Efficient coding of depth transitions in 3D (video)

A method, comprising:

• receiving at an input of an encoder circuit at least one input video data signal;
• the encoder circuit generating from the at least one input video data signal at least one base two-dimensional image of a scene, wherein the base two-dimensional image comprises color information for pixels in the base two-dimensional image;
• the encoder circuit generating from the at least one input video data signal, depth information for the base two-dimensional image;
• the encoder circuit generating from the at least one input video data signal transition information, wherein the transition information is representative of a width of a transition region in the base two-dimensional image, the transition region comprising a depth transition and blended pixels, wherein the blended pixels comprise blended colors of a foreground object and a background object, wherein the transition information comprises a binary map indicating with a single bit for each of a plurality of sections of one or more pixels in the base two-dimensional image whether the section comprises a transition region or not, and
• the encoder circuit generating an encoded three-dimensional video data signal comprising encoded data representing the base two-dimensional image, the binary map, and the transition information.

A method, comprising:

• receiving at an input of an encoder circuit at least one input video data signal;
• the encoder circuit generating from the at least one input video data signal at least one base two-dimensional image of a scene, wherein the base two-dimensional image comprises color information for pixels in the base two-dimensional image;
• the encoder circuit generating from the at least one input video data signal, depth information for the base two-dimensional image;
• the encoder circuit generating from the at least one input video data signal transition information, wherein the transition information is representative of a width of a transition region in the base two-dimensional image, wherein the transition region comprises a depth transition and blended pixels, wherein the blended pixels comprise blended colors of a foreground object and a background object, wherein the transition information comprises a table of width values, in units of pixels, for a corresponding plurality of different transition depths, and
• the encoder circuit generating an encoded three-dimensional video data signal comprising encoded data representing the base two-dimensional image, the depth map, and the transition information.

An encoder circuit, comprising:

• an input configured to receive at least one input video data signal;
• a processer circuit configured to:
• generate from the at least one input video data signal at least one base two-dimensional image of a scene including color information for pixels in the base two-dimensional image;
• generate from the at least one input video data signal depth information for the base two-dimensional image;
• generate from the at least one input video data signal transition information, wherein the transition information is representative of a width of a transition region in the base two-dimensional image, wherein the transition region comprises a depth transition and blended pixels, wherein the blended pixels comprise blended colors of a foreground object and a background object, wherein the transition information comprises one of:
• a width map wherein pixels in the base two-dimensional image along a line in the transition region each have an associated non-zero value in the width map, the non-zero value defining for the depth transition a corresponding width parameter indicating a number of blended pixels in the transition region, and all other pixels in the transition region have associated zero values in the width map,
• a binary map indicating with a single bit for each of a plurality of sections of one or more pixels in the base two-dimensional image whether the section comprises a transition region or not, and
• a table of width values, in units of pixels, for a corresponding plurality of different transition depths;
• and
• generate an encoded three-dimensional video data signal comprising encoded data representing the base two-dimensional image, the depth map, and the transition information;
• and
• an output configured to transmit the encoded three-dimensional video data signal.