Apparatus and method for performing segment-based disparity decomposition
A method and system for generating a disparity map. The method comprises 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, and 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. A disparity map update is generated for the one or more determined portions, and a disparity map is generated based upon the third image and the fourth image by combining the disparity map update and the first disparity map.
1. A method for performing segment-based disparity decomposition, comprising the steps of:
generating a left image from one of a stereo pair of image capture devices;
determining one or more segments present in the left image;
generating a right image from the other of the stereo pair of image capture devices;
shifting one of the left and right images by one pixel;
subtracting the shifted image from the other of the left and right images to form a difference image;
determining a temporal stability associated with each of the one or more segments;
determining a disparity value only for the one or more segments having been determined as temporally unstable in accordance with the difference image; and
updating the portions of a disparity map corresponding to the determined disparity value for the one or more temporally unstable segments.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined disparity value for each of the one or more segments is applied to substantially all pixels in that segment.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of generating a disparity image based at least in part upon the determined disparity values.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
shifting the shifted image an additional pixel;
subtracting the shifted image from the other of the left and right images to form an additional difference image;
determining a further temporal stability associated with each of the one or more segments;
determining an additional disparity value only for the one or more segments having been determined as further temporally unstable in accordance with the additional difference image;
for each segment, comparing the determined disparity value and additional disparity value to determine a final disparity value; and
updating the portions of a disparity map corresponding to the determined final disparity value for the one or more further temporally unstable segments.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising the step of generating a disparity image based upon the determined final disparity values.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of comparing the determined disparity value and additional disparity value to determine a final disparity value comprises the steps of:
determining a similarity metric for each segment corresponding to each position of the shifted image; and
selecting the final disparity value associated with the segment having the highest similarity metric or lowest error metric.
7. 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 left image from one of a stereo pair of image capture devices;
determining one or more segments present in the left image;
generating a right image from the other of the stereo pair of image capture devices;
shifting one of the left and right images by one pixel;
subtracting the shifted image from the other of the left and right images to form a difference image;
determining a temporal stability associated with each of the one or more segments;
determining a disparity value only for the one or more segments having been determined as temporally unstable in accordance with the difference image; and
updating the portions of a disparity map corresponding to the determined disparity value for the one or more temporally unstable segments.
8. The computer program of claim 7 , wherein the determined disparity value for each of the one or more segments is applied to substantially all pixels in that segment.
9. The computer program of claim 7 , wherein the computer program further causes the processor to perform the step of generating a disparity image based at least in part upon the determined disparity values.
10. The computer program of claim 7 , wherein the computer program further causes the processor to perform the steps of:
shifting the shifted image an additional pixel;
subtracting the shifted image from the other of the left and right images to form an additional difference image;
determining a further temporal stability associated with each of the one or more segments;
determining an additional disparity value only for the one or more segments having been determined as further temporally unstable in accordance with the additional difference image;
for each segment, comparing the determined disparity value and additional disparity value to determine a final disparity value; and
updating the portions of a disparity map corresponding to the determined final disparity value for the one or more further temporally unstable segments.
11. The computer program of claim 10 , wherein the computer program further causes the processor to perform the step of generating a disparity image based upon the determined final disparity values.
12. The computer program of claim 10 , wherein the step of comparing the determined disparity value and additional disparity value to determine a final disparity value comprises the steps of:
determining a similarity metric for each segment corresponding to each position of the shifted image; and
selecting the final disparity value associated with the segment having the highest similarity metric or lowest error metric.
13. A system for performing segment-based disparity decomposition, comprising:
a non-transient storage medium having a computer program stored thereon; and
a computer processor on which the computer program may be implemented, the computer program causing the computer processor to perform the steps of:
generating a left image from one of a stereo pair of image capture devices;
determining one or more segments present in the left image;
generating a right image from the other of the stereo pair of image capture devices;
shifting one of the left and right images by one pixel;
subtracting the shifted image from the other of the left and right images to form a difference image;
determining a temporal stability associated with each of the one or more segments;
determining a disparity value only for the one or more segments having been determined as temporally unstable in accordance with the difference image; and
updating the portions of a disparity map corresponding to the determined disparity value for the one or more temporally unstable segments.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the determined disparity value for each of the one or more segments is applied to substantially all pixels in that segment.
15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the computer program further causes the processor to perform the step of generating a disparity image based at least in part upon the determined disparity values.
16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the computer program further causes the computer processor to perform the steps of:
shifting the shifted image an additional pixel;
subtracting the shifted image from the other of the left and right images to form an additional difference image;
determining a further temporal stability associated with each of the one or more segments;
determining an additional disparity value only for the one or more segments having been determined as further temporally unstable in accordance with the additional difference image;
for each segment, comparing the determined disparity value and additional disparity value to determine a final disparity value; and
updating the portions of a disparity map corresponding to the determined final disparity value for the one or more further temporally unstable segments.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the computer program further causes the processor to perform the step of generating a disparity image based upon the determined final disparity values.
18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the step of comparing the determined disparity value and additional disparity value to determine a final disparity value comprises the steps of:
determining a similarity metric for each segment corresponding to each position of the shifted image; and
selecting the final disparity value associated with the segment having the highest similarity metric or lowest error metric.