Elemental Image Generation Algorithm Using Reverse Iteration Along Optical Path

We propose a fast elemental image generation algorithm for integral imaging display based on depth information and a two-dimensional scene image. Existing elemental image generation algorithms establish many-to-one mappings from the scene to the elemental image, thereby including redundant calculations. The improved algorithm entails establishing a single mapping from elemental image to the scene. Each pixel in the elemental image matches a unique scene pixel by inverse iteration along the optical path. This establishes a high precision matching and eliminates hole caused by depth discontinuities. In this paper, we obtain a unique mapping solution by inverse iteration along the optical path using a one-pixel step. The time complexity of this algorithm is mainly driven by the pixel sum of the elemental image array. We generate the elemental image seven times faster than the original algorithm. The larger total quantity of the scene pixels further demonstrates the advantages of our algorithm. The experiments show that the update rate can reach more than 30 fps according to the VCD standard (352×240 resolution) using four parallel calculation threads with a four-core Intel® Core(TM) i7-7500U 2.70 GHz CPU despite various delay factors. The results verify the correctness of the theoretical analysis.