360-Degree Video Viewport Guidance via Interactive Hints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Viewing 360-degree videos without a VR headset is taxing due to less precise and more effortful viewport adjustments, leading to user fatigue and conflict between viewer intent and pre-specified metadata paths, resulting in a jarring experience.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that identify points of interest in 360-degree content and provide interactive hints to guide the viewport, allowing viewers to actively engage with the content by adapting viewport movement based on user interaction and preferences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If metadata is used to pre-specify viewport centering positions (director's cut), then viewers are guided to important content, but viewers lose control and experience conflict when they want to manually adjust the viewport
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between automatic viewport control (director's cut) and manual user control based on user interaction. When users activate guide mode, the system provides automated guidance to salient moments; when users disable it, full manual control is restored. This dynamic adaptability resolves the contradiction by allowing both automated guidance and manual control to coexist in different operational states.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the control parameter state by introducing a guide mode toggle. In guide mode, the viewport automatically centers on pre-specified salient moments with smooth transitions. When guide mode is disabled, the system returns to standard manual control. This parameter change (guide mode on/off) allows the system to switch between conflicting operational requirements without permanent loss of either capability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If viewers manually adjust the viewport on non-VR devices, then they can explore content, but the process is taxing and causes user fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-specifying viewport centering positions for salient moments in the content. These positions are calculated and stored in advance based on content analysis. When guide mode is active, the system automatically navigates to these pre-prepared positions, eliminating the need for users to manually search and adjust the viewport, thus reducing fatigue while preserving content exploration capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary guide mode that mediates between complete manual control and complete automatic control. This intermediary mode provides automated viewport adjustments to salient moments while still allowing users to explore other areas of the content. It acts as a bridge that reduces the taxing nature of manual adjustment on non-VR devices while maintaining adaptability for content exploration.
3Loss of information
If the viewport automatically centers on pre-specified positions, then important content is highlighted, but the experience becomes jarring when users want to look elsewhere
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by providing users with the ability to disable guide mode before the jarring automatic centering occurs. Users can proactively prevent the automated viewport control from activating by turning off guide mode, thus avoiding the harmful jarring experience while still allowing automated highlighting when desired. This preemptive user control eliminates the conflict between automated guidance and user intent.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback by monitoring user interactions with the guide mode and adapting its behavior accordingly. When users disable guide mode or manually adjust the viewport, the system learns from this feedback and respects user preferences, reducing automatic interventions that would create jarring experiences. This feedback mechanism ensures that automated highlighting only occurs when aligned with user intent.
Data Source
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Figure 5A~5C
AI summary
One embodiment provides a method comprising receiving a piece of content and moments data for the piece of content. The method further comprises, based on the moments data, determining a first path for a viewport for the piece of content. The method further comprises displaying the viewport on a display device. Movement of the viewport is based on the first path during playback of the piece of content. The method further comprises generating an augmentation for a moment occurring in the piece of content, and presenting the augmentation in the viewport during a portion of the playback. The augmentation comprises an interactive hint for guiding the viewport to the moment.