Leveraging a multitude of dynamic camera footage to enable a user positional virtual camera

• US 9,576,394 B1
• Filed: 12/31/2013
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ultracast LLC
• Original Assignee: 360 Lab, LLC
• Inventors: Kozko, Dmitry
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K
• Application Number:
  US14/144,675
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/619, 345/632, 345/633, 348/578, 382/103
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/08 Waterproof bodies or housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/20 Perspective computation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/30 Clipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5219 Sealing means between coupling parts, e.g. interfacial seal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0247 Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring

Abstract

A virtual camera within a volumetric model of a real world environment during an event occurring within the real world environment can be identified. The virtual camera can be associated with at least one of a location and an orientation within the real world environment. A virtual stream for the virtual camera can be constructed. The field of view of the stream can include video obtained from two cameras present within the real world environment and video not captured by a camera within the real world environment. The video field point of view can correspond to at least one of the location and orientation of the virtual camera. The virtual stream of the virtual camera can be presented within an interface of computing device responsive to the constructing.

Claims

1. A method for virtual camera media comprising:

identifying a virtual camera within a volumetric model of a real world environment during an event occurring within the real world environment, wherein the virtual camera is associated with at least one of a location and an orientation within the real world environment;

presenting an interactive map of the real world environment within the interface, wherein the map has a one-to-one correspondence with the volumetric model; and

receiving user input for the location of the virtual camera responsive to selection of a point within the map;

constructing a virtual stream for the virtual camera, wherein the field of view of the stream comprises of video obtained from at least two cameras present within the real world environment and video not captured by a camera within the real world environment, wherein the video field point of view corresponds to at least one of the location and orientation of the virtual camera; and

presenting the virtual stream of the virtual camera within an interface of computing device responsive to the constructing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a companion device, wherein the device is configured to view video of the event during the event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the virtual camera comprises of at least one of a field of view, a focal length, and an aperture.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the volumetric model, comprising a three dimensional point cloud, of a real world environment from a plurality of video feeds captured by the at least two cameras present within the real world environment, wherein the plurality of video feeds comprise video feeds taken at different times.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

synchronizing the virtual stream of the virtual camera to a timeline associated with the event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual camera positioned by user selection from the real-world environment map facilitates creation of a virtual stream impossible to capture using a physical camera as objects in the real world environment travel through a position of the virtual camera, which would be impossible if a real world camera were used to generate an equivalent video stream.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual camera field of view is a three hundred and sixty degree view.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two cameras comprise a broadcast camera and a three hundred and sixty degree camera attached to a vehicle present within the real world environment.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual camera is associated with a user account, wherein the virtual camera is accessible responsive to a negotiable fund exchange.

10. A system for a virtual camera comprising:

a virtual camera engine configured to present a virtual video stream associated with a virtual camera having a unique virtual camera ID, having unique device ID and having a uniquely identified stream ID for a video stream corresponding to the virtual camera, wherein the virtual camera is mapped to at least one of a location and orientation of a volumetric model defining a three dimensional point cloud mapped to geo-points of a real world environment, wherein the video stream is synchronized to a timeline of an event occurring within the real world environment; and

a data store able to persist at least one of the model, the video stream, and the virtual camera metadata, wherein the metadata comprises of at least one of a field of view, a focal length, and an aperture.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a feed analyzer configured to receive a plurality of video feeds of the event from a plurality of cameras within the real world environment;

a virtual camera manager able to establish at least one characteristic associated with the virtual camera; and

a stream generator configured to construct the virtual video stream associated with the virtual camera.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

the virtual camera engine presenting the virtual video stream within an interface of a computing device, wherein the computing device is a second screen device.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

the feed analyzer generating the volumetric model from a plurality of video feeds of the event from a plurality of cameras within the real world environment.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the virtual camera location and orientation is user established.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the virtual camera field of view is a three hundred and sixty degree view.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the field of view of the virtual camera comprises video obtained from at least one camera and video from a bundle adjustment performed on a plurality of video feeds associated with a plurality of cameras within the real world environment.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the volumetric model is a point cloud model, wherein at least one point is associated with a virtual video stream, wherein the point determines the virtual video stream point of view.

18. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

the virtual camera manager establishing at least one of a field of view, a focal length, and an aperture for the virtual camera.

19. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising:

computer usable program code stored in a non-transitory storage medium, if said computer usable program code is executed by a processor it is operable to identify a virtual camera within a volumetric model of a real world environment during a event occurring within the real world environment, wherein the virtual camera is associated with at least one of a location and an orientation within the real world environment, wherein the virtual camera positioned by user selection from the real-world environment map facilitates creation of a virtual stream impossible to capture using a physical camera as objects in the real world environment travel through a position of the virtual camera, which would be impossible if a real world camera were used to generate an equivalent video stream, wherein the computer usable program code defines a unique virtual camera ID, defines a unique device ID, and defines a uniquely identified stream ID for a virtual video stream corresponding to the virtual camera;

computer usable program code stored in the non-transitory storage medium, if said computer usable program code is executed by a processor it is operable to construct a virtual stream for the virtual camera, wherein the field of view of the stream comprises of video obtained from at least two cameras present within the real world environment and video not captured by a camera within the real world environment, wherein the video field point of view corresponds to at least one of the location and orientation of the virtual camera; and

computer usable program code stored in the non-transitory storage medium, if said computer usable program code is executed by a processor it is operable to present the virtual stream of the virtual camera within an interface of computing device responsive to the constructing.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

the computer program product determining the field of view of the virtual camera;

the computer program product establishing a portion of the field of view which can be filled in with at least a portion of the video feed from a camera within the real world environment; and

the computer program product generating a virtual stream for the remaining portion of the field of view.