Display devices suitable for displaying three-dimensional images are receiving an increasing interest in research. In addition substantial research is undertaken in order to establish how to provide end-users with a satisfying, high quality viewing experience.
Three dimensional (3D) displays add a third dimension to the viewing experience by providing both eyes of a viewer with different views of the scene being watched. This can be achieved by having the user wear glasses to separate two views that are displayed. However, as glasses may be considered inconvenient to the user, it is in many scenarios preferred to use autostereoscopic displays that use means at the display (such as lenticular lenses, or barriers) to separate views, and to send them in different directions where they individually may reach the user's eyes. For stereo displays, two views are required whereas autostereoscopic displays typically require more views (such as e.g. nine views).
Various different approaches exist for providing content to such stereoscopic and autostereoscopic devices. A popular format is the delivery of stereo content or multi-view content that effectively comprising multiple images for respective views that can be displayed by the display device. The advantage of doing so is that generally processing requirements in such a display device and in content creation can be kept to a minimum.
A problem associated with the delivery of stereo or multiview content comprising actual encoded views for display is that these images effectively fix the disparity relationship between the two or more respective views in an implicit manner.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds