Bowtie view representing a 360-degree image

• US 10,204,397 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2016
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Riley, Raymond Walter, Gurr, Kae-Ling, Christie, Brett Delainey, Maruska, Joshua D., Noble, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, Ryan M
• Application Number:
  US15/071,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20170270633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/20 Perspective computation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/047 Fisheye or wide-angle transformations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

Techniques are described herein that are capable of providing a bowtie view of an environment. A bowtie view of an environment is a representation of a 360-degree image of the environment that is compressed at its center such that at least one side of the bowtie view is concave. For example, two opposing sides of the bowtie view may be concave. In accordance with this example, the two opposing sides may be top and bottom sides of the bowtie view. The 360-degree image is unwrapped to provide a flattened image. The flattened image is projected on an inner surface of a virtual object in a three-dimensional virtual environment. A portion of the flattened image is captured from the inner surface of the virtual object using a virtual camera to provide the bowtie view.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to;

unwrap a 360-degree image of an environment that is captured by a 360-degree camera to provide a flattened image;

project the flattened image on an inner surface of a virtual object in a three-dimensional virtual environment;

capture a projected portion of the flattened image from the inner surface of the virtual object using a virtual camera; and

generate a bowtie view using the projected portion of the flattened image that is captured from the inner surface of the virtual object, the bowtie view being compressed at its center such that at least one side of the bowtie view is concave.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to select a distance between the virtual camera and the projected portion of the flattened image that corresponds to the bowtie view on the inner surface of the virtual object to accommodate placement of an interface element between an upper or lower edge of the bowtie view and a respective upper or lower edge of a display on which the bowtie view is to be displayed.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to select a distance between the virtual camera and the projected portion of the flattened image that corresponds to the bowtie view on the inner surface of the virtual object based on an aspect ratio of a display on which the bowtie view is to be displayed.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to select a distance between the virtual camera and the projected portion of the flattened image that corresponds to the bowtie view on the inner surface of the virtual object based on a size of a display on which the bowtie view is to be displayed.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause a projection of the flattened image on the inner surface of the virtual object to be rotatable with reference to the virtual camera by a user of a device on which the bowtie view is to be displayed.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to configure at least one of the virtual camera or the virtual object in real-time based on an attribute associated with a display on which the bowtie view is to be displayed.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual object has a circular cross-section;

and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to position the virtual camera such that a distance between the virtual camera and the projected portion of the flattened image that corresponds to the bowtie view on the inner surface of the virtual object is greater than a radius of the circular cross-section.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual object has a circular cross-section;

and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to position the virtual camera such that a distance between the virtual camera and the projected portion of the flattened image that corresponds to the bowtie view on the inner surface of the virtual object is less than a diameter of the circular cross-section.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual object has a circular cross-section;

wherein a distance between points in the virtual object represents a width of a display on which the bowtie view is to be displayed; and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to configure the virtual camera to cause a field of view of the virtual camera and a field of view from a center of the circular cross-section to intersect at the points.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual object has a circular cross-section;

and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to configure the circular cross-section to have a diameter that is based on an aspect ratio of a display on which the bowtie view is to be displayed.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual object has a circular cross-section;

and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to configure the circular cross-section to have a diameter that is based on a width of a display on which the bowtie view is to be displayed.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause a projection of the flattened image on the inner surface of the virtual object to spin with reference to the virtual camera to cause participants of a video conference who are in a field of view of the 360-degree camera to be shown in the bowtie view as the projection spins in response to initiation of the video conference.

13. A method comprising:

unwrapping a 360-degree image of an environment that is captured by a 360-degree camera to provide a flattened image;

projecting the flattened image on an inner surface of a virtual object in a three-dimensional virtual environment;

capturing a projected portion of the flattened image on the inner surface of the virtual object using a virtual camera; and

generating a bowtie view using the projected portion of the flattened image that is captured from the inner surface of the virtual object, the bowtie view being compressed at its center such that at least one side of the bowtie view is concave.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving an indicator, which specifies selection of a portion of the flattened image that corresponds to the bowtie view, from a device on which the bowtie view is to be displayed;

selecting the portion from a plurality of portions of the flattened image based on receipt of the indicator; and

providing the bowtie view for display on the device based on selection of the portion from the plurality of portions of the flattened image.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving an indicator from a device on which the bowtie view is to be displayed, the indicator specifying an attribute of the device;

selecting a version of the projected portion of the flattened image from a plurality of versions of the projected portion based on the attribute that is specified by the indicator; and

providing the bowtie view for display on the device based on selection of the version of the projected portion from the plurality of versions of the projected portion.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

configuring at least one of the virtual camera or the virtual object in real-time based on an attribute associated with a display on which the bowtie view is to be displayed.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the virtual object is a cylinder;

and

wherein the method further comprises;

positioning the virtual camera such that a distance between the virtual camera and the projected portion of the flattened image that corresponds to the bowtie view on the inner surface of the cylinder is greater than a distance between an axis that extends along the cylinder and the projection of the portion of the flattened image on the inner surface of the cylinder.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the virtual object is a cylinder;

and

wherein the method further comprises;

positioning the virtual camera such that a distance between the virtual camera and the projected portion of the flattened image that corresponds to the bowtie view on the inner surface of the cylinder is less than a diameter of the cylinder.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the virtual object is a cylinder;

wherein a distance between points in the virtual object represents a width of a display on which the bowtie view is to be displayed; and

wherein the method further comprises;

configuring the virtual camera to cause a field of view of the virtual camera and a field of view of the cylinder to intersect at the points.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the virtual object is a cylinder;

and

wherein the method further comprises;

configuring the cylinder to have a diameter that is based on an aspect ratio of a display on which the bowtie view is to be displayed.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the virtual object is a cylinder;

and

wherein the method further comprises;

configuring the cylinder to have a diameter that is based on a width of a display on which the bowtie view is to be displayed.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

configuring a user interface to include the bowtie view and to further include avatars of participants of a video conference in a region between a lower edge of the bowtie view and a lower edge of a display on which the bowtie view is to be displayed.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

configuring a user interface to include the bowtie view and to further include a video stream of a participant of a video conference who is not in a field of view of the 360-degree camera, at least a portion of the video stream overlapping a region between an upper edge of the bowtie view and an upper edge of a display of a computing device of the participant on which the bowtie view is to be displayed.

24. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor-based system to provide a bowtie view of an environment, the computer program logic comprising:

means for enabling the processor-based system to unwrap a 360-degree image of the environment that is captured by a 360-degree camera to provide a flattened image;

means for enabling the processor-based system to project the flattened image on an inner surface of a virtual object in a three-dimensional virtual environment;

means for enabling the processor-based system to capture a projected portion of the flattened image from the inner surface of the virtual object using a virtual camera; and

means for enabling the processor-based system to generate a bowtie view using the projected portion of the flattened image that is captured from the inner surface of the virtual object, the bowtie view being compressed at its center such that at least one side of the bowtie view is concave.