A system and a method for generating a depth map

摘要

A computer-implemented system for generating a depth map for a pair of stereoscopic images (101), the system characterized in that it comprises: a lower level processing arrangement comprising: a decimation module (102) configured to decrease resolution of the pair of stereoscopic images (101) by a factor of "a"; an image sections matching module (104), receiving the decimated pair of stereoscopic images (103) configured to output information on matching cost, at appropriate disparities, to appropriate points of the other image from decimated pair of stereoscopic images (103); a depth map generation with reliability module (105) receiving output of the image sections matching module (104) configured to output a depth map and a reliability map wherein the reliability map comprises data on reliability, with which a disparity value has been determined for each point of the decimated pair of stereoscopic images (103); a disparity scaling module (106) receiving the depth map and configured to upscale the image of the depth map and scale its values by a factor of "a"; a search range estimation module (107) receiving the reliability map and configured to determine a range of considered disparities in the higher level of processing wherein a decision regarding such range is taken based on the reliability map; and a higher level processing arrangement comprising: an image sections matching module (108) configured to search only a narrowed range of possible disparity as indicated by the input from the search range estimation module (107), of the lower level, wherein the image sections matching module (108) receives the depth map from the disparity scaling module (106), of the lower level; a depth map generation with reliability module (109) receiving output of the image sections matching module (108) configured to output a depth map and a reliability map wherein the reliability map comprises data on reliability, with which a disparity value has been determined for each point of the pair of stereoscopic images (101).