Spherical Image Processing Using Uniform Tessellation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for capturing and displaying stereoscopic omni-directional imagery, such as equirectangular image formats, are inefficient due to geometric inefficiencies that result in excessive processing and storage requirements, particularly when viewing spherical movies, as they lead to uneven pixel distribution and increased data processing near the top and bottom apexes of a sphere.
Innovation Solution
The use of a spherical image format that divides the surface into uniformly tessellated polygons, storing image data as rectangular images or pairs of triangles, which reduces inefficiencies by maintaining consistent pixel density across the sphere and applying compression techniques to further reduce data requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If equirectangular image format is used to map spherical imagery, then the image can be stored and processed using standard rectangular formats, but the pixel density becomes uneven with excessive data near the top and bottom apexes
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical image is segmented into multiple rectangular regions (tiles) that can be independently processed and stored. Each tile covers a specific angular range, allowing the system to process only the necessary portions of the sphere at any given time, thereby reducing the overall data volume that must be handled.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different processing and storage strategies to different regions of the spherical image. Areas near the equator with higher pixel density are handled differently from polar regions, optimizing resource allocation and reducing unnecessary processing of low-importance areas.
2Adaptability or versatility
If longitude/latitude based three-dimensional sphere representations are used, then spherical imagery can be displayed from various viewpoints, but the polygons become densely packed near the apexes requiring significantly more processing
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical surface is divided into discrete rectangular tiles that can be independently rendered and displayed. This segmentation allows the system to load and process only the tiles visible from the current viewpoint, significantly reducing geometric processing complexity compared to handling the entire sphere.
Solution Approach 2:
The system processes only the necessary portion of the spherical image data required for the current viewpoint rather than the entire sphere. This partial processing approach reduces computational complexity while maintaining viewing flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and systems, as well as methods and articles, may operate to store portions of a spherical image in a storage medium as a pair of triangles included in a convex quadrilateral. The triangles may form a portion of one or more substantially uniformly tessellated spherical surfaces.