Abstract: Content-aware display adaptation methods for stereoscopic images and editing interfaces and methods are provided. First, the saliency maps are estimated for stereoscopic images. Each image is represented as a grid mesh, and a per-quad importance is measured based on the saliency maps. Then, features are detected matched between the images. An energy function is defined according to the saliency maps, the matched features, data for the grid mesh, and specification of a target display. The energy function consists of at least a disparity consistency energy and/or an alignment energy. The energy function is minimized to obtain two sets of deformed vertex positions for the images. The control indicator displayed in an operational interface is tuned via a touch-sensitive display unit, such that the energy function is accordingly modified, and corresponding deformed stereoscopic images are displayed.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, a dolly zoom effect is generated using light field image data. The dolly zoom effect simulates an in-camera technique wherein a camera moves toward or away from the subject in such a way that the subject is kept at the same size throughout the effect. The effect causes the relative size of foreground background elements to change while foreground elements such as the subject remain the same size. By varying a parameter while projecting the light field image, the size of each object in the projection image scales depending on its relative depth as compared with the depth of the target subject, thus simulating the dolly zoom effect without any need to physically move the camera.

Abstract: Light-field image data is processed in a manner that reduces projection artifacts in the presence of variation in microlens position by calibrating microlens positions. Initially, approximate centers of disks in a light-field image are identified. Gridded calibration is then performed, by fitting lines to disk centers along orthogonal directions, and then fitting a rigid grid to the light-field image. For each grid region, a corresponding disk center is computed by passing values for pixels within that grid region into weighted-center equations. A displacement vector is then generated, based on the distance from the geometric center of the grid region to the computed disk center. For each grid region, the final disk center is computed as the vector sum of the grid region's geometric center and displacement vector. Calibration data, including displacement vectors, is then used in calibrating disk centers for more accurate projection of light-field images.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, the system and method of the present invention process light-field image data in a manner that reduces artifacts and that yields 2-D images with extended depth of field, and with variable placement of the center of perspective. Center of perspective can be varied based on user input or on pre-specified parameters. Various techniques for improving the presentation of light-field images with variable center of perspective are described, and for performing other effects in connection with projection of light-field images.

Abstract: An apparatus includes means for associating a first editing effect with a first editing direction; means for associating a second editing effect with a second editing direction; means for receiving an editing input indicating an input direction and an input length; means for determining an editing degree according to a corresponding length of said input length in an editing direction by extracting a component corresponding to the input in the editing direction; and means for applying said associated editing effect in a degree according to the editing degree to an image.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, the present may be used to apply a wide variety of processes to a two-dimensional image generated from light-field data. One or more parameters, such as light-field parameters and/or device capture parameters may be included in metadata of the two-dimensional image, and may be retrieved and processed to determine the appropriate value(s) of a first setting of the process. The process may be applied uniformly, or with variation across subsets of the two-dimensional image, down to individual pixels. The process may be a noise filtering process, an image sharpening process, a color adjustment process, a tone curve process, a contrast adjustment process, a saturation adjustment process, a gamma adjustment process, a combination thereof, or any other known process that may be desirable for enhancing two-dimensional images.

Abstract: In accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure, a processor for performing stereo matching of a first image and a second image is described. The processor may include a first pipeline stage configured to generate data costs associated with a first tile selected from the first image, wherein the data costs is generated based on pixels in the first tile and corresponding pixels in the second image. The processor may include a second pipeline stage configured to generate disparity values associated with the first tile and an outbound message from the first tile to one of neighboring tiles in the first image, wherein the disparity values and the outbound message are generated based on the data costs and inbound messages from the neighboring tiles to the first tile.

Abstract: According to various embodiments of the invention, parallax and/or three-dimensional effects are added to thumbnail image displays. In at least one embodiment, such effects are applied in a manner that causes the thumbnail images to appear to respond to their display environment. For example, a parallax effect can be applied that responds to current cursor position, scroll position, scroll velocity, orientation of the display device (detected, for example, by position- and/or motion-sensing mechanisms), and/or any other environmental conditions. As another example, thumbnail images can be refocused, and/or a viewpoint for an image can be adjusted, in response to a user clicking on or tapping on particular elements within such images.

Abstract: According to various embodiments of the invention, a system and method are provided for enabling interaction with, manipulation of, and control of depth-assigned content in depth-enhanced pictures. Depth-assigned content can be assigned to a specified depth value. When a depth-enhanced picture is refocused at a focus depth substantially different from the specified assigned depth value, the depth-assigned content may be omitted, grayed out, blurred, or otherwise visually distinguished. In this manner, content associated with an in-focus image element can be visually distinguished from content associated with an out-of-focus image element. For example, in at least one embodiment, depth-assigned content is visible only when an image element associated with the content is in focus (or nearly in focus). According to various embodiments of the invention, many different types of interactions are facilitated among depth-assigned content, depth-enhanced pictures, and other content.

Abstract: A photometric calibration method includes: obtaining a target image and a reference image by a light field camera and transforming the reference image into a revised target image corresponding to the target image; calculating a photometric calibration ratio according to a function for correlating the target image and the revised target image by using a numerical algorithm; and the intensity of the target image is divided by the photometric calibration ratio to obtain a calibrated target image. A light field of a scene is formed by all of the calibrated target image so as to improve the quality of the light field.

Abstract: In a method of realism assessment of an image composite, the foreground and the background are transformed into a color space, such as YCbCr, followed by projecting the foreground and the background to a subspace represented by the axes representing chromatic information. The image composite is assessed in the projected subspace, according to linearity of color distributions of the foreground/the background, or according to distance between the color distributions of the foreground/the background and a center of the transformed color space.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for storing, manipulating, and/or transmitting image data, such as light field photographs and the like, in a manner that efficiently delivers different capabilities and features based on device attributes, user requirements and preferences, context, and/or other factors. Acceleration structures are provided, which enable selective use of certain types of data (also referred to as “assets”) based on device attributes such as image size, desired functionality, user preference, and/or the like. In this manner, the system and method of the present invention takes into account specific attributes and parameters in determining which data should be included, so as to optimize transmission, storage, and/or rendering of image data, including light field data, to improve efficiency and avoid waste of resources.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of tile-based belief propagation are disclosed. An image is split into a number of tiles. Messages are iteratively generated within each of the tiles based on the messages from neighboring pixels to the tile at a previous iteration, wherein each message represents information of a state of the pixel. The generated messages for sending out of the tiles are stored. Labels are then determined based on the stored messages, wherein each label represents the state of the pixel.

Abstract: In accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure, a processor for performing stereo matching of a first image and a second image is described. The processor may include a first pipeline stage configured to generate data costs associated with a first tile selected from the first image, wherein the data costs is generated based on pixels in the first tile and corresponding pixels in the second image. The processor may include a second pipeline stage configured to generate disparity values associated with the first tile and an outbound message from the first tile to one of neighboring tiles in the first image, wherein the disparity values and the outbound message are generated based on the data costs and inbound messages from the neighboring tiles to the first tile.

Abstract: A low-backlight image visibility enhancement method and system is proposed for integration to a backlit type of display unit, such as active matrix LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The proposed method and system firstly converts the image of each video frame into a brightness-based grayscale image; then decomposes the grayscale image into a low-pass base layer and a high-pass detail layer; and then performs a brightness compensation for the base-layer image and a contrast enhancement for the detail-layer image; and finally combines the two image layers into one single image and performs color conversion to the combined image. The resulted image is then used for display on the display unit. This feature allows the display unit to use a low level of backlight to save electrical power consumption while nevertheless allow the image to be displayed with good visibility.

Abstract: In a method of realism assessment of an image composite, the foreground and the background are transformed into a color space, such as YCbCr, followed by projecting the foreground and the background to a subspace represented by the axes representing chromatic information. The image composite is assessed in the projected subspace, according to linearity of color distributions of the foreground/the background, or according to distance between the color distributions of the foreground/the background and a center of the transformed color space.

Abstract: A digital image stabilization method that integrates a digital stabilization device and a digital video encoder is disclosed. The digital stabilization device comprises a determining module for determining background regions, a comparison module for calculating motion vectors, and an adjustment module for adjusting jerky image motion in frames. When there are frame jiggles, the motion vector between an I frame and a P frame is used for motion estimation to get a first motion vector and also define a background region of the P frame. Next, a second motion vector of a B frame is calculated according to the background region to adjust jerky motion of the P frame and the B frame for stabilization. The next P frame then uses the background region of the preceding P frame as its background region.

Abstract: An apparatus includes means for associating a first editing effect with a first editing direction; means for associating a second editing effect with a second editing direction; means for receiving an editing input indicating an input direction and an input length; means for determining an editing degree according to a corresponding length of said input length in an editing direction by extracting a component corresponding to the input in the editing direction; and means for applying said associated editing effect in a degree according to the editing degree to an image.

Abstract: An apparatus includes means for receiving input indicating a selection point; generating a set of paths originating from said selection point; determining an influence value for each point on a path to generate an influence map; and applying said influence map to an image.

Abstract: A photometric calibration method includes: obtaining a target image and a reference image by a light field camera and transforming the reference image into a revised target image corresponding to the target image; calculating a photometric calibration ratio according to a function for correlating the target image and the revised target image by using a numerical algorithm; and the intensity of the target image is divided by the photometric calibration ratio to obtain a calibrated target image. A light field of a scene is formed by all of the calibrated target image so as to improve the quality of the light field.