Communication Terminal Resolution Control for Spherical Images
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Solution Overview
Problem
In videoconferencing systems, when different types of image capturing devices are used at remote sites, converting image data from special devices that capture full spherical panoramic images to planar images results in significantly reduced resolution, making it difficult for users to recognize surroundings or attendants.
Innovation Solution
The resolution of image data is controlled based on image types, ensuring that the displayed resolution does not become excessively low by managing and converting image data types effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If full spherical panoramic image data is converted to planar image data to be displayed on a standard display, then the image data can be displayed on conventional displays, but the resolution of the displayed image becomes significantly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The full spherical panoramic image is divided into multiple planar image sections, each representing a specific viewing direction. By segmenting the spherical image data into discrete planar regions, the system can transmit and display appropriate portions without converting the entire spherical image, thereby maintaining higher resolution in the displayed areas while ensuring compatibility with standard displays.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from displaying a complete spherical panorama to displaying specific planar sections of the spherical image. This dimensional approach allows the system to present a portion of the spherical image in a planar format that maintains higher resolution for the displayed area, rather than forcing a complete spherical-to-planar conversion that would reduce overall resolution.
2Manufacturing precision
If image data is transmitted at high resolution to maintain quality, then image quality is preserved, but communication bandwidth is consumed excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and transmits only the necessary planar image sections corresponding to specific viewing directions rather than transmitting the complete high-resolution spherical panoramic image. This extraction approach allows the receiving terminal to display images at high resolution while consuming significantly less communication bandwidth by transmitting only the required portions of the image data.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of transmitting the complete spherical panoramic image data, the system transmits partial image data corresponding to specific planar sections. This partial transmission approach provides sufficient image quality for display purposes while avoiding the excessive bandwidth consumption that would result from transmitting the entire high-resolution spherical image.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A communication terminal (3d) requests a communication management system (5) that relays image data transmitted from other communication terminal (3a, 7, 9) to control resolution of the transmitted image data. The communication terminal (3d) includes required resolution management means (3004d, 302, 303, 304) for managing, for each image type information indicating a type of image data, sizes of a plurality of display areas of display means (4d), each display area being a divided area divided from an entire area displayable by the display means (4d), in association with required resolutions of image data to be displayed in the corresponding display areas. The communication terminal (3d) further includes receiving means (31d, 301, 311) for receiving, from the communication management system (5), specific image type information indicating a type of specific image data transmitted from the other communication terminal (3a, 7, 9). The communication terminal (3d) further includes transmitting means (31d, 301, 311) for transmitting, to the communication management system (5), specific required resolution, which is a resolution stored by the required resolution management means (3004d, 302, 303, 304), for the specific image type information, in association with the size of one of the display areas in which the specific image data is to be displayed.