Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving 3D video pictures

Apparatus to transmit video pictures containing depth information comprising:

• input means to receive video signals from at least two sources the signals being derived from different representations of the same scene;
• means for correlating the video signal from a first video source with the video signal from each other source to determine a plurality of peak correlation values corresponding to vectors representing depth information;
• means for testing for each pixels in the picture which of the vectors gives the best fit in deriving one picture from the other;
• means to assign to each pixel that vector which gives the best fit;
• and
• transmitter means to transmit the video signal from the first source, and to transmit the said vectors as difference information indicating how the first signal needs to be changed to form a display containing depth.

A method of transmitting video picures containing depth information, comprising the steps of:

• providing video signals from at least two sources, the signals being derived from different representations of the same scene;
• calculating 2-dimensional fast Fourier transforms from the luminance components of the two signals;
• calculating phase differences between each frequency component in the first signal and the corresponding frequency component in a parallel signal to produce a complete array of unit length vectors;
• and
• calculating an inverse fast Fourier transform of the said array to produce a phase correlation array for the two signals, the values in the array corresponding to vectors representing depth information;
• testing for each of a plurality of elementary areas of the pictures which of these vectors gives the best fit in deriving one of the pictures from the other;
• assigning each picture area to that vector which gives the best fit;
• transmitting the video signal from the first source;
• and
• transmitting the derived vectors for each elementary area as difference information indicating how the first signal needs to be changed to form a dislay containing depth.

In a system for transmitting video pictures containing depth information and having a transmitter comprising:

• Input means to receive video signals from at least two sources, the signals being derived from different representations of the same scene;
• means for correlating the video signal from a first video source with the video signal from each other source to determine a plurality of peak correlation values corresponding to vectors representing depth information;
• means for testing for each pixels in the picture which of the vectors gives the best fit in deriving one picture from the other;
• means to assign to each pixel that vector which gives the best fit;
• and
• transmitter means to transmit the video signal from the first source, and to transmit the said vectors as difference information indicating how the first signal needs to be changed to form a display containing depth;
• and a receiver, the improvement wherein the receiver comprises:
• a display capable of providing an illusion of depth;
• input means for receiving the transmitted first video signal and for receiving the transmitted difference information indicating how the first video signal needs to be changed to form a display containing depth;
• means for modifying the received first video signal with the difference information to form a second video signal;
• and
• means for supplying the first and second video signals to the display.