Methods, systems, and computer-readable storage media for generating three-dimensional (3D) images of a scene

• US 9,380,292 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2011
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3DMedia Corporation
• Original Assignee: 3DMedia Corporation
• Inventors: McNamer, Michael, Robers, Marshall, Markas, Tassos, Hurst, Jason Paul, Boyette, Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Application Number:
  US13/115,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20110255775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,861 Days
• Field of Search: 348 36- 60
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/596 from three or more stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/221 using the relative movement between cameras and objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/257 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/261 with monoscopic-to-stereoscopic image conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and computer-readable storage media for generating three-dimensional (3D) images of a scene. According to an aspect, a method includes capturing a real-time image and a first still image of a scene. Further, the method includes displaying the real-time image of the scene on a display. The method also includes determining one or more properties of the captured images. The method also includes calculating an offset in a real-time display of the scene to indicate a target camera positional offset with respect to the first still image. Further, the method includes determining that a capture device is in a position of the target camera positional offset. The method also includes capturing a second still image. Further, the method includes correcting the captured first and second still images. The method also includes generating the three-dimensional image based on the corrected first and second still images.

Claims

1. An apparatus for creating a three-dimensional image of a scene, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor and memory configured to;

receive a plurality of captured images;

determine matching image features among the plurality of captured images;

determine a transformation to align at least one of the matched image features;

apply the transformation to a first captured image among the plurality of captured images such that the first captured image is aligned to a second captured image among the plurality of captured images to create one or more transformed images;

define a transformed image pair using one of transformed and captured images;

calculate at least one stereoscopic parameter utilizing the transformed image pair;

determine whether the calculated stereoscopic parameter does not meet a predetermined criteria;

in response to determining that the calculated stereoscopic parameter does not meet the predetermined criteria, alter a stereoscopic characteristic of the transformed image pair to create an adjusted image pair; and

define a three-dimensional image based on the adjusted image pair.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one stereoscopic parameter is calculated utilizing the matched image features of the transformed image pair.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising enhancing a depth of a transformed pair of images.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising automatically determining a left view image and a right view of an image pair for creating a stereoscopic pair.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a parallax disparity between a left view image and a right view image among the captured images;

determining whether the parallax disparity meets a predetermined criteria; and

in response to determining that the parallax disparity does not meet the predetermined criteria, adjusting an attribute of at least one pixel in one of a left view image and a right view image such that the parallax disparity meets predetermined criteria.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising cropping one of the left view image and the right view of one of the transformed and adjusted image pair.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising creating a new stereoscopic image by identifying at least a moving object in a pair of images and by modifying at least one of the images to compensate for the moving object by performing at least one of the following operations in the pair of images:

moving the object to another position of the same image;

removing the object from an image, and filling the image area corresponding to the removed object by interpolating pixels from the image pair;

adding an object from one image to the other image in the image pair.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

receive a plurality of captured images;

determine matching image features among the plurality of captured images;

determine a transformation to align at least one of the matched image features;

apply the transformation to a first captured image among the plurality of captured images such that the first captured image is aligned to a second captured image among the plurality of captured images to create one or more transformed images;

define a transformed image pair using one of transformed and captured images;

calculate at least one stereoscopic parameter utilizing the transformed image pair;

determine whether the calculated stereoscopic parameter does not meet a predetermined criteria;

in response to determining that the calculated stereoscopic parameter does not meet the predetermined criteria, altering a stereoscopic characteristic of the transformed image pair to create an adjusted image pair; and

define a three-dimensional image based on the adjusted image pair.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein at least one stereoscopic parameter is calculated utilizing the matched image features of the transformed image pair.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising enhancing a depth of a transformed pair of images.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising automatically determining a left view image and a right view of an image pair for creating a stereoscopic pair.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a parallax disparity between a left view image and a right view image among the captured images;

determining whether the parallax disparity meets a predetermined criteria; and

in response to determining that the parallax disparity does not meet the predetermined criteria, adjusting an attribute of at least one pixel in one of a left view image and a right view image such that the parallax disparity meets predetermined criteria.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising cropping one of the left view image and the right view of one of the transformed and adjusted image pair.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising creating a new stereoscopic image by identifying at least a moving object in a pair of images and by modifying at least one of the images to compensate for the moving object by performing at least one of the following operations in the pair of images:

moving the object to another position of the same image;

removing the object from an image, and filling the image area corresponding to the removed object by interpolating pixels from the image pair;

adding an object from one image to the other image in the image pair.

15. A system for creating a three-dimensional image of a scene, the system comprising:

at least one image capture device;

at least one processor, the processor for;

receiving a plurality of captured images;

determining matching image features among the plurality of captured images;

determining a transformation to align at least one of the matched image features;

applying the transformation to a first captured image among the plurality of captured images such that the first captured image is aligned to a second captured image among the plurality of captured images to create one or more transformed images;

defining a transformed image pair using one of transformed and captured images;

calculating at least one stereoscopic parameter utilizing the transformed image pair;

determining whether the calculated stereoscopic parameter does not meet a predetermined criteria;

in response to determining that the calculated stereoscopic parameter does not meet the predetermined criteria, altering a stereoscopic characteristic of the transformed image pair to create an adjusted image pair; and

defining a three-dimensional image based on the adjusted image pair.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one stereoscopic parameter is calculated utilizing the matched image features of the transformed image pair.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising enhancing a depth of a transformed pair of images.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising automatically determining a left view image and a right view of an image pair for creating a stereoscopic pair.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a parallax disparity between a left view image and a right view image among the captured images;

determining whether the parallax disparity meets a predetermined criteria; and

in response to determining that the parallax disparity does not meet the predetermined criteria, adjusting an attribute of at least one pixel in one of a left view image and a right view image such that the parallax disparity meets predetermined criteria.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising cropping one of the left view image and the right view of one of the transformed and adjusted image pair.

21. The system of claim 15, further comprising creating a new stereoscopic image by identifying at least a moving object in a pair of images and by modifying at least one of the images to compensate for the moving object by performing at least one of the following operations in the pair of images:

moving the object to another position of the same image;

removing the object from an image, and filling the image area corresponding to the removed object by interpolating pixels from the image pair;

adding an object from one image to the other image in the image pair.