APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR SOURCE DYNAMIC RANGE PROCESSING OF PANORAMIC CONTENT

1 . A method for the display of imaging content, comprising:

obtaining two or more images in a source dynamic range;

receiving a viewport position for a viewer of at least a portion of the obtained two or more images;

determining whether the viewport position is resident on a stitching line, and if so, stitching at least a portion of the two or more images in the received viewport position;

rendering the viewport position in the source dynamic range in order to produce a rendered source dynamic range image for the viewport position;

developing the rendered source dynamic range image into a display dynamic range image for the viewport position;

encoding the display dynamic range image for the viewport position in a display dynamic range; and

transmitting the encoded display dynamic range image for the purpose of a display of the viewport position in the display dynamic range.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the rendering of the viewport position in the source dynamic range is performed by utilizing a viewport dynamic range associated with the received viewport position without taking into consideration a full dynamic range associated with the two or more images.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein if it is determined that the received viewport position is not resident on the stitching line, obviating a stitching process for the transmitted encoded display dynamic range image.

4 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

receiving an updated viewport position for the viewer;

rendering the updated viewport position in the source dynamic range in order to produce an updated rendered source dynamic range image for the updated viewport position; and

developing the updated rendered source dynamic range image for the updated viewport position into an updated display dynamic range image for the updated viewport position.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

determining whether the updated viewport position is resident on a stitching line, and if so, utilizing a stitching process for the updated viewport position.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the stitching process is utilized only for the updated viewport position.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the updated display dynamic range image for the updated viewport position is produced by utilizing the obtained two or more images in the source dynamic range.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the updated display dynamic range image for the updated viewport position is produced by utilizing two or more other images in the source dynamic range.

9 . A computer readable apparatus comprising a storage medium configured to store a computer program having a plurality of computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions being configured to, when executed:

receive two or more images in a source dynamic range;

receive a viewport position for a viewer of at least a portion of the received two or more images; and

render the viewport position in the source dynamic range in order to produce a rendered source dynamic range image for the viewport position.

10 . The computer readable apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed are further configured to:

determine whether the viewport position is resident on a stitching line, and if so, stitch at least a portion of the two or more images in the received viewport position.

11 . The computer readable apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed are further configured to:

determine whether the viewport position is resident on a stitching line, and if not, obviate a stitching process for at least a portion of the two or more images in the received viewport position.

12 . The computer readable apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed are further configured to:

develop the rendered source dynamic range image into a display dynamic range image for the viewport position;

encode the display dynamic range image for the viewport position; and

transmit the encoded display dynamic range image for the purpose of a display of the viewport position in the display dynamic range.

13 . The computer readable apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed are further configured to:

encode the rendered source dynamic range image for the viewport position; and

transmit the encoded rendered source dynamic range image for the viewport position.

14 . The computer readable apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the transmitted encoded source dynamic range image for the viewport position is configured to be decoded by a computerized apparatus and developed into a display dynamic range image for display.

15 . A computerized apparatus configured to render a viewport position in a source dynamic range, the computerized apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store imaging data associated with panoramic content;

a processor apparatus in data communication with the memory; and

computerized logic, that when executed by the processor apparatus, is configured to:

receive the imaging data associated with panoramic content in a source dynamic range;

receive a viewport position associated with at least a portion of the received imaging data; and

render the imaging data associated with the panoramic content in the viewport position in the source dynamic range in order to produce a rendered source dynamic range image for the viewport position;

wherein the rendered source dynamic range image for the viewport position is configured to be developed into a display dynamic range image for display on a display device.

16 . The computerized apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising an image capturing apparatus, the image capturing apparatus comprising two or more imaging sensors that are configured to capture respective differing fields of view.

17 . The computerized apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the computerized logic is further configured to:

determine whether the received viewport position is resident on a stitching line for the panoramic content, and if so, stitch at least a portion of the stored imaging data in the received viewport position.

18 . The computerized apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the imaging data associated with panoramic content in the source dynamic range comprises a first dynamic range and the imaging data associated with the panoramic content in the viewport position in the source dynamic range comprises a second dynamic range, the second dynamic range being smaller than the first dynamic range;

wherein the rendered source dynamic range image for the viewport position takes into consideration the second dynamic range without taking into consideration the first dynamic range.

19 . The computerized apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the computerized logic is further configured to:

develop the rendered source dynamic range image into a display dynamic range image for the viewport position;

encode the display dynamic range image for the viewport position; and

transmit the encoded display dynamic range image for the purpose of the display on the display device.

20 . The computerized apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the computerized logic is further configured to:

encode the rendered source dynamic range image for the viewport position; and

transmit the encoded rendered source dynamic range image for the viewport position.