Selective Image Compression for Virtual Viewpoint Bandwidth

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for generating virtual viewpoint images from multiple cameras face challenges in ensuring data transmission bandwidth and maintaining image quality, often resulting in delayed or degraded virtual viewpoint image generation due to insufficient communication bandwidth or excessive data compression.

Innovation Solution

An information processing apparatus that reduces the data amount of captured images by utilizing camera viewpoint and virtual viewpoint information to selectively transmit only necessary image data, thereby managing bandwidth and preserving image quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If compression processing is performed uniformly for all images to reduce data amounts, then communication bandwidth requirement is reduced, but the quality of virtual viewpoint image degrades

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata amountVSAvoidimage quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating compression processing based on camera viewpoint positions. Images from cameras closer to the virtual viewpoint undergo lighter compression to maintain quality, while images from cameras farther away undergo heavier compression. This selective approach optimizes the balance between data reduction and image quality preservation for virtual viewpoint generation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes compression parameters dynamically based on the spatial relationship between camera viewpoints and the virtual viewpoint. By adjusting compression ratios according to viewpoint distance and angle, the system adapts the data reduction level to maintain necessary image quality while minimizing overall data transmission requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If all captured images are transmitted in full quality, then virtual viewpoint image generation quality is maintained, but communication bandwidth requirement increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevirtual viewpoint image qualityVSAvoiddata transmission amount

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial compression action by selectively compressing only those images that contribute less significantly to virtual viewpoint generation. By identifying and applying compression primarily to peripheral or less critical viewpoint images while maintaining higher quality for key viewpoint images, the system achieves data reduction without substantially degrading overall virtual viewpoint image quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Manufacturing precision

If no compression is applied to images, then image quality is preserved, but transmission time increases causing delays in virtual viewpoint image generation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage qualityVSAvoidtransmission time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Quantity of substance

If compression processing is applied to reduce data amounts, then communication bandwidth usage is reduced, but processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata amountVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing compression parameters for each camera viewpoint based on its spatial relationship to the virtual viewpoint. This pre-processing step establishes the compression strategy in advance, avoiding complex real-time calculations during image transmission and generation, thereby reducing processing complexity while maintaining effective data reduction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11677925B2Information processing apparatus and control method therefor

Publication Date: 2023.06.13 CANON KK

AI summary

An information processing apparatus, which transmits, to an image processing apparatus for generating a virtual viewpoint image, at least some of a plurality of images based on image capturing from a plurality of different directions, obtains an image based on image capturing by an image capturing apparatus, obtains camera viewpoint information about at least one of a position and orientation of the image capturing apparatus, obtains virtual viewpoint information about at least one of a position and orientation of the virtual viewpoint, reduces an information amount of the obtained image based on the camera viewpoint information and the virtual viewpoint information, and transmits the image with the reduced information amount to the image processing apparatus.