Depth-Assigned Content Visibility in Light-Field Images
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing techniques for enhancing and manipulating images do not effectively account for depth characteristics, limiting their utility with depth-enhanced pictures generated by light-field photography.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that allow interaction, manipulation, and control of depth-assigned content in depth-enhanced pictures by associating content with specific XYZ coordinates, making it visible or hidden based on the focus depth of rendered images, enabling dynamic presentation and interaction with depth-enhanced content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing image enhancement techniques are applied to depth-enhanced pictures, then general image manipulation capability is maintained, but depth-aware content presentation is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments content into depth-specific layers by associating content items with specific depth values in the depth-enhanced picture. Each content item is tagged with depth metadata, allowing the system to selectively present content based on the currently focused depth plane. This segmentation enables depth-aware presentation while preserving all original depth characteristics in the underlying picture data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a depth dimension to traditional 2D content presentation by introducing Z-coordinate-based content association. Content items are no longer confined to flat 2D coordinates but are positioned in 3D space with depth values that correspond to different focal planes. This dimensional extension allows content to be presented contextually based on the viewer's current focus depth, resolving the contradiction between maintaining depth information and providing adaptive content presentation.
2Ease of operation
If all content is always visible in depth-enhanced pictures, then complete information is provided, but user interaction with focused objects is obscured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic content visibility that automatically adjusts based on the currently focused depth plane. Content items are rendered visible or hidden depending on whether their associated depth value matches the active focus depth. This dynamic behavior enhances user interaction with focused objects by removing distracting content while preserving all information in the data structure, allowing users to access complete information by changing focus depth.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality enhancement by making content visibility context-dependent on the focused depth region. Instead of uniform content display across the entire image, content presentation is localized to match the currently active depth plane. This ensures that only relevant content interferes with focused objects, improving ease of operation while maintaining the option to access all content through depth navigation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If depth-assigned content is added to depth-enhanced pictures, then context-aware presentation is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces depth metadata as an intermediary layer between the depth-enhanced picture and the content presentation system. Rather than fundamentally restructuring the entire system, the depth metadata acts as a mediator that carries depth association information from content items to the rendering engine. This intermediary approach enables context-aware presentation by providing depth context without requiring complex system-wide changes, thus achieving adaptability while managing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal content association mechanism that works across multiple content types and depth-enhanced picture formats. The depth-metadata association model is designed to be format-agnostic and can be applied to various content items (text, images, annotations) regardless of the specific light-field or depth picture format. This universality reduces system complexity by providing a single, flexible framework rather than requiring separate handling for different content types or formats.
Data Source
AI summary
According to various embodiments of the invention, a system and method are provided for enabling interaction with, manipulation of, and control of depth-assigned content in depth-enhanced pictures. Depth-assigned content can be assigned to a specified depth value. When a depth-enhanced picture is refocused at a focus depth substantially different from the specified assigned depth value, the depth-assigned content may be omitted, grayed out, blurred, or otherwise visually distinguished. In this manner, content associated with an in-focus image element can be visually distinguished from content associated with an out-of-focus image element. For example, in at least one embodiment, depth-assigned content is visible only when an image element associated with the content is in focus (or nearly in focus). According to various embodiments of the invention, many different types of interactions are facilitated among depth-assigned content, depth-enhanced pictures, and other content.