Layered scene decomposition CODEC with view independent rasterization

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a first data set comprising a three-dimensional description of a scene;

partitioning the first data set into a plurality of layers each representing a portion of the scene at a location with respect to a reference location;

obtaining, for each of the plurality of layers, one or more polygons representative of corresponding portions of objects in the scene;

determining, based on the one or more polygons, a view-independent representation; and

performing a sampling operation on a corresponding portion of the first data set to encode the view-independent representation as a portion of a second data set, wherein the sampling operation is based on a target compression rate associated with the second data set and wherein a size of the second data set is smaller than a size of the first data set.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the second data set to a remote device for the scene to be presented at a display device associated with the remote device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein encoding the view-independent representation comprises:

rendering, using ray tracing, a set of pixels to be encoded;

selecting multiple elemental images from a plurality of elemental images such that the set of pixels are rendered using the selected multiple elemental images; and

sampling the set of pixels using a sampling operation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sampling operation comprises selecting multiple elemental images from the corresponding portion of the first data set, in accordance with a plenoptic sampling scheme.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the sampling operation comprises:

for each of the multiple layers, determining an effective spatial resolution associated with the layer; and

selecting multiple elemental images from the corresponding portion of the first data set in accordance with a determined angular resolution.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the angular resolution is determined as a function of a directional resolution associated with the portion of the scene of the first data set.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the angular resolution is determined as a field of view associated with a display device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional description comprises light field data representing elemental images.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein each of the elemental images is captured by one or more image acquisition devices.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the light field data includes a depth map corresponding to elemental images.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first data set comprises information on directions of normals on surfaces included in the scene, the directions of a normal being represented with respect to a reference direction.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein reflection properties of at least some of the surfaces are non-Lambertian.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the second data set;

decoding portions of the second data set corresponding to each of a set of multiple layers of the second data set;

combining the decoded portions into a representation of a light field image; and

presenting the light field image on a display device.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving user-input indicative of a location of a user with respect to the light field image; and

updating the light field image in accordance with the user-input prior to presentation on the display device.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

converting the one or more polygons into pixels and imaging the pixels onto a display surface.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

utilizing perspective rendering, oblique rendering, ray tracing, or a combination thereof, to render the set of multiple layers of the second data set.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein layers located closer to a display surface of the display device achieve a lower compression ratio than layers of the same width located further away from the display surface.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the set of multiple layers of the second data set comprise light fields.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the light fields are merged to create a final light field.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein partitioning the first data set into a plurality of layers comprises restricting a depth range of each layer.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein layers located closer to a display surface are narrower in width than layers located farther away from the display surface.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein partitioning the first data set into a plurality of layers maintains a uniform compression rate across the scene.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein partitioning the first data set into a plurality of layers comprises generating inner and outer frustum volume layer sets of a light field display.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is used to generate a synthetic light field for multi-dimensional video streaming, multi-dimensional interactive gaming, real-time interactive content, or other light field display scenarios.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the synthetic light field is generated only in a valid viewing zone.