Abstract: A system for enhancing a depth map associated with a 2D image wherein a face detector analyzes the 2D image to determine a position of a face in the 2D image, the system utilizes the position to derive a depth model; and the depth model is combined with the depth map to generate an enhanced depth map.

Abstract: A stereoscopic rendering system is disclosed that comprises a depth buffer having at least two depth buffer portions respectively corresponding to different views of a scene, the depth buffer arranged to store depth values indicative of the depth of pixels in a scene, and the depth buffer portions having different associated depth value ranges so that the different depth buffer portions are distinguishable from each other. The system also includes an image buffer arranged to store information indicative of an image to be displayed. The system is arranged to apply a different depth test for each view of the scene such that only pixels of the view that spatially correspond to the depth buffer portion associated with the view are rendered to the image buffer. The image rendered into the image buffer comprises image portions respectively spatially corresponding to the different depth buffer portions and the different views of the scene.

Abstract: A system for enhancing a depth map associated with a 2D image wherein a face detector analyzes the 2D image to determine a position of a face in the 2D image, the system utilizes the position to derive a depth model; and the depth model is combined with the depth map to generate an enhanced depth map.

Abstract: A method of determining a configuration of stereoscopic rendering parameters in a computer graphics environment by periodically determining the location of data within the viewing frustum and adapting the parameters to generate a stereo render.

Abstract: A method of encoding a video signal of a 2D image with conversion data to assign in the conversion of said video signal to left and right eye images for stereoscopic display, including adding conversion data to a video signal of the 2D image to provide an encoded signal, the conversion data defining displacement of respective selected points of the 2D image for converting the 2D image to a format suitable for stereoscopic display, wherein the conversion data enables the creation of the left and right eye images.

Abstract: A method of producing a depth map for use in the conversion of 2D images into stereoscopic images includes identifying at least one object within a 2D image; allocating an identifying tag to each object; allocating a depth tag to each object; and determining and defining an outline of each object.

Abstract: A method of producing a depth map for use in the conversion of 2D images into stereoscopic images including the steps of: identifying at least one object within a 2D image; allocating an identifying tag to each object; allocating a depth tag to each object; and determining and defining an outline of each object.

Abstract: A method of creating at least one depth map for an image sequence including the steps of receiving depth data for a plurality of points in the image sequence, utilising the depth data and a classifier to ascertain depth characteristics as a function of image characteristics and relative position and creating a depth map for at least one frame of the image sequence utilising the image characteristics.

Abstract: A method of compressing depth maps including the steps of determining the boundary of at least one object within a depth map, applying a curve to the boundary of each object, and converting the continuous depth data within an area bounded by the curve into at least one ramp function.

Abstract: A method of generating a synthesized 3D image from a source 2D image for display on a 3D display device including mapping a position on the display device to a fractional view number, and determining a source pixel of the 2D image to represent the said fractional view number, wherein the source pixel is determined as a function of the depth of a pixel at the position.

Abstract: A method of producing a depth map for use in the conversion of 2D images into stereoscopic images including the steps of: identifying at least one object within a 2D image; allocating an identifying tag to each object; allocating a depth tag to each object; and determining and defining an outline of each object.

Abstract: A method of creating a depth map including the steps of assigning a depth to at least one pixel or portion of an image, determining relative location and image characteristics for each at least one pixel or portion of the image, utilizing the depth(s), image characteristics and respective location to determine an algorithm to ascertain depth characteristics as a function relative location and image characteristics, utilizing said algorithm to calculate a depth characteristic for each pixel or portion of the image, wherein the depth characteristics form a depth map for the image. In a second phase of processing the said depth maps form key frames for the generation of depth maps for non-key frames using relative location, image characteristics and distance to key frame(s).

Abstract: A method of generating images suitable for use with a multi-view stereoscopic display including the steps of intercepting data passed from an application to an application programming interface, the data representing a scene or object to be displayed on the display; processing the data to render multiple views of the scene or object; creating modified data by modifying the intercepted data to represent the multiple views; and passing the modified data to the application programming interface.

Abstract: A method of generating a synthesized 3D image from a source 2D image for display on a 3D display device including mapping a position on the display device to a fractional view number, and determining a source pixel of the 2D image to represent the said fractional view number, wherein the source pixel is determined as a function of the depth of a pixel at the position.

Abstract: A method of encoding depth data within a video image wherein the depth data is included within an active picture area of the video image.

Abstract: A method of compressing a stereoscopic image, using entropy coding, wherein a model derived from a first eye image is used to encode an image for a second eye, and wherein the model is determined from a first eye difference image of a first frame and a second frame of the first eye image; and a second eye difference image of a first frame and a second frame of the second eye image, will be encoded using the model.

Abstract: A method of producing a depth map for use in the conversion of 2D images into stereoscopic images including the steps of: identifying at least one object within a 2D image; allocating an identifying tag to each object; allocating a depth tag to each object; and determining and defining an outline of each object.

Abstract: A method of producing a depth map for use in the conversion of 2D images into stereoscopic images including the steps of: identifying at least one object within a 2D image; allocating an identifying tag to each object; allocating a depth tag to each object; and determining and defining an outline of each object.

Abstract: A method of creating at least one depth map for an image sequence including the steps of receiving depth data for a plurality of points in the image sequence, utilising the depth data and a classifier to ascertain depth characteristics as a function of image characteristics and relative position and creating a depth map for at least one frame of the image sequence utilising the image characteristics.

Abstract: A method of producing left and right eye images for a stereoscopic display from an original 2D image including the steps of: a) identifying at least one object within said original image, b) outlining said or each object, c) defining a depth characteristic for said or each object, d) respectively displacing selected areas of said or each image by a determined amount in a lateral direction as a function of the depth characteristic of said or each object, to form two stretched images for viewing by the left and right eyes of the viewer.