IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,490,129
Granted Patent B2
US 11,490,129 · App. 16/755,042 · Granted Nov 1, 2022

Creating multi-camera panoramic projections

Inventors: Brian C. Lowry (Emlenton, PA); Joseph B. Tomko (Wexford, PA); Evan A. Wimer (Pittsburgh, PA)
Assignee: C360 Technologies, Inc.
H04N21/21805H04N21/4316H04N21/472H04N21/816
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,490,129
App. No.
16/755,042
Granted
Nov 1, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

One embodiment provides a method, including: obtaining, from each of two more panoramic cameras, panoramic video, wherein each of the two or more panoramic cameras are located at different physical locations within an event environment; compositing the panoramic video obtained from the two or more panoramic cameras into a single video; and streaming the composited panoramic video to one or more end users, wherein each of the one or more end users provide commands to manipulate the streamed composited panoramic video resulting in viewing of a different view of the streamed composited panoramic video for the corresponding end user based on the provided commands.

Claims (33)

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining, from each of two or more panoramic cameras, panoramic video, wherein each of the two or more panoramic cameras are located at different physical locations within an event environment;

compositing the panoramic video obtained from the two or more panoramic cameras into a single video, wherein the compositing comprises generating a composited projection by selecting a portion of a frame of the panoramic video to composite based upon a field of view captured by the plurality of panoramic cameras and transforming the composited projection into an equirectangular video frame by mapping pixels of the panoramic video to the equirectangular video frame; and

streaming the composited panoramic video to a plurality of end users, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of end users provide commands to manipulate the streamed composited panoramic video resulting in viewing of a different view of the streamed composited panoramic video for the corresponding end user based on the provided commands, each of the subset who provided commands viewing a different view than and at the same time as other of the plurality of end users.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compositing comprises transforming the obtained panoramic video into a predetermined projection shape.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compositing comprises using half of a video frame obtained from each of the two or more panoramic cameras.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compositing comprises augmenting a telecast video frame with the panoramic video obtained from at least one of the two or more panoramic cameras.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising transforming the panoramic video from each of the two or more panoramic cameras to an equirectangular projection.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the compositing comprises calculating three-dimensional coordinates for each pixel within the equirectangular projection.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the compositing further comprises mapping, by applying a distortion curve function, an angle for each of the three-dimensional coordinates to a radial distance from an optical axis of a lens of the panoramic camera.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the compositing further comprises rotating, scaling, and shifting the three-dimensional coordinates to a frame of reference for the lens based upon the mapping.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compositing comprises apply a color correction to pixels of the obtained video.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the streaming comprises encoding the composited panoramic video.

11. A system comprising:

two or more panoramic cameras;

a processor; and

a memory device that stores instructions executable by the processor to:

obtain, from each of the two or more panoramic cameras, panoramic video, wherein each of the two or more panoramic cameras are located at different physical locations within an event environment;

composite the panoramic video obtained from the two or more panoramic cameras into a single video, wherein the compositing comprises generating a composited projection by selecting a portion of a frame of the panoramic video to composite based upon a field of view captured by the plurality of panoramic cameras and transforming the composited projection into an equirectangular video frame by mapping pixels of the panoramic video to the equirectangular video frame; and

stream the composited panoramic video to a plurality of end users, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of end users provide commands to manipulate the streamed composited panoramic video resulting in viewing of a different view of the streamed composited panoramic video for the corresponding end user based on the provided commands, each of the subset who provided commands viewing a different view than and at the same time as other of the plurality of end users.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the compositing comprises transforming the obtained panoramic video into a predetermined projection shape.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the compositing comprises using half of a video frame obtained from each of the two or more panoramic cameras.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the compositing comprises augmenting a telecast video frame with the panoramic video obtained from at least one of the two or more panoramic cameras.

15. The system of claim 11 , comprising transforming the panoramic video from each of the two or more panoramic cameras to an equirectangular projection.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the compositing comprises calculating three-dimensional coordinates for each pixel within the equirectangular projection.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the compositing further comprises mapping, by applying a distortion curve function, an angle for each of the three-dimensional coordinates to a radial distance from an optical axis of a lens of the panoramic camera.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the compositing further comprises rotating, scaling, and shifting the three-dimensional coordinates to a frame of reference for the lens based upon the mapping.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the compositing comprises apply a color correction to pixels of the obtained video.

20. A product, comprising:

a storage device that stores code, the code being executable by the processor and comprising:

code that obtains, from each of two or more panoramic cameras, panoramic video, wherein each of the two or more panoramic cameras are located at different physical locations within an event environment;

code that composites the panoramic video obtained from the two or more panoramic cameras into a single video, wherein the compositing comprises generating a composited projection by selecting a portion of a frame of the panoramic video to composite based upon a field of view captured by the plurality of panoramic cameras and transforming the composited projection into an equirectangular video frame by mapping pixels of the panoramic video to the equirectangular video frame; and

code that streams the composited panoramic video to a plurality of end users, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of end users provide commands to manipulate the streamed composited panoramic video resulting in viewing of a different view of the streamed composited panoramic video for the corresponding end user based on the provided commands, each of the subset who provided commands viewing a different view than and at the same time as other of the plurality of end users.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 25, 2023
From: C360 TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: COSM, INC.
Reel/Frame 065013/0565 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 9, 2020
From: LOWRY, BRIAN C.; TOMKO, JOSEPH B.; WIMER, EVAN A.
To: C360 TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 052359/0068 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62571876 · Oct 13, 2017
Related Publication 20210144413A1 · May 13, 2021