Depth-aware indexing of three-dimensional image depth bins

A method for use by a system including a hardware processor and a memory storing a software code, the method comprising:

• receiving, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, a three-dimensional (3-D) image, the 3-D image including a plurality of pixels each having a plurality of bins with respective depth values;
• selecting, by the software code executed by the hardware processor for a first bin of the plurality of bins of a first pixel of the plurality of pixels, a second bin in each of one or more nearest neighbor pixels of the first pixel, the second bin in each of the one or more nearest neighbor pixels having a most similar depth value to a depth value of the first bin;
• generating, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, a first depth-aware bin group including the first bin and the second bin in each of the one or more nearest neighbor pixels;
• and
• processing, by the software code executed by the hardware processor and using the first depth-aware bin group, the 3-D image to produce a corresponding 3-D output image.

A computer-readable non-transitory medium having stored thereon instructions, which when executed by a hardware processor, instantiate a method comprising:

• receiving a three-dimensional (3-D) image, the 3-D image including a plurality of pixels each having a plurality of bins with respective depth values;
• selecting, for a first bin of the plurality of bins of a first pixel of the plurality of pixels, a second bin in each of one or more nearest neighbor pixels of the first pixel, the second bin in each of the one or more nearest neighbor pixels having a most similar depth value to a depth value of the first bin;
• generating a first depth-aware bin group including the first bin and the second bin in each of the one or more nearest neighbor pixels;
• and
• processing, using the first depth-aware bin group, the 3-D image to produce a corresponding 3-D output image.