Joint depth-motion dense estimation for multiview video coding

The multiview video coding (MVC) extension of H.264/MPEG-4 AVC [1] is one of the most promising visual encoders for three-dimensional television and free viewpoint video applications. In this paper, we propose a joint dense motion/disparity estimation algorithm, designed to replace the classical temporal/inter-view unit within MVC, which uses a block-based motion/disparity estimation. The motion vector fields and the disparity vector fields are therefore simultaneously derived using the stereo-motion consistency constraint in a set theoretic convex optimization framework. The obtained displacement vector fields are then jointly segmented by minimizing a rate-distortion cost function, in line with the multiple reference frame strategy used in H.264/MPEG-4 AVC. Experimental results demonstrate the benefits of the proposed method compared to the separated dense estimation scheme or the block-based estimation technique.