Apparatus and method for converting two-dimensional video frames to stereoscopic video frames

1. An apparatus for converting two-dimensional video frames to stereoscopic video frames, comprising:

a comparing unit for receiving a sequence of two-dimensional video frames and providing a comparison result indicative of temporal difference data for the sequence of two-dimensional video frames;

a temporal transform operator coupled to the comparing unit for modifying the sequence of two-dimensional video frames according to the comparison result; and

a spatial transform operator coupled to the comparing unit and the temporal transform operator for generating a stereoscopic frame pair according to each of the modified video frames,

wherein the stereoscopic frame pair comprises a left-eye video frame and a right-eye video frame for providing visual differences perceived by human eyes and the temporal transform operator further generates a virtual frame pair according to each frame of the modified video frames.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the comparing unit performs pixel-based detection for obtaining luminance variation or chrominance variation between pixels.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the comparing unit performs block-based motion detection for obtaining motion information associated with the sequence of two-dimensional video frames.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the temporal transform operator comprises a noise reduction filter for removing noise from the sequence of two-dimensional video frames and obtaining a sequence of noise-reduced video frames.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the temporal transform operator comprises a deinterlacer for deinterlacing the sequence of two-dimensional video frames according to the motion information and obtaining a progressive scan video stream.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the temporal transform operator comprises a motion judder canceller for performing frame rate conversion of the sequence of two-dimensional video frames with reduced motion judder effects.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a memory unit for storing the comparison result and at least some of the two-dimensional video frames.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the temporal transform operator duplicates each frame of the modified video frames to respectively generate a first video frame and a second video frame of the virtual frame pair.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the spatial transform operator comprises:

a left-eye spatial transform operator for generating the left-eye video frame of the stereoscopic frame pair according to the first video frame of the virtual frame pair; and

a right-eye spatial transform operator for generating the right-eye video frame of the stereoscopic frame pair according to the second video frame of the virtual frame pair.

10. A method for converting two-dimensional video frames to stereoscopic video frames, comprising:

receiving a sequence of two-dimensional video frames;

providing a comparison result indicative of temporal difference data for the sequence of two-dimensional video frames;

modifying the sequence of two-dimensional video frames according to the comparison result;

generating a virtual frame pair according to each frame of the modified video frames; and

generating a stereoscopic frame pair according to each of the modified video frames,

wherein the stereoscopic frame pair comprises a left-eye video frame and a right-eye video frame for providing visual differences perceived by human eyes.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the step of providing the comparison result comprises:

performing pixel-based detection for obtaining luminance variation or chrominance variation between pixels.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the step of providing the comparison result comprises:

performing block-based motion detection for obtaining motion information associated with the sequence of two-dimensional video frames.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the step of modifying the sequence of two-dimensional video frames comprises:

removing noise from the sequence of two-dimensional video frames and obtaining a sequence of noise-reduced video frames.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the step of modifying the sequence of two-dimensional video frames comprises:

deinterlacing the sequence of two-dimensional video frames according to the motion information; and

obtaining a progressive scan video stream.

15. The method as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising:

performing frame rate conversion of the sequence of two-dimensional video frames with reduced motion judder effects.

16. The method as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising:

storing the comparison result and at least some of the two-dimensional video frames.

17. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the step of generating the virtual frame pair comprises:

duplicating each frame of the modified video frames for respectively generating a first video frame and a second video frame of the virtual frame pair.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the step of generating the stereoscopic frame pair comprises:

generating the left-eye video frame of the stereoscopic frame pair according to the first video frame of the virtual frame pair; and

generating the right-eye video frame of the stereoscopic frame pair according to the second video frame of the virtual frame pair.