Stereo Camera Image Synthesis for Latency Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

High-resolution image processing with high-performance video cameras leads to increased latency and costs due to the large amount of image data, which reduces the overall system performance and usability.

Innovation Solution

The system employs two cameras capturing images from different angles, generating multiple resolution images, and an image synthesis unit that integrates and transmits only the necessary data, reducing latency by processing and transmitting image data in a streaming format with minimal memory requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If high-performance imaging elements are used to capture high-resolution images, then image quality is improved, but the amount of image data increases leading to higher processing costs and latency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage qualityVSAvoidprocessing latency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The image data is segmented into multiple resolutions within the camera. The image synthesis unit divides the high-resolution image data into first image data (higher resolution) and second image data (lower resolution), allowing selective transmission based on host terminal requests and reducing overall data transmission volume while maintaining quality where needed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts only the necessary image data for transmission. The image synthesis unit extracts specific resolution data (first or second image data) based on host terminal requests, avoiding transmission of unnecessary high-resolution data and reducing processing latency and bandwidth requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Measurement precision

If high-resolution image data is processed and transmitted, then image quality is maintained, but data transmission volume and processing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage qualityVSAvoiddata transmission volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Different parts of the image data are assigned different resolutions based on local requirements. The patent generates first image data with higher resolution for areas requiring detail and second image data with lower resolution for other areas, optimizing the balance between quality and data volume

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The image data is segmented into multiple resolution versions. The image synthesis unit generates both first image data (higher resolution) and second image data (lower resolution) from the captured image, allowing the system to transmit only the necessary resolution level based on host terminal requests, thereby reducing overall data transmission volume while maintaining quality where needed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2739046B1Moving image capture device, information processing system, information processing device, and image data processing method
Publication Date: 2020.06.10 SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
  • EP2739046B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2739046B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2739046B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A capture device is equipped with a stereo camera, and generates a plurality of demosaiced images of different sizes in which the left and right frame images have been reduced in stepwise fashion. Further, by cycling through the pixel rows of the rows of the images according to a predetermined rule to produce a connected stream, there is generated a virtual composite image (222) that includes the plurality of demosaiced images, in which the pixel rows of the rows are pixel rows having undergone one round of connection. A host terminal sends to the capture device a data request signal designating a plurality of areas within the composite image, having a shared range in the longitudinal direction. The capture device clips out the designated areas, and sends to the host terminal a stream of a new composite image (240) comprising only the clipped out areas. The host terminal cuts this into separate images, which are expanded into consecutive addresses in a main memory (42).