Stereo Optical Flow Partitioning for High-Resolution Memory Limits

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Solution Overview

Problem

Deep learning-based optical flow estimation for high-resolution images is constrained by memory limitations, leading to undesirable artifacts when down sampling and up sampling is employed, which degrades the quality of view synthesis results.

Innovation Solution

A multi-level optical flow framework that partitions input images into regions suitable for deep learning processing at full resolution, merging the results to generate high-quality optical flow maps without downsampling, using techniques like convolutional neural networks and filtering to smooth seams.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If deep learning-based optical flow estimation is applied to high-resolution images, then estimation accuracy is improved, but memory constraints prevent direct processing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoptical flow estimation accuracyVSAvoidmemory consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the high-resolution image into multiple lower-resolution patches or tiles that can be processed independently by the deep learning model. Each patch is processed separately to generate optical flow estimates, which are then merged to produce the final high-resolution optical flow map. This segmentation allows the memory-constrained model to handle high-resolution images without requiring excessive memory capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of manufacture

If images are downsampled to meet memory constraints, then processing becomes feasible, but artifacts are introduced in the output

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing feasibilityVSAvoidoutput quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

By processing image patches at their native resolution rather than downsampled resolution, the patent avoids the artifacts introduced by downsampling. Each patch is processed independently at full resolution, and the results are merged to produce a high-quality optical flow map without the degradation associated with global downsampling and upsampling operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from processing the entire image at once to processing multiple smaller patches in parallel. This dimensional change from single large-image processing to multi-patch processing allows the system to maintain high resolution while meeting memory constraints, eliminating the need for quality-degrading downsampling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Measurement precision

If entire high-resolution images are processed at once, then full resolution results are achieved, but memory constraints are exceeded

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveresolutionVSAvoidmemory usage
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the high-resolution image into multiple smaller patches that can be processed in parallel by the deep learning model. Each patch is processed at its native resolution to maintain quality, and the optical flow estimates from all patches are merged to produce the final high-resolution result. This segmentation strategy achieves full resolution output while keeping individual memory requirements manageable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20250356510A1Multi-level optical flow estimation framework for stereo pairs of images based on spatial partitioning
Publication Date: 2025.11.20 INTEL CORP
  • US20250356510A1 patent drawing
  • US20250356510A1 patent drawing
  • US20250356510A1 patent drawing

AI summary

Techniques related to multi-level optical flow estimation are discussed. Such techniques include partitioning each pair of input images into one or more partitions, separately performing optical flow estimation on the partitions, and merging the separately generated optical flow results into a final optical flow map for the pair of input images.