Patent ID: 6480620
Filing Date: 2002-11-12
Classification: G06T,H04N

Abstract:
A method of 3-dimensional structure estimation for estimating a 3-dimensional structure of an object from image data of a plurality of pictures of the object each taken from each viewing position arranged on a straight line by a camera with an optical axis parallel to a direction perpendicular to the straight line; said method having a step of performing, for each pixel of image data of a first of the plurality of pictures, steps of:extracting corresponding small regions, each having a size of at least one pixel, each from the image data of each of the plurality of pictures, a position of each of said corresponding small regions in corresponding each of the plurality of pictures being defined by a focal distance of the camera, a distance between a viewing position wherefrom said corresponding each of the plurality of pictures is taken and a viewing position wherefrom the first of a plurality of pictures is taken, a position of a concerning pixel of image data of the first of the plurality of pictures, and a variable representing a depth of a point of the object corresponding to said concerning pixel; calculating a neighboring correspondence value for each of said corresponding small regions, said neighboring correspondence value representing correspondence among said corresponding small regions of neighboring certain of the plurality of pictures; obtaining a sum of said neighboring correspondence value of all of said corresponding small regions; selecting an estimation value in a predetermined range of said variable which gives a minimum value of said sum of said neighboring correspondence value for each pixel of image data of the first picture by controlling a depth counting unit and a reference pixel position counting unit; and outputting said estimation value as an estimation of said depth of said point corresponding to said concerning pixel.