Method and apparatus for managing a wide view content in a virtual reality environment

• US 10,706,632 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2018
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kumar, Santosh, Dhiman, Ravinder, Chhipa, Prakash Chandra
• Primary Examiner(s): He, Yingchun
• Application Number:
  US16/189,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20190147657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/10 Geometric effects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/053 Detail-in-context presentations fisheye or wide-angle transformations G06T3/047
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/00 Image enhancement or restoration
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/028 by changing the viewing angle properties, e.g. widening the viewing angle, adapting the viewing angle to the view direction
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/279 the virtual viewpoint locations being selected by the viewers or determined by tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4728 for selecting a Region Of Interest [ROI], e.g. for requesting a higher resolution version of a selected region
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4854 for modifying image parameters, e.g. image brightness, contrast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection

Abstract

A method for managing wide view content in a virtual reality (VR) environment and an apparatus therefor are provided. The method includes receiving content covering 360 degree or a wider viewing angle than a viewing angle of a user of the first device and displaying, on the VR device, a first view displaying at least one portion of the content covering the viewing angle of the user on a first view area of a display of the VR device, and a second view covering 360 degree or the wider viewing angle of the content using convex projection on a second view area of the display.

Claims

1. A method of managing wide view content in a virtual reality (VR) device, the method comprising:

receiving content covering a wider viewing angle than a viewing angle of a user of the VR device; and

displaying, on the VR device,

a first view displaying at least one portion of the content covering the viewing angle of the user on a first view area of a display of the VR device, and

a second view covering the wider viewing angle of the content using convex projection on a second view area of the display, the wider viewing angle including the viewing angle of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content comprises content with coverage of 360 degree viewing angle.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first view is provided from an in-focal view point within a VR sphere where the content is rendered on an inner surface of the VR sphere, and

wherein the second view is provided from an out-focal view point outside the VR sphere on the display of the VR device where the content is rendered on an outer surface of the VR sphere.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

generating the first view based on angle information corresponding to the at least one portion of the content covering the viewing angle of the user on the first view area of the display of the VR device.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

generating the second view based on metadata associated with the content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

connecting to a device via a network; and

transmitting the second view to the device for displaying the second view covering the wider viewing angle of the content using convex projection on a display of the device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a configuration setting menu on the first view area of the display of the VR device,

wherein the configuration setting menu comprises at least one of shape, location, a degree of transparency, color, type of the second view, or a device to be connected for displaying the second view.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

interchanging the first view and the second view in terms of at least one of size, location, or shape of each of the first view and the second view on the display of the VR device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the interchanging of the first view and the second view comprises:

synchronizing the first view and the second view; and

interchanging, based on the synchronizing of the first view and the second view, the first view and the second view according to the user input of the user and the angle information.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rotating the second view in response to a user input at a predetermined interval while the first view is halted.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

halting the rotation of the second view in response to a user input.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extracting angle information of the content from the content covering the wider viewing angle than the viewing angle of the user of the VR device,

wherein the displaying of the first view and the second view comprises displaying the first view and the second view based on the angle information.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

rotating the first view and the second view according to a user input of the user and the angle information.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the user input comprises at least one of head movement, an eye movement, a text input or a gesture input of the user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first view is displayed using at least one of concave projection or plain projection.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the second view provides an out-focal view of an in-focal view of the first view.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the second view comprises a marker indicative of the at least one portion of the content covered by the first view.

18. An apparatus for managing wide view content, the apparatus comprising:

a communication circuit for receiving content covering a wider viewing angle than a viewing angle of a user of the apparatus; and

a display for displaying;

a first view displaying at least one portion of the content covering the viewing angle of the user on a first view area, and

a second view covering the wider viewing angle of the content using convex projection on a second view area, the wider viewing angle including the viewing angle of the user.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

at least one processor configured to generate the first view based on angle information corresponding to the at least one portion of the content covering the viewing angle of the user on the first view area of the display,

wherein the first view is generated based on an in-focal view point within a VR sphere where the content is rendered on an inner surface of the VR sphere, and

wherein the second view is generated based on an out-focal view point outside the VR sphere where the content is rendered on an outer surface of the VR sphere.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the communication circuit is further configured to:

connect to a device via a network, and

transmit the second view to the device for displaying the second view covering the wider viewing angle of the content using convex projection on a display of the device.

21. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program stored therein, the computer readable program, when executed on a first device, configured to execute instructions to cause the first device to:

receive content covering a wider viewing angle than a viewing angle of a user of the first device; and

display, on the first device,

a first view displaying at least one portion of the content covering the viewing angle of the user on a first view area of a display of the first device, and

a second view covering the wider viewing angle of the content using convex projection on a second view area of the display, the wider viewing angle including the viewing angle of the user.