Spherical Media Rotation Angle Optimization for ERP Compression

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Solution Overview

Problem

360-degree cameras and omni-directional cameras output Equi-Rectangular Projection (ERP) format media with significant redundant data, leading to distortion and increased complexity in processing, which affects viewing experience and computational resources due to varying distortion levels across regions in the image or video.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that determine an optimal rotation angle by rotating spherical multimedia content to various angles, performing edge analysis, and selecting the angle with the maximum number of edges aligned to the vertical and horizontal axes to reduce distortion and redundancy, thereby optimizing compression.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If ERP format media is used for 360-degree content, then the media can be output in a standardized projection format, but the media contains significant redundant data and distortion that reduces compression efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestandardized projection formatVSAvoidcompression efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the projection parameter by converting from ERP (equirectangular projection) to an optimized projection format that reduces redundancy. This parameter change in the projection method eliminates distorted regions and redundant data, thereby improving compression efficiency while maintaining standardized output

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different processing to different regions of the spherical media. By identifying and removing redundant portions (such as overlapping pole regions in ERP), it optimizes the quality of essential regions while eliminating waste, improving overall compression efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If ERP format media is processed by media codec, then video compression can be performed by dividing into blocks, but the significant redundant data requires format conversion to another projection format

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevideo compression processingVSAvoidformat conversion complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary optimization of the projection format before compression. By pre-converting ERP to an optimized projection format that eliminates redundancy, it simplifies the subsequent compression process and reduces the complexity of format conversions needed during encoding

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If spherical multimedia content is compressed without rotation optimization, then compression can be performed directly on ERP format, but distortion varies across regions affecting viewing experience

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompression speedVSAvoiddistortion uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the rotation angle parameter of the spherical content before compression. By calculating and applying an optimal rotation angle that aligns content features with the projection grid, it achieves uniform distortion distribution across regions while maintaining compression efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3714597B1Methods and apparatus for determining rotation angle for spherical multimedia content
Publication Date: 2023.10.25 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3714597B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1C
  • EP3714597B1 patent drawingFigure 1D~2B
  • EP3714597B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

Provided are a method and an apparatus for determining an optimal rotation angle during compression of a spherical multimedia content where the processor may receive first multimedia content corresponding to the spherical multimedia content, generate a plurality of second multimedia contents based on the first multimedia content by rotating the first multimedia content to a plurality of rotation angles, perform an edge analysis on each of the plurality of the second multimedia contents, identify the number of edges aligned to one of a vertical axis or a horizontal axis based on the edge analysis, select second multimedia content with the maximum number of edges, and determine an optimal rotation angle.