Method and apparatus and computer program for generating a 3 dimensional image from a 2 dimensional image

A method of generating a three dimensional image from a two dimensional image, the two dimensional image having a background and a first foreground object and a second foreground object located thereon, the method comprising the steps of:

• applying a transformation to a copy of the background;
• generating stereoscopically for display the background and the transformed background;
• detecting the first and second foreground object located in the two dimensional image;
• determining whether the first and second foreground objects are within a predetermined distance of one another, wherein in the event of the first and second foreground objects being within a predetermined distance of one another, the method further comprises the step of:
• applying a transformation to the first foreground object, wherein the transformation applied to the first foreground object is less than or equal to the transformation applied to the background;
• generating a copy of the first foreground object with the transformation applied thereto;
• and
• generating stereoscopically for display the first foreground object with the transform applied thereto and the copy of the first foreground object displaced relative to one another by an amount determined in accordance with the position of the first foreground object in the image.

An apparatus for generating a three dimensional image from a two dimensional image, the two dimensional image having a background and a first foreground object and a second foreground object located thereon, the apparatus comprising:

• a generator for applying a transformation to a copy of the background;
• a device for generating stereoscopically for display the background and the transformed background;
• a determiner for determining whether the first foreground object and the second foreground object occlude with one another, wherein in the event of occlusion, the occluded combination of the first and second foreground object form a third foreground object in the two dimensional image, and
• the apparatus is operable to apply a transformation to the third foreground object wherein the transform applied to the third foreground object is less than or equal to the transform applied to the background;
• the generator being further operable to generate a copy of the third foreground object with the transform applied thereto and
• a device being operable to generate stereoscopically for display the third foreground object with the transform applied thereto and the copy of the third foreground object displaced relative to one another by an amount determined in accordance with the position of one of the first or second foreground object in the image.

An apparatus for generating a three dimensional image from a two dimensional image, the two dimensional image having a background and a first foreground object and a second foreground object located thereon, the apparatus comprising:

• a transformer operable to apply a transformation to a copy of the background;
• a generator operable to generate stereoscopically for display the background and the transformed background;
• a detector capable to detect the first and second foreground object located in the two dimensional image;
• and
• a determiner operable to determine whether the first and second foreground objects are within a predetermined distance of one another, wherein in the event of the first and second foreground object being within a predetermined distance of one another;
• an applier is operable to apply a transformation to the first foreground object, wherein the transformation applied to the first foreground object is less than or equal to the transformation applied to the background;
• a copy generator operable to generate a copy of the first foreground object with the transformation applied thereto and to generate stereoscopically for display the first foreground object with the transform applied thereto and the copy of the first foreground object being displaced relative to one another by an amount determined in accordance with the position of the first foreground object in the image.