Disparity estimation method, image transmission method, image display method, multi-view image transmission method, multi-view image restoration method and disparity estimation apparatus

摘要

PPROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a parallax estimation method which precisely estimates the sudden change (discontinuous change) of parallax in the vicinity of the contour line of an object, and to provide its device. PSOLUTION: The parallax which changes discontinuously in the above object contour line is estimated by computing the initial parallax between two images and the reliability evaluation value, extracting the object contour line where the parallax changes discontinuously using the above reliability evaluation value and the edge detection results of the above images, extracting a region where the reliability on the above initial parallax is low based on the above reliability value, and setting the parallax in the extracted region where the reliability on the initial parallax is low so that it may smoothly connect with surrounding parallax and besides deciding it so that it may change in the above object contour line. PCOPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO