Stereoplexing for video and film applications

• US 8,373,744 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2007
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RealD Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RealD Incorporated
• Inventors: Akka, Robert, Lipton, Lenny, Cowan, Matt, Greer, Josh
• Primary Examiner(s): Dastouri, Mehrdad
• Assistant Examiner(s): HALLENBECK-HUBER, JEREMIAH CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US11/811,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20080303895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,077 Days
• Field of Search: 348/43, 348/47, 348/49
• US Class Current: 348/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/139 Format conversion, e.g. of frame-rate or size
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/161 Encoding, multiplexing or demultiplexing different image signal components for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597

Abstract

A method for multiplexing a stream of stereoscopic image source data including a series of left images and a series of right images combinable to form a series of stereoscopic images is provided. The primary application is for video applications, but film applications are also addressed. The method includes removing pixels from the stereoscopic image source data to form left images and right images and providing a series of single frames divided into portions, each single frame containing one right image in a first portion and one left image in a second portion. Multiplexing processes such as staggering, alternating, filtering, variable scaling, and sharpening from original, uncompressed right and left images may be employed alone or in combination, and selected or predetermined regions or segments from uncompressed images may have more pixels removed or combined than other regions.

Claims

1. A method for multiplexing stereoscopic image source data, the method comprising:

generating left images and right images from the stereoscopic image source data; and

providing a plurality of single frames divided into portions, each single frame comprising;

first and second right images disposed in first and second portions of the frame, respectively, and

first and second left images disposed in third and fourth portions of the frame, respectively;

wherein the first right image, the second right image, the first left image, and the second left image are formed using first, second, third, and fourth image size reduction techniques, respectively,

wherein at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth image size reduction techniques is different from another one of the first, second, third, and fourth image size reduction technique; and

wherein the first and second right images comprise image data operable to form a same output right-image frame, and the first and second left images comprise image data operable to from a same output left-image frame.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second left images are associated with the first and second right images.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the portions are included within each single frame, and wherein the first and second left images are included in substantially one half of each single frame and the first and second right images are included in substantially another half of each single frame.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each single frame is divided by a vertically oriented border, with the first and second right images on a first side of the single frame and the first and second left images on a second side of the single frame.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each left image is based on an unprocessed left image and each right image is based on an unprocessed right image, and the method further comprises:

removing every alternate pixel from every row in the uncompressed right image to form the right image and every alternate pixel from every row in the uncompressed left image to form the left image.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein removal of alternate pixels in each row comprises removing a first set of pixels from a first row and a different set of pixels from each row adjacent to the first row.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein removal substantially forms a “

checkerboard”

type pattern of pixels being removed from the unprocessed right image and the unprocessed left image.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each left image is based on an unprocessed left image and each right image is based on an unprocessed right image, and the method further comprises:

mapping pixel information from the unprocessed left image to one of the first and second left images based on information from a plurality of pixels from the unprocessed left image and mapping pixel information from the unprocessed right image to one of the first and second right images based on information from a plurality of pixels from the unprocessed right image.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a process to one of the first and second left images and one of the first and second right images, the process selected from at least one from a group comprising:

variably applied bicubic scaling;

variable sharpening;

non-variably applied bicubic scaling; and

non-variable sharpening.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each left image is based on an unprocessed left image and each right image is based on an unprocessed right image, and the method further comprises:

mapping pixel information from the unprocessed left image to one of the first and second left images by combining more pixels from predetermined areas of the unprocessed left image than other areas of the unprocessed left image, and mapping pixel information from the unprocessed right image to one of the first and second right images by combining more pixels from predetermined areas of the unprocessed right image than other areas of the unprocessed right image.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each left image is based on an unprocessed left image having comprising alternating rows and remaining rows of pixels and each right image is based on an unprocessed right image comprising alternating and remaining rows of pixels, and the method further comprises:

mapping pixel information from the unprocessed left image to the left image by combining pixels from alternating rows of the unprocessed left image and selecting pixels from remaining rows of the unprocessed left image, and mapping pixel information from the unprocessed right image to the right image by combining pixels from alternating rows of the unprocessed right image and selecting pixels from remaining rows of the unprocessed right image.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein each left image is based on an unprocessed left image comprising alternating rows and remaining rows of pixels and each right image is based on an unprocessed right image comprising alternating and remaining rows of pixels, and the method further comprises:

mapping pixel information from the unprocessed left image to one of the first and second left images by combining at least two pixels from first positions in alternating rows of the unprocessed left image and combining at least two pixels from second positions in remaining rows of the unprocessed left image, and mapping pixel information from the unprocessed right image to one of the first and second right images by combining at least two pixels from first positions in alternating rows of the unprocessed right image and combining at least two pixels from second positions in remaining rows of the unprocessed right image.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein each left image and each right image is based on at least one unprocessed image, and the method further comprises:

performing a process on at least one unprocessed image to reduce image size to form at least one resultant image;

dividing each resultant image into a plurality of blocks; and

rearranging the plurality of blocks to fit within a predefined space smaller than each unprocessed image.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second left images are based on an unprocessed left image and the first and second right images are based on an unprocessed right image, and the method further comprises:

mapping pixel information from the unprocessed left image to one of the first and second left images based on information from a plurality of pixels from the unprocessed left image and mapping pixel information from the unprocessed right image to one of the first and second right images based on information from a plurality of pixels from the unprocessed right image;

wherein the mapped pixel information for the first and second left images are different and the mapped pixel information for the first and second right images are different.

15. A method for multiplexing stereoscopic image data, the method comprising:

reducing pixels in a plurality of images by removing select pixels from the plurality of images; and

placing the plurality of images together in a frame configured for transmission, the frame comprising;

first and second right images disposed in first and second portions of the frame, respectively, and

first and second left images disposed in third and fourth portions of the frame, respectively;

wherein the first right image, the second right image, the first left image, and the second left image are formed using first, second, third, and fourth image size reduction techniques, respectively,

wherein at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth image size reduction techniques is different from another one of the first, second, third, and fourth image size reduction technique; and

wherein the first and second right images comprise image data operable to form a same output right-image frame, and the first and second left images comprise image data operable to form a same output left-image frame.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second left images are associated with first and second right images.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the portions are included within the frame configured for transmission, and wherein the first and second left images are included in substantially one half of each frame configured for transmission and the first and second right images are included in substantially another half of each frame configured for transmission.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein each frame configured for transmission is divided by a vertically oriented border, with the first and second right images on a first side of the single frame and the first and second left images on a second side of the single frame.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein each left image is based on an unprocessed left image and each right image is based on an unprocessed right image, and the method further comprises:

removing every alternate pixel from every row in the uncompressed right image to form the right image and every alternate pixel from every row in the uncompressed left image to form the left image.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein removal of alternate pixels in each row comprises removing a first set of pixels from a first row and a different set of pixels from each row adjacent to the first row.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein removal substantially forms a “

checkerboard”

type pattern of pixels being removed from the unprocessed right image and the unprocessed left image.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein each left image is based on an unprocessed left image and each right image is based on an unprocessed right image, and the method further comprises:

mapping pixel information from the unprocessed left image to one of the first and second left images based on information from a plurality of pixels from the unprocessed left image and mapping pixel information from the unprocessed right image to one of the first and second right images based on information from a plurality of pixels from the unprocessed right image.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising applying a process to one of the first and second left images and one of the first and second right images, the process selected from at least one from a group comprising:

variably applied bicubic scaling;

variable sharpening;

non-variably applied bicubic scaling; and

non-variable sharpening.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein each left image is based on an unprocessed left image and each right image is based on an unprocessed right image, and the method further comprises:

mapping pixel information from the unprocessed left image to one of the first and second left images by combining more pixels from predetermined areas of the unprocessed left image than other areas of the unprocessed left image, and mapping pixel information from the unprocessed right image to one of the first and second right images by combining more pixels from predetermined areas of the unprocessed right image than other areas of the unprocessed right image.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein each left image is based on an unprocessed left image having comprising alternating rows and remaining rows of pixels and each right image is based on an unprocessed right image comprising alternating and remaining rows of pixels, and the method further comprises:

mapping pixel information from the unprocessed left image to the left image by combining pixels from alternating rows of the unprocessed left image and selecting pixels from remaining rows of the unprocessed left image, and mapping pixel information from the unprocessed right image to the right image by combining pixels from alternating rows of the unprocessed right image and selecting pixels from remaining rows of the unprocessed right image.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein each left image is based on an unprocessed left image comprising alternating rows and remaining rows of pixels and each right image is based on an unprocessed right image comprising alternating and remaining rows of pixels, and the method further comprises:

mapping pixel information from the unprocessed left image to one of the first and second left images by combining at least two pixels from first positions in alternating rows of the unprocessed left image and combining at least two pixels from second positions in remaining rows of the unprocessed left image, and mapping pixel information from the unprocessed right image to one of the first and second right images by combining at least two pixels from first positions in alternating rows of the unprocessed right image and combining at least two pixels from second positions in remaining rows of the unprocessed right image.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein each left image and each right image is based on at least one unprocessed image, and the method further comprises:

performing a process on at least one unprocessed image to reduce image size to form at least one resultant image;

dividing each resultant image into a plurality of blocks; and

rearranging the plurality of blocks to fit within a predefined space smaller than each unprocessed image.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second left images are based on an unprocessed left image and the first and second right images are based on an unprocessed right image, and the method further comprises:

mapping pixel information from the unprocessed left image to one of the first and second left images based on information from a plurality of pixels from the unprocessed left image and mapping pixel information from the unprocessed right image to one of the first and second right images based on information from a plurality of pixels from the unprocessed right image;

wherein the mapped pixel information for the first and second left images are different and the mapped pixel information for the first and second right images are different.