Patent · US Expired

Image processing apparatus

US6791540B1 · kind B1 · utility

45Cited by
2References
60Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 5, 2000
Grant dateSep 14, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 5, 2020

Classification

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

Abstract

An image-based rendering method for processing depth map images of a scene recorded from different viewpoints, and generating a virtual image of the scene from an arbitrary viewpoint. To calculate the color value of a pixel in the virtual image, a pixel-viewing ray is defined from the focal point of the virtual camera through the pixel. The ray is projected into each depth map image, giving a projected ray. Pixels in a depth map image which are intersected by the projected ray are tested by defining a point (W1, W2, W3) along a line from the focal point of the depth map camera through the pixel at a distance corresponding to the depth of the pixel. A color value for the pixel in the virtual image is calculated by interpolating between the values of the pixels in the depth map image which produced the points (W2, W3) lying on opposite sides of the pixel viewing ray.

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