Virtual view image synthesis method and apparatus

A method of processing a video signal, the method comprising:

• generating a first viewpoint intermediate picture and a second viewpoint intermediate picture by warping a first viewpoint reference picture and a second viewpoint reference picture wherein, when a plurality of pixels of the first viewpoint reference picture are mapped to a pixel of the first viewpoint intermediate picture, generating the first viewpoint intermediate picture comprises:
• obtaining position information in the first viewpoint intermediate picture corresponding to the plurality of pixels of the first viewpoint reference picture;
• obtaining a pixel value of the pixel of the first viewpoint intermediate picture based on pixel values of the plurality of pixels of the first viewpoint reference picture and the position information;
• and
• modifying the pixel value of the pixel of the first viewpoint intermediate picture based on a number of the plurality of pixels of the first viewpoint reference picture and the pixel of the first viewpoint intermediate picture and a sum of the pixel values of the plurality of pixels of the first viewpoint reference picture and the pixel value of the pixel of the first viewpoint intermediate picture;
• determining whether a hole is present in the first viewpoint intermediate picture;
• based on a determination that a hole is present in the first viewpoint intermediate picture, specifying a position of the hole;
• obtaining a pixel value of the second viewpoint intermediate picture on the basis of the position of the hole in the first viewpoint intermediate picture;
• obtaining differential pixel values between pixels of the first viewpoint intermediate picture that are contiguous to the hole and pixels of the second viewpoint intermediate picture that are located at positions in the second viewpoint intermediate picture corresponding to positions of the pixels in the first viewpoint intermediate picture that are contiguous to the hole;
• and
• allocating, to the hole, a sum of an average of the differential pixel values and the pixel value of the second viewpoint intermediate picture,
• wherein the hole is a specific region in which no pixel value is allocated to the first viewpoint intermediate picture.