Abstract: A display system has a display device arranged to generate a first view in a first direction relative to the display device and to generate a second view in a second direction relative to the display device, the second direction being different from the first direction, and a device that detects the hand position of at least one user or of a pointing device held by the hand of such user, the position relative to the display device, the user-input being arranged to control the first view and the second view on basis of the detection and an observation mechanism for observation of the, at least one user and arranged to detect whether the user-input is provided to control the first view or the second view, on basis of the observation.

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: An image encoder (20) for compressing an input image comprising at least one of a first region and a second region, and a third region, the image encoder comprising an estimator (21) arranged to estimate a third texture parameter (?3e) from at least one of a first texture parameter (?20) of the first region and a second texture parameter (?20) of the second region according to a predetermined estimating algorithm (K), a comparator (22) arranged to compare a representation (R3?) of a generated texture corresponding to the estimated third texture parameter (?3e) with a representation (R3) of a texture present in the third region of the input image according to a pre-determined matching criterion and to calculate a degree of match value (?m); and a data encoder (23) arranged to encode at least one of the first texture parameter and the second texture parameter (?10, ?20) into a compressed data stream ST(?10, ?20, . . .

Abstract: A display system (100) for displaying images from different data streams (1,2) simultaneously is described. Images corresponding to the first data stream (1) are shown to a first observer (106) in a vehicle and images corresponding to the second data stream (2) are shown to a second observer (108) in the vehicle. The display system (100) comprises: a display screen (102 for generating a first one of the images and a second one of the images; and an optical selection screen (104) for selectively passing the first one of the images in a first direction (101) towards the first observer (106) and passing the second one of the image second direction (103) towards the second observer (108). It is advantageously that the display screen (102) generates images both data streams (1,2).

Abstract: System for the production of images the system comprising one or more cameras (2,3,4,2a,3a,4a) for providing overlapping images on a base (1), the system comprising a merger (5) for merging one or more overlapping images supplied by one or more of the cameras into a composite image (6). The merging process takes into account that the base is rotating with a rotational speed ?).

Abstract: A video encoder (100) comprises a receiver (101) which receives an uncompressed video signal. An encoding element (103) generates a compressed video signal in accordance with a compression algorithm, such as an MPEG-2 encoding algorithm. In addition, a feature point processor (105) generates feature point data (105) in response to the uncompressed signal, and an output processor (107) generates an output video signal which comprises the compressed video signal and the feature point data. The output signal is received by a receiver (201) of a video signal processor (200). An extraction processor (203) extracts the feature point data and feeds it to a video processor unit (207) which processes the compressed video signal in response to the feature point data.

Abstract: There is provided a method of encoding a video signal comprising a sequence of images to generate corresponding encoded video data. The method including the steps of: (a) analyzing the images to identify one or more image segments therein; (b) identifying those of said one or more segments which are substantially not of a spatially stochastic nature and encoding them in a deterministic manner to generate first encoded intermediate data; (c) identifying those of said one or more segments which are of a substantially spatially stochastic nature and encoding them by way of one or more corresponding stochastic model parameters to generate second encoded intermediate data; and (d) merging the first and second intermediate data to generate the encoded video data.

Abstract: In a motion or depth estimation method, a set (CS) of candidate motion vectors, or depth values formed by already obtained motion vectors, or depth values for neighboring image parts which are spatio-temporally adjacent to a given image part of interest, is generated (MV-MEM) for the given image part of interest. Those candidate motion vectors or depth values which correspond to neighboring image parts containing more reliable texture information than other neighboring image parts, are prioritized (TBPD) to obtain a prioritized set (PCS) of candidate motion vectors or depth values. Thereafter, motion or depth data (MV) for the given image part of interest is furnished (ME) in dependence upon the prioritized set (PCS) of candidate motion vectors or depth values. Finally, an image signal processing device (ISPD) processes an image signal (Iin) to obtain an enhanced image signal in dependence upon the motion or depth data (MV).

Abstract: In a method for relative depth of parts of one or more digital images, the digital images are regularized by segmentation, and at least part of the pixels of the images are assigned to respective segments. The realtive motion of the segments for successive images is estimated by image matching. The image features of the segments are regularized by dual segmetation, in which the edges of the segments are found, pixels are assigned to the edges, and dual segments are defined. The relative motion of the dual segments for successive images is estimated by image segment matching in order to determine the relative depth order of the image segments.

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 display system (100) for displaying images from different data streams (1,2) simultaneously is described. Images corresponding to the first data stream (1) are shown to a first observer (106) in a vehicle and images corresponding to the second data stream (2) are shown to a second observer (108) in the vehicle. The display system (100) comprises: a display screen (102) for generating a first one of the images and a second one of the images; and an optical selction screen (104) for selectively passing the first one of the images in a first direction (101) towards the first observer (106) and passing the second one of the images in a second direction (103) towards the second observer (108). It is advantageously that the display screen (102) generates images from both data streams (1,2).

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 of transforming a voxel representation of an N-dimensional object into a computer model containing a cellular space, which is a specific form of graph. An indicator attached to each edge of the cellular space indicates whether a border belongs to an object. This is useful for three-dimensional compression of video sequences and for Internet video sequence search.

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 (45) of candidate values. This set (45) usually comprises one random motion or depth value, to prevent the algorithm from stacking in local minimums. The method and system according to the invention instead add to this set (45) one motion or depth value based on properties of the image. A history of temporal changes for chosen motion or depth values is recorded, a histogram is made and a plurality of values is created in proportion to the histogram. The one added value is chosen from this plurality. Additionally, information about the direction of the changes is recorded to prevent oscillation. An apparatus for adapting a video signal (40) uses the chosen candidate values to create an enhanced version of the video signal (40).

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.

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 (45) of candidate values (20, 21, 22, 23). When the chosen candidate value (23) is an extreme value of the set, it is impossible to predict how remote this value is from the real minimal matching error. To overcome this problem, the method and system for choosing an optimal candidate value choose a new candidate (30) beyond the extreme value (23). When this new candidate (30) then has the lowest matching error, additional new candidates are chosen until it no longer has. An apparatus for adapting a video signal (40) uses the chosen candidate values to create an enhanced version of the video signal (40).