Panoramic portals for connecting remote spaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10356319-B2
Application number	US-201715582402-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2017
Priority date	Apr 28, 2017
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

Example implementations described herein are directed to systems and methods for providing a panoramic video connection between one location and another, or between one location and a number of distributed remote viewers, which provides reciprocity in terms of awareness of who is viewing and what they are looking at. In example implementations described herein, radial displays present panoramic video from remote locations, or synthesized views of face shots positioned to indicate the viewing direction of remote viewers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a radial display; and
an apparatus configured to manage the radial display, the apparatus comprising:
a processor, configured to:

transform a received image into another image; and
display the another image onto the radial display;
wherein the received image is a spherical image representation, wherein the processor is configured to transform the received image into the another image through a transformation into an annular image to be projected onto the radial display, wherein the processor is configured to display the another image onto the radial display through projecting the annular image onto the radial display.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the received image is an equirectangular image.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a panoramic camera configured to generate equirectangular images and provide the equirectangular images as the received image.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a camera configured to form spherical image representations and provide the spherical image representations as the received image.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the radial display is a conical radial display, wherein the system further comprises a projector configured to project downwards onto the conical radial display, the conical radial display oriented such that the wider portion of the conical radial display is further away from the projector than the narrower portion of the conical radial display, wherein the processor is configured to display the another image onto the conical radial display through use of the projector such that the projector projects the another image at a higher intensity for the wider portions than the narrower portions.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the radial display is a conical radial display, wherein the system further comprises a projector located within the conical radial display, the conical radial display oriented such that the narrower portion of the conical radial display is further away from the projector than the wider portion of the conical radial display, wherein the processor is configured to display the another image onto the conical radial display through use of the projector.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the radial display is a curved or flexible display configured to directly render pixels of equirectangular images provided by the processor.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a camera attached to the radial display, wherein the received image comprises previously received images from the camera.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an interface configured to rotate the projection of the another image on the radial display.

Assignees

• Fuji Xerox Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kimber Donald
• Vaughan James
• Dunnigan Anthony
• Quarfordt Pernilla

Classifications

• H04N23/698 Primary

  for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture · CPC title

• H04N23/90

  Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums · CPC title

• H04N21/2187 Primary

  Live feed · CPC title

• H04N21/816

  involving special video data, e.g 3D video · CPC title

• H04N9/3185

  Geometric adjustment, e.g. keystone or convergence (optical or mechanical adjustment of convergence H04N9/317; using scanning means H04N3/22; optical or mechanical adjustments of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14) · CPC title