360 Video Multi-Angle Focus Recording via Mobile Positioning

Solution Overview

Problem

Viewers of 360° videos face a disjointed experience due to their limited instantaneous field of view, often missing interesting events outside their focus, as they must rewind and refocus to view missed content.

Innovation Solution

Mobile electronic devices encode selectable view angles during 360° video capture, allowing users to select and redirect their view angle during playback, using positioning information from these devices to enhance viewing experience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a viewer directs their instantaneous view to a specific section of 360° video data, then they can view content in their current field of view, but they cannot simultaneously view content outside their field of view

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveviewing focus accuracyVSAvoidmissed events outside field of view

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by capturing and encoding multiple pre-selected view angles during video recording. Mobile devices positioned at different locations capture video from their respective perspectives, and these views are encoded into the 360° video data structure in advance. This allows the viewer to access any of these pre-captured perspectives without needing to rewind or replay the video, effectively preparing multiple possible viewing angles before the viewer needs to select among them.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of information

If a viewer rewinds and replays 360° video to view missed events, then they can potentially see events outside their original field of view, but they experience a disjointed viewing experience and may still miss events

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompleteness of viewed eventsVSAvoidviewing experience continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by capturing and encoding multiple pre-selected view angles during video recording. Mobile devices positioned at different locations capture video from their respective perspectives, and these views are encoded into the 360° video data structure in advance. This allows the viewer to access any of these pre-captured perspectives without needing to rewind or replay the video, effectively preparing multiple possible viewing angles before the viewer needs to select among them.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates copies of the video content from multiple perspectives simultaneously. Instead of a single camera capturing all angles, multiple mobile devices create separate video copies from different locations. These copies are then integrated into a unified 360° video structure, allowing the viewer to switch between different perspective copies without time loss or playback interruption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple mobile devices are used to capture different view angles during 360° video recording, then more viewing perspectives are available, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of available view anglesVSAvoidcoordination of multiple devices

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies universality by using identical mobile devices for multiple functions. Each mobile device serves as both a video camera and a positioning sensor, and can be positioned at different locations to capture different perspectives. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for specialized equipment for each viewing angle, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Each mobile device autonomously captures video from its position and provides positioning information without requiring complex external coordination. The devices self-configure as recording points, and the system automatically integrates their contributions based on their reported positions. This self-service capability reduces the complexity of managing multiple devices, as each unit independently performs its recording function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS10225467B2360.degree. video multi-angle attention-focus recording

Publication Date: 2019.03.05 MOTOROLA MOBILITY LLC

AI summary

A system and method of capturing view-point-encoded 360.degree. video data with a 360.degree. camera includes capturing a frame of video including a substantially 360.degree. view and contemporaneously receiving position information from one or more mobile electronic devices such as cellphones linked to the camera. The position information identifies a viewpoint associated with each mobile electronic device. The camera records the captured video frame and the received position information together such that one or more of the viewpoints may be selected during later playback.