VR Video Streaming Bandwidth Reduction via Angle Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current VR video streaming technologies face challenges in balancing low latency and bandwidth efficiency, with high latency and large bandwidth requirements making it difficult to meet the needs of network VR services effectively.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves sending two service data streams to a VR device: a high-resolution VR video stream for fixed viewing angles and a low-resolution VR video stream covering 360 degrees, which reduces bandwidth occupation and latency during viewing angle changes by pre-storing and switching between these streams efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a 360-degree panoramic VR video stream is transmitted to provide immersive visual experience, then the visual quality and completeness of the VR content is improved, but the bandwidth requirement increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the 360-degree panoramic video stream into multiple viewing angle regions. Instead of transmitting the complete 360-degree stream at high resolution, the system divides the spherical view into discrete angular sectors and transmits only the segments corresponding to the user's current viewing angle, thereby reducing bandwidth while maintaining visual quality for the active viewing region.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different quality levels to different regions of the VR content. High-resolution video streams are transmitted only for the local region corresponding to the user's current viewing angle, while other regions may be transmitted at lower resolution or not at all. This local quality approach optimizes the bandwidth-quality tradeoff by concentrating high-quality transmission where it is most needed.
2Quantity of substance
If the server extracts and transmits only the VR video stream corresponding to the current viewing angle to save bandwidth, then the bandwidth requirement is reduced, but the motion-to-photon latency increases due to extraction and transmission time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-transmitting and buffering multiple viewing angle video streams before the user actually needs them. The system anticipates viewing angle changes and keeps multiple angular sectors ready in local buffers, so when the user's viewing angle changes, the corresponding video data is already available for immediate playback, eliminating extraction and transmission delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs feedback mechanisms where the VR device continuously reports the user's current viewing angle to the server. Based on this feedback, the server dynamically adjusts which video streams to transmit and pre-buffer, optimizing the balance between bandwidth usage and latency performance. This closed-loop feedback enables adaptive streaming that responds to real-time user behavior.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the VR device requests and receives VR video streams frequently to adapt to viewing angle changes, then the content remains synchronized with user movement, but the network traffic and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the server pre-transmit and pre-buffer multiple viewing angle video streams in advance. Instead of requesting and receiving video data frequently in response to viewing angle changes, the system has the data ready beforehand, significantly reducing the frequency of network requests and processing overhead while maintaining synchronization with user movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service by enabling the VR device to play video streams from local buffers without requiring continuous server intervention. The device autonomously manages its own video playback by using pre-loaded viewing angle data, reducing the burden on the server and minimizing network traffic while maintaining adaptive viewing angle tracking.
Data Source
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Figure 3
AI summary
A video playing method, a device, and a system are provided. The method includes: receiving, by a VR device, a first-resolution VR video stream of a first viewing angle and a second-resolution VR video stream of a full viewing angle that are sent by a server, where the first resolution is greater than the second resolution; playing an image of the first viewing angle by using the VR video stream of the first viewing angle; when determining that the viewing angle changes, playing an image of a current viewing angle by using the first or both of the VR video stream of the full viewing angle and the VR video stream of the first viewing angle; sending, to the server, viewing angle information that carries a parameter for indicating a changed-to second viewing angle; receiving a first-resolution VR video stream of the second viewing angle sent by the server; and playing an image of the second viewing angle by using the VR video stream of the second viewing angle. The solution provided in embodiments of this application resolves both problems of a high latency and occupation of large bandwidth of a network VR service, and can reduce storage overheads of the server and avoid a traffic burst.