Patent ID: 9147254
Filing Date: 2015-09-29
Classification: G02B,G06T,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method of estimating distances to objects within a scene from a set of images captured from different viewpoints using a processor configured by an image processing application, the method comprising: selecting a reference viewpoint relative to the viewpoints of the set of images captured from different viewpoints; normalizing the set of images to increase the similarity of corresponding pixels within the set of images; determining initial depth estimates for pixel locations in an image from the reference viewpoint based upon the disparity at which corresponding pixels in the set of images have the highest degree of similarity; comparing the similarity of the corresponding pixels in the set of images to detect mismatched pixels; when an initial depth estimate does not result in the detection of a mismatch between corresponding pixels in the set of images, selecting the initial depth estimate as the depth estimate for the pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint; and when an initial depth estimate results in the detection of a mismatch between corresponding pixels in the set of images, updating the depth estimate for the pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint by: