IP Library Granted Patent US 9,641,821
Granted Patent B2
US 9,641,821 · App. 14/045,237 · Granted May 2, 2017

Image signal processing device and image signal processing method

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,641,821
App. No.
14/045,237
Granted
May 2, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

An obtaining unit obtains, for the stereoscopic image signal, depth information indicating a depth value in each position in an image plane. A smoothing unit smoothes the depth information in the image plane. A correction unit corrects the depth information which has been smoothed and expands a range of an area having a depth value of a foreground in a boundary portion between the foreground and a background. An image generation unit generates, using the depth information which has been corrected, a new stereoscopic image from the stereoscopic image signal.

Claims (24)

1. An image signal processing device which processes an input stereoscopic image signal, the device comprising:

an obtaining unit configured to obtain, for the stereoscopic image signal, depth information indicating a depth value for each of a plurality of positions in an image plane;

a smoothing unit configured to smooth the depth information in the image plane to produce smoothed depth information, the smoothed depth information including depth information of foreground portions each having a foreground depth value, background portions each having a background depth value, and boundary portions each being between one of the foreground portions and one of the background portions and each having a boundary depth value between the foreground depth value and the background depth value;

a correction unit configured to correct the smoothed depth information to produce corrected depth information by changing the smoothed depth information of one or more of the boundary portions to the foreground depth value thereby making at least part the one or more of the boundary portions belong to the foreground portions to expand a range of an area having the foreground depth value; and

an image generation unit configured to generate a new stereoscopic image based on the corrected depth information.

2. The image signal processing device of claim 1 , wherein

the image generation unit generates, as the new stereoscopic image, an image with more than two viewpoints.

3. The image signal processing device of claim 1 , wherein

the smoothing unit is configured to adjust an intensity of smoothing, and

the correction unit is configured to adjust an intensity of correction in accordance with the intensity of smoothing in the smoothing unit.

4. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein

the image generation unit has a function of performing stereoscopic effect correction on the new stereoscopic image, and

the correction unit is configured to adjust an intensity of correction in accordance with a correction amount of the stereoscopic effect correction in the image generation unit.

5. An image signal processing method for processing a stereoscopic image signal, the method comprising:

obtaining, for the stereoscopic image signal, depth information indicating a depth value for each of a plurality of positions in an image plane;

smoothing the depth information in the image plane to produce smoothed depth information, the smoothed depth information including depth information of foreground portions each having a foreground depth value, background portions each having a background depth value, and boundary portions each being between one of the foreground portions and one of the background portions and each having a boundary depth value between the foreground depth value and the background depth value;

correcting the smoothed depth information to produce corrected depth information by changing the smoothed depth information of one or more of the boundary portions to the foreground depth value thereby making at least part of the one or more of the boundary portions belong to the foreground portions to expand a range of an area having the foreground depth value; and

generating a new stereoscopic image based on the corrected depth information.

6. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein

at least one of the obtaining unit, smoothing unit, correction unit, and image generation unit are constituted by a controller chip.

7. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein

at least one of the obtaining unit, smoothing unit, correction unit, and image generation unit are constituted by an independent IC.

8. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein

at least one of the obtaining unit, smoothing unit, correction unit, and image generation unit are constituted by a processor and a memory having program stored thereon that operates the processor.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ERRONEOUSLY FILED APPLICATION NUMBERS 13/384239, 13/498734, 14/116681 AND 14/301144 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 034194 FRAME 0143. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Dec 24, 2020
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 056788/0362 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 10, 2014
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 034194/0143 →