Demultiplexing for stereoplexed film and video applications

Abstract

A method for demultiplexing frames of compressed image data is provided. The image data includes a series of left compressed images and a series of right compressed images, the right compressed images and left compressed images compressed using a compression function. The method includes receiving the frames of compressed image data via a medium configured to transmit images in single frame format, and performing an expansion function on frames of compressed image data, the expansion function configured to select pixels from the series of left compressed images and series of right compressed images to produce replacement pixels to form a substantially decompressed set of stereo image pairs. Additionally, a system for receiving stereo pairs, multiplexing the stereo pairs for transmission across a medium including single frame formatting, and demultiplexing received data into altered stereo pairs is provided.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A method for demultiplexing a multiplexed frame divided into portions, wherein the multiplexed frame comprises first and second right images disposed in first and second. portions of the frame, respectively, and first and second left images disposed in third and fourth portions of the frame, respectively; wherein the first right image, the second right image, the first left image, and the second left image are formed using first, second, third, and fourth image size reduction techniques, respectively; wherein at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth image size reduction techniques is different from another one of the first, second, third, and fourth image size reduction technique; and wherein the first and second right images comprise image data operable to form a same output right-image frame, and the first and second left images comprise image data operable to form a same output left-image frame, the method for demultiplexing comprising:
 receiving the multiplexed frame; and   generating a demultiplexed right image from the first and second right images in the first and second portions of the multiplexed frame; and   generating a demultiplexed left image from the first and second left images in the third and fourth portions of the multiplexed frame.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the first and second left images in the multiplexed frame are associated the first and second right image in the multiplexed frame. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the first, second, third, fourth portions of the multiplexed frame each comprise one-fourth of the multiplexed frame. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the first and second left images are based on an unprocessed left image and the first and second right images are based on an unprocessed right image, and the first and second right images are created from the unprocessed right image using the first and second size reduction techniques that are different, and the first d second left images are created from the unprocessed left image using the third and fourth size reduction techniques that are different. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein generating the demultiplexed right image or generating the demultiplexed left image further comprises:
 computing a plurality of output pixels in the demultiplexed right image or demultiplexed left image based on a plurality of source pixels in one of the first and second right images or one of the first and second left images in the multiplexed frame.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein computing comprises employing a series of weighting factors based on positions of the plurality of source pixels, the series of weighting factors comprising at least two different weighting factors. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising applying a process to one of the first and second left images or one of the first and second right images in the multiplexed frame, the process selected from a group consisting of:
 reverse variably applied bicubic scaling;   reverse variable sharpening;   reverse non-variably applied bicubic scaling; and   reverse non-variable sharpening.