pair; and

generating the other image of the stereoscopic image pair based on the identified captured image and the depth map.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

scanning a plurality of focal planes ranging from zero to infinity; and

capturing a plurality of images, each at a different focal plane.

3. The method of claim 2 comprising using an image capture device for capturing the plurality of images.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the image capture device comprises at least one of a digital still camera, a video camera, a mobile phone, and a smart phone.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

for each captured image;

filtering the portions of the scene for generating a filtered image;

applying thresholded edge detection to the filtered image; and

determining whether each filtered portion is in focus based on the applied threshold edge detection.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

identifying any in-focus objects in each captured image; and

generating a depth map value for each object.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein an object that is determined to be in focus for a sequence of images that is a subset of the full set of captured images is a target subject, and

wherein identifying one of the subset of images having a predetermined contrast comprises determining which of the subset of images has the highest local contrast based on the target subject.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the other image of the stereoscopic image pair comprises generating the other image of the stereoscopic pair based on translation and perspective projection.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a three-dimensional image of the scene using the stereoscopic image pairs.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein generating a three-dimensional image comprises one or more of registration, rectification, color correction, matching edges of the pair of images, transformation, depth adjustment, motion detection, and removal of moving objects.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the three-dimensional image on a suitable three-dimensional image display.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein displaying the three-dimensional image comprises displaying the three-dimensional image on one of a digital still camera, a computer, a video camera, a digital picture frame, a set-top box, and a high-definition television.

13. A system for generating a three-dimensional image of a scene, the system comprising:

at least one computer processor and memory configured to;

receive a plurality of images of a scene captured at different focal planes;

identify a plurality of portions of the scene in each captured image;

determine an in-focus depth of each portion based on the captured images for generating a depth map for the scene;

identify the captured image where the intended subject is found to be in focus as being one of the images of a stereoscopic image pair; and

generate the other image of the stereoscopic image pair based on the identified captured image and the depth map.

14. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for performing the following steps:

receiving a plurality of images of a scene captured at different focal planes;

identifying a plurality of portions of the scene in each captured image;

determining an in-focus depth of each portion based on the captured images for generating a depth map for the scene;

identifying the captured image where the intended subject is found to be in focus as being one of the images of a stereoscopic image pair; and

generating the other image of the stereoscopic image pair based on the identified captured image and the depth map.

15. A method for generating a stereoscopic image pair by altering a depth map, the method comprising:

receiving an image of a scene;

receiving a depth map associated with at least one captured image of the scene, wherein the depth map defining depths for each of a plurality of portions of the at least one captured image;

receiving user input for changing, in the depth map, a depth of at least one portion of the at least one captured image; and

generating a stereoscopic image pair of the scene based on the received image of the scene and the changed depth map.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein receiving an image of a scene comprises receiving a plurality of images of a scene captured at different focal planes.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein receiving user input for changing a depth comprises receiving user input on a touchscreen display.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

using the received image as one of the images of the stereoscopic image pair; and

generating the other image of the stereoscopic image pair based on the received image.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein generating the other image of the stereoscopic image pair comprises:

defining a perspective projective transform; and

using the perspective projective transform for determining pixel values of the other image of the stereoscopic image pair.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

determining points in the other image of the stereoscopic image pair where no pixel maps; and

using one of a pixel fill-in technique and a cropping technique for generating pixel values where no pixel maps.

21. A system for generating a three-dimensional image of a scene, the system comprising

at least one computer processor and memory configured to:

receive an image of a scene;

receive a depth map associated with at least one captured image of the scene, wherein the depth map defining depths for each of a plurality of portions of the at least one captured image;

receive user input for changing, in the depth map, a depth of at least one portion of the at least one captured image; and

generate a stereoscopic image pair of the scene based on the received image of the scene and the changed depth map.

22. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for performing the following steps:

receive an image of a scene;

receive a depth map associated with at least one captured image of the scene, wherein the depth map defining depths for each of a plurality of portions of the at least one captured image;

receive user input for changing, in the depth map, a depth of at least one portion of the at least one captured image; and

generate a stereoscopic image pair of the scene based on the received image of the scene and the changed depth map.