Apparatus and method for playback of multiple panoramic videos with control codes
An apparatus and method are provided for viewing panoramic images and videos through the selection of a particular viewing angle and window within that panorama while allowing the viewer to simultaneously implement temporal transport control, and allowing the video to be in a state of pause, play, fast forward, fast rewind, slow forward, slow rewind, or frame-by-frame. A plurality of panoramic video or images from multiple cameras can be synchronized so that as a viewer pauses, rewinds, forwards a video in one panorama, and all panoramas are time synchronized and go through the same states as the panorama being viewed. When the user selects a different panorama for viewing from a different camera, this panorama comes up in the same state as the panorama previously being viewed.
1. A system for viewing a plurality of panoramic videos through any of a plurality of time, playback speed and direction, viewing angles and windows contained within at least one of the panoramic videos, comprising:
providing a plurality of panoramic video capture devices each generating a panoramic video comprising a sequence of panoramic images;
at least one processor communicatively connected to each of the capture devices and configured to execute a plurality of modules, the modules comprising:
a capture module for capturing frames from individual sensors in the panoramic video capture device;
a processing module for at least one of demosaicing, coloring, and seam blending;
a splicing module for generating a panoramic image;
a slicing module for slicing the panoramic image into multiple slices for processing and transfer efficiency;
a time stamp module for receiving a time code and applying a time stamp to each slice;
a compression module for compressing the slice into a smaller data package for broadcast and distribution;
a time code generator providing the time code for each of the panoramic video capture devices delivered to the time stamp module;
at least one distribution device for distributing the plurality of videos;
at least one client processor communicatively connected to the distribution device to receive the plurality of videos and configured to execute a plurality of modules, the modules comprising:
a receiving module for receiving at least one of the plurality of videos from the distribution device;
a plurality of storage memory buffers for storing the at least one of the plurality of videos;
a user input module for allowing a user to select one of the plurality of videos to be viewed and controlled at any specific time;
a user input module for allowing a user to select a portion of the selected video in time to be viewed, a viewing speed, and a temporal viewing direction, the user input module configured to simultaneously allow a user to select a portion of the panoramic video to view by choosing at least one of pan, tilt and zoom values within the panoramic video;
a synchronizing module configured to synchronize the plurality of buffers with a current display time corresponding with the portion of the selected video in time to be viewed, viewing speed, and temporal viewing direction, the synchronizing module allowing the synchronization during switching of the selected video so that the new selected video is displayed with a same current display time, viewing speed, and temporal viewing direction as the previous selected video at the time of switching; and
a display module configured to retrieve an appropriate image from the buffer and display to the viewer.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the viewing speed is paused.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the viewing speed is playing forward.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the viewing speed is playing backwards.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the viewing speed is faster than an actual speed of an event.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the viewing speed is slower than an actual speed of an event.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the temporal viewing direction is forward.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the temporal viewing direction is backwards.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the temporal viewing direction is paused.