Method and apparatus for streaming video content

• US 10,547,879 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2017
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Lai, Wang Lin, Liu, Shan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ekpo, Nnenna N
• Application Number:
  US15/646,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20180020248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 725100, 725131, 725151
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/437 Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server flow control in data networks H04L47/10; streaming protocols, e.g. RTP or RTCP, H04L65/65; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests in data packet switching networks H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440245 the reformatting operation being performed only on part of the stream, e.g. a region of the image or a time segment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4728 for selecting a Region Of Interest [ROI], e.g. for requesting a higher resolution version of a selected region
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6336 directed to decoder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/816 involving special video data, e.g 3D video
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/845 Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure provide an apparatus that includes an interface circuit, a processing circuit and a display device. The interface circuit is configured to receive media description information of media data. The media data includes a plurality of segment streams having different coverage in spatial domain for video content, the media description information is indicative of the different coverage in spatial domain of the plurality of segment streams. The processing circuit is configured to determine one or more segment streams based on a region of interests for image generation and the different coverage in spatial domain of the plurality of segment streams, select segments in the one or more segment streams, and cause the interface circuit to request and receive the selected segments. The display device is configured to display images generated based on the selected segments.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an interface circuit configured to receive a media description information file corresponding to a plurality of segment streams for a same planar surface, the media description information file including address information of the plurality of segment streams, projection information that indicates a projection relationship between sections of a sphere surface and respective sub-regions in the planar surface, and geometry information that, for each of the plurality of segment streams, identifies a high-resolution region having a relative high resolution with respect to a remaining region in the corresponding segment stream and associates the identified high-resolution region with a corresponding section of the sphere surface, wherein

the media description information file includes an adaptation set that includes the projection information and the geometry information, and

the adaptation set further includes a flag that is set to indicate that the plurality of segment streams is for a virtual reality application;

a processing circuit configured to

determine one of the plurality of segment streams as a selected segment stream based on a region of interests for image generation, the projection information, and the geometry information, and

cause the interface circuit to request and receive the selected segment stream based on the address information; and

a display device configured to display images generated based on the selected segment stream.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of segment streams corresponds to different bitrates, and

the processing circuit is configured to determine the selected segment stream that satisfies a bitrate requirement.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the projection information included in the media description information file indicates that the sub-regions in the planar surface correspond to projected faces of a platonic solid.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the geometry information included in the media description information file identifies the sub-regions using a sphere coordinate system.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to

detect a change in the region of interests, and

determine whether to update the selected segment stream in response to the change.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the address information of the plurality of segment streams included in the media description information file includes Uniform Resource Locator (URL) addresses.

6. A method for image rendering, comprising:

receiving a media description information file corresponding to a plurality of segment streams for a same planar surface, the media description information file including address information of the plurality of segment streams, projection information that indicates a projection relationship between sections of a sphere surface and respective sub-regions in the planar surface, and geometry information that, for each of the plurality of segment streams, identifies a high-resolution region having a relative high resolution with respect to a remaining region in the corresponding segment stream and associates the identified high-resolution region with a corresponding section of the sphere surface, wherein

the media description information file includes an adaptation set that includes the projection information and the geometry information, and

the adaptation set further includes a flag that is set to indicate that the plurality of segment streams is for a virtual reality application;

determining, by a processing circuit, one of the plurality of segment streams as a selected segment stream based on a region of interests for image generation, the projection information, and the geometry information;

transmitting a request for the selected segment stream based on the address information;

receiving the selected segment stream; and

displaying images generated based on the selected segment stream.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein

the plurality of segment streams corresponds to different bitrates, and

the method comprises determining the selected segment stream that satisfies a bitrate requirement.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein

the projection information included in the media description information file indicates that the sub-regions in the planar surface correspond to respective projected faces of a platonic solid.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the geometry information included in the media description information file identifies the sub-regions using a sphere coordinate system.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

detecting a change in at least one of the region of interests; and

determining whether to update the selected segment stream in response to the change.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the address information of the plurality of segment streams included in the media description information file includes Uniform Resource Locator (URL) addresses.