Hierarchical Hole-Filling(HHF): Depth image based rendering without depth map filtering for 3D-TV

In this paper we propose a new approach for disocclusion removal in depth image-based rendering (DIBR) for 3D-TV. The new approach, Hierarchical Hole-Filling (HHF), eliminates the need for any preprocessing of the depth map. HHF uses a pyramid like approach to estimate the hole pixels from lower resolution estimates of the 3D wrapped image. The lower resolution estimates involves a pseudo zero canceling plus Gaussian filtering of the wrapped image. Then starting backwards from the lowest resolution hole-free estimate in the pyramid, we interpolate and use the pixel values to fill in the hole in the higher up resolution image. The procedure is repeated until the estimated image is hole-free. Experimental results show that HHF yields virtual images that are free of any geometric distortions, which is not the case in other algorithms that preprocess the depth map. Experiments has also shown that unlike previous DIBR techniques, HHF is not sensitive to depth maps with high percentage of bad matching pixels.