Stereoscopic Video Overlay Depth Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for applying overlays to stereoscopic video streams often result in visual artefacts, such as occlusion and depth inconsistencies, which negatively impact the user's viewing experience.
Innovation Solution
An image processing method and apparatus that identifies suitable regions in the primary video stream for overlay content placement, using metadata to determine optimal locations and depths, and adjusts the overlay's position and depth in response to head movements, ensuring minimal interference with the primary image while maintaining correct depth and occlusion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If overlays are applied to stereoscopic video streams using conventional 2D techniques, then overlay content can be displayed, but visual artefacts such as occlusion and depth inconsistencies occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the depth parameter of overlay content to match the stereoscopic video stream. The system adjusts the z-depth value of overlays dynamically based on the 3D scene depth, ensuring that overlay elements are rendered at appropriate depths relative to other objects in the stereoscopic view, thereby eliminating depth inconsistencies and visual artefacts
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from 2D overlay techniques to 3D overlay rendering by introducing depth (z-axis) as an additional dimension. The system renders overlay content with stereoscopic depth information, allowing overlays to be positioned not only in 2D screen space but also in 3D depth space, which resolves occlusion issues by properly layering overlay elements according to their spatial relationships in the 3D scene
2Loss of information
If overlays are positioned to provide additional information, then user information needs are met, but occlusion of primary video content occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making overlay positioning dynamic rather than static. The system continuously adjusts overlay positions based on the current 3D scene configuration, object depths, and spatial relationships. This dynamic repositioning ensures that overlays are always placed in visually appropriate locations that do not occlude important primary video content, while still delivering necessary information to the user
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by rendering different parts of the overlay content with different depth values and transparency levels based on their spatial relationships with objects in the primary video stream. This allows certain regions of overlays to be more transparent or positioned at different depths than other regions, optimizing information delivery while minimizing occlusion of critical video content
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple video streams are displayed simultaneously, then user viewing options increase, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by combining multiple video streams and their associated overlay content into a single unified 3D rendering process. Instead of processing each video stream and its overlays separately, the system integrates them into one coordinated rendering pipeline that handles depth management, occlusion, and positioning collectively, thereby reducing overall processing complexity while maintaining multi-video display capability
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided of processing a primary video stream to which an overlay may be applied, for display by a head mountable display. The method includes identifying one or more suitable regions in the primary video stream for the display of overlay content. A suitable region is a region detected to lack one or more first predetermined features or to include one or more second predetermined features. The method also includes generating metadata indicative of a location and a depth of the suitable regions for the display of the overlay content, and that defines how a change in the detected orientation of the head mountable display, by which the primary video stream is displayed, changes the display of the overlay content. The method further includes providing the metadata in association with the primary video stream.