Versatile 3-D picture format

A 3-D picture signal provision system for providing a 3-D picture signal that conveys a 3-D picture, the system comprising:

• a picture-providing arrangement for providing an image;
• a depth map provider for providing depth components and predicted depth components comprising a depth map for the image, the depth map comprising depth indication values, a depth indication value relating to a particular portion of the image and indicating a distance between an object at least partially represented by that portion of the image and a viewer;
• and
• a signal provider for
• providing the 3-D picture signal that conveys the 3-D picture according to a 3D format having image frames encoding the image,
• encoding extra frames that include the depth components and the predicted depth components of the depth map, and further data for use in rendering based on the image and the depth components;
• the extra frames being encoded using at least one of spatial and temporal subsampling of the depth components and the further data, and
• interleaving the extra frames including the depth components and the predicted depth components of the depth map with the image frames to form output frames having a sequence including the image frames and the extra frames including a first extra frame including a first depth map component of the depth map components and second and third extra frames including a second depth map component and a predicted depth component of the predicted depth components of the depth map,
• wherein the first extra frame is separated from the second and third extra frames by the image frames.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer instructions which, when executed by a processor, configure the processor to perform a method of providing a 3-D picture signal that conveys a 3-D picture, the method comprising acts of:

• providing an image;
• providing depth components and predicted depth components comprising a depth map for the image, the depth map comprising depth indication values, a depth indication value relating to a particular portion of the image and indicating a distance between an object at least partially represented by that portion of the image and a viewer;
• providing the 3-D picture signal that conveys the 3-D picture according to a 3D format having image frames encoding the image;
• encoding extra frames that include the depth components and the predicted depth components of the depth map, and further data for use in rendering based on the image and the depth components, the extra frames being encoded using at least one of spatial and temporal subsampling of the depth components and the further data;
• interleaving the extra frames including the depth components and the predicted depth components of the depth map with the image frames to form output frames having a sequence including the image frames and the extra frames including a first extra frame including a first depth map component of the depth map components and second and third extra frames including a second depth map component and a predicted depth component of the predicted depth components of the depth map, wherein the first extra frame is separated from the second and third extra frames by the image frames;
• and
• outputting the 3-D picture signal including the output frames.

A method of rendering a 3-D picture based on a 3-D picture signal that conveys a 3-D picture and includes an image, encoded extra frames that include depth components and predicted depth components comprising a depth map for the image, the depth map comprising depth indication values, a depth indication value relating to a particular portion of the image and indicating a distance between an object at least partially represented by the particular portion of the image and a viewer, and the encoded extra frames including the depth components and the predicted depth components of the depth map being interleaved with image frames to form output frames having a sequence including the image frames and the encoded extra frames including the depth map components and the predicted depth components of the depth map, the method comprising acts of:

• receiving the output frames having the sequence including the image frames and the encoded extra frames including the depth map components and the predicted depth components of the depth map,
• extracting and separating the encoded extra frames including the depth components and the predicted depth components of the depth map from the output frames having the encoded extra frames interleaved with the image frames forming a sequence including the image frames and the encoded extra frames including a first extra frame including a first depth map component of the depth map components and second and third extra frames including a second depth map component and a predicted depth component of the predicted depth components of the depth map, wherein the first extra frame is separated from the second and third extra frames by the image frames;
• and
• generating a shifted viewpoint picture from the image, the depth components and the predicted depth components based on the encoded extra frames that provide the depth components, the predicted depth components and further data, the encoded extra frames being encoded using at least one of spatial and temporal subsampling of the depth components, the predicted depth components and the further data.

A 3-D picture rendering system for rendering a 3-D picture based on a 3-D picture signal that conveys a 3-D picture and includes an image, encoded extra frames that include depth components and predicted depth components comprising a depth map for the image, the depth map comprising depth indication values, a depth indication value relating to a particular portion of the image and indicating a distance between an object at least partially represented by the particular portion of the image and a viewer, and the encoded extra frames including the depth components and the predicted depth components of the depth map interleaved with image frames to form output frames having a sequence including the image frames and the encoded extra frames including the depth map components and the predicted depth components of the depth map, the system comprising:

• a demultiplexer configured to receive the output frames and extract and separate the encoded extra frames including the depth components and the predicted depth components of the depth map from the output frames having the encoded extra frames interleaved with the image frames forming a sequence including the image frames and the encoded extra frames including a first extra frame including a first depth map component of the depth map components and second and third extra frames including a second depth map component and a predicted depth component of the predicted depth components of the depth map, wherein the first extra frame is separated from the second and third extra frames by the image frames;
• and
• a generator configured to generate a shifted viewpoint picture from the image, the depth components and the predicted depth components based on the encoded extra frames that provide the depth components, the predicted depth components and further data, the encoded extra frames being encoded using at least one of spatial and temporal subsampling of the depth components, the predicted depth components and the further data.

A method of providing a 3-D picture signal that conveys a 3-D picture, the method comprising acts of:

• providing an image;
• providing depth components and predicted depth components comprising a depth map for the image, the depth map comprising depth indication values, a depth indication value relating to a particular portion of the image and indicating a distance between an object at least partially represented by the particular portion of the image and a viewer;
• providing the 3-D picture signal that conveys the 3-D picture according to a 3D format having image frames encoding the image;
• encoding extra frames that include the depth components and the predicted depth components of the depth map, and further data for use in rendering based on the image and the depth components, the extra frames being encoded using at least one of spatial and temporal subsampling of the depth components and the further data;
• interleaving the extra frames including the depth components and the predicted depth components of the depth map with the image frames to form output frames having a sequence including the image frames and the extra frames including the depth map components and the predicted depth components of the depth map;
• and
• outputting the 3-D picture signal including the output frames,
• wherein the sequence of the output frames includes a repeating sequence of LRDLRDD′, where L is a left image frame of the image frames, R is a right image frame of the image frames, D is a depth component of the depth map of the extra frames, and D′ is a predicted depth component of the depth map of the extra frames.

A method of providing a 3-D picture signal that conveys a 3-D picture, the method comprising acts of:

• providing an image;
• providing depth components and predicted depth components comprising a depth map for the image, the depth map comprising depth indication values, a depth indication value relating to a particular portion of the image and indicating a distance between an object at least partially represented by the particular portion of the image and a viewer;
• providing the 3-D picture signal that conveys the 3-D picture according to a 3D format having image frames encoding the image;
• encoding extra frames that include the depth components and the predicted depth components of the depth map, and further data for use in rendering based on the image and the depth components, the extra frames being encoded using at least one of spatial and temporal subsampling of the depth components and the further data;
• interleaving the extra frames including the depth components and the predicted depth components of the depth map with the image frames to form output frames having a sequence including the image frames and the extra frames including the depth map components and the predicted depth components of the depth map;
• and
• outputting the 3-D picture signal including the output frames,
• wherein the image includes first and second images intended for a left and right eye of the viewer, and wherein the method further comprises an act of providing an alpha-map dedicated to the first image and defines gradual transitions in a shifted viewpoint picture generated from the first image, the depth map and a background picture.