Virtual 3D methods, systems and software

A digital processing system for enabling a first user to view a remote scene with the visual impression of being present with respect to the remote scene, the digital processing system comprising:

• at least two cameras, each having a view of the remote scene;
• a display screen for use by the first user;
• and
• a digital processing resource comprising at least one digital processor, the digital processing resource being operable to:
• capture images of the remote scene, utilizing the at least two cameras;
• execute a feature correspondence function by detecting common features between corresponding images captured by the respective cameras and measuring a relative distance in image space between the common features, to generate disparity values, wherein the feature correspondence function utilizes a disparity histogram-based method of integrating data and determining correspondence, and wherein the disparity histogram-based method comprises constructing at least two disparity histograms per a given set of pixels, for use in evaluating validity of disparity values;
• generate a data representation, representative of the captured images and the corresponding disparity values;
• reconstruct a synthetic view of the remote scene, based on the representation;
• and
• display the synthetic view to the first user on the display screen;
• the capturing, detecting, generating, reconstructing and displaying being executed such that:
• (a) the first user is provided the visual impression of looking through his display screen as a physical window to the remote scene, and
• (b) the first user is provided an immersive visual experience of the remote scene;
• wherein utilizing a disparity histogram-based method comprises constructing at least two disparity histograms indicating the relative probability of a given disparity value being correct for a given pixel;
• wherein at least one of the disparity histograms functions as a Probability Density Function (PDF) of disparity for the given pixel, in which higher values indicate a higher probability of the corresponding disparity range being valid for the given pixel;
• and
• wherein one axis of at least one of the disparity histograms indicates a given disparity range, and a second axis of the at least one disparity histogram indicates the number of pixels in a kernel surrounding the central pixel in question that are voting for the given disparity range.

A program product for use with a digital processing system, for enabling a first user to view a remote scene with the visual impression of being present with respect to the remote scene, the digital processing system comprising at least two cameras, each having a view of the remote scene, a display screen for use by the first user, and a digital processing resource comprising at least one digital processor, the program product comprising digital processor-executable program instructions stored on a non-transitory digital processor-readable medium, which when executed in the digital processing resource cause the digital processing resource to:

• capture images of the remote scene, utilizing the at least two cameras;
• execute a feature correspondence function by detecting common features between corresponding images captured by the respective cameras and measuring a relative distance in image space between the common features, to generate disparity values, wherein the feature correspondence function utilizes a disparity histogram-based method of integrating data and determining correspondence, and wherein the disparity histogram-based method comprises constructing at least two disparity histograms per a given set of pixels, for use in evaluating validity of disparity values;
• generate a data representation, representative of the captured images and the corresponding disparity values;
• reconstruct a synthetic view of the remote scene, based on the representation;
• and
• display the synthetic view to the first user on the display screen;
• the capturing, detecting, generating, reconstructing and displaying being executed such that:
• (a) the first user is provided the visual impression of looking through his display screen as a physical window to the remote scene, and
• (b) the first user is provided an immersive visual experience of the remote scene;
• wherein utilizing a disparity histogram-based method comprises constructing at least two disparity histograms indicating the relative probability of a given disparity value being correct for a given pixel;
• wherein at least one of the disparity histograms functions as a Probability Density Function (PDF) of disparity for the given pixel, in which higher values indicate a higher probability of the corresponding disparity range being valid for the given pixel;
• and
• wherein one axis of at least one of the disparity histograms indicates a given disparity range, and a second axis of the at least one disparity histogram indicates the number of pixels in a kernel surrounding the central pixel in question that are voting for the given disparity range.