DEVICES, METHODS, AND SYSTEMS FOR MULTI-USER CAPABLE VISUAL IMAGING ARRAYS

• US 20160309207A1
• Filed: 11/18/2015
• Published: 10/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund II, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Brav, Ehren, Hannigan, Russell, Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Johanson, 3ric, Kare, Jordin T., Pan, Tony S., Rutschman, Phillip, Tegreene, Clarence T., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Wood, Victoria Y.H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,942,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2183 Cache memory caches in web servers or browsers G06F16/9574; intermediate storage and caching in data networks H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums

Abstract

Computationally implemented methods and systems include accepting input of a request for a particular image of a scene that is larger than the particular image, transmitting the request for the particular image to an image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor and that is configured to capture the scene and retain a subset of the scene that includes the request for the particular image of the scene, receiving only the particular image from the image sensor array, wherein the particular image represents a subset of the scene, and wherein a size characteristic of the particular image is at least partially based on a property of a requestor, and presenting the received particular image to the requestor. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text.

Claims

1. A computationally-implemented method, comprising:

accepting input of a request for a particular image of a scene that is larger than the particular image;

transmitting the request for the particular image to an image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor and that is configured to capture the scene and retain a subset of the scene that includes the request for the particular image of the scene;

receiving only the particular image from the image sensor array, wherein the particular image represents a subset of the scene, and wherein a size characteristic of the particular image is at least partially based on a property of a requestor; and

presenting the received particular image to the requestor.

3. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said accepting input of a request for a particular image of a scene that is larger than the particular image comprises:

receiving input from an automated component, of the request for the particular image of the scene that is larger than the particular image.

4. The computationally-implemented method of claim 3, wherein said receiving input from an automated component, of the request for the particular image of the scene that is larger than the particular image comprises:

receiving input from an image object tracking component, of the request for the particular image that contains a tracked image object present in the scene that is larger than the particular image.

6. The computationally-implemented method of claim 4, wherein said receiving input from an image object tracking component, of the request for the particular image that contains a tracked image object present in the scene that is larger than the particular image comprises:

receiving input from a player tracking component, that is part of an Internet-enabled television configured to track football players, of the request for the particular image that is an image of a football game that contains a tracked image object that is a particular football player present in the scene that is larger than the particular image of the football game.

23. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said accepting input of a request for a particular image of a scene that is larger than the particular image comprises:

accepting input of the request for particular image data of the scene, wherein the particular image data is an image that is a portion of the scene.

30. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said accepting input of a request for a particular image of a scene that is larger than the particular image comprises:

accepting input of the request for the particular image of the scene that is larger than the particular image, from the requestor.

37. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting the request for the particular image to an image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor and that is configured to capture the scene and retain a subset of the scene that includes the request for the particular image of the scene comprises:

transmitting the request for the particular image data of the scene to the image sensor array that includes multiple connected image sensors and that is configured to capture the scene and retain the subset of the scene that includes the request for the particular image of the scene.

41. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting the request for the particular image to an image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor and that is configured to capture the scene and retain a subset of the scene that includes the request for the particular image of the scene comprises:

transmitting the request for the particular image to the image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor and that is configured to capture the scene that represents more image data than the requested particular image data.

44. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting the request for the particular image to an image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor and that is configured to capture the scene and retain a subset of the scene that includes the request for the particular image of the scene comprises:

transmitting the request for the particular image to a remote server that is configured to relay the request for the particular image to the image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor.

46. The computationally-implemented method of claim 44, wherein said transmitting the request for the particular image to a remote server that is configured to relay the request for the particular image to the image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor comprises:

transmitting the request for the particular image to the remote server that is configured to package multiple requests that include the request for the particular image and to transmit the package of multiple requests to the image sensor array.

47. The computationally-implemented method of claim 46, wherein said transmitting the request for the particular image to the remote server that is configured to package multiple requests that include the request for the particular image and to transmit the package of multiple requests to the image sensor array comprises:

transmitting the request for the particular image to the remote server that is configured to combine multiple requests that include the request for the particular image and to transmit the package of multiple requests with redundant data requests removed to the image sensor array.

48. The computationally-implemented method of claim 47, wherein said transmitting the request for the particular image to the remote server that is configured to combine multiple requests that include the request for the particular image and to transmit the package of multiple requests with redundant data requests removed to the image sensor array comprises:

transmitting the request for the particular image to the remote server that is configured to combine multiple requests from multiple requestors that include the request for the particular image, and to transmit the multiple requests as a single combined request for image data to the image sensor array.

49. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting the request for the particular image to an image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor and that is configured to capture the scene and retain a subset of the scene that includes the request for the particular image of the scene comprises:

modifying the request for the particular image into an updated request for particular image data; and

transmitting the updated request for particular image data to the image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor and that is configured to capture the scene and retain the subset of the scene that includes the request for the particular image of the scene.

50. The computationally-implemented method of claim 49, wherein said modifying the request for the particular image into an updated request for particular image data comprises:

modifying the request for the particular image into an updated request for particular image data that identifies a portion of the image as targeted for updating.

53. The computationally-implemented method of claim 50, wherein said modifying the request for the particular image into an updated request for particular image data that identifies a portion of the image as targeted for updating comprises:

modifying the request for the particular image into an updated request for particular image data that identifies the portion of the image as targeted for updating based on one or more previously received images.

54. The computationally-implemented method of claim 53, wherein said modifying the request for the particular image into an updated request for particular image data that identifies the portion of the image as targeted for updating based on one or more previously received images comprises:

comparing one or more previously received images that are determined to be similar to the particular image; and

modifying the request for the particular image into the updated request for particular image data that identifies the portion of the image as targeted for updating based on the compared one or more previously received images.

55. The computationally-implemented method of claim 54, wherein said comparing one or more previously received images that are determined to be similar to the particular image comprises:

comparing one or more previously received images that are determined to be similar to the particular image to identify a portion of the particular image as targeted for updating.

56. The computationally-implemented method of claim 54, wherein said comparing one or more previously received images that are determined to be similar to the particular image comprises:

comparing a first previously received image with a second previously received image to determine a changed portion of the first previously received image that is different than a portion of the second previously received image; and

identifying the portion of the particular image that corresponds to the changed portion.

57. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting the request for the particular image to an image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor and that is configured to capture the scene and retain a subset of the scene that includes the request for the particular image of the scene comprises:

generating an expanded request for the particular image; and

transmitting the generated expanded request for the particular image to the image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor and that is configured to capture the scene and retain the subset of the scene that includes the request for the particular image of the scene.

58. The computationally-implemented method of claim 57, wherein said generating an expanded request for the particular image comprises:

generating an expanded request for the particular image that includes the request for the particular image and a request for image data that borders the particular image.

59. The computationally-implemented method of claim 58, wherein said generating an expanded request for the particular image that includes the request for the particular image and a request for image data that borders the particular image comprises:

generating the expanded request for the particular image that includes the request for the particular image and the request for image data that borders the particular image on all four sides of the particular image.

60. The computationally-implemented method of claim 58, wherein said generating an expanded request for the particular image that includes the request for the particular image and a request for image data that borders the particular image comprises:

determining a projected next side image that is an image that borders the particular image; and

generating the expanded request for the particular image that includes the request for the particular image and a request for the projected next side image.

61. The computationally-implemented method of claim 60, wherein said determining a projected next side image that is an image that borders the particular image comprises:

determining a projected next side image based on a direction in which a device associated with the requestor is moving.

63. The computationally-implemented method of claim 57, wherein said generating an expanded request for the particular image comprises:

generating an expanded request for the particular image that includes the request for the particular image, a request for border image data that borders the particular image on each side, and a request for secondary border image data that borders the border image data.

64. The computationally-implemented method of claim 63, wherein said generating an expanded request for the particular image that includes the request for the particular image, a request for border image data that borders the particular image on each side, and a request for secondary border image data that borders the border image data comprises:

generating the expanded request for the particular image that includes the request for the particular image at a first resolution, the request for the border image data at a second resolution less than the first resolution, and the request for the secondary border image data at a third resolution less than or equal to the second resolution.

68. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said receiving only the particular image from the image sensor array, wherein the particular image represents a subset of the scene, and wherein a size characteristic of the particular image is at least partially based on a property of a requestor comprises:

receiving only the particular image from the image sensor array, wherein the particular image represents the subset of the scene, and wherein the image sensor array discarded portions of the scene other than the particular image.

71. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said receiving only the particular image from the image sensor array, wherein the particular image represents a subset of the scene, and wherein a size characteristic of the particular image is at least partially based on a property of a requestor comprises:

receiving only the particular image from the image sensor array, wherein the particular image represents the subset of the scene, and wherein the size characteristic of the particular image is at least partially based on a property of a requestor device that is associated with the requestor.

72. The computationally-implemented method of claim 71, wherein said receiving only the particular image from the image sensor array, wherein the particular image represents the subset of the scene, and wherein the size characteristic of the particular image is at least partially based on a property of a requestor device that is associated with the requestor comprises:

receiving only the particular image from the image sensor array, wherein the particular image represents the subset of the scene, and wherein the size characteristic of the particular image is at least partially based on a property of the requestor device that is configured to store data about the requestor.

75. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said receiving only the particular image from the image sensor array, wherein the particular image represents a subset of the scene, and wherein a size characteristic of the particular image is at least partially based on a property of a requestor comprises:

receiving only the particular image from the image sensor array, wherein the particular image represents a subset of the scene, and wherein a data size of particular image data of the particular image is at least partially based on a screen size of a requestor device associated with the requestor.

77. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said presenting the received particular image to the requestor comprises:

presenting the received particular image on a viewfinder of a device associated with the requestor.

81. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said presenting the received particular image to the requestor comprises:

modifying the received particular image into a modified particular image; and

presenting the modified received particular image to the requestor.

82. The computationally-implemented method of claim 81, wherein said modifying the received particular image into a modified particular image comprises:

modifying the received particular image into a modified particular image, wherein the received particular image includes only portions of the scene that have changed since the last time the particular image was displayed.

83. The computationally-implemented method of claim 82, wherein said modifying the received particular image into a modified particular image, wherein the received particular image includes only portions of the scene that have changed since the last time the particular image was displayed comprises:

modifying the received particular image into a modified particular image, wherein one or more portions of the received particular image that have not changed are updated with existing image data.

84. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said presenting the received particular image to the requestor comprises:

presenting a portion of the received particular image to the requestor.

85. The computationally-implemented method of claim 84, wherein said presenting a portion of the received particular image to the requestor comprises:

presenting a first portion of the received particular image to the requestor; and

storing a second portion of the received particular image.

86. The computationally-implemented method of claim 85, wherein said storing a second portion of the received particular image comprises:

storing a second portion of the received particular image that is adjacent to the first portion of the received particular image and is configured to be used as cached image data when the requestor requests an image corresponding to the second portion of the received particular image.

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92. A computationally-implemented system, comprising

means for accepting input of a request for a particular image of a scene that is larger than the particular image;

means for transmitting the request for the particular image to an image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor and that is configured to capture the scene and retain a subset of the scene that includes the request for the particular image of the scene;

means for receiving only the particular image from the image sensor array, wherein the particular image represents a subset of the scene, and wherein a size characteristic of the particular image is at least partially based on a property of a requestor; and

means for presenting the received particular image to the requestor.

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