Object Tracking for Dynamic Picture-in-Picture Video Zooming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing video streaming technologies lack the ability to dynamically track and zoom in on user-selected objects within video content, providing a personalized and interactive viewing experience.
Innovation Solution
A client-side system that enables dynamic picture-in-picture (PIP) functionality, allowing users to select objects using object recognition or metadata for tracking and zooming, with options for fixed or floating PIP windows, and supports multiple objects and interactive features like cycling through tracked objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If object tracking and zooming functionality is implemented on the client device, then user interaction and personalization are improved, but device computational requirements and processing load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the video processing into two segments: server-side object detection and tracking (providing positional data) and client-side PIP window generation and display. This segmentation allows the computationally intensive object recognition to occur on the server while the client handles only the lightweight task of displaying the PIP window, thus improving user interaction without significantly increasing client computational requirements
Solution Approach 2:
Metadata serves as an intermediary between the video content and the PIP window system. The metadata contains object positional information that enables the client to generate PIP windows without performing complex object detection itself. This intermediary approach allows the client to benefit from advanced tracking functionality while maintaining lower computational requirements
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple objects are tracked and displayed in PIP windows, then viewing experience is enhanced, but system complexity and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The PIP window system is designed to be dynamic, allowing the number of PIP windows to change based on user selection. Users can select to track one object (single PIP window) or multiple objects (multiple PIP windows), and the system adapts accordingly. This dynamic approach enhances viewing experience while allowing users to control resource consumption by selecting only the number of objects they wish to track
Solution Approach 2:
The PIP window mechanism serves multiple functions: it can display a single tracked object or multiple tracked objects simultaneously, support both fixed and floating positioning modes, and allow users to cycle through different objects. This multi-functionality enhances viewing experience while using a single, versatile system rather than requiring separate mechanisms for each function, thereby managing system complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems, methods, and instrumentalities are disclosed for dynamic picture-in-picture (PIP) by a client. The client may reside on any device. The client may receive video content from a server, and identify an object within the video content using at least one of object recognition or metadata. The metadata may include information that indicates a location of an object within a frame of the video content. The client may receive a selection of the object by a user, and determine positional data of the object across frames of the video content using at least one of object recognition or metadata. The client may display an enlarged and time-delayed version of the object within a PIP window across the frames of the video content. Alternatively or additionally, the location of the PIP window within each frame may be fixed or may be based on the location of the object within each frame.