METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING AND/OR USING REDUCED RESOLUTION IMAGES

• US 20160241837A1
• Filed: 02/17/2016
• Published: 08/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nevermind Capital LLC
• Original Assignee: NextVR, Inc. (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Medina, Hector M, Cole, David, Moss, Alan McKay
• Granted Patent: US 10,075,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/04 Texture mapping
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/20 Finite element generation, e.g. wire-frame surface description, tesselation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2215/12 Shadow map, environment map
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/106 Processing image signals for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/139 Format conversion, e.g. of frame-rate or size
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/161 Encoding, multiplexing or demultiplexing different image signal components for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/275 from 3D object models, e.g. computer-generated stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/279 the virtual viewpoint locations being selected by the viewers or determined by tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/136 Incoming video signal characteristics or properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/172 the region being a picture, frame or field
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/44 Decoders specially adapted therefor, e.g. video decoders which are asymmetric with respect to the encoder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/597 specially adapted for multi-view video sequence encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0088 Synthesising a monoscopic image signal from stereoscopic images, e.g. synthesising a panoramic or high resolution monoscopic image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234363 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for clients with a lower screen resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42653 for processing graphics
• 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 21/44016 : involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 : End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 : involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/816 : involving special video data, e.g 3D video
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 : for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for using selective resolution reduction on images to be transmitted and/or used by a playback device are described. Prior to transmission one or more images of an environment are captured. Based on image content, motion detection and/or user input a resolution reduction operation is selected and performed. The reduced resolution image is communicated to a playback device along with information indicating a UV map corresponding to the selected resolution allocation that should be used by the playback device for rendering the communicated image. By changing the resolution allocation used and which UV map is used by the playback device different resolution allocations can be made with respect to different portions of the environment while allowing the number of pixels in transmitted images to remain constant. The playback device renders the individual images with the UV map corresponding to the resolution allocation used to generate the individual images.

Claims

1. A content playback method comprising:

receiving an encoded image;

decoding the encoded image;

mapping the decoded image to a mesh model of an environment in accordance with a first image map to produce a first rendered image, said first image map mapping different numbers of pixels of the decoded image to different segments of said mesh model of the environment; and

displaying the first rendered image on a display device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the different numbers of pixels are mapped to environmental regions of the same size but located at different locations in the environment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein segments in said environment corresponding to action are allocated more pixels than segments in which less or no action is detected.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some segments corresponding to a front viewing area are allocated more pixels per segment than segments corresponding to a rear viewing area.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a signal indicating that a second image map should be used to map portions of received frames to said environmental mesh model;

wherein said first image map allocates a first number of pixels of a frame to a first segment of said environmental mesh model;

wherein said decoded image is a frame; and

wherein said second image map allocates a second number of pixels of the frame to the first segment of said environmental mesh model, the first and second number of pixels being different.

6. A content playback apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving an encoded image;

a decoder for decoding the encoded image;

a processor configured to map the decoded image to a mesh model of an environment in accordance with a first image map to produce a first rendered image, said first image map mapping different numbers of pixels of the decoded image to different segments of said mesh model of the environment; and

a display for displaying rendered images.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the different numbers of pixels are mapped to environmental regions of the same size but located at different locations in the environment.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein segments in said environment corresponding to action are allocated more pixels than segments in which less or no action is detected.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said receiver is configured to receive a signal indicating that a second image map should be used to map portions of received frames to said environmental mesh model;

wherein said first image map allocates a first number of pixels of a frame to a first segment of said environmental mesh model;

wherein said decoded image is a frame; and

wherein said second image map allocates a second number of pixels of the frame to the first segment of said environmental mesh model, the first and second number of pixels being different.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising processor executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, control a content playback device to:

receive an encoded image;

decode the encoded image;

map the decoded image to a mesh model of an environment in accordance with a first image map to produce a first rendered image, said first image map mapping different numbers of pixels of the decoded image to different segments of said mesh model of the environment; and

display the first rendered image on a display device.