Viewport-Dependent Adaptive Streaming of Point Cloud Content
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current adaptive streaming technologies struggle to optimize bandwidth utilization and user experience for volumetric content distribution, particularly in delivering 6-degrees of freedom (6DoF) immersive media experiences, as they lack effective support for viewport indication in point cloud content streaming.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of viewport-dependent adaptive streaming methods within the Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH) framework, which includes media presentation descriptions (MPDs) that provide viewport information and quality/priority rankings for point cloud content, allowing clients to select and request appropriate adaptation sets based on user viewport data, optimizing content delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If viewport-independent adaptive streaming is used for point cloud content, then all content is streamed uniformly, but bandwidth utilization is inefficient and user experience is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating content delivery quality across different spatial regions. Viewport information is used to identify regions of interest (ROIs) where high-quality content is streamed, while other regions receive lower quality or no content. This is achieved through region-of-interest identification based on viewport data and selective encoding/transmission of point cloud data at different quality levels for different regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the point cloud content into different spatial regions based on viewport information. The content is divided into regions inside the viewport, regions near the viewport boundary, and regions outside the viewport. Each segment is then processed and transmitted with appropriate quality levels, allowing efficient bandwidth utilization while maintaining user experience quality within the viewport.
2Reliability
If high-quality point cloud content is streamed for all regions, then user experience is maintained, but bandwidth consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by transmitting high-quality point cloud content only within the viewport region where the user is actually viewing, while reducing or eliminating content transmission in regions outside the viewport. The system identifies the viewport from device orientation and position data, then selectively encodes and transmits content at high quality only for the visible region, dramatically reducing bandwidth consumption while maintaining perceived content quality.
3Productivity
If viewport information is not provided, then streaming is simpler, but bandwidth optimization and quality optimization are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves universality by designing a streaming system that can operate in multiple modes: with viewport information for optimized streaming, and without viewport information for basic streaming. The system uses standardized DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP) protocols and metadata structures that can accommodate optional viewport parameters. This allows the same system infrastructure to serve both optimized and standard streaming scenarios, reducing the need for separate complex systems.
4Ease of manufacture
If adaptive streaming without viewport indication is used, then implementation is easier, but bandwidth utilization and user experience are suboptimal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by obtaining and processing viewport information before content encoding and transmission. The system receives viewport data from the user device (including orientation, position, and field-of-view parameters), uses this information to pre-identify regions of interest, and then encodes and prioritizes content transmission accordingly. This preliminary viewport-based content selection enables efficient bandwidth utilization and optimized user experience from the start of the streaming process.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments herein provide mechanisms for viewport dependent adaptive streaming of point cloud content. For example, a user equipment (UE) may receive a media presentation description (MPD) for point cloud content in a dynamic adaptive streaming over hypertext transfer protocol (DASH) format. The MPD may include viewport information for a plurality of recommended viewports and indicate individual adaptation sets of the point cloud content that are associated with the respective recommended viewports. The UE may select a first viewport from the plurality of recommended viewports (e.g., based on viewport data that indicates a current viewport of the user and/or a user-selected viewport). The UE may request one or more representations of a first adaptation set, of the adaptation sets, that corresponds to the first viewport. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.