Spherical Blur Rendering Using Orthogonal Great-Circle Sampling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for graphical processing in 360-degree spherical space suffer from distortions due to the conversion of spherical coordinates to flat 2D representations, leading to inaccurate rendering of effects like blur and bloom, which are inefficient and prone to artifacts, especially near the edges and poles.
Innovation Solution
A method that uses orthogonal great circles to define the sampling area for blur effects, ensuring correct distance and direction calculations by identifying pixels based on spherical coordinates, thereby reducing distortions and improving efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional 2D screen-based interfaces are used for 360-degree video navigation, then users can access video content, but the spatial relationships and immersive experience are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional 2D screen-based interfaces to a 3D spherical interface that matches the 360-degree video content structure. The user interface exists as an overlay on the spherical video display, allowing navigation controls, information panels, and interaction elements to be positioned in three-dimensional space rather than flattened onto a 2D plane. This dimensional change preserves spatial relationships and provides an immersive navigation experience.
2Ease of operation
If high-resolution 360-degree video is displayed with detailed UI elements, then user interaction capability is improved, but processing load and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements selective rendering where UI elements and video regions are processed at different quality levels based on their importance and the user's current focus area. The spherical interface allows the system to identify which portions of the 360-degree video and which UI elements are currently visible or likely to be interacted with, allocating higher processing resources to those areas while reducing or skipping processing for less critical regions. This local quality approach maintains high interaction capability where needed while reducing overall processing load and power consumption.
3Productivity
If traditional video player controls are used for 360-degree video, then implementation is simple, but navigation efficiency and user experience are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal spherical control system that handles multiple navigation functions within a unified interface framework. The same spherical coordinate system and overlay mechanisms are used for playback control, scene navigation, information display, and interaction management. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate control systems into a single cohesive interface, improving navigation efficiency without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and associated systems for implementing blur effects in 360-degree spherical space is disclosed. The method operates by identifying a pair of great circles 106 in a spherical view 100 which intersect orthogonally at a pixel (θ0,φ0) to which the blur effect is to be applied. The great circles are mapped to a two-dimensional representation 102 of the image data and used as orthogonal axes to define a blur area. In some examples a series of points (θi,φi) along each great circle 106 are extracted and used to form one-dimensional sampling arrays which are swept across the two-dimensional image data in two orthogonal directions.