Method for smoothing transitions between scenes of a stereo film and controlling or regulating a plurality of 3D cameras

• US 9,602,801 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2014
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Red.com, LLC
• Original Assignee: Truality, LLC
• Inventors: Postley, Howard, Borchert, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALLEN C
• Application Number:
  US14/493,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20150077521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 348/47
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

In an exemplary embodiment, a method for producing a stereo film is provided, wherein a first image that is supplied (10) by a first camera rig having at least two cameras is followed (50) by a second image from a second camera rig, wherein furthermore a disparity table for definition of the displacement of a defined image point in a first sub-frame supplied by a first camera of the first camera rig relative to an image point similar thereto in a second sub-frame supplied by a second camera of the first camera rig is determined (20, 30) in order to obtain information about the depth of the first image composed of the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame, wherein the depth information of the disparity table of the first image of the first camera rig is used (60) for processing of the second image of the second camera rig. The invention also relates to controlling (means) or regulating means for a plurality of 3D cameras configured to carry out said method.

Claims

1. A method for producing a motion video recording, comprising:

obtaining a first image captured with a first camera rig having at least two cameras;

obtaining a second image captured with a second camera rig;

calculating, with an image processor, a first displacement of at least one first image point contained in a first sub-frame obtained from a first camera of the first camera rig relative to at least one second image point contained in a second sub-frame obtained from a second camera of the first camera rig and corresponding to the at least one first image point;

storing the at least one displacement in a disparity table; and

processing the at least one second image using the disparity table.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displacing the second sub-frame relative to the first sub-frame, and wherein the first sub-frame and a fourth sub-frame obtained from a second camera of the second camera rig form the second image.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second sub-frame is horizontally displaced.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the processing the at least one second image is performed simultaneously with displacing the second sub-frame relative to the first sub-frame.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the processing the at least one second image is performed after displacing the second sub-frame relative to the first sub-frame.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displacing a fourth sub-frame obtained from a second camera of the second camera rig relative to a third sub-frame obtained from a first camera of the second camera rig to create a second displacement.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second displacement is substantially the same as the first displacement.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing the magnification of the at least one second image in response to the disparity table and until a second depth distance between a second foreground point in a third sub-frame of the second image and a second background point in a fourth sub-frame of the second image is substantially same as a first depth distance between a first foreground point in the first sub-frame and a first background point in the second sub-frame.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the magnification is changed digitally.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the magnification of both the third sub-frame and the fourth sub-frame is changed.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising blurring all areas of the second image that lie outside a depth budget of the disparity table.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the blurring is accomplished using a Gaussian blurring algorithm.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the displacement corresponds to a depth of the first image.

14. A system configured to for producing a motion video recording, the system comprising:

an image processor configured to;

receive a first image comprising at least a first sub-frame obtained from a first camera of a first camera rig and a second sub-frame obtained from a second camera of a first camera rig;

receive a second image comprising at least a third sub-frame obtained from a first camera of a second camera rig and a fourth sub-frame from a second camera of a second camera rig;

calculate at least one first displacement between at least one first image point in the first sub-frame and at least one corresponding second image point in the second sub-frame;

store the at least one first displacement in a disparity table; and

process at least one of the third sub-frame and the fourth sub-frame in response to the disparity table.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the image processor is further configured to displace the second sub-frame relative to the first sub-frame, and wherein at least the first sub-frame and the fourth sub-frame form the second image.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the image processor is further configured to displace the fourth sub-frame relative to the third sub-frame to create at least one second displacement.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the image processor is further configured to change the magnification of the second image in response to the at least one first displacement until a second depth distance between a second foreground point in the third sub-frame and a second background point in the fourth sub-frame is substantially the same as a first depth distance between a first foreground point in the first sub-frame and a first background point in the second sub-frame.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the image processor is further configured to blur all areas of the second image that lie outside a depth budget of the disparity table.