Information processing apparatus, information processing system, information processing method, and storage medium

#The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a storage medium.

#In recent years, a technique of generating a virtual viewpoint image using multiple viewpoint images obtained by performing synchronous imaging from multiple viewpoints by a plurality of cameras installed at different positions has attracted attention. According to the technique of generating a virtual viewpoint image using multiple viewpoint images, users may view, for example, a highlight scene of soccer or basketball at various angles, which provides the users with higher realistic sensation as compared with normal images.

#The generation and browsing of the virtual viewpoint image based on the multiple viewpoint images can be achieved by collecting images captured by a plurality of cameras into an image processing unit, such as a server, performing processing such as three-dimensional model generation and rendering on the images by the image processing unit, and transmitting the processed images to a user terminal.

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration and the like of an image processing system.

#FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a controller.

#FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a virtual camera operation user interface (UI) and the like according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

#A first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

#An image processing system, in which a plurality of cameras and microphones installed in facilities, such as a stadium or a concert hall, are used for capturing images and collecting sounds, will be described with reference to FIG. 1. An image processing system 100 includes sensor systems 110a to 110z, an image computing server 200, a controller 300, a switching hub 180, and an end-user terminal 190. The image processing system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 is an example of an information processing system. The controller 300 includes a control station 310 and a virtual camera operation user interface (UI) 330. The control station 310 performs management of an operation state, parameter setting control, and the like on each of blocks constituting the image processing system 100 through networks 310a to 310c, 180a, 180b, and 170a to 170y. The control station 310 generates defective camera information when a failure is detected in a device of the sensor system 110. The defective camera information includes information for identifying a defective camera and information about an abnormal period. The defective camera information is used during generation of a virtual viewpoint image so that a video image output from a defective camera will not be used for generating a virtual viewpoint image. The networks used herein may be configured using Ethernet®, such as Gigabit Ethernet® (GbE) or 10 GbE, which are based on IEEE standards, or may be configured by combining Interconnect Infiniband, Industrial Ethernet, and the like. The networks are not limited to these types, but instead other types of networks may be used. The controller 300 is an example of an information processing apparatus.

#An operation for transmitting twenty-six sets of images and audio of the sensor systems 110a to 110z from the sensor system 110z to the image computing server 200 will be described. In the image processing system 100 according to the present exemplary embodiment, the sensor systems 110a to 110z are connected to each other by a daisy chain.