Abstract: A surgical imaging system including: an image capturing device operable to capture an image of a scene; a distance extraction device operable to extract distance information from a point in the scene, the distance information being the distance between the image capturing device and the point in the scene; an image generating device operable to generate a pixel, the generated pixel being associated with a pixel in the captured image and a value of the generated pixel being derived from the distance information; an image combining device operable to combine the generated pixel with the captured image, wherein the generated pixel replaces the pixel of the captured image it is associated with to form a composite image; and an image display device operable to display the composite image.

Abstract: An image analysis apparatus for processing a 3D video signal comprising successive pairs of images representing different respective views of a scene to generate an image depth indicator comprises a correlator configured to correlate image areas in one of the pair of images with image areas in the other of the pair of images so as to detect displacements of corresponding image areas between the two images; a graphics generator configured to generate a graphical representation of the distribution of the displacements, with respect to a range of possible displacement values, across the pair of images; and a display generator for generating for display the graphical representation in respect of a current pair of images and in respect of a plurality of preceding pairs of images, so as to provide a time-based representation of variations in the distribution of the displacements.

Abstract: A method of determining the movement in position of the optical axis of a camera having an optical zoom lens, comprising the steps of: obtaining a test image at a predetermined level of optical zoom; applying a digital zoom to at least part of the test image, selecting a plurality of test points in the digitally zoomed test image; changing the level of optical zoom by a predetermined amount and changing the level of digital zoom; obtaining the test image at the different level of zoom; analyzing the digitally zoomed test image at the different level of optical zoom; searching at least part of the digitally zoomed test image at the different level of zoom for two of said plurality of said test points; converting the position of the test points in the digitally zoomed images into corresponding positions within the optically zoomed images; and determining the amount of movement of the optical axis on the basis of the difference in position between corresponding test points within the optically zoomed images.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining misalignment between a first image and a second image, the first and second images being viewable stereoscopically, the apparatus comprising: a determiner operable to determine a feature position within the first image and a corresponding feature position within the second image; a definer operable to define, within the first image and the second image, the optical axis of the cameras capturing said respective images; a calculator operable to calculate the misalignment between the feature position within the first image and the corresponding feature position within the second image using a model, the misalignment being determined in dependence upon the location of the feature position of the first image and the corresponding feature position of the second image relative to the defined optical axis of the respective images; and a tester operable to test the validity of the calculated misalignment using a random sample consensus technique, whereby the tested misalignment is valid w

Abstract: A method of determining misalignment between a first image and a second image, the first and second images being viewable stereoscopically, the method comprising: determining a feature position within the first image and a corresponding feature position within the second image; defining, within the first image and the second image, the optical axis of the cameras capturing said respective images; and calculating the misalignment between at least one of scale, roll or vertical translation of the feature position within the first image and the corresponding feature position within the second image, the misalignment being determined in dependence upon the location of the feature position of the first image and the corresponding feature position of the second image relative to the defined optical axis of the respective images is described. A corresponding apparatus is also described.

Abstract: A first image captured by a first camera can be aligned with at least a segment of a second image captured with a second camera, where the images have an overlapping field of view. Image characteristic values indicative of image characteristics at positions within the overlapping field of view of the first and second images are respectively determined. A difference in position between corresponding image characteristic values in the overlapping field of view in the first image and the overlapping field of view in the second image is determined. A transform is applied to the first image, adjusting an orientation of the first image relative to the second image. The first and second image can be aligned when the difference in position between corresponding image characteristic values in the first and second image is a predetermined amount.

Abstract: An image analysis apparatus for processing a 3D video signal comprising successive pairs of images representing different respective views of a scene to generate an image depth indicator comprises a correlator configured to correlate image areas in one of the pair of images with image areas in the other of the pair of images so as to detect displacements of corresponding image areas between the two images; a graphics generator configured to generate a graphical representation of the distribution of the displacements, with respect to a range of possible displacement values, across the pair of images; and a display generator for generating for display the graphical representation in respect of a current pair of images and in respect of a plurality of preceding pairs of images, so as to provide a time-based representation of variations in the distribution of the displacements.

Abstract: An image analysis apparatus for processing a 3D pair of images representing respective left eye and right eye views of a scene comprises an image crop detector configured to detect the presence of an image crop at a lateral edge of one of the images; and a frame violation detector configured to detect, within areas of the images excluding any detected image crops, an image feature within a threshold distance of the left edge of the left image which is not found in the right image, or an image feature within a threshold distance of the right edge of the right image which is not found in the left image.

Abstract: An image processing system includes a camera, an image processor and a calibration surface including a calibration pattern, comprising plural alternately colored elements which provide a corresponding plurality of corners at locations at which more than two of the colored elements adjoin. The image processor detects from the video signal at least some of the corner locations and identifies a first and second group of lines of the calibration pattern, extrapolate the lines from each group and determine a on a plane of the scene as viewed by the camera, the presence and location of a first and second intersection points on where the extrapolated lines from the first and second groups, respectively, intersect to estimate one or more of a roll pitch and yaw angle of the camera relative to the calibration surface and extimates a likelihood that a corner is located at each of identified potential corner locations.

Abstract: A method of determining the movement in position of the optical axis of a camera having an optical zoom lens, comprising the steps of: obtaining a test image at a predetermined level of optical zoom; applying a digital zoom to at least part of the test image, selecting a plurality of test points in the digitally zoomed test image; changing the level of optical zoom by a predetermined amount and changing the level of digital zoom; obtaining the test image at the different level of zoom; analysing the digitally zoomed test image at the different level of optical zoom; searching at least part of the digitally zoomed test image at the different level of zoom for two of said plurality of said test points; converting the position of the test points in the digitally zoomed images into corresponding positions within the optically zoomed images; and determining the amount of movement of the optical axis on the basis of the difference in position between corresponding test points within the optically zoomed images.

Abstract: In a method of displaying an image from an image store to a display device, each pixel has a color represented by pixel values which define a position within color space. A plurality of regions are defined within the color space, and each pixel value used within the image is allocated to one of these regions within the color space. Then, one or more areas of the image are selected, and for each of the selected areas, one of the defined regions within the color space is selected. For each selected area of the image, pixels which have been allocated to the selected region within the color space are identified and added to the image store. Different areas of the image and regions of the color space are selected in succession until all pixels of the image have been added to the image store for display.

Abstract: and second images being viewable stereoscopically, the method comprising: determining a feature position within the first image and a corresponding feature position within the second image; defining, within the first image and the second image, the optical axis of the cameras capturing said respective images; and calculating the misalignment between at least one of scale, roll or vertical translation of the feature position within the first image and the corresponding feature position within the second image, the misalignment being determined in dependence upon the location of the feature position of the first image and the corresponding feature position of the second image relative to the defined optical axis of the respective images is described. A corresponding apparatus is also described.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining misalignment between a first image and a second image, the first and second images being viewable stereoscopically, the apparatus comprising: a determiner operable to determine a feature position within the first image and a corresponding feature position within the second image; a definer operable to define, within the first image and the second image, the optical axis of the cameras capturing said respective images; a calculator operable to calculate the misalignment between the feature position within the first image and the corresponding feature position within the second image using a model, the misalignment being determined in dependence upon the location of the feature position of the first image and the corresponding feature position of the second image relative to the defined optical axis of the respective images; and a tester operable to test the validity of the calculated misalignment using a random sample consensus technique, whereby the tested misalignment is valid

Abstract: A method of aligning a first image captured by a first camera with at least a segment of an image captured with a second camera, the images captured by the first and second camera having an overlapping field of view, the method comprising: determining, in the first image, an image characteristic value indicative of an image characteristic at a position within the overlapping field of view; determining, in the second image, an image characteristic value indicative of an image characteristic at a position within the overlapping field of view; determining the difference in position between corresponding image characteristic values in the overlapping field of view in the first image and the overlapping field of view in the second image; and applying a transform to the first image, the transform adjusting the orientation of the first image relative to the second image, wherein the first and second image are aligned when the difference in position between corresponding image characteristic values in the first an

Abstract: An image processing system includes a camera, an image processor and a calibration surface. The calibration surface includes thereon a calibration pattern, the calibration pattern comprising a plurality of alternately coloured elements which provide a corresponding plurality of corners at locations on the calibration pattern at which more than two of the coloured elements adjoin. The corner locations define a first group of lines and a second group of lines, the lines in each of the group of lines are parallel with respect to each other and with respect to the calibration surface. The first group of lines is orthogonal to the second group of lines and the camera is operable to generate and communicate to the image processor a video signal representative of a scene as viewed by the camera, the scene including the calibration surface.

Abstract: A method of displaying an image from a image store to a display device at a predetermined output frame period is described in which the image is represented by a plurality of pixels and each pixel has a colour represented by pixel values which define a position within colour space. In the display method, a plurality of regions are defined within colour space, and then each pixel value used within the image is allocated to one of the defined regions within colour space in accordance with the position in colour space of the pixel value. Then, one or more areas of the image are selected, and for each of the selected one or more areas, one of the defined regions within colour space is selected. For each selected area of the image, pixels which have a pixel value which has been allocated to the selected region within colour space are identified and add to the image store.

Abstract: A video processing method generates output images for display, each output image having one or more regions derived from a first source image separated by a wipe boundary from one or more regions derived from a second source image, each display position of the source images having an associated transparency coefficient.

Abstract: A video processing method for preparing an anti-aliased foreground image for display over an image background comprises the steps of:

Abstract: A video processing method generates output images for display, each output image having one or more regions derived from a first source image separated by a wipe boundary from one or more regions derived from a second source image, each display position of the source images having an associated transparency coefficient.