Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

U.S. Philips Corporation

Cornelis W A M Van Overveld

Maurice J J J-b Maes

Peter M J Rongen

Piotr Wilinski

Hendrik Tjalling Dijkstra

Karl J Wood

Antonius A C M Kalker

Johannes Bruijns

Douglas R M Patterson

Maurice J M Cuijpers

An apparatus for texture mapping in a computer graphics system, using a predetermined set of standardized textures. Each texture of the standardized set is a procedural texture, and is supplied to the apparatus as one or a sequence of program commands the execution of which will result in the generation of the respective procedural texture. In a preferred embodiment, the means for processing the program commands comprises a processor operable to implement only those input program commands or sequences of input program commands as are required to generate the procedural textures of the standardized set.

Graphic image texture generation

A number of input images of a scene is taken from different viewpoints. A respective model of the scene is made for each input image. The model contains descriptions of the location of surface patches in the space of the scene, substantially each surface patch corresponding to a set of pixels in the input image. A viewpoint is selected and views are taken from the viewpoint, each of a respective input images according to the corresponding model. For each pixel in an output image one of the views is selected and a pixel from the selected view is displayed at the pixel in the output image.

Method of displaying an output image of a scene from a freely selectable viewpoint

In a motion or depth estimation method, a set (CS) of candidate motion vectors, or depth values formed by already obtained motion vectors, or depth values for neighboring image parts which are spatio-temporally adjacent to a given image part of interest, is generated (MV-MEM) for the given image part of interest. Those candidate motion vectors or depth values which correspond to neighboring image parts containing more reliable texture information than other neighboring image parts, are prioritized (TBPD) to obtain a prioritized set (PCS) of candidate motion vectors or depth values. Thereafter, motion or depth data (MV) for the given image part of interest is furnished (ME) in dependence upon the prioritized set (PCS) of candidate motion vectors or depth values. Finally, an image signal processing device (ISPD) processes an image signal (Iin) to obtain an enhanced image signal in dependence upon the motion or depth data (MV).

Motion or depth estimation by prioritizing candidate motion vectors according to more reliable texture information

The depth and orientation of a surface patch relative to a camera are determined. A first and second image of the surface patch are obtained from different viewpoints. Various predicted combinations of depth and orientation values are associated with the surface patch. Different available combinations may have different orientations. Each predicted combination predicts a correspondence between points in the first and second image, corresponding points viewing identical locations on the surface patch. One searches for a best combination of depth and orientation so that among the available combinations the best combination results in a minimum aggregate of differences between pixel values of the first and second image at corresponding points.

Method and device for optically determining depth

A digital image signal is watermarked by locally changing geometric features of the image. The watermark consists of a pseudo-random, dense subset of image pixels, e.g., a pattern of lines ( ). A number of significant image pixels ( ), i.e., pixels which give the highest response to a predetermined processing operation, is determined and then moved ( ) to the vicinity (&dgr;) of the line pattern. As a result of this &ldquo;warping&rdquo;, the majority of significant image pixels ( ) is eventually located within the vicinity of the line pattern. At the receiver end, the most significant pixels of an input image are again determined. The image is a watermarked image if a statistically high percentage lies within the vicinity of the line pattern.

Embedding and detecting a watermark in images

In a video signal processing method, video signal parts are labeled (L) as non-matchable parts (N-M) if reliable motion or depth information (d , d ) cannot be obtained for such parts (N-M), motion or depth information (d , d ) is generated for the video signal (V), and motion or depth information (d , d ) is produced for the non-matchable parts (N-M) of the video signal (V) from the motion or depth information generated for the video signal (V).

Video signal processing

A method and arrangement for embedding a watermark in an image are disclosed. The watermark consists of a pseudo-random, dense subset of image pixels, e.g. a pattern of lines ( ). A number of salient image pixels ( ), for example, local extremes, corners or edges, is identified and it is determined whether they lie on (i.e. within a vicinity &dgr; of) the line pattern ( ) or not ( ). In an unwatermarked image (FIG. A), the number of most salient pixels ( ) lying on the watermark is substantially the same as the number of most salient pixels ( ) not lying on the watermark. The image is watermarked (FIG. B) by modifying the saliency of the salient pixels in such a way that a significant majority ( ) of the most salient pixels ( ) is eventually located within the vicinity of the line pattern.

Embedding watermarks in images

An implicit surface is defined by a time dependent implicit surface model. From the implicit surface model a first and second mesh of control points of a first and second non-linear coordinate valued functions such as second degree Bezier functions are computed respectively. The first and second non-linear coordinate valued function represent approximations of the implicit surface at a first and second point in time respectively. The points of the first mesh are used as a starting point for computing an approximation of the second mesh of points. The surfaces defined by the first and second non-linear coordinate valued function respectively are rendered for example by approximating each by a respective mesh of flat triangles.

Computer graphics animation method and device

In computer graphics the image of a surface patch is computed, including specular reflections (mirror-like reflections) from the surface patch. A bump map is used to perturb the normal to a surface, so as to simulate bumps on the surface, which cause specular reflection highlights. The bump map assigns a perturbation vector to each point on several different surface patches and the same perturbation is applied to corresponding points on different surface patches, irrespective of orientation and shape differences between the surface patches. Preferably, the perturbation vector is always parallel to the viewscreen direction, irrespective of the direction of the normal that is being perturbed.

Computer graphics bump mapping method and device

A digital image signal is watermarked by locally changing geometric features of the image. The watermark consists of a pseudo-random, dense subset of image pixels, e.g., a pattern of lines (,). A number of significant image pixels (,), i.e., pixels which give the highest response to a predetermined processing operation, is determined and then moved (,) to the vicinity (&dgr;) of the line pattern. As a result of this &ldquo;warping&rdquo;, the majority of significant image pixels (,) is eventually located within the vicinity of the line pattern. At the receiver end, the most significant pixels of an input image are again determined. The image is a watermarked image if a statistically high percentage lies within the vicinity of the line pattern.

Growing community of inventors

Eindhoven, Netherlands

Cornelis W A M Van Overveld