US 11,122,271 B2 · Systems and methods for spatially selective video coding

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing panoramic image and/or video content using spatially selective encoding and/or decoding. Panoramic content may include stitched spherical (360-degree) images and/or VR video. In some implementations, selective encoding functionality may be embodied in a spherical image capture device that may include two lenses configured to capture pairs of hemispherical images. Encoded source images may be decoded and stitched in order to obtain a combined image characterized by a greater field of view as compared to source images. The stitched image may be encoded using a selective encoding methodology including: partitioning a stitched image into multiple portions, determining if a portion is to be re-encoded. If the image portion is to be re-encoded, re-encoding the image portion. If an image portion is not to be re-encoded, copying previously encoded image portion in lieu of encoding.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for providing video content, the system comprising:

an electronic storage configured to store video content;
a communications interface configured to communicate a bit stream to a client device;
and
one or more processors configured to execute computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions configured to, when executed, cause the system to:
access an originally encoded image;
decode the originally encoded image to produce a decoded image;
obtain a stitched image from the decoded image;
selectively encode one or more individual image portions of the stitched image proximate to a boundary area;
and
obtain an encoded stitched image via combination of the selectively encoded one or more individual image portions of the stitched image and one or more individual image portions of the originally encoded image, wherein the one or more individual image portions of the originally encoded image are copied into the encoded stitched image.

7 more elements

A computer readable apparatus comprising a storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon, the computer readable instructions being configured to, when executed on a processor apparatus of a computerized apparatus, cause the computerized apparatus to:

access at least a first portion of a stitched panoramic image associated with a first quality parameter;
obtain data indicative of a change of the at least the first portion of the stitched panoramic image, the change of the at least the first portion corresponding to a change of a viewport position;
determine whether the change of the viewport position exceeds a threshold;
responsive to a determination that the change of the viewport exceeds the threshold:
encode at least a second portion of the stitched panoramic image based on a second quality parameter;
and
provide the at least the second portion of the stitched panoramic image encoded using the second quality parameter;
and
responsive to a determination that the change of the viewport does not exceed the threshold, provide the at least the first portion of the stitched panoramic image associated with the first quality parameter, the first quality parameter differing from the second quality parameter.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Systems and methods for spatially selective video coding

Life of this patent

Systems and methods for spatially selective video coding

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20