Automatic generation of video and directional audio from spherical content

• US 10,573,351 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2019
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
• Original Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
• Inventors: Campbell, Scott Patrick, Jing, Zhinian, Macmillan, Timothy, Newman, David A., Adsumilli, Balineedu Chowdary
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Hung Q
• Application Number:
  US16/456,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20190325915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 242 Days
• Field of Search: 386239-248
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3081 used signal is a video-frame or a video-field (P.I.P)
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/806 with processing of the sound signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8211 the additional signal being a sound signal H04N9/835 takes precedence

Abstract

A spherical content capture system captures spherical video and audio content. In one embodiment, captured metadata or video/audio processing is used to identify content relevant to a particular user based on time and location information. The platform can then generate an output video from one or more shared spherical content files relevant to the user. The output video may include a non-spherical reduced field of view such as those commonly associated with conventional camera systems. Particularly, relevant sub-frames having a reduced field of view may be extracted from each frame of spherical video to generate an output video that tracks a particular individual or object of interest. For each sub-frame, a corresponding portion of an audio track is generated that includes a directional audio signal having a directionality based on the selected sub-frame.

Claims

1. A method for generating a video with corresponding audio, the method performing by a computing system including one or more processors, the method comprising:

receiving, by the computing system, frames of a video having a field of view, the frames including a target;

receiving, by the computing system, audio signals captured concurrently with the frames;

determining, by the computing system, a time-varying path of the target within the frames based on an analysis of content of the frames or information associated with the video;

identifying, by the computing system, sub-frames within the frames based on the time-varying path of the target, the sub-frames including the target and having a reduced field of view relative to the field of view;

generating, by the computing system, an audio stream from the audio signals based on the time-varying path of the target, the audio stream including portions of one or more of the audio signals corresponding to a direction of the target; and

generating, by the computing system, an output video including the sub-frames and the audio stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio signals include directional audio signal and determining the audio stream further comprises selecting the portions based on matching directionalities of the directional audio signals with the direction of the target.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the directional audio signals correspond to directions perpendicular to faces of at least one member of a group consisting of:

a tetrahedron, a cube, or a pyramid.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the information associated with the video includes a directionality of an audio source of one or more of the directional audio signals.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein a scene motion analysis is performed based on the directional audio signals.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the video includes location information generated by a tracking device carried by the target.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the analysis of the content of the frames includes visual recognition of the target within the frames.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the visual recognition of the target includes facial recognition, object recognition, motion recognition, or gesture recognition.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for generating a video with corresponding audio, the instructions when executed by one or more processors causing the one or more processors to perform steps including:

receiving frames of a video having a field of view, the frames including a target;

receiving audio signals captured concurrently with the frames;

determining a time-varying path of the target within the frames based on an analysis of content of the frames or information associated with the video;

identifying sub-frames within the frames based on the time-varying path of the target, the sub-frames including the target and having a reduced field of view relative to the field of view;

generating an audio stream from the audio signals based on the time-varying path of the target, the audio stream including portions of one or more of the audio signals corresponding to a direction of the target; and

generating an output video including the sub-frames and the audio stream.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the audio signals include directional audio signal and determining the audio stream further comprises selecting the portions based on matching directionalities of the directional audio signals with the direction of the target.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the directional audio signals correspond to directions perpendicular to the faces of at least one member of a group consisting of:

a tetrahedron, a cube, or a pyramid.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the information associated with the video includes location information generated by a tracking device carried by the target.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the analysis of the content of the frames includes visual recognition of the target within the frames.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the visual recognition of the target includes facial recognition, object recognition, motion recognition, or gesture recognition.

15. A system for generating a video with corresponding audio, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform steps including;

receiving frames of a video having a field of view, the frames including a target;

receiving audio signals captured concurrently with the frames;

determining a time-varying path of the target within the frames based on an analysis of content of the frames or information associated with the video;

identifying sub-frames within the frames based on the time-varying path of the target, the sub-frames including the target and having a reduced field of view relative to the field of view;

generating an audio stream from the audio signals based on the time-varying path of the target, the audio stream including portions of one or more of the audio signals corresponding to a direction of the target; and

generating an output video including the sub-frames and the audio stream.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the audio signals include directional audio signal and determining the audio stream further comprises selecting the portions based on matching directionalities of the directional audio signals with the direction of the target.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the directional audio signals correspond to directions perpendicular to faces of at least one member of a group consisting of:

a tetrahedron, a cube, or a pyramid.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the information associated with the video includes a directionality of an audio source of one or more of the directional audio signals.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the information associated with the video includes location information generated by a tracking device carried by the target.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the analysis of the content of the frames includes visual recognition of the target within the frames.