Abstract: A camera rig including one or more stereoscopic camera pairs and/or one or more light field cameras are described. Images are captured by the light field cameras and stereoscopic camera pairs are captured at the same time. The light field images are used to generate an environmental depth map which accurately reflects the environment in which the stereoscopic images are captured at the time of image capture. In addition to providing depth information, images captured by the light field camera or cameras is combined with or used in place of stereoscopic image data to allow viewing and/or display of portions of a scene not captured by a stereoscopic camera pair.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for stereoscopic image encoding and decoding are described. Left and right eye images are encoded following an entropy reduction operation being applied to one of the eye images when there is a difference between the left and right images of an image pair. Information about regions of negative parallax within the entropy reduced image of an image pair is encoded along with the images. Upon decoding a sharpening filter is applied to the image in an image pair which was subjected to the entropy reduction operation. In addition edge enhancement filtering is performed on the regions of the recovered entropy reduced image which are identified in the encoded image data as regions of negative parallax. Interleaving of left and right eye images at the input of the encoder combined with entropy reduction allows for efficient encoding, storage, and transmission of 3D images.

Abstract: Stereoscopic image processing methods and apparatus are described. Left and right eye images of a stereoscopic frame are examined to determine if one or more difference reduction operations designed to reduce the luminance and/or chrominance differences between the left and right frames is within a range used to trigger a difference reduction operation. A difference reduction operation may involve assigning portions of the left and right frames to different depth regions and/or other region categories. A decision on whether or not to perform a difference reduction operation is then performed on a per regions basis with at the difference between the left and right eye portions of at least one region being reduced when a difference reduction operation is to be performed. The difference reduction process may, and in some embodiments is, performed in a precoder which processes left and right eye images of stereoscopic frames prior to stereoscopic encoding.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for streaming or playing back stereoscopic content are described. Camera dependent correction information is communicated to a playback device and applied in the playback device to compensate for distortions introduced by the lenses of individual cameras. By performing lens dependent distortion compensation in the playback device edges which might be lost if correction were performed prior to encoding are preserved. Distortion correction information may be in the form of UV map correction information. The correction information may indicate changes to be made to information in a UV map, e.g., at rendering time, to compensate for distortions specific to an individual camera. Different sets of correction information may be communicated and used for different cameras of a stereoscopic pair which provide images that are rendered using the same UV map. The communicated correction information is sometimes called a correction mesh since it is used to correct mesh related information.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for streaming or playing back stereoscopic content are described. Camera dependent correction information is communicated to a playback device and applied in the playback device to compensate for distortions introduced by the lenses of individual cameras. By performing lens dependent distortion compensation in the playback device edges which might be lost if correction were performed prior to encoding are preserved. Distortion correction information maybe in the form of UV map correction information. The correction information may indicate changes to be made to information in a UV map, e.g., at rendering time, to compensate for distortions specific to an individual camera. Different sets of correction information maybe communicated and used for different cameras of a stereoscopic pair which provide images that are rendered using the same UV map. The communicated correction information is sometimes called a correction mesh since it is used to correct mesh related information.

Abstract: Content delivery and playback methods and apparatus are described. The methods and apparatus are well suited for delivery and playback of content corresponding to a 360 degree environment and can be used to support streaming and/or real time delivery of 3D content corresponding to an event, e.g., while the event is ongoing or after the event is over. Portions of the environment are captured by cameras located at different positions. The content captured from different locations is encoded and made available for delivery. A playback device selects the content to be received based in a user's head position.

Abstract: Content delivery and playback methods and apparatus are described. The methods and apparatus are well suited for delivery and playback of content corresponding to a 360 degree environment and can be used to support streaming and/or real time delivery of 3D content corresponding to an event, e.g., while the event is ongoing or after the event is over. Portions of the environment are captured by cameras located at different positions. The content captured from different locations is encoded and made available for delivery. A playback device selects the content to be received based in a user's head position.

Abstract: Stereoscopic image processing methods and apparatus are described. Left and right eye images of a stereoscopic frame are examined to determine if one or more difference reduction operations designed to reduce the luminance and/or chrominance differences between the left and right frames is within a range used to trigger a difference reduction operation. A difference reduction operation may involve assigning portions of the left and right frames to different depth regions and/or other region categories. A decision on whether or not to perform a difference reduction operation is then performed on a per regions basis with at the difference between the left and right eye portions of at least one region being reduced when a difference reduction operation is to be performed. The difference reduction process may, and in some embodiments is, performed in a precoder which processes left and right eye images of stereoscopic frames prior to stereoscopic encoding.

Abstract: Camera related methods and apparatus which are well suited for use in capturing stereoscopic image data, e.g., pairs of left and right eye images, are described. Various features relate to a camera rig which can be used to mount multiple cameras at the same time. In some embodiments the camera rig includes 3 mounting locations corresponding to 3 different directions 120 degrees apart. One or more of the mounting locations may be used at a given time. When a single camera pair is used the rig can be rotated to capture images corresponding to the locations where a camera pair is not mounted. Static images from those locations can then be combined with images corresponding to the forward direction to generate a 360 degree view. Alternatively camera pairs or individual cameras can be included in each of the mounting locations to capture video in multiple directions.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for streaming content corresponding to a 360 degree field of view are described. The methods and apparatus of the present invention are well suited for use with 3D immersion systems and/or head mounted display which allow a user to turn his or her head and see a corresponding scene portion. The methods and apparatus can support real or near real time streaming of 3D image content corresponding to a 360 degree field of view.

Abstract: In some embodiments left and right eye images are encoded following an entropy reduction operation being applied to one of the eye images when there is a difference between the left and right images of an image pair. Information about regions of negative parallax within the entropy reduced image of an image pair is encoded along with the images. Upon decoding a sharpening filter is applied to the image in an image pair which was subjected to the entropy reduction operation. In addition edge enhancement filtering is performed on the regions of the recovered entropy reduced image which are identified in the encoded image data as regions of negative parallax. Interleaving of left and right eye images at the input of the encoder combined with entropy reduction allows for efficient encoding, storage, and transmission of 3D images.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for performing stereoscopic image encoding and decoding are described. Left and right eye images are generated. Image difference information is generated, e.g., a set of pixel values resulting from XORing the pixel values of the left and right eye images. One of the left and right eye images is compressed along with the difference map. The compressed image and compressed difference map is stored and/or transmitted. Stereoscopic images are generated by decompressing and using the received compressed image and compressed difference information. Prior to generation of the difference map the left and right eye images may be subject to a transposition operation to minimize the differences between the images and thus the size of the difference map. When transposition is applied, transposition information is stored and communicated in addition to the compressed image data so that the transposition can be reversed during the stereoscopic image generation process.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for stereoscopic image encoding and decoding are described. Left and right eye images are encoded following an entropy reduction operation being applied to one of the eye images when there is a difference between the left and right images of an image pair. Information about regions of negative parallax within the entropy reduced image of an image pair is encoded along with the images. Upon decoding a sharpening filter is applied to the image in an image pair which was subjected to the entropy reduction operation. In addition edge enhancement filtering is performed on the regions of the recovered entropy reduced image which are identified in the encoded image data as regions of negative parallax. Interleaving of left and right eye images at the input of the encoder combined with entropy reduction allows for efficient encoding, storage, and transmission of 3D images.