Device, server, system and method to generate mutual photometric effects

• US 20040143786A1
• Filed: 11/13/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Briand, Gerard, Stauder, J?uuml;rgen, Chupeau, Bertrand
• Granted Patent: US 8,164,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/500.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/50 Lighting effects

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for generating mutual photometric effects. The invention concerns also a server for delivering photometric parameters for generating mutual photometric effects and a system including such a device and such a server.

According to the invention the device (1) comprises

means for receiving and demultiplexing said visual data sets and photometric parameters respectively associated with said data sets,

means for defining said mutual photometric effects to be generated for these photometric parameters,

composition and rendering means for positioning said visual data sets in said common support space and applying said effects defined for said photometric parameters from at least one of said visual data sets to at least one other of said visual data sets so that at least one visual data set influences one other visual data set in said common support space.

Claims

1. Device (1) to generate mutual photometric effects between a plurality of visual data sets, comprising means to position the visual data sets in a common support space characterized in that it comprises:

means (5, 11, 12, 13, 14) for receiving and demultiplexing said visual data sets and photometric parameters respectively associated with said data sets,

means (16) for defining said mutual photometric effects to be generated for these photometric parameters,

composition and rendering means (4) for positioning said visual data sets in said common support space and applying said effects defined for said photometric parameters from at least one of said visual data sets to at least one other of said visual data sets so that at least one visual data set influences one other visual data set in said common support space.

2. Device (1) according to claim 1 characterized in that the means (16) for defining the effects of said photometric parameters manage their storage, their numerical precision, their spatial resolution and/or their rendering together with visual data sets.

3. Device (1) according to any of claims 1 or 2 characterized in that the photometric parameters are illumination and reflection properties, the illumination properties being preferably selected among the spatial intensity distribution of light, the position of light sources, the shape and the color of light sources and the reflection properties being preferably selected among the surface color, the specular color, the reflection geometry and the polarization.

4. Device (1) according to any of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that the composition and rendering means for applying the effects described by said photometric parameters generate special effects like preferably shading, cast shadows, self shadowing, specular reflections, inter-reflections or color effects.

5. Device (1) according to any of claim 1 to 4 characterized in that the visual data sets are still data, dynamic data, compressed data, raw data, panoramic data, three-dimensional data and/or image data.

8. Multimedia system characterized in that it comprises

at least one server (Aj) according to any of claim 6 to 7 for delivering multimedia data including at least two visual data sets associated with photometric parameters for visual data sets,

means (Cj) for transmitting said visual data sets and their respective photometric parameters bundled together from said server to at least one device according to any of claims 1 to 5,

a device (1) according to any of claims 1 to 5 to generate mutual photometric effects for applying the effects of said delivered photometric parameters of at least one of said delivered visual data sets to at least another of said delivered visual data sets so that said visual data sets influences said other visual data set in a common support space.

9. Multimedia system according to claim 8 characterized in that the means (Cj) for transmitting said visual data sets and their respective photometric parameters bundled together are broadcast means, unicast means, multicast means, connection-oriented means, connection-less means is and/or media distribution means.

6. Server (Aj) for delivering multimedia data including visual data sets associated with respective photometric parameters for said visual data sets, characterized in that it comprises

means (18) for managing the storage and conditioning of photometric parameters for said visual data sets,

means (8) for transmitting over a transmission link (Cj) said multimedia data bundled with their associated photometric parameters, said multimedia data including means to display at least one of the visual data sets with another of said visual data sets in a common support space.

7. Server (Aj) according to claim 6 characterized in that the means (18) for managing the storage and conditioning of photometric parameters defines the spatial resolution, the numerical precision, the coding mode and the kind of association to multimedia data of the photometric parameters considering type of service, type and state of transmission link (Cj), type and state of the device (1) connected to the server (Aj) via the transmission link (Cj) and/or profile of user using said connected device (1).

10. Method to generate mutual photometric effects between a plurality of visual data sets, wherein one positions the visual data sets in a common support space, characterized in that:

one delivers multimedia data including at least two visual data sets respectively associated with photometric parameters for visual data sets,

one transmits, bundled together, said visual data sets and their respective photometric parameters to at least one managing means,

one defines dynamically said mutual photometric effects for the photometric parameters and their associated visual data sets,

and one applies said effects defined by said photometric parameters from at least one of said visual data sets to at least another of said visual data sets so that said visual data set influences said other visual data set.