Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for determining a disparity value for an object located in or to be placed into a stereoscopic image pair having an associated disparity map. First an area to be analyzed in one of the stereoscopic images is determined Then a histogram is built from disparity estimates of the associated disparity map that fall within the determined area. Subsequently a contiguous range of bins is searched in the histogram that also contains a sufficient number of pixels. Finally, a disparity estimate for the determined area is selected from the contiguous range of histogram bins.

Abstract: A method for generating a confidence map comprising a plurality of confidence values, each being assigned to a respective disparity value in a disparity map assigned to at least two stereo images each having a plurality of pixels, wherein a single confidence value is determined for each disparity value, and wherein for determination of the confidence value at least a first confidence value based on a match quality between a pixel or a group of pixels in the first stereo image and a corresponding pixel or a corresponding group of pixels in the second stereo image and a second confidence value based on a consistency of the corresponding disparity estimates is taken into account.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for refining a value of a similarity measure are described. A similarity measure is assigned to a pixel or a group of pixels of a disparity map, which is assigned to at least two stereo images each having a plurality of pixels. The similarity measure constitutes an estimate for a match quality of the pixel or the group of pixels. For refinement of the value of the similarity measure, the similarity measure between a pixel or a group of pixels in a first stereo image and a corresponding pixel or a group of corresponding pixels in a second stereo image is determined. A contrast value for the pixel or the group of pixels of the first or the second stereo image is determined and the value of the similarity measure is corrected by a correction value that is a function of the determined contrast value.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for determining a disparity value for an object located in or to be placed into a stereoscopic image pair having an associated disparity map. First an area to be analyzed in one of the stereoscopic images is determined Then a histogram is built from disparity estimates of the associated disparity map that fall within the determined area. Subsequently a contiguous range of bins is searched in the histogram that also contains a sufficient number of pixels. Finally, a disparity estimate for the determined area is selected from the contiguous range of histogram bins.

Abstract: A method for generating a confidence map comprising a plurality of confidence values, each being assigned to a respective disparity value in a disparity map assigned to at least two stereo images each having a plurality of pixels, wherein a single confidence value is determined for each disparity value, and wherein for determination of the confidence value at least a first confidence value based on a match quality between a pixel or a group of pixels in the first stereo image and a corresponding pixel or a corresponding group of pixels in the second stereo image and a second confidence value based on a consistency of the corresponding disparity estimates is taken into account.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for refining a value of a similarity measure are described. A similarity measure is assigned to a pixel or a group of pixels of a disparity map, which is assigned to at least two stereo images each having a plurality of pixels. The similarity measure constitutes an estimate for a match quality of the pixel or the group of pixels. For refinement of the value of the similarity measure, the similarity measure between a pixel or a group of pixels in a first stereo image and a corresponding pixel or a group of corresponding pixels in a second stereo image is determined. A contrast value for the pixel or the group of pixels of the first or the second stereo image is determined and the value of the similarity measure is corrected by a correction value that is a function of the determined contrast value.

Abstract: A method for analyzing the colors of stereoscopic or multi-view images is described. The method comprises the steps of retrieving one or more disparity maps for the stereoscopic or multi-view images, aligning one or more of the images to a reference image by warping the one or more images according to the retrieved disparity maps, and performing an analysis of discrepancies on one or more of the aligned images.