Foreground Background Separation for Virtual Viewpoint Monitoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for generating virtual viewpoint images from multiple cameras struggle to efficiently monitor and ensure high image quality, particularly in environments with multiple objects and obstacles, leading to challenges in detecting obstacles and exposure issues with low load and high accuracy.

Innovation Solution

A system where only foreground image data is transmitted and monitored, using foreground/background separation units to extract and prioritize 'foreground image data' from multiple cameras, reducing the load on transmission bandwidth and enabling efficient monitoring of obstacles and exposure issues.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If all captured images from multiple cameras are transmitted and monitored, then complete monitoring coverage is achieved, but transmission bandwidth load and monitoring complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemonitoring coverageVSAvoidmonitoring complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The captured image is segmented into foreground image data and background image data. Only the foreground image data containing the object to be gazed at is transmitted and monitored, while the background portion is excluded. This segmentation reduces the volume of data requiring transmission and monitoring, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining monitoring coverage for critical elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The foreground image data is extracted from the complete captured image by separating it from the background. This extraction process isolates only the essential portions containing the object of interest, eliminating unnecessary background data that would otherwise consume bandwidth and increase monitoring complexity without adding value.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Loss of energy

If foreground/background separation is implemented, then transmission bandwidth load is reduced, but image processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebandwidth loadVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The foreground/background separation is performed as a preliminary action at the image capturing apparatus before transmission. By pre-processing the images to extract only the necessary foreground data, the system reduces the bandwidth load for subsequent transmission and monitoring stages, while the processing complexity is confined to the initial capture phase where computational resources are already deployed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If monitoring is performed on all captured images, then all obstacles and exposure issues are detected, but detection accuracy and efficiency decrease due to information overload

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoiddetection efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

By extracting only the foreground image data containing the object to be gazed at, the system eliminates background information that would otherwise create noise and interference in the monitoring process. This extraction improves detection accuracy by focusing monitoring resources on relevant areas while enhancing efficiency by reducing the total volume of data requiring analysis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3361724B1System and method for generating a virtual viewpoint
Publication Date: 2023.12.20 CANON KK
  • EP3361724B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3361724B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3361724B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system for generating a virtual viewpoint image based a plurality of captured images obtained by a plurality of image capturing apparatuses includes a separation unit configured to separate an image of an object from one or more captured images among the plurality of captured images obtained by the plurality of image capturing apparatuses, and a display control unit configured to display on a display screen the separated image of the object.