Virtual Back Plate Rendering via Camera Lens Profiling

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Solution Overview

Problem

The conventional method of rendering back plates in video production involves extensive manual work, making it expensive and cumbersome.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for video rendering that tracks spatial coordinates of cameras during a video sequence, creates a lens profile, encodes lens data, and replicates the shot in a virtual environment using retraced camera movement and recreated lens characteristics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional manual rendering methods are used, then rendering accuracy can be maintained, but the process becomes expensive and cumbersome due to extensive manual work

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverendering accuracyVSAvoidmanual work complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a digital twin of the physical camera system by capturing intrinsic parameters (focal length, aperture, sensor dimensions) and extrinsic parameters (position, orientation) to generate a virtual camera model. This digital copy replicates the optical characteristics and spatial behavior of the physical camera, enabling automated rendering without manual intervention while maintaining rendering accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical rendering processes with an automated computational system. By substituting the mechanical/manual back-plate rendering process with a digital pipeline that uses captured camera parameters to drive virtual camera movement and rendering, the system eliminates extensive manual work while preserving rendering fidelity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of operation

If manual back plate rendering is used, then control over rendering process is maintained, but productivity decreases due to extensive manual work

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocess controlVSAvoidrendering efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service automated rendering by capturing camera parameters during actual filming and automatically generating the back plates without requiring manual intervention in the rendering phase. The digital twin of the camera system performs the rendering work autonomously, significantly improving productivity while maintaining process control through the structured parameter capture and reproduction pipeline.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Extent of automation

If virtual environment replication is implemented, then manual labor is reduced, but system complexity increases due to lens profile creation and parameter tracking

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomated renderingVSAvoidparameter tracking system
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary action by capturing all necessary camera parameters (intrinsic and extrinsic) during the actual film shoot. This preliminary data collection creates a complete digital profile of the camera system that can be reused for automated rendering, reducing the complexity burden to a one-time setup process rather than ongoing complexity management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4542502A1Rendering back plates
Publication Date: 2025.04.23 SONY GROUP CORP
  • EP4542502A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4542502A1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP4542502A1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

Video rendering, including: tracking spatial coordinates of at least one camera during a video sequence forming a shot having multiple frames, wherein each of the at least one camera has a lens; creating a lens profile storing lens data corresponding to the lens of the at least one camera during the shot; encoding the lens data; sending the lens data to a render engine; retracing the movement of the at least one camera during the shot; recreating the lens and one or more characteristics of the lens during the shot; and replicating the shot in a virtual environment using the retraced camera movement and recreated lens characteristics.