Content transmission apparatus, content transmission method, content reproduction apparatus, content reproduction method, program and content delivery system

• US 8,872,888 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kitazato, Naohisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Jr., Howard D
• Application Number:
  US13/238,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20120081508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 348/36
• US Class Current: 348/36
• 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 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to encoded video stream scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44029 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a content transmission apparatus, including: a retaining section adapted to retain a multi viewpoint video content formed from a plurality of viewpoint videos imaged simultaneously by a plurality of different video cameras; a production section adapted to produce a VRT including acquisition destination information of the viewpoint videos which configure the multi viewpoint video content, VRT standing for View Relation Table; a supplying section adapted to supply the produced VRT to a content reproduction apparatus; a broadcasting section adapted to broadcast one or plural ones of the viewpoint videos which configure the retained multi viewpoint video content; and a delivery section adapted to deliver one or plural ones of the viewpoint videos which configure the retained multi viewpoint video content through a network.

Claims

1. A content transmission apparatus, comprising:

a retaining section implemented by circuitry and adapted to retain a multi viewpoint video content formed from a plurality of viewpoint videos imaged simultaneously by a plurality of different video cameras;

a production section implemented by the circuitry and adapted to produce a VRT including acquisition destination information of the viewpoint videos which configure the multi viewpoint video content, VRT standing for View Relation Table;

a supplying section implemented by the circuitry and adapted to supply the produced VRT to a content reproduction apparatus;

a broadcasting section implemented by the circuitry and adapted to broadcast one or plural ones of the viewpoint videos which configure the retained multi viewpoint video content; and

a delivery section implemented by the circuitry and adapted to deliver one or plural ones of the viewpoint videos which configure the retained multi viewpoint video content through a network.

2. The content transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said production section produces the VRT which further includes a viewpoint string type representative of a relationship between an adjacent viewpoint video imaged adjacent each of the viewpoint videos which configure the video content and the viewpoint video.

3. The content transmission apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the viewpoint string type is Panorama, Theater, Parallel or Separated.

4. The content transmission apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said broadcasting section or said delivery section serves also as said supplying section.

5. A content transmission method for a content transmission apparatus which supplies a multi viewpoint video content formed from a plurality of viewpoint videos imaged simultaneously by a plurality of different video cameras to a content reproduction apparatus, comprising:

producing a VRT including acquisition destination information of the viewpoint videos which configure the multi viewpoint video content, VRT standing for View Relation Table;

supplying the produced VRT to a content reproduction apparatus;

broadcasting one or plural ones of the viewpoint videos which configure the retained multi viewpoint video content; and

delivering one or plural ones of the viewpoint videos which configure the retained video content through a network,

carried out by the content transmission apparatus.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as:

retain a multi viewpoint video content formed from a plurality of viewpoint videos imaged simultaneously by a plurality of different video cameras;

produce a VRT (View Relation Table) including acquisition destination information of the viewpoint videos which configure the multi viewpoint video content;

supply the produced VRT to a content reproduction apparatus;

broadcast one or plural ones of the viewpoint videos which configure the retained multi viewpoint video content; and

deliver one or plural ones of the viewpoint videos which configure the retained video content through a network.

7. A content reproduction apparatus for reproducing a multi viewpoint video content formed from a plurality of viewpoint videos imaged simultaneously by a plurality of different video cameras, comprising:

an acquisition section implemented by circuitry and adapted to acquire a VRT including acquisition destination information of the viewpoint videos which configure the multi viewpoint video content, VRT standing for View Relation Table;

an inputting section implemented by the circuitry and adapted to input a viewpoint moving operation from a user therethrough;

a reception section implemented by the circuitry and adapted to receive, from among the plural viewpoint videos which configure the multi viewpoint video content, the plurality of viewpoint videos corresponding to the inputted viewpoint moving operation based on the VRT; and

a production section implemented by the circuitry and adapted to produce a video corresponding to the viewpoint moving operation based on the received plural viewpoint videos.

8. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the acquired VRT further includes a viewpoint string type representative of a relationship between an adjacent viewpoint video imaged adjacent each of the viewpoint videos which configure the video content and the viewpoint video.

9. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the viewpoint string type is Panorama, Theater, Parallel or Separated.

10. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

said production section connects, in the case where the viewpoint string type of the received plural viewpoint videos is Panorama or Parallel, the received plural viewpoint videos to each other and cuts out a predetermined region to produce a video corresponding to the viewpoint moving operation, but

produces, in the case where the viewpoint string type of the received plural viewpoint videos is Theater, a video corresponding to the viewpoint moving operation by an interpolation process using the received plural viewpoint videos.

11. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

said reception section receives, from among the plural viewpoint videos which configure the multi viewpoint video content, the plural viewpoint videos corresponding to the inputted viewpoint moving operation from within a broadcasting signal or acquires the plural viewpoint videos corresponding to the inputted viewpoint moving operation from a content transmission apparatus through a communication network.

12. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

said inputting section is formed from a viewpoint moving button included in the acquired VRT and corresponding to a viewpoint string type of an adjacent viewpoint video imaged adjacent each viewpoint video which configures the multi viewpoint video content.

13. A content reproduction method for a content reproduction apparatus which reproduces a multi viewpoint video content formed from a plurality of viewpoint videos imaged simultaneously by a plurality of different video cameras, comprising:

acquiring a VRT including acquisition destination information of the viewpoint videos which configure the multi viewpoint video content, VRT standing for View Relation Table;

inputting a viewpoint moving operation from a user therethrough;

receiving, from among the plural viewpoint videos which configure the multi viewpoint video content, a plurality of viewpoint videos corresponding to the inputted viewpoint moving operation based on the VRT; and

producing a video corresponding to the viewpoint moving operation based on the received plural viewpoint videos,

carried out by the content reproduction apparatus.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program for causing a computer, which reproduces a multi viewpoint video content formed from a plurality of viewpoint videos imaged simultaneously by a plurality of different video cameras, to:

acquire a VRT including acquisition destination information of the viewpoint videos which configure the multi viewpoint video content, VRT standing for View Relation Table;

input a viewpoint moving operation from a user therethrough;

receive, from among the plural viewpoint videos which configure the multi viewpoint video content, a plurality of viewpoint videos corresponding to the inputted viewpoint moving operation based on the VRT; and

produce a video corresponding to the viewpoint moving operation based on the received plural viewpoint videos.

15. A content delivery system which includes:

a content transmission apparatus; and

a content reproduction apparatus, wherein

the content transmission apparatus includes circuitry configured to

retain a multi viewpoint video content formed from a plurality of viewpoint videos imaged simultaneously by a plurality of different video cameras;

produce a VRT including acquisition destination information of the viewpoint videos which configure the multi viewpoint video content, VRT standing for View Relation Table;

supply the produced VRT to the content reproduction apparatus;

broadcast one or plural ones of the viewpoint videos which configure the retained multi viewpoint video content; and

deliver one or plural ones of the viewpoint videos which configure the retained multi viewpoint video content through a network; and

the content reproduction apparatus includes circuitry configured to

acquire the VRT;

input a viewpoint moving operation from a user therethrough;

receive, from among the plural viewpoint videos which configure the multi viewpoint video content, a plurality of the viewpoint videos corresponding to the inputted viewpoint moving operation based on the VRT; and

produce a video corresponding to the viewpoint moving operation based on the received plural viewpoint videos.