Patent ID: 8878847

Claim:
A method for estimation of an item of information representative of a height, wherein the method comprises the following steps: selecting a first point from among a plurality of points of a normal map, a normal being associated with each of the points of said plurality, a reference height being associated with said first point, estimating a first height difference between the first point and a second point of the normal map different from the first point according to the normal associated with the second point and the distance separating the first point from the second point in the normal map, computing a second height difference between the second point and a third point of the normal map different from first and second points according to the normal associated with the third point and the distance separating the second point from the third point in the normal map; and computing a first occlusion factor associated with the second point and a second occlusion factor associated with the third point, said first and second occlusion factors being computed from heights associated with a plurality of points surrounding respectively said second point and said third point, and a plurality of points surrounding respectively said second point and said third point which are defined by a disk having a predetermined radius and centered about the second point and the third point, respectively.