Patent ID: 8565513

Claim:
An image processing method, for providing corresponding depth information according to an input image, the method comprising: generating a reference image according to the input image; dividing the input image and the reference image into a number of input image blocks and a number of reference image blocks, respectively; obtaining respective variance magnitudes of the input image blocks according to a plurality of input pixel data of each input image block and a plurality of reference pixel data of each reference image block; dividing the input image into a plurality of segmentation regions; generating the depth information according to the corresponding variance magnitudes of the input image blocks which each segmentation region covers; and generating a three-dimensional (3D) image by providing the input image and the corresponding depth information to a stereoscopic display, so that the stereoscopic display generates the 3D image with stereo visual perception wherein the step of obtaining the respective variance magnitudes of the input image blocks comprises: for an input image block of the input image blocks and a corresponding reference image block of the reference image blocks: calculating a vertical variation and a horizontal variation for each of the input pixel data of the input image block and each of reference pixel data of the corresponding reference image block; generating a horizontal overall variance and a vertical overall variance for the input image block according to the calculation results; and determining a corresponding variance magnitude of the input image block according to the horizontal overall variance and the vertical overall variance.