Methods and devices for progressive encoding and decoding of multiplane images

Abstract

Methods and devices for encoding, decoding and transmitting a three-dimensional scene initially represented as a multiplane image (MPI) are provided. Each layer of the MPI is split into patches based on the transparency component. Patches of a layer are grouped in a tile. The greater the depth of the layer, the greater the identifying number of the tile. When several tiles are packed in an atlas image, the same monotonic (i.e. ascending or descending) function according to depth applies to atlas numbers. At the decoding side, the current viewport to render is initially cleared and each decoded tile is sequentially blended over from the nearest one to the furthest due to the numbering of the set of atlases and tiles. Pixels of a patch under rendering are projected onto pixels of the viewport image according to the depth of the tile comprising the patch and metadata indicating the position of the patch in the layer of the MPI the patch has been clustered from.