Process and system for encoding and playback of stereoscopic video sequences

Abstract

A method for decoding a compressed image stream, the image stream having a plurality of frames, each frame consisting of a merged image including pixels from a left image and pixels from a right image. The method involves the steps of receiving each merged image; changing a clock domain from the original input signal to an internal domain; for each merged image, placing at least two adjacent pixels into an input buffer and interpolating an intermediate pixel, for forming a reconstructed left frame and a reconstructed right frame according to provenance of the adjacent pixels; and reconstructing a stereoscopic image stream from the left and right image frames. The invention also teaches a system for decoding a compressed image stream.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for displaying stereoscopic video sequences, the system comprising:
 a dual input head mountable display;   an output controller in communication with the dual input head mountable display, the output controller being operable to:
 add additional left pixels into each left image of a left image sequence, the additional left pixels being created using spatial interpolation based at least on a plurality of other left pixels in the respective left image, 
 add additional right pixels into each right image of a right image sequence, the additional right pixels being created using spatial interpolation based at least on a plurality of other right pixels in the respective right image, 
 adjust an output frame rate of the left image sequence to correspond with a display frame rate of the head mountable display by inserting, at certain locations in the left image sequence, a modified left image at a position in the left image sequence immediately after a selected left image of the left image sequence, the modified left image being created using movement anticipation based at least in part on the selected left image, 
 adjust an output frame rate of the right image sequence to correspond with a display frame rate of the head mountable display by inserting, at certain locations in the right image sequence, a modified right image at a position in the right image sequence immediately after a selected right image of the right image sequence, the modified right image being created using movement anticipation based at least in part on the selected right image, 
 generate an output left video signal comprised of the adjusted left image sequence, 
 generate an output right video signal comprised of the adjusted right image sequence, and 
 send the output left video signal and the output right video signal to the dual input head mountable display. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a rate controller that is operable to monitor clock signals to detect clock signal variations and to instruct the output controller to adjust the output frame rate based on the detected clock signal variations. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an anti-flicker filter that is operable to decrease colors of at least one pixel of at least one image of the left image sequence and the right image sequence when at least one color of the at least one pixel is above a certain value. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the head mountable display is a first display operating in a stereoscopic 3D viewing mode, and wherein the output controller is operable to simultaneously drive one of the output left video signal and the output right video signal to a second display for display in a conventional 2D display mode. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a digital input connectable to the internet, the digital input being configured to receive a stereoscopic video sequence over an internet connection, wherein the output controller generates the left image sequence and the right image sequence based on the received stereoscopic video sequence. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each left image in the left image sequence is generated from a left image mosaic and each right image in the right image sequence is generated from a right image mosaic, each left image having a larger number of pixels than the corresponding left image mosaic and each right image having a larger number of pixels than the corresponding right image mosaic. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein each left image includes a plurality of additional left pixels generated from the corresponding left image mosaic using interpolation and each right image includes a plurality of additional right pixels generated from the corresponding right image mosaic using interpolation. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the head mountable display is also operable to display 2D format video. 
     
     
         9 . A method for displaying stereoscopic video sequences on a dual input head mountable display, the method comprising the steps of:
 adding additional left pixels into each left image of a left image sequence, the additional left pixels being created using spatial interpolation based at least on a plurality of other left pixels in the respective left image,   adding additional right pixels into each right image of a right image sequence, the additional right pixels being created using spatial interpolation based at least on a plurality of other right pixels in the respective right image,   adjusting an output frame rate of the left image sequence to correspond with a display frame rate of the head mountable display by inserting, at certain locations in the left image sequence, a modified left image at a position in the left image sequence immediately after a selected left image of the left image sequence, the modified left image being created using movement anticipation based at least in part on the selected left image;   adjusting an output frame rate of the right image sequence to correspond with a display frame rate of the head mountable display by inserting, at certain locations in the right image sequence, a modified right image at a position in the right image sequence immediately after a selected right image of the right image sequence, the modified right image being created using movement anticipation based at least in part on the selected right image;   generating an output left video signal comprised of the adjusted left image sequence;   generating an output right video signal comprised of the adjusted right image sequence; and   sending the output left video signal and the output right video signal to the head mountable display.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the step of monitoring clock signals to detect clock signal variations and to adjust the output frame rate based on the detected clock signal variations. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the step of reducing flickering by decreasing colors of at least one pixel of at least one image of the left image sequence and the right image sequence when at least one color of the at least one pixel is above a certain value. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the head mountable display is a first display operating in a stereoscopic 3D viewing mode, and further including the step of simultaneously sending one of the output left video signal and the output right video signal to a second display for display in a conventional 2D display mode. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the steps of: receiving, via a digital input connectable to the internet, a stereoscopic video sequence over an internet connection; and generating the left image sequence and the right image sequence based on the received stereoscopic video sequence. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein each left image in the left image sequence is generated from a left image mosaic and each right image in the right image sequence is generated from a right image mosaic, each left image having a larger number of pixels than the corresponding left image mosaic and each right image having a larger number of pixels than the corresponding right image mosaic. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein each left image includes a plurality of additional left pixels generated from the corresponding left image mosaic using interpolation and each right image includes a plurality of additional right pixels generated from the corresponding right image mosaic using interpolation. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the head mountable display is also operable to display 2D format video.