Patent Document ID: 9529427
Application ID: 14072922
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of rendering an image based upon a first stereoscopic image comprising a pair of images, the method comprising the steps of: generating a virtual three-dimensional model of a scene depicted in the first stereoscopic image responsive to distances derived from the first stereoscopic image; detecting one or more free edges in the virtual three dimensional model; generating, by one or more processors, one or more textures for the virtual three-dimensional model from at least one of the pair of images of the first stereoscopic image; applying, by the one or more processors, at least one of the one or more textures to a respective part of the virtual three dimensional model; and rendering, by the one or more processors, the virtual three dimensional model from a different viewpoint to that of the first stereoscopic image; wherein rendering the virtual three dimensional model comprises modifying a transparency of rendered pixels of an applied texture as a function of each pixel's distance from a given one of the free edges; and wherein the rendering further includes generation of a texture for at least one polygon comprising color information from foreground and background elements of the scene; in which generating a virtual three-dimensional model of the scene depicted in the first stereoscopic image comprises: generating a disparity map from the pair of images of the first stereoscopic image, the disparity map being indicative of distances in the first stereoscopic image; defining a series of value ranges corresponding to disparity values of the disparity map, each value range in the series having an end point corresponding to a greater disparity than an end point of preceding value ranges in the series; selecting points in the disparity map falling within the respective value range; generating a respective mesh responsive to those selected points; and merging generated meshes to form the 3D model of the scene.