Stereoscopic image processing methods and apparatus

摘要

Stereoscopic image processing methods and apparatus are described. Left and right eye images of a stereoscopic frame are examined to determine if one or more difference reduction operations designed to reduce the luminance and/or chrominance differences between the left and right frames is within a range used to trigger a difference reduction operation. A difference reduction operation may involve assigning portions of the left and right frames to different depth regions and/or other region categories. A decision on whether or not to perform a difference reduction operation is then performed on a per regions basis with at the difference between the left and right eye portions of at least one region being reduced when a difference reduction operation is to be performed. The difference reduction process may, and in some embodiments is, performed in a precoder which processes left and right eye images of stereoscopic frames prior to stereoscopic encoding.

主权项

1. A method of processing a pair of images including a left eye image and a right eye image, each of said left and right eye images including image values of a first type, the method comprising:
generating a first overall disparity value indicating a first overall level of difference between values of said first type in said left eye image and values of said first type in said right eye image; determining if said first overall disparity value is in a first difference range used to control performing of a first difference reduction operation, said first difference reduction operation being an operation on values of said first type included in at least one of said left eye image or said right eye image to reduce the overall difference between values of said first type in said left eye image and values of said first type in said right eye image; and performing said first difference reduction operation to reduce the first overall level of difference between values of said first type in said left eye image and values of said first type in said right eye image when said first overall disparity value is determined to be in said first difference range and skipping performing said first difference reduction operation when said first overall disparity value is above a second threshold which is an upper boundary of said first difference range.