Integral Imaging Elemental Image Depth Reversal Correction

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for generating elemental images in Integral Photography (IP) suffer from the pseudoscopic effect, where the depth of the displayed 3D image is reversed, causing convex objects to appear concave and vice versa, due to the opposite direction of capturing and reproduction.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that normalize coordinates of dots in a frustum to a cube, reverse the depth grade of the cube, and generate a 2D elemental image to correct the depth perception, eliminating the pseudoscopic effect by rotating the depth-reversed dots by 180° on the optical axis of unit lenses.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If elemental images are generated by capturing actual objects using a camera or lens array, then the 3D image can be displayed, but the pseudoscopic effect occurs causing depth reversal

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedepth perception accuracyVSAvoidpseudoscopic effect

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies inversion by reversing the depth order of elemental images. Instead of capturing images in the conventional order from front to back, the method generates and displays elemental images in reverse depth sequence. This inversion of the depth encoding process eliminates the pseudoscopic effect, allowing the displayed 3D image to correctly represent the original object's depth relationships.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the depth parameter encoding in elemental images by reversing the depth grade during generation. By modifying how depth information is stored in the elemental image sequence - specifically by assigning deeper objects to earlier elemental images and closer objects to later ones - the system transforms the depth representation to prevent pseudoscopic effects during display.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If conventional perspective projection is used to generate elemental images, then the processing is straightforward, but the depth information is reversed causing incorrect 3D display

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelemental image generation speedVSAvoiddepth information accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-reversing the depth order during the elemental image generation phase. Before displaying the images, the system prepares the elemental images with inverted depth encoding - sorting objects by depth and assigning them to elemental images in reverse order of their actual spatial positions. This preliminary transformation ensures that when images are displayed in sequence, the depth perception is correct without requiring post-processing correction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8643645B2Method and apparatus for generating elemental image in integral imaging

Publication Date: 2014.02.04 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A method and apparatus for generating an elemental image by an integral image technique are provided. The method includes normalizing coordinates of dots in a frustum formed in perspective projection by mapping the dots in the frustum into a cube; reversing a grade of depth of the cube viewed from a particular viewpoint; and generating a two-dimensional (2D) elemental image necessary for three-dimensional (3D) display from dots in the cube whose grade of depth is reversed.