Wide Viewing Angle Image Generation for Head-Mounted Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Head-mounted display devices face challenges in generating wide viewing angle images due to nonlinear correspondence between pixel positions and viewer perspectives, requiring individual image conversions for each device, which becomes impractical as the number of devices increases, and results in deteriorated picture quality from uniform angular resolution compression.
Innovation Solution
An image generation apparatus and method that adjusts angular resolution per unit angle centered at the viewer's point of view, using a ray tracing unit to convert images into a transmission format suitable for head-mounted display units, ensuring uniform angular resolution irrespective of ray direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If an image is compressed uniformly and transmitted, then transmission is simplified, but angular resolution deviates depending on ray direction and picture quality deteriorates in the central region
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by adjusting the angular resolution differently for different regions and ray directions. Instead of uniform compression, the system varies the number of pixels per unit angle based on the ray direction, allocating higher resolution to regions where it is most needed (such as the central region) and lower resolution where less detail is required, thus maintaining overall transmission efficiency while improving local picture quality.
2Manufacturing precision
If device-specific image generation is performed, then each head-mounted display unit receives optimized images, but the system becomes complex and cannot handle increasing numbers of device types
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by creating a standardized image transmission format that can be used across different head-mounted display units. The system generates images in a common format with adjusted angular resolution that works for multiple device types, eliminating the need for device-specific image generation while still optimizing for the characteristics of head-mounted displays. This universal format allows the same image generation apparatus to serve multiple vendors and device types.
3Device complexity
If the correspondence relationship between pixel positions and viewer perspective is linear, then image generation is simplified, but it cannot accurately represent the nonlinear optical characteristics of head-mounted display devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the angular resolution parameter based on ray direction. Instead of using a fixed linear correspondence between pixel positions and viewer perspective, the system dynamically adjusts the angular resolution parameter for different ray directions to account for the nonlinear optical characteristics of head-mounted display devices. This allows the system to maintain accuracy in representing the optical characteristics while keeping the overall generation process manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
A panorama image processing unit generates a wide viewing angle image like a panorama image which is seen from a given point of view. An image conversion unit converts the generated wide viewing angle image into an image of a transmission format in which the angular resolution which is a number of pixels per unit angle centered at the point of view is adjusted in response to a ray direction toward the point of view. An image provision unit transmits the image in the transmission format in which the angular resolution is adjusted to a head-mounted display unit. The head-mounted display unit converts the received image so as to conform the image to an optical characteristic of a device and displays the image on the device.