Abstract: Various embodiments are provided which relate to the field of image signal processing, specifically relating to the generation of a depth-view image of a scene from a set of input images of a scene taken at different cameras of a multi-view imaging system. A method comprises obtaining a frame of an image of a scene and a frame of a depth map regarding the frame of the image. A minimum depth and a maximum depth of the scene and a number of depth layers for the depth map are determined. Pixels of the image are projected to the depth layers to obtain projected pixels on the depth layers; and cost values for the projected pixels are determined. The cost values are filtered and a filtered cost value is selected from a layer to obtain a depth value of a pixel of an estimated depth map.

Abstract: It is inter alia disclosed a method comprising: projecting a distance value and position associated with each of a plurality of pixels of an array of pixel sensors in an image sensor of a time of flight camera system onto a three dimensional world coordinate space as a plurality of depth sample points; and merging pixels from a two dimensional camera image with the plurality of depth sample points of the three dimensional world coordinate space to produce a fused two dimensional depth mapped image.

Abstract: It is inter alia disclosed to determine a phase difference between a light signal transmitted by a time of flight camera system and a reflected light signal received by at least one pixel sensor of an array of pixel sensors in an image sensor of the time of flight camera system, wherein the reflected light signal received by the at least one pixel sensor is reflected from an object illuminated by the transmitted light signal (301); determine an amplitude of the reflected light signal received by the at least one pixel sensor (301); combine the amplitude and phase difference for the at least one pixel sensor into a combined signal parameter for the at least one pixel sensor (307); and de-noise the combined signal parameter for the at least one pixel sensor by filtering with a filter the combined parameter for the at least one pixel sensor (309).

Abstract: Various embodiments are provided which relate to the field of image signal processing, specifically relating to the generation of a depth-view image of a scene from a set of input images of a scene taken at different cameras of a multi-view imaging system. A method comprises obtaining a frame of an image of a scene and a frame of a depth map regarding the frame of the image. A minimum depth and a maximum depth of the scene and a number of depth layers for the depth map are determined. Pixels of the image are projected to the depth layers to obtain projected pixels on the depth layers; and cost values for the projected pixels are determined. The cost values are filtered and a filtered cost value is selected from a layer to obtain a depth value of a pixel of an estimated depth map.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed for compression of a 2D-plus-depth representation based on spatial downsampling of an initial depth map. By utilizing the color image accompanying the initial depth map, it is possible to infer structural information that refines and reconstructs the initial depth map out of a heavily subsampled version of the depth map. In the process, no indexing of the exact positions of the subsampled depth values is needed, which leads to very efficient compression. An example method causes segmentation of the color image into a set of super-pixel segments, and causes downsampling of the initial depth map based on the set of super-pixel segments. The method subsequently causes generation and storage of a compressed representation based on the segmented color image and the downsampled depth map. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed for compression of a 2D-plus-depth representation based on spatial downsampling of an initial depth map. By utilizing the color image accompanying the initial depth map, it is possible to infer structural information that refines and reconstructs the initial depth map out of a heavily subsampled version of the depth map. In the process, no indexing of the exact positions of the subsampled depth values is needed, which leads to very efficient compression. An example method causes segmentation of the color image into a set of super-pixel segments, and causes downsampling of the initial depth map based on the set of super-pixel segments. The method subsequently causes generation and storage of a compressed representation based on the segmented color image and the downsampled depth map. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.

Abstract: It is inter alia disclosed a method comprising: projecting a distance value and position associated with each of a plurality of pixels of an array of pixel sensors in an image sensor of a time of flight camera system onto a three dimensional world coordinate space as a plurality of depth sample points; and merging pixels from a two dimensional camera image with the plurality of depth sample points of the three dimensional world coordinate space to produce a fused two dimensional depth mapped image.

Abstract: It is inter alia disclosed to determine a phase difference between a light signal transmitted by a time of flight camera system and a reflected light signal received by at least one pixel sensor of an array of pixel sensors in an image sensor of the time of flight camera system, wherein the reflected light signal received by the at least one pixel sensor is reflected from an object illuminated by the transmitted light signal (301); determine an amplitude of the reflected light signal received by the at least one pixel sensor (301); combine the amplitude and phase difference for the at least one pixel sensor into a combined signal parameter for the at least one pixel sensor (307); and de-noise the combined signal parameter for the at least one pixel sensor by filtering with a filter the combined parameter for the at least one pixel sensor (309).

Abstract: An apparatus comprising: an image analyser configured to analyse at least two images to determine at least one matched feature; a camera definer configured to determine at least two difference parameters between the at least two images; and a rectification determiner configured to determine values for the at least two difference parameters in an error search using an error criterion based on the at least one matched feature in the at least two images and an estimated difference parameter value, wherein the value for each difference parameter is determined serially.

Abstract: An optical pumping system employs a first concave reflector for collecting solar energy and directing it toward a second concave reflector facing the first reflector in confocal relation therewith. The resulting collimated solar beam is redirected toward the first reflector and intercepted by a third reflector having planar walls that diverge toward the second reflector at equal acute angles to the common optical axis of the first and second reflectors; the third reflector causes the intercepted beam to uniformly excite a laser positioned along the optical axis between the diverging walls of the third reflector.