Patent · US Expired

Multi-viewpoint image processing method and apparatus

US6608622B1 · kind B1 · utility

26Cited by
1References
44Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 13, 1995
Grant dateAug 19, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 13, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06T15/10
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An image processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention has the following steps: the multi-viewpoint image input step for inputting images obtained from a plurality of viewpoint positions arranged on different straight lines, the detection step (2, 7, 17, 8) for detecting a viewpoint position and its view direction in which a user is seeing at the viewpoint position, and the image generation step (11, 12, 13, 8) for generating a virtual image viewed from the predetermined viewpoint by using the images input in the multi-viewpoint image input step on the basis of the detected predetermined viewpoint position and the view direction. In the image generation step, optimal corresponding points are obtained by detecting a straight line having a width on an epipolar plane image corresponding to the input images, thereby generating an image.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.