Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Three-dimension
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-02
2004-06-08
Razavi, Michael (Department: 2672)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Three-dimension
C345S676000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06747647
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to immersive video systems, and specifically to a system and method for displaying immersive videos.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Immersive videos are moving pictures that in some sense surround a user and allows the user to “look” around at the content of the picture. Ideally, a user of the immersive video system can view the environment at any angle or elevation. A display system shows part of the environment map as defined by the user or relative to azimuth and elevation of the view selected by the user. Immersive videos can be created using environment mapping, which involves capturing the surroundings or environment of a theoretical viewer and rendering those surroundings into an environment map.
Current implementations of immersive video involve proprietary display systems running on specialized machines. These proprietary display systems inhibit compatibility between different immersive video formats. Furthermore, the use of specialized machines inhibits portability of different immersive video formats. Types of specialized machines include video game systems with advanced display systems and high end computers having large amounts of random access memory (RAM) and fast processors.
FIG. 1A
is a representation of a 360° immersive picture P_
1
, i.e. an environment map. The entire field of view in immersive picture P_
1
shows a tree TREE
1
, a house portion HOUSE
1
_A, a house portion HOUSE
1
_B, and a full house HOUSE
2
. Because memory is arranged in a two-dimensional array, immersive picture P_
1
is stored as a two-dimensional array in memory. Thus, the data along edge E
1
is not directly correlated to the data from edge E
2
. As a result, house portions HOUSE
1
_A and HOUSE
1
_B, which in the environment of a centrally located theoretical viewer (not shown) are joined into a full house HOUSE_
1
, are instead separated when immersive picture P_
1
is stored in memory. Immersive pictures, such as 360° immersive picture P_
1
, should represent a three-dimensional (e.g. cylindrical) space. As a result, in displaying immersive picture P_
1
, the two-dimensional representation of
FIG. 1A
must be converted to a three-dimensional representation.
FIG. 1B
is a cylindrical representation of immersive picture P_
1
of FIG.
1
A. Seam S_
1
is formed from joining edges E
1
and E
2
together to form this cylindrical representation from the two-dimensional representation of immersive picture P_
1
shown in FIG.
1
A. When edges E
1
and E
2
are joined as shown, house portions HOUSE
1
_A and HOUSE
1
_B are joined into full house HOUSE_
1
. Thus, seam S_
1
runs through full house HOUSE
1
and is the dividing line between the house portion HOUSE
1
_A and the house portion HOUSE
1
_B. Tree TREE
1
, located on the door side of house portion HOUSE
1
_B, is also shown.
FIG. 1C
is a conceptual cylindrical representation of the 360° immersive picture P_
1
of FIG.
1
A. The contents of immersive picture P_
1
are omitted for clarity. This conceptual cylindrical representation indicates the perception of a theoretical viewer looking at immersive picture P_
1
from the vantage point of a location VIEWPOINT, located within the cylinder formed by immersive picture P_
1
. Immersive picture P_
1
is a 360° immersive picture having a first edge E
1
and a second edge E
2
. Similarly to
FIG. 1B
, seam S_
1
results from the joining of the two-dimensional representation (
FIG. 1A
) edges E
1
and E
2
in the cylindrical representation.
A view window
101
represents the portion of immersive picture P_
1
visible to the user at location VIEWPOINT. View window
101
is centered at the origin of a three dimensional space having x, y, and z coordinates, where z (not shown) is perpendicular to the plane of the page. Similarly, the environment surrounding the user located at the location VIEWPOINT is represented by the cylindrical representation of immersive picture P_
1
that is centered at the location VIEWPOINT. View window
101
is typically displayed on a display unit for the user of the immersive video system. Thus, only the portion of immersive picture
1
visible to the user, rather than the entire picture content, is displayed, for example, on a television screen.
By moving view window
101
(e.g. left or right) relative to immersive picture P_
1
, the portion of immersive picture P_
1
visible to the user may be changed. This relative movement of view window
101
with respect to immersive picture P_
1
is called panning. By moving view window
101
clockwise 360°, the entire circumference of immersive picture P_
1
may be traversed. A cursor
102
within view window
101
is controlled by the user and indicates the desired direction of panning. Cursor
102
is located to the seam S_
1
side of view window
101
in FIG.
1
C.
FIGS. 1D and 1E
are a cylindrical representation of the 360° immersive picture P_
1
of
FIG. 1C
rotated clockwise a first and second amount, respectively. Again, the contents of immersive picture P_
1
are omitted for clarity. Because cursor
102
is located to the seam S_
1
side of view window
101
, immersive picture P_
1
has panned clockwise with respect to view window
101
from FIG.
1
C.
FIG. 1E
shows seam S_
1
as visible within view window
101
. As described above, immersive picture P_
1
is stored two-dimensionally in memory, therefore, the data for edge E
1
is not directly correlated to the data from edge E
2
. As a result, when panning across seam S_
1
, the data from edges E
1
and E
2
must be joined before being shown to the user on a display as a whole picture. Because real-time picture display systems can't join images fast enough to display seams, it is preferable not to display seam S_
1
in view window
101
. It would be desirable to have a method of panning across a picture having seams without real-time seam distortion visibly showing in the view window.
Accordingly, there is a need to deliver an immersive video experience across many different non-specialized platforms while minimizing distortion created by real-time joining of picture seams in the field of view.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, an immersive video system is provided which enables a user to interact with an immersive video on a variety of platforms. To accommodate different types of components found on different platforms, the resolution of the immersive video may be changed to adapt to different amounts of random access memory (RAM) on a given platform.
In one embodiment, a pair of cylindrically defined 360° immersive videos are simultaneously played in a standard display software program. These two immersive videos are created such that seams in one video are separated from seams in the second video by at least an amount equal to the length of the view window. The display software program can be chosen such that it is supported by a variety of platforms. For example, choosing Macromedia™ Flash as a display software program allows playback on any platform supporting Flash. A view window associated with the standard display software program defines the portion of the immersive video shown to the viewer. A control mechanism adjusted by the user pans the view window around one of the pair of immersive videos. Panning is the act of moving a point of view in a particular direction (e.g. left of right). Because two immersive videos having different seams are simultaneously played, the view window may select to display a portion of the video without the seam. Thus, if the view window approaches a seam while displaying a portion of a first video, the view window is changed to display a similar portion of a second identical video that has no seam in that location.
In another embodiment, a cylindrically defined immersive video representing an environment map larger than 360° (e.g. 420°) is played in a standard display software program. The overlapping portion of this immersive video (i.e. the portion greater than 360°) is used to avoid displaying pict
Margulis Vlad
Youngblood Paul A.
Bever Hoffmann & Harms, LLP
Enroute, Inc.
Fouladi Faranak
Mao Edward S.
Razavi Michael
LandOfFree
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