Multi-view video delivery

• US 20070103558A1
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Jiang, Lou, Jian-Guang, Cai, Hua
• Application Number:
  US11/267,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20070103558A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/211.110
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/144 Movement detection for video coding H04N19/503; analysis of motion in general G06T7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/20 Circuitry for controlling amplitude response
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/222 Studio circuitry; Studio devices; Studio equipment cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2627 for providing spin image effect, 3D stop motion effect or temporal freeze effect 2D image animation in general G06T13/80

Abstract

The present example provides a system for delivering video streams with multi-view effects. Single-view video streams, each associated with a particular view, are provided by a server. A client may select to receive any of the single-view video streams. The server is further configured to generate a multi-view video stream from frames in the single-view video streams. The multi-view video stream may include visual effects and may be provided to the client to enhance the user experience. The visual effects may include frozen moment and view sweeping.

Claims

1. One or more device-readable media encoded with device-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

identifying video streams, each video stream associated with a different view direction;

determining frames associated with a multi-view effect in each of the identified video stream; and

generating a new video stream with the determined frames.

2. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a time associated with a frozen moment effect;

determining the frames in each of the identified video streams associated with the identified time;

arranging the frames in accordance with a sequence of the view directions associated with the identified video streams; and

encoding the arranged frames to generate the new video stream.

3. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a start time associated with a view sweeping effect;

determining a frame corresponding to the start time, the frame being in a video stream corresponding a first view direction;

determining other frames in the other identified video streams in accordance with time progression and a sequence of the view directions; and

encoding the determined frames to generate the new video stream.

4. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the multi-view video stream is generated as at least one of a snapshot or a video clip.

5. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

providing at least one of the identified video streams to a client;

in response to a request to receive a video with a multi-view effect,

providing the new video stream to the client instead of the at least one identified video stream, and

continuing to provide the at least one identified video stream when the new video stream has been provided to the client.

6. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

sub-sampling the new video stream to the client;

buffering the new video stream; and

providing the new video stream to the client in real-time.

7. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

decoding the identified video streams to obtain data associated with the determined frames; and

re-encoding the frames into the new video stream.

8. A system for providing video stream comprising:

capturing devices configured to generate video data, each capturing device associated with a particular view direction; and

a server configured to provide single-view video streams to clients, the single-view video streams including the video data generated by the capturing devices, the server also configured to identify frames associated with a multi-view effect in each single-view video stream and to encode the frames in a new video stream.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the server is further configured to provide the new video stream to at least one of the clients in response to a request to receive video with a multi-view effect and to continue to provide a single-view video stream to the at least one client after the new video stream with the multi-view effect has been sent.

10. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the new video stream includes at least one of a frozen moment effect or a view sweeping effect.

11. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the server is further configured to continuously generate and buffer the new video stream with the multi-view effect and to provide the new video stream from the buffer in real-time in response to a request from at least one of the client.

12. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the new video stream is at least one of a snapshot or a video clip.

13. The system as recited in claim 8, further comprising control devices configured to interact with the capturing devices, each of the control devices also configured to handle video data generated by at least one of the capturing devices, the control devices further configured to encode the video data into the single-view video streams and to provide the single-view video streams to the server.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the control devices further configured to control an operating parameter that includes at least one of position, orientation, focus, aperture, frame rates, and resolution.

15. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the control devices are further configured to specify a value for the operating parameter to the capturing devices in response to a request from the server.

16. An apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining single-view video streams, each single-view video stream corresponding to a different view direction;

means for generating a multi-view video stream from frames in the single-view video streams, the frames corresponding to a multi-view effect; and

means for interactively delivering at least one of the single-view video streams and the multi-view video stream in response to a request from a client.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

means for sub-sampling the multi-view video stream; and

means for delivering the single-view video streams and the multi-view video stream to the client in real-time based on a selection from the client.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, further comprising means for re-encoding the frames into the multi-view video stream.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, further comprising means for selecting the frames from the single-view video streams for a frozen moment effect.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, further comprising means for selecting the frames from the single-view video streams for a view sweeping effect.