Contrast matching for stereo image

1. A method for processing a first image and a second image comprising:

receiving first pixel information corresponding to the first image from a first image generator;

receiving second pixel information corresponding to the second image from a second image generator;

determining a first contrast value corresponding to only a portion of the first image based on the first pixel information;

determining a second contrast value corresponding to only a portion of the second image based on the second pixel information;

selecting one of the first and second images responsive to the first and second contrast values;

generating a first tone mapping function based on the first and second contrast values for modifying contrast of the selected one of the first and second images, wherein the first and second contrast values are determined according to the following:

ContrastValue

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(

H

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(

I

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sum

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H

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,

wherein “H” is the luminance channel histogram and “I” is the luminance channel image of the corresponding first or second image; and

generating compensated image pixel information corresponding to the selected one of the first and second images by applying the first tone mapping function to the pixel information corresponding to the selected one of the first and second images.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising generating first and second luminance histograms corresponding respectively to the first and second images based on the respective first pixel information and second pixel information, wherein the first tone mapping function is generated based on the first and second luminance histograms.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first tone mapping function maps the luminance histogram of the selected image to the luminance histogram of the other image.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising:

selecting both the first and second images responsive to the first and second contrast values;

generating a second tone mapping function based on the first and second contrast values for modifying contrast of the image of the first and second images other than the selected one of the first and second images; and

generating compensated image pixel information corresponding to the other image by applying the second tone mapping function to the pixel information corresponding to the other image.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising comparing the first contrast value to the second contrast value and selecting one of the first and second images having lower contrast.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second contrast values are determined based on a luminance determination of the respective first and second images.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising identifying an overlap region of the first and second images and the first and second contrast values are determined based on the respective overlap regions of the first and second images.

8. The method of claim 1 where the luminance of the first and second images is represented by X number of bits and the first and second luminance histograms are generated based on gradations corresponding to a number of bits less than X.

9. A method for adjusting contrast-between left and right images of a stereoscopic image pair of a subject frame, where the subject frame is in a sequence of frames and follows a set of one or more frames and a memory stores a left luminance histogram and a right luminance histogram corresponding to left and right images of each frame of the set of frames, comprising:

receiving from the memory the left and right luminance histograms for each frame in the set of frames;

determining to compensate both the left image and the right image of the subject frame responsive to an aggregate of the left luminance histograms of the frames in the set of frames and an aggregate of the right luminance histograms of the frames in the set of frames;

generating an intermediate luminance histogram corresponding to an intermediate contrast value between respective first and second contrast values of the left and right images for each frame in the set of frames;

generating a tone mapping function based on the aggregate of the left luminance histograms of the frames in the set of frames, the aggregate of the right luminance histograms of the frames in the set of frames, and the intermediate luminance histogram;

generating a left luminance histogram and a right luminance histogram for the respective left and right images of the subject frame; and

generating a left compensated image and a right compensated image by applying the left tone mapping function to the left image and the right tone mapping function to the right image of the subject frame.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising saving the left and right luminance histograms of the subject image in memory, replacing the left and right luminance histograms of an earliest frame in the set of frames.

11. The method of claim 9 where the left and right luminance histograms corresponding to the frames in the set of frames correspond to overlap regions of the respective left and right images.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

generating a left luminance histogram and a right luminance histogram for respective left and right images of a second subject frame; and

generating a compensated image corresponding to the second subject frame by applying the tone mapping function to the left image or right image of the second subject frame respectively corresponding to the determined left image or right image.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the set of frames consists of one frame.