Abstract: A segmentation unit included an assignment unit configured to assign a first pixel of a first image of a sequence of images to a segment comprises an assignment unit, and to assign a first homogeneity value to the first pixel on basis of the first image. An averaging unit is configured to calculate an average homogeneity value for the first pixel by averaging the first homogeneity value and a second homogeneity value being determined for a second pixel of a second image of the sequence of images. The first and second pixels are related by a motion vector. A comparing unit is configured to compare the average homogeneity value with a threshold in order to assign the first pixel to the segment.

Abstract: 2D image data are converted into 3D image data. The image is divided, on the basis of focusing characteristics, into two or more regions, it is determined to which region an edge separating two regions belongs. The regions are depth ordered in accordance with the rule that the rule that a region comprising an edge is closer to the viewer than an adjacent region and to the regions 3-D depth information is assigned in accordance with the established depth order of the regions. Preferably to each of the regions a depth is assigned in dependence on an average or median focusing characteristic of the region.

Abstract: A method of rendering a multi-view image comprising a first output image and a second output image on basis of an input image (102) is disclosed. The method comprises: creating a modulation image (100) comprising irregular shaped objects (106-112); modulating pixel values of a portion of the input image (102) on basis of further pixel values of the modulation image (100), resulting into an intermediate image (104); and generating the multi-view image by means of warping the intermediate image on basis of the disparity data.

Abstract: A method of generating a depth map (122) comprising depth values representing distances to a viewer, for respective pixels of an image (100), is disclosed. The method comprises: computing a cost value for a first one of the pixels (108) of the image by combining differences between values of pixels which are disposed on a path (112) from the first one of the pixels (108) to a second one of the pixels (110) which belongs to a predetermined subset of the pixels of the image; and assigning a first one of the depth values corresponding to the first one of the pixels (108) on basis of the cost value.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for providing rendered images based on image segmentation with determining an edge within the image introduced by boundaries of image segments. To allow shift-based rendering, the invention provides determining an edge within the image introduced by boundaries of image segments, determining an edge region around the edge, determining a first displacement field for the segments, determining a second displacement field for the edge region, merging the first and the second displacement field into a third displacement field having a displacement of the first displacement field for the segments and a displacement of the second displacement field for the edge region, such that the edge region is treated as a separate object with a separate displacement, and shifting the image pixels according to the third displacement field.

Abstract: A multi-view image generation unit (100) for generating a multi-view image on basis of an input image is disclosed. The generation unit (100) comprises: edge detection means (102) for detecting an edge in the input image; depth map generation means (104) for generating a depth map for the input image on basis of the edge, a first group of elements of the depth map corresponding to the edge having a first depth value, related to a viewer of the multi-view image, and a second group of elements of the depth map corresponding to a region of the input image, being located adjacent to the edge, having a second depth value, related to the viewer of the multi-view image, the first value being less than the second value; and rendering means (106) for rendering the multi-view image on basis of the input image and the depth map.

Abstract: An image processing system generates an output image from an input image through a depth-dependent transformation. The images are represented as respective pixel arrays. An input 1110 receives for each input pixel an associated input pixel value and input pixel depth. Each input pixel is associated with a respective reconstruction filter footprint. A video processor create the output pixels by, for each input pixel, transforming 1120 the input pixel to a transformed input pixel as a function of the associated input pixel depth and transforming the associated filter footprint to an transformed filter footprint as a function of the associated input pixel depth. The processor also performs a reconstruction filtering operation 1150 on a plurality of the transformed input pixels using the transformed filter footprints. An output 1160 is used for providing the output image for subsequent rendering.

Abstract: A method of rendering a multi-view image comprising a first output image and a second output image on basis of an input image (102) is disclosed. The method comprises: creating a modulation image (100) comprising irregular shaped objects (106-112); modulating pixel values of a portion of the input image (102) on basis of further pixel values of the modulation image (100), resulting into an intermediate image (104); and generating the multi-view image by means of warping the intermediate image on basis of the disparity data.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method, apparatus and computer program product for providing contour information related to images. An image obtaining unit obtains a set of interrelated images (step 26), an image segmenting unit segments said images, (step 28) and a contour determining unit (22) extracts at least two contours from the segmentation (step 30), selects interest points on the contours of each image (step 32), associates interest points with corresponding reconstructed points by means of three-dimensional reconstruction (step 34), projects reconstructed points into the images (step 36), and links reconstructed points not projected at a junction or their projections to each other in order to provide a first set of links (step 38), such that at least a reasonable part of a contour of an object can be determined based on the linked reconstructed points.

Abstract: 2D image data are converted into 3D image data. The image is divided, on the basis of focusing characteristics, into two or more regions, it is determined to which region an edge separating two regions belongs. The regions are depth ordered in accordance with the rule that the rule that a region comprising an edge is closer to the viewer than an adjacent region and to the regions 3-D depth information is assigned in accordance with the established depth order of the regions. Preferably to each of the regions a depth is assigned in dependence on an average or median focusing characteristic of the region.

Abstract: Disclosed is a visual communication signal (32) which comprises image model information (10) for generating 3-D images. The image model information (10) may comprise a 3-D image model, e.g. a 3-D wireframe model or a 3-D voxel map. Some of the generated 3-D images may have a relatively low image quality. The visual communication signal (32) further comprises image enhancement information (20) corresponding to at least part of the 3-D images for enhancing the image quality of the generated 3-D images. This image enhancement information (20) may comprise image information corresponding to one or more single viewpoints (22, 24) and/or image information corresponding to one or more ranges of viewpoints (26, 28). The visual communication signal (32) may be transmitted from a transmitter (30) to a receiver (34) in a visual communication system (40) such as a 3-D television system or a 3-D teleconferencing system. Alternatively, the visual communication signal (32) may be carried by a tangible medium, e.g.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the type of shot of an image is disclosed. The method comprising the steps of: assigning (203, 205) portions of the image to at least a first cluster or a second cluster, the clusters having different ranges of depth values associated therewith; and determining (207, 209) the shot type of the image on the basis of whether both the first and second clusters have been assigned at least one portion or whether there is a stepped or gradual change in the difference between the depth of the first and second clusters.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for providing rendered images based on image segmentation with determining an edge within the image introduced by boundaries of image segments. To allow shift-based rendering, the invention provides determining an edge within the image introduced by boundaries of image segments, determining an edge region around the edge, determining a first displacement field for the segments, determining a second displacement field for the edge region, merging the first and the second displacement field into a third displacement field having a displacement of the first displacement field for the segments and a displacement of the second displacement field for the edge region, such that the edge region is treated as a separate object with a separate displacement, and shifting the image pixels according to the third displacement field.

Abstract: A method for matching digital images, including regularization of image features of a first digital image, composed of pixels, defining a finite set of candidate values, wherein a candidate value represents a candidate for a possible match between image features of the first image and a second image, establishing a matching penalty function for evaluation of the candidate values, evaluating the matching penalty function for every candidate value, selection of a candidate value based on the result of the evaluation of the matching penalty function, regularization of the first image by segmentation of the first image, comprising assigning at least part of the pixels of the first image to respective segments, determining a certainty parameter for at least part of the pixels of a segment, and establishing the matching penalty function to be at least partially based on the certainty parameter.

Abstract: In the method of motion estimation a tree (120) of segments (102–114) of an image (100) is generated by performing a hierarchical segmentation. The tree (120) of segments is analyzed to control the generation of a set (118) of candidate motion vectors of a segment (104). For the motion vectors of the set (118) match penalties are calculated. Finally, a particular motion vector (116) is selected from the set (118) of candidate motion vectors on the basis of match penalties. In the method of depth estimation depth data is calculated on the basis of a motion vector and the rules of parallax.

Abstract: In block-based motion or depth estimation, a block is assigned a motion or depth value as a result of minimizing the matching error over a limited set of candidate values. The matching error for each element of the set is obtained by computing the luminosity differences between a block of a first image (10) and an area of a second image (11). It may occur that an object (12) is partially obstructed by another object (15), so that a pixel (14) in the block is not present in the corresponding area, because another pixel (16) overlaps it. The method and system according to the invention determine which pixels are not visible in the second image (11), and compute the matching error over only the visible pixels. An apparatus for adapting a video signal (40) uses the chosen candidate values to create an enhanced version of the video signal (40).

Abstract: A method for segmenting a digital image composed of pixels, including determining hard border fragments in the digital image by means of an edge detection process, determining respective sides of each of said hard border fragments, and forming segments by determining for each pixel a closest side and by uniquely assigning each pixel of said digital image to a single segment, corresponding with the determined closest side to the respective pixel.

Abstract: Method for computation of a depth map for a digital image (IM) composed of pixels, with the steps of receiving digital image data (700), receiving singularity data (rec-inf) for the digital image (IM), receiving depth value data (dd) for segments of the digital image (IM), segmenting the digital image (IM) into segments based on the singularity data (rec-inf) by assigning each pixel of the digital image (IM) to a segment, assigning to each segment corresponding depth value data from the received depth value data (dd), and constructing a depth map (800) by assigning to each respective pixel the corresponding depth value data (dd) of the segment to which the respective pixel is assigned.

Abstract: A method for matching digital images, including regularization of image features of a first digital image, composed of pixels, providing a second digital image, composed of pixels, defining a finite set of candidate values, wherein a candidate value represents a candidate for a possible match between image features of the first image and image features of the second image, establishing a matching penalty function for evaluation of the candidate values, evaluating the matching penalty function for every candidate value, selection of a candidate value based on the result of the evaluation of the matching penalty function, regularization of the first image by segmentation of the first image, including assigning at least part of the pixels of the image to respective segments, determining a pixel importance parameter for at least part of the pixels of a segment, the pixel importance parameter representing the relative importance of each of the pixels, and establishing the matching penalty function to be at least p

Abstract: Disclosed is a visual communication signal (32) which comprises image model information (10) for generating 3-D images. The image model information (10) may comprise a 3-D image model, e.g. a 3-D wireframe model or a 3-D voxel map. Some of the generated 3-D images may have a relatively low image quality. The visual communication signal (32) further comprises image enhancement information (20) corresponding to at least part of the 3-D images for enhancing the image quality of the generated 3-D images. This image enhancement information (20) may comprise image information corresponding to one or more single viewpoints (22,24) and/or image information corresponding to one or more ranges of viewpoints (26,28). The visual communication signal (32) may be transmitted from a transmitter (30) to a receiver (34) in a visual communication system (40) such as a 3-D television system or a 3-D teleconferencing system. Alternatively, the visual communication signal (32) may be carried by a tangible medium, e.g.