Method and apparatus for processing and distributing live virtual reality content

A method comprising:

• receiving a first plurality of images from a corresponding first plurality of cameras;
• performing a perspective re-projection of at least some of the first plurality of images to a common image plane to generate a rectified first plurality of images;
• analyzing overlapping regions of adjacent images in the rectified first plurality and responsively identifying corresponding pixels in the overlapping regions;
• stitching the adjacent images in accordance with the corresponding pixels to generate a panoramic image comprising a stitched combination of the rectified first plurality of rectified images;
• and
• projecting the panoramic image onto a cylindrical surface to generate a final panoramic video image to be used to implement a virtual reality (VR) environment on a VR apparatus.

A machine-readable medium having program code stored thereon which, when executed by a machine, causes the machine to perform the operations of:

• receiving a first plurality of images from a corresponding first plurality of cameras;
• performing a perspective re-projection of at least some of the first plurality of images to a common image plane to generate a rectified first plurality of images;
• analyzing overlapping regions of adjacent images in the rectified first plurality and responsively identifying corresponding pixels in the overlapping regions;
• stitching the adjacent images in accordance with the corresponding pixels to generate a panoramic image comprising a stitched combination of the rectified first plurality of rectified images;
• and
• projecting the panoramic image onto a cylindrical surface to generate a final panoramic video image to be used to implement a virtual reality (VR) environment on a VR apparatus.