Filtering depth map image

An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code, the at least one memory and the computer code configured to with the at least one processor cause the apparatus to:

• partition a depth map image into at least one block;
• partition a texture image into at least one block, wherein a size and a position of the at least one block of the texture image corresponds to the size and the position of the at least one block of the depth image;
• determine a depth property value for the at least one block of the depth map image;
• determine a texture property value for the at least one block of the texture image;
• use the depth property value for the at least one block of the depth map image and the texture property value for the at least one block of the texture image to select a set of filter parameters from a look up table;
• and
• filter the at least one block of the depth map image with a filter based on the selected set of filter parameters, wherein
• the texture property value comprises a value returned from a function of pixel texture values of the block of the texture image and the depth property value comprises a value returned from a function of pixel depth values of the block of the depth map image,
• the function of pixel depth values of the block of the depth map image comprises an output from a face detection algorithm for the pixel depth values of the block of the depth map image,
• and the output from the face detection algorithm is indicative of whether a face has been detected within the block and of a percentage fraction which the detected face occupies in the block.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-readable code, which, when executed by a computing apparatus, causes the computing apparatus to:

• partition a depth map image into at least one block;
• partition a texture image into at least one block, wherein a size and a position of the at least one block of the texture image corresponds to the size and the position of the at least one block of the depth image;
• determine a depth property value for the at least one block of the depth map image;
• determine a texture property value for the at least one block of the texture image;
• use the depth property value for the at least one block of the depth map image and the texture property value for the at least one block of the texture image to select a set of filter parameters from a look up table;
• and
• filter the at least one block of the depth map image with a filter based on the selected set of filter parameters, wherein
• the texture property value comprises a value returned from a function of pixel texture values of the block of the texture image and the depth property value comprises a value returned from a function of pixel depth values of the block of the depth map image,
• the function of pixel depth values of the block of the depth map image comprises an output from a face detection algorithm for the pixel depth values of the block of the depth map image,
• and the output from the face detection algorithm is indicative of whether a face has been detected within the block and of a percentage fraction which the detected face occupies in the block.