Efficient multiview image compression using quadtree disparity estimation

Viewpoint adaptation, or 'look-around' capability, is likely to be vital to the success of future immersive multimedia services such as 3D video-conferencing, virtual reality and 3DTV. This paper proposes a low complexity and efficient compression system for multiview images using quadtree disparity estimation and multiview synthesis. Previous approaches to the problem have generally involved the transmission of a coded stereo image pair, usually using fixed block size disparity compensation, along with a pair of dense disparity maps used for intermediate view synthesis. In this work, the quadtree disparity map coded implicitly in the stereo compression process is re-used in the multiview synthesis process. The other map is also efficiently represented using a quadtree structure at low resolution. Improved multiview compression results are presented, along with intermediate views synthesised at the decoder.