Compression methods and apparatus for occlusion data

1. A method for processing occlusion data in a sequence of video data frames, said method comprising:

determining a format for said occlusion data, said format selected from one of a sparse occlusion data format and a filled occlusion data format;

when said format for said occlusion data is determined to be said filled occlusion data format, converting said occlusion data into a sparse occlusion data format before encoding;

encoding said occlusion data to produce encoded occlusion data; and

transmitting said encoded occlusion data together with an indicator representative of said format determined for said occlusion data to a receiver.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , said converting further comprises representing each sample in each non-occlusion area included in said occlusion data with a defined characteristic.

3. The method defined in claim 2 , wherein said converting further comprises identifying, prior to said representing, at least one occlusion area and at least one non-occlusion area for said occlusion data, said at least one occlusion area being mutually exclusive of said at least one non-occlusion area.

4. The method defined in claim 2 , wherein said identifying further comprises: detecting, in response at least to depth data, one or more depth discontinuities in said video data frame associated with said occlusion data, said depth data included in said video data frame associated with said occlusion data; and classifying each area along said one or more depth discontinuities as a non-occlusion area in said occlusion data.

5. The method defined in claim 2 , wherein said defined characteristic comprises a defined color.

6. The method defined in claim 2 , wherein said defined characteristic comprises a defined depth value.

7. The method as defined in claim 2 , wherein said occlusion data comprises one of occlusion video data and occlusion depth data.

8. The method as defined in claim 2 , wherein said encoding is performed in accordance with a video coding standard including one of H.264/AVC, MVC, and MPEG-2.

9. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said encoding is performed in accordance with a video coding standard including one of H.264/AVC, MVC, and MPEG-2.

10. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said indicator representative of said format determined for said occlusion data is included in at least one of a slice header, a sequence parameter set, a picture parameter set, a view parameter set, a network abstraction layer unit header, and a supplemental enhancement information message.

11. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said occlusion data comprises one of occlusion video data and occlusion depth data.

12. An apparatus for processing occlusion data in a sequence of video data frames, said apparatus comprising an encoder configured to:

determine a format for said occlusion data, said format selected from one of a sparse occlusion data format and a filled occlusion data format;

when said format for said occlusion data is determined to be said filled occlusion data format, the encoder converts said occlusion data into a sparse occlusion data format before encoding;

encode said occlusion data to produce encoded occlusion data; and

transmit said encoded occlusion data together with an indicator representative of said format determined for said occlusion data to a receiver.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 12 , said converting further comprises representing each sample in each non-occlusion area included in said occlusion data with a defined characteristic.

14. The apparatus defined in claim 13 , wherein said encoder, during said converting is further configured to identify, prior to said representing, at least one occlusion area and at least one non-occlusion area for said occlusion data, said at least one occlusion area being mutually exclusive of said at least one non-occlusion area.

15. The apparatus defined in claim 13 , wherein said encoder during said identifying is further configured to:

detect, in response at least to depth data, one or more depth discontinuities in said video data frame associated with said occlusion data, said depth data included in said video data frame associated with said occlusion data; and

classify each area along said one or more depth discontinuities as a non-occlusion area in said occlusion data.

16. The apparatus defined in claim 13 , wherein said defined characteristic comprises a defined color.

17. The apparatus defined in claim 13 , wherein said defined characteristic comprises a defined depth value.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 , wherein said occlusion data comprises one of occlusion video data and occlusion depth data.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 , wherein said encoding is performed in accordance with a video coding standard including one of H.264/AVC, MVC, and MPEG-2.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 12 , wherein said encoding is performed in accordance with a video coding standard including one of H.264/AVC, MVC, and MPEG-2.

21. The apparatus as defined in claim 12 , wherein said indicator representative of said format determined for said occlusion data is included in at least one of a slice header, a sequence parameter set, a picture parameter set, a view parameter set, a network abstraction layer unit header, and a supplemental enhancement information message.

22. The apparatus as defined in claim 12 , wherein said occlusion data comprises one of occlusion video data and occlusion depth data.

23. A method for processing occlusion data in a sequence of video data frames, said method comprising:

extracting an indicator representative of an original format for received occlusion data, said original format selected from a one of a sparse occlusion data format and a filled occlusion data format;

decoding said received occlusion data to produce decoded occlusion data; and when said indicator indicates said original format as a filled occlusion data format,

converting said decoded occlusion data from a sparse occlusion data format to said filled occlusion data format, said converting further comprising replacing non-occlusion area data, which is represented with a defined characteristic, by respective collocated samples from 2D data in said video data frame associated with said occlusion data;

outputting said decoded occlusion data and, when present, converted decoded occlusion data.

24. The method defined in claim 23 , wherein said defined characteristic comprises a defined color.

25. The method defined in claim 23 , wherein said defined characteristic comprises a defined depth value.

26. The method as defined in claim 23 , wherein said occlusion data comprises one of occlusion video data and occlusion depth data.

27. The method as defined in claim 23 , wherein said decoding is performed in accordance with a video coding standard including one of H.264/AVC, MVC, and MPEG-2.

28. An apparatus for processing occlusion data in a sequence of video data frames, said apparatus comprising a decoder configured to:

extract an indicator representative of an original format for received occlusion data, said original format selected from a one of a sparse occlusion data format and a filled occlusion data format;

decode said received occlusion data to produce decoded occlusion data; and when said indicator indicates said original format as a filled occlusion data format,

convert said decoded occlusion data from a sparse occlusion data format to said filled occlusion data format, said converting further including;

replace non-occlusion area data, which is represented with a defined characteristic, by respective collocated samples from 2D data in said video data frame associated with said occlusion data;

output said decoded occlusion data and, when present, converted decoded occlusion data.

29. The apparatus defined in claim 28 , wherein said defined characteristic comprises a defined color.

30. The apparatus defined in claim 28 , wherein said defined characteristic comprises a defined depth value.

31. The apparatus as defined in claim 28 , wherein said occlusion data comprises one of occlusion video data and occlusion depth data.

32. The apparatus as defined in claim 28 , wherein said decoding is performed in accordance with a video coding standard including one of H.264/AVC, MVC, and MPEG-2.