PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for generating stereo correspondences among arbitrary plural visual fields at a scene. SOLUTION: A stereo correspondence problem is converted into a maximum flow problem of a graph theory. When the maximum flow problem is solved, a minimum cut relating to the maximum flow gives a visual difference surface of the whole picture at one time. This overall method for a stereo analysis makes it possible to provide a distance map having more precise and a local correlation than a conventional sequential line stereo method. Moreover, the optimality of the distance map surface is guaranteed and it is indicated that the method is generalization of a dynamic programming method used pervasively in a standard stereo method. According to an arithmetic result, a distance estimation is improved and a processing of distance discontinuation is improved. The worst running time is 0 (n<3> d<3> ) but an observed average running time is 0 (nd<1.4> ) for the picture size of n pixel and a distance resolution (d).
MAXIMUM FLOW METHOD FOR PROVIDING STEREO CORRESPONDENCE AMONG MULTIPLE VISUAL FIELDS