Apparatus and method for disparity map generation

1. A method for generating a disparity map, comprising the steps of:

generating a first disparity map for images acquired at a first time;

determining one or more objects or portions of objects that change position between the images acquired at the first time and images acquired at a second time;

generating disparity map update segments corresponding to the objects or portions of objects, wherein a determination of disparity between the images acquired at the second time is performed only on portions thereof that have changed from one or more of the images acquired at the first time; and

combining the first disparity map and the disparity map update segments.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of combining the first disparity map and the disparity map update segments further comprises the steps of:

determining the position of the objects or portions of objects in the images acquired at the second time; and

replacing these positions in the first disparity map with the corresponding disparity map update segments.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the objects or portions of objects comprise portions of an image that have changed.

4. A system for generating a disparity map, comprising the steps of:

a stereo camera for acquiring a first image and a second image at a first time and a third image and a fourth image at a second time;

a processor for generating a first disparity map based upon the first image and the second image acquired at the first time, determining one or more portions comprising a difference between one of the first and second images and a corresponding one of the third and fourth images, generating a disparity map update for the one or more determined portions, wherein a determination of disparity between the third image and the fourth image acquired at the second time is performed only on portions thereof that have changed from the first and second images acquired at the first time, and generating a disparity map by combining the disparity map update and the first disparity map.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the processor, when combining the disparity map update and the first disparity map, is further adapted to:

identify one or more locations in the first disparity map corresponding to the determined one or more portions; and

substitute for each identified location in the first disparity map a corresponding portion of the disparity map update.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the processor is a graphical processing unit (GPU).

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the processor is an arithmetic logic unit (ALU).

8. The system of claim 4 , wherein the processor is a multi-core computer processing unit (CPU).

9. The system of claim 4 , wherein the processor is a multi-core embedded processing unit.

10. A computer program stored on a non-transient storage medium, the computer program, when implemented in accordance with a processor, causes the processor to perform the steps of:

generating a first disparity map based upon a first image and a second image acquired at a first time;

acquiring at least a third image and a fourth image at a second time;

determining one or more portions comprising a difference between one of the first and second images and a corresponding one of the third and fourth images;

generating a disparity map update for the one or more determined portions, wherein a determination of disparity between the third and fourth images acquired at the second time is performed only on portions thereof that have changed from the first and second images acquired at the first time; and

generating a disparity map based upon the third image and the fourth image by combining the disparity map update and the first disparity map.

11. The computer program of claim 10 , wherein combining the disparity map update and the first disparity map further comprises the steps of:

identifying one or more locations in the first disparity map corresponding to the determined one or more portions; and

substituting for each identified location in the first disparity map a corresponding portion of the disparity map update.

12. A computer program stored on a non-transient storage medium, the computer program, when implemented in accordance with a processor, causes the processor to perform the steps of:

generating a first disparity map for images acquired at a first time;

determining one or more objects that change position between the images acquired at the first time and images acquired at a second time;

generating disparity map update segments corresponding to the determined one or more objects, wherein a determination of disparity between the images acquired at the second time is performed only on portions thereof that have changed from the images acquired at the first time; and

combining the first disparity map and the disparity map update segments.

13. The computer program of claim 12 , wherein the step of combining the first disparity map and the disparity map update segments further comprises the steps of:

determining the position of the objects in the images acquired at the second time; and

replacing these positions in the first disparity map with the corresponding disparity map update segments.

14. The computer program of claim 12 , wherein the objects comprise portions of an image that have changed.