Patent Document ID: 20110188736
Application ID: 12697599
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A method implemented by one or more image processing circuits for estimating a disparity map of a scene from a plurality of monoscopic images of that scene, each monoscopic image including a plurality of pixel blocks of one or more pixels and one of the monoscopic images being defined as a reference image, the method comprising: calculating a disparity and an associated matching cost for at least one pixel block included in the reference image at a pre-determined pixel block resolution; predicting, based on the disparity and the associated matching cost calculated for said at least one pixel block, a disparity and an associated matching cost for a pixel block that is also included in the reference image at the pre-determined pixel block resolution and that neighbors said at least one pixel block; calculating a tentative disparity and an associated matching cost for said neighboring pixel block based on the disparity predicted, by searching for a corresponding pixel block in a different monoscopic image over a reduced range of candidate pixel blocks in said different monoscopic image, the reduced range being focused around the disparity predicted; and determining a disparity for said neighboring pixel block based on comparing the matching costs associated with the tentative disparity and the disparity predicted.