IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,626,414
Granted Patent B2
US 12,626,414 · App. 18/554,338 · Granted May 12, 2026

Method and apparatus of encoding/decoding point cloud geometry data captured by a spinning sensors head

Inventors: Jonathan Taquet (Beijing, CN); Sebastien Lasserre (Beijing, CN)
Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.
G06T9/001
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,626,414
App. No.
18/554,338
Granted
May 12, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of encoding a point cloud into a bitstream, each point of the point cloud being associated with spherical coordinates representing an azimuthal angle and a radius, includes: obtaining a scaled elementary azimuthal step associated with a point of the point cloud, the scaled elementary azimuthal step being equal to first data greater than an elementary azimuthal step in response to second data being strictly lower than a threshold, and being equal to the elementary azimuthal step otherwise; encoding, in the bitstream, a number of scaled elementary azimuthal steps obtained from an azimuthal angle of the point, a prediction of the azimuthal angle and the scaled elementary azimuthal step; and encoding, in the bitstream, an residual azimuthal angle of the point between the azimuthal angle of the point and a predicted azimuthal angle derived from the number of scaled elementary azimuthal steps and the scaled elementary azimuthal step.

Claims (34)

1 . A method of encoding a point cloud into a bitstream of encoded point cloud data representing a physical object, each point of the point cloud being associated with spherical coordinates representing an azimuthal angle responsive to a capture angle of a sensor of a spinning sensor head that captured the point and a radius responsive of a distance of the point from a referential, the method comprising:

obtaining a scaled elementary azimuthal step (S(φ step , r dec )) associated with a point of the point cloud, the scaled elementary azimuthal step (S(φ step , r dec )) being equal to first data (D 1 ) greater than an elementary azimuthal step (φ step ) in response to second data (D 2 ) being strictly lower than a threshold, and the scaled elementary azimuthal step (S(φ step , r dec )) being equal to the elementary azimuthal step (φ step ) in response to the second data (D 2 ) being equal to or greater than the threshold, the elementary azimuthal step (φ step ) being derived from frequencies and rotation speed at which a spinning sensor head captured the point cloud, and the second data (D 2 ) depending on a decoded radius (r dec ) of the point obtained by encoding and decoding a radius associated with the point;

encoding, in the bitstream, a number (m s ) of scaled elementary azimuthal steps obtained from an azimuthal angle of the point, a prediction of the azimuthal angle and the scaled elementary azimuthal step; and

encoding, in the bitstream, an residual azimuthal angle of the point between the azimuthal angle of the point and a predicted azimuthal angle derived from the number (m s ) of scaled elementary azimuthal steps and the scaled elementary azimuthal step (S(φ step , r dec )).

2 . A method of decoding a point cloud from a bitstream of encoded point cloud data representing a physical object, each point of the point cloud being associated with spherical coordinates representing an azimuthal angle responsive to a capture angle of a sensor of a spinning sensor head that captured the point and a radius responsive of a distance of the point from a referential, the method comprising:

decoding an elementary azimuthal step (φ step ) from the bitstream;

obtaining a decoded radius (r dec ) of a point of the point cloud from a decoded residual radius (r res,dec ) decoded from the bitstream;

obtaining a scaled elementary azimuthal step (S(φ step , r dec )) associated with a point of the point cloud, the scaled elementary azimuthal step (S(φ step , r dec )) being equal to first data (D 1 ) greater than the elementary azimuthal step (φ step ) in response to second data (D 2 ), depending on the decoded radius (r dec ) of the point, being strictly lower than a threshold (TH), and the scaled elementary azimuthal step (S(φ step , r dec )) being equal to the elementary azimuthal step (φ step ) in response to the second data (D 2 ), depending on the decoded radius (r dec ) of the point, being equal to or greater than the threshold (TH);

decoding a number (m s ) of scaled elementary azimuthal steps from the bitstream;

decoding a decoded residual azimuthal angle (φ res,dec ) from the bitstream; and

obtaining a decoded azimuthal angle (φ dec ) from the decoded residual azimuthal angle (φ res,dec ) and a predicted azimuthal angle derived from the number (m s ) of scaled elementary azimuthal steps and the scaled elementary azimuthal step (S(φ step , r dec )).

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first data (D 1 ) depends on the decoded radius (r dec ).

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the first data (D 1 ) is inversely proportional to a product of the decoded radius and a scaling factor (α) greater than or equal to 1.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second data (D 2 ) is the decoded radius (r dec ).

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second data (D 2 ) is obtained by applying a monotonic function on the decoded radius (r dec ) and the second data (D 2 ) is compared with a second threshold (TH) obtained by applying a same monotonic function on the threshold.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the monotonic function is defined as a function providing an integer bound of the residual azimuthal angle.

8 . The method of one claim 6 , wherein the first data (D 1 ) is obtained from an approximation of 2π/(r dec *α*ΔIφ) where r dec is the decoded radius, α is a scaling factor greater than or equal to 1, and ΔIφ corresponds to an internal precision for the azimuthal angles.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first data (D 1 ) is obtained by refining iteratively the approximation.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the approximation is obtained by finding a highest power of two factor of an elementary azimuthal step that is lower than 2π/(r dec *α*ΔIφ).

11 . An apparatus of encoding a point cloud into a bitstream of encoded point cloud data representing a physical object, each point of the point cloud being associated with spherical coordinates representing an azimuthal angle responsive to a capture angle of a sensor of a spinning sensor head that captured the point and a radius responsive of a distance of the point from a referential, the apparatus comprising one or more processors configured to:

obtain a scaled elementary azimuthal step associated with a point of the point cloud, the scaled elementary azimuthal step being equal to first data greater than an elementary azimuthal step in response to second data is strictly lower than a threshold, and the scaled elementary azimuthal step being equal to the elementary azimuthal step in response to the second data being equal to or greater than the threshold, the elementary azimuthal step being derived from frequencies and rotation speed at which a spinning sensor head captured the point cloud, and the second data depending on a decoded radius of the point obtained by encoding and decoding a radius associated with the point;

encode, in the bitstream, a number of scaled elementary azimuthal steps obtained from an azimuthal angle of the point, a prediction of the azimuthal angle and the scaled elementary azimuthal step; and

encode, in the bitstream, an residual azimuthal angle of the point between the azimuthal angle of the point and a predicted azimuthal angle derived from the number of scaled elementary azimuthal steps and the scaled elementary azimuthal step.

12 . An apparatus of decoding a point cloud from a bitstream of encoded point cloud data representing a physical object, each point of the point cloud being associated with spherical coordinates representing an azimuthal angle responsive to a capture angle of a sensor of a spinning sensor head that captured the point and a radius responsive of a distance of the point from a referential, the apparatus comprising one or more processors configured to perform the method of claim 2 .

13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying instructions of program code for executing the method of claim 2 .

14 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first data (D 1 ) depends on the decoded radius (r dec ).

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first data (D 1 ) is inversely proportional to a product of the decoded radius and a scaling factor (α) greater than or equal to 1.

16 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the second data (D 2 ) is the decoded radius (r dec ).

17 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the second data (D 2 ) is obtained by applying a monotonic function on the decoded radius (r dec ) and the second data (D 2 ) is compared with a second threshold (TH) obtained by applying a same monotonic function on the threshold.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the monotonic function is defined as a function providing an integer bound of the residual azimuthal angle.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the first data (D 1 ) is obtained from an approximation of 2π/(r dec *α*ΔIφ) where r dec is the decoded radius, a is a scaling factor greater than or equal to 1, and ΔIφ corresponds to an internal precision for the azimuthal angles;

wherein the first data (D 1 ) is obtained by refining iteratively the approximation;

wherein the approximation is obtained by finding a highest power of two factor of an elementary azimuthal step that is lower than 2π/(r dec *α*ΔIφ).

20 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying instructions of program code for executing the method of claim 1 .

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 22, 2024
From: TAQUET, JONATHAN
To: XIAOMI FINLAND OY
Reel/Frame 066534/0690 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 22, 2024
From: XIAOMI FINLAND OY
To: BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 066534/0746 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 22, 2024
From: LASSERRE, SÉBASTIEN
To: XIAOMI FINLAND OY
Reel/Frame 066534/0719 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 21305461 · Apr 9, 2021 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240193818A1 · Jun 13, 2024
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