Adjusting perspective for objects in stereoscopic images

1. A method for manipulating an original stereoscopic image, comprising:

a) receiving the original stereoscopic image including a left image corresponding to a left viewpoint and a right image corresponding to a left viewpoint;

b) identifying one or more objects represented in both the left and right images;

c) determining actual object sizes and actual object locations of the identified one or more objects in both the left and right images;

d) determining original perceived three-dimensional object locations for the identified one or more objects responsive to the actual object locations in the left and right images;

e) determining new perceived three-dimensional object locations for the identified one or more objects;

f) determining a size magnification factor for each of the one or more objects based at least upon the original perceived three-dimensional object location and the new perceived three-dimensional object location for the corresponding object;

g) determining location displacement values for each of the one or more objects based at least upon the original perceived three-dimensional object location and the new perceived three-dimensional object location for the corresponding object;

h) using a data processing system to generate a new stereoscopic image including a new left image and a new right image by changing the actual object sizes and the actual object locations for the one or more objects responsive to the corresponding size magnification factors and location displacement values; and

i) storing the new stereoscopic image in a processor-accessible memory system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step e) includes receiving a control signal from a viewer specifying the new perceived three-dimensional object location.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the control signal is received using a graphical user interface.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein step e) includes determining the new perceived three-dimensional object location to reposition the identified object to be within a specified depth range for comfortable viewing.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the size magnification factor (SMF) is determined using the equation:

S

⁢

⁢

M

⁢

⁢

F

=

z

S

+

z

O

z

S

+

z

N

where z S is distance from a viewer to a viewing screen, z O is the z-coordinate of the original perceived three-dimensional object location relative to the screen and z N is the z-coordinate of the new perceived three-dimensional object location relative to the screen.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein step f) includes receiving a control signal from a user specifying a scale factor, and wherein the size magnification factor is also responsive to the user-specified scale factor.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the size magnification factor (SMF) is determined using the equation:

S

⁢

⁢

M

⁢

⁢

F

=

M

U

*

z

S

+

z

O

z

S

+

z

N

where M U is the user-specified scale factor, z S is distance from a viewer to a viewing screen, z O is the z-coordinate of the original perceived three-dimensional object location relative to the screen and z N is the z-coordinate of the new perceived three-dimensional object location relative to the screen.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the location displacement value (LDV) is determined using the equation:

L

⁢

⁢

D

⁢

⁢

V

=

P

2

⁢

(

z

N

z

N

+

z

S

-

z

O

z

O

+

z

S

)

where P is a distance between left and right viewpoints corresponding to a viewer's left and right eyes, z S is distance from the viewer to a viewing screen, z O is the z-coordinate of the original perceived three-dimensional object location relative to the screen and z N is the z-coordinate of the new perceived three-dimensional object location relative to the screen.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein step h) includes applying an image inpainting algorithm to fill in previously occluded image regions that are visible in the new stereoscopic image.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the original stereoscopic image corresponds to a frame of a stereoscopic video sequence.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the original stereoscopic includes at least a third image corresponding to a third viewpoint.

12. A system comprising:

a data processing system; and

a memory system communicatively connected to the data processing system and storing instructions configured to cause the data processing system to implement a method for manipulating an original stereoscopic image, wherein the instructions comprise:

receiving the original stereoscopic image including a left image corresponding to a left viewpoint and a right image corresponding to a left viewpoint;

identifying one or more objects represented in both the left and right images;

determining actual object sizes and actual object locations of the identified one or more objects in both the left and right images;

determining original perceived three-dimensional object locations for the identified one or more objects responsive to the actual object locations in the left and right images;

determining new perceived three-dimensional object locations for the identified one or more objects;

determining a size magnification factor for each of the one or more objects based at least upon the original perceived three-dimensional object location and the new perceived three-dimensional object location for the corresponding object;

determining location displacement values for each of the one or more objects based at least upon the original perceived three-dimensional object location and the new perceived three-dimensional object location for the corresponding object;

generating a new stereoscopic image including a new left image and a new right image by changing the actual object sizes and the actual object locations for the one or more objects responsive to the corresponding size magnification factors and location displacement values; and

storing the new stereoscopic image in the memory system.

13. A computer program product for manipulating an original stereoscopic image comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing an executable software application for causing a data processing system to perform the steps of:

a) receiving the original stereoscopic image including a left image corresponding to a left viewpoint and a right image corresponding to a left viewpoint;

b) identifying one or more objects represented in both the left and right images;

c) determining actual object sizes and actual object locations of the identified one or more objects in both the left and right images;

d) determining original perceived three-dimensional object locations for the identified one or more objects responsive to the actual object locations in the left and right images;

e) determining new perceived three-dimensional object locations for the identified one or more objects;

f) determining a size magnification factor for each of the one or more objects based at least upon the original perceived three-dimensional object location and the new perceived three-dimensional object location for the corresponding object;

g) determining location displacement values for each of the one or more objects based at least upon the original perceived three-dimensional object location and the new perceived three-dimensional object location for the corresponding object;

h) using a data processing system to generate a new stereoscopic image including a new left image and a new right image by changing the actual object sizes and the actual object locations for the one or more objects responsive to the corresponding size magnification factors and location displacement values; and

i) storing the new stereoscopic image in a processor-accessible memory system.