Spherical Video Smoothing via Viewing Window Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
User interactions with devices, such as touchscreen gestures, often result in jerky motions that lead to non-smooth views of videos, particularly when changing viewing directions, sizes, or rotations during video playback.
Innovation Solution
A system that processes video information and viewing window information to determine smoothed viewing window parameters, which are then used to present spherical video content in a smoother manner, stabilizing changes in viewing directions, sizes, and rotations by applying margin constraints to eliminate jerky motions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If user interacts with the device to change viewing direction, then the user can control the view of the video, but the interaction results in jerky motions and non-smooth views
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary smoothing system that processes raw user interaction inputs before applying them to video playback. This intermediary layer computes smoothed viewing parameters by filtering out high-frequency jitter while preserving the intended viewing direction changes, thereby mediating between user control intentions and actual video display stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the viewing parameters (such as viewing direction angles, zoom level, pan position) from their raw discrete values into smoothed continuous values through mathematical processing. By applying smoothing algorithms that consider temporal relationships between consecutive frames, the system generates intermediate parameter values that eliminate jerky transitions while maintaining user-controlled viewing changes
2Speed
If the viewing window parameters change rapidly to follow user interaction, then the view responds quickly to user input, but the transitions appear jerky and non-smooth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary smoothing calculations on viewing parameters before they are applied to video playback. By pre-computing smoothed parameter values based on historical interaction data and predicting future viewing positions, the system prepares smooth transition paths in advance, allowing rapid response to user input while maintaining visual smoothness through pre-planned parameter evolution
3Stability of the object's composition
If the system applies heavy smoothing to eliminate jerky motions, then the video view becomes smooth, but the response to user input becomes delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial smoothing by selectively filtering only the high-frequency jitter components of user input while preserving the lower-frequency intentional viewing changes. Rather than applying uniform heavy smoothing to all parameter changes, the system uses frequency-based differentiation to apply smoothing selectively, eliminating excessive jitter while maintaining timely response to genuine user viewing intentions
Data Source
AI summary
A viewing window for a spherical video may define which extents of the spherical video are viewable. Abrupt changes in the extents defined by the viewing window may result in non-smooth views of the spherical video, such as stagger, jitter, and/or other jerky motions being included in the views of the spherical video. Changes in the extents defined by the viewing window may be smoothed to provide smoother views of the spherical video.