Method and apparatus for generating stereoscopic image bitstream using block interleaved method

1. A method of generating a stereoscopic image bitstream, the method comprising:

dividing abuse view image and an additional view image into blocks;

generating a combined image by combining the blocks of the base view image and the blocks of the additional view image;

recording the combined image in a payload area of the stereoscopic image bitstream; and

recording, in a header area of the stereoscopic image bitstream, block combination pattern information about a pattern of arranging the blocks of the base view image and the blocks of the additional view image in the combined image,

wherein the block combination pattern information indicates whether a pattern of the combined image is one of first, second and third patterns, and

wherein the first pattern indicates that, among blocks of the combined image, each block of the base view image is adjacent in vertical and horizontal directic its to the blocks of the additional view image and each block of the additional view image is adjacent in vertical and horizontal directions to the blocks of the base view image, the second pattern indicates that, among the blocks of the combined image, blocks of the same view image are serially arranged in the vertical direction and each block of the same view image is adjacent in the horizontal direction to blocks of the other view image, and the third pattern indicates that, among the blocks of the combined image, the blocks of the same view image are serially arranged in the horizontal direction and each block of the same view image is adjacent in the vertical direction to the blocks of the other view image.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising recording, in the header area, frame arrangement pattern information about a pattern of arranging the blocks of the base view image and the blocks of the additional view image of the combined image according to a frame.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the frame arrangement pattern information comprises an arrangement order, wherein a first block location, in which a block of the base view image is arranged, and a second block location, in which a block of the additional view image is arranged, maintain the same location in each frame of the combined image.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein a block of the base view image is arranged in a first block location and a block of the additional view image is arranged in a second block location, and the frame arrangement pattern information comprises:

an arrangement order wherein a first block location of a current frame of the combined image becomes a second block location of a next frame of the combined image, and a second block location of the current frame becomes a first block location of the next frame.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising recording, in the header area, block size information about a size of the blocks of the base view image and the blocks of the additional view image.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein a number of rows of pixels of the blocks and a number of columns of pixels of the blocks are the same, and the block size information is one number.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein in the block size information, a number of rows of pixels of the blocks and a number of columns of pixels of the blocks is respectively determined.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the combined image is divided into blocks of N rows and M columns, where x is an integer in a range of 0≦x<N/2, y is an integer in a range of 0≦y<M/2, and an (x, y)th block is located in the xth row and yth column, and the block combination pattern information of the combined image is the first pattern,

a (2x, 2y)th block and a (2x+1, 2y+1)th block of the combined image are respectively a (2x, 2y)th block and a (2x+1, 2y+1)th block of any one of the base view image and the additional view image, and a (2x, 2y+1)th block and a (2x+1, 2y)th block of the combined image are respectively a (2x, 2y+1)th block and a (2x+1, 2y)th block of the other one of the base view image and the additional view image.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the combined image is divided into blocks of N rows and M columns, where x is an integer in a range of 0≦x<N/2, y is an integer in a range of 0≦y<M, and an (x, y)th block is located in the xth row and yth column, and the block combination pattern information of the combined image is the second pattern.

a (2x, y)th block of the combined image is a (2x, y)th block of any one of the base view image and the additional view image, and a (2x+1, y)th block of the combined image is a (2x+1, y)th block of the other one of the base view image and the additional view image.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the combined image is divided into blocks of N rows and M columns, where x is an integer in a range of 0≦x<N, y is an integer in a range of 0≦y<M/2, and an (x, y)th block is located in the xth row and yth column, the block combination pattern information of the combined image is the third pattern,

an (x, 2y)th block of the combined image is an (x, 2y)th block of one of the base view image and the additional view image, and an (x, 2y+1)th block of the combined image is an (x, 2y+1)th block of the other one of the base view image and the additional view image.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the block combination pattern information comprises a predetermined block combination pattern, in which the blocks of the base view image and the blocks of the additional view image are combined according to a block combination pattern selected by a user.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein according to the block combination pattern information, a block of the base view image is arranged in a first block location of the combined image, and a block of the additional view image, which has a highest similarity when using a disparity estimation method with a block in a second block location of the base view image, is arranged in a second location of the combined image, when the second block location is the same as the first block location.

13. An apparatus for generating a stereoscopic image bitstream, the apparatus comprising at least one processor for implementing:

a block divider , which divides a base view image and an additional view image into predetermined blocks having a predetermined size;

a combined image recorder, which records a combined image, the combined image generated by combining the blocks of the base view image and the blocks of the additional view image, in a payload area of the stereoscopic image bitstream; and

a block combination pattern information recorder, which records, in a header area of the stereoscopic image bitstream, block combination pattern information about an order of arranging the blocks of the base view image and the blocks of the additional view image in the combined image,

wherein the block combination pattern information indicates whether a pattern of the combined image is one of first, second and third patterns, and

wherein the first pattern indicates that among blocks of the combined image, each block of the base view image is adjacent in vertical and horizontal directions to the blocks of the additional view image and each block of the additional view image is adjacent in vertical and horizontal directions to the blocks of the base view image, the second patter indicates that, among the blocks of the combined image, blocks of the same view image are serially arranged in the vertical direction and each block of the same view image is adjacent in the horizontal direction to blocks of the other view image, and the third pattern indicates that, among the blocks of the combined image, the blocks of the same view image are serially arranged in the horizontal direction and each block of the same view image is adjacent in the vertical direction to the blocks of the other view image.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a frame arrangement pattern information recorder, which records, in the header area, frame arrangement pattern information about a pattern of arranging the blocks of the base view image and the blocks of the additional view image of the combined image according to a frame.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein a block of the base view image is arranged in a first block location of a current frame of the combined image, a block of the additional view image is arranged in a second block location of the current frame of the combined image, and the frame arrangement pattern information indicates whether a first block location and a second block location of the current frame of the combined image are changed with a first block location and a second block location of a previous frame of the combined image.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a block size information recorder, which records, in the header area, block size information about a size of the blocks of the base view image and the blocks of the additional view image.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein according to the block combination pattern information, each block of the base view image and the additional view image is arranged in a same location as the combined image, and the blocks of the base view image and the blocks of the additional view image are alternatively arranged in any one direction of a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, and a diagonal direction.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the block size information comprises information indicating that a number of pixels in a row and a number of pixels in a column of the blocks are the same, or information indicating that the number of pixels in a row and the number of pixels in a column of the blocks are respectively determined.

19. A method of generating a stereoscopic image bitstream, the method comprising:

a payload area, in which a combined image, formed by combining a block of a base view image and a block of an additional view image, is recorded;

generating a header area, in which block combination pattern information about a pattern of arranging a block of the base view image and a block of the additional view image in the combined image, frame arrangement pattern information about a pattern of arranging a block of the base view image and a block of the additional view image in the combined image according to a frame, and block size information about a size of blocks of the base view image and the additional view image are recorded; and

transmitting a stereoscopic image bitstream which comprises the payload area and the header area,

wherein the block combination pattern information indicates whether a pattern of the combined image is one of first, second and third patterns, and

wherein the first pattern indicates that, among blocks of the combined image, each block of the base view image is adjacent in vertical and horizontal directions to the blocks of the additional view image and each block of the additional view image is adjacent in vertical and horizontal directions to the blocks of the base view image. the second pattern indicates that, among the blocks of the combined image, blocks of the same view image are serially arranged in the vertical direction and each block of the same view image is adjacent in the horizontal direction to blocks of the other view image, and the third pattern indicates that, among the blocks of the combined image, the blocks of the same view image are serially arranged in the horizontal direction and each block of the same view image is adjacent in the vertical direction to the blocks of the other view image.

20. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method of claim 1 .