3D Display Viewpoint Controller with Shot Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 3D image and video encoding formats result in quality degradation when rendering images from viewpoints other than the originally encoded position, with perceived quality degrading non-linearly as the viewpoint changes, leading to impractical data handling and user experience issues.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that includes a processor to determine a viewer's viewpoint estimate and a viewpoint controller to adjust the rendering viewpoint synchronously with shot transitions and bias towards a nominal viewpoint, reducing noticeable changes and maintaining high image quality by combining viewer movement tracking with nominal viewpoint biasing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If images are rendered from viewpoints other than the originally encoded position to provide flexibility and natural 3D effect, then adaptability and user experience are improved, but image quality degrades non-linearly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates and stores occlusion information for multiple potential viewpoints during the encoding phase. This preliminary preparation allows the system to quickly retrieve and use appropriate occlusion data when rendering from different viewpoints, avoiding real-time computation and maintaining image quality across viewpoint changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an additional dimension of viewpoint parameters beyond the standard left-right eye separation. By encoding occlusion information for multiple viewpoints and using viewpoint displacement parameters, the system can render images for arbitrary viewpoint positions, not just the originally encoded position, thus improving adaptability while managing quality through pre-computed data.
2Ease of operation
If viewpoint changes are tracked and adjusted in real-time to follow viewer movement, then natural 3D effect and user experience are improved, but processing complexity and computational load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-computes occlusion information for multiple viewpoints during encoding and stores it alongside the image data. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex real-time occlusion calculations when the viewer moves, reducing processing complexity during playback while maintaining natural 3D effects through viewpoint tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates copies of occlusion information for multiple viewpoints during the encoding phase. These pre-computed occlusion copies are then retrieved and applied during playback based on the actual viewpoint, avoiding the need to perform complex occlusion calculations in real-time while maintaining the appearance of dynamic viewpoint tracking.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple simultaneous images are rendered for different view cones in autostereoscopic displays, then adaptability to different viewing positions is improved, but data quantity and storage requirements increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates and stores occlusion information for multiple viewpoints during the encoding phase. This preliminary preparation allows the system to efficiently generate images for multiple view cones without requiring separate full-resolution images for each viewpoint, reducing data quantity while maintaining adaptability to different viewing positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies occlusion information selectively based on the specific viewpoint being rendered. Rather than storing and transmitting complete high-quality images for all possible viewpoints, the system uses local occlusion data to enhance the quality of rendered images at each viewpoint, reducing overall data requirements while maintaining adaptability.
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus for generating an image signal for a display (103) comprises a receiver (105) which receives a video signal comprising three-dimensional data for a sequence of images. An image generator (107) generates display images for the sequence of images based on the three dimensional data and a rendering viewpoint. A shot transition detector (111) detects shot transitions in the sequence of images and a viewpoint controller (113) changes the rendering viewpoint in synchronization with the shot transition. A signal generator (109) generates the image signal to comprise the display images. The apparatus may further track viewer movements and adapt the rendering accordingly. In addition the system may bias the viewpoint towards a nominal viewpoint. The viewpoint changes due to tracking may be non-synchronous whereas the viewpoint changes due to bias may be synchronous with shot transitions.