Video conversion apparatus and system for generating 360-degree virtual reality video in real time

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10880475-B2
Application number	US-201916713696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2019
Priority date	Oct 25, 2018
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed are a video conversion apparatus and a system for generating a 360-degree VR video in real time. The video conversion apparatus includes an input unit and a controller. The input unit receives a plurality of pieces of video information having continuity from a video recording apparatus including a plurality of cameras. The controller captures the plurality of pieces of video information received from the input unit, encodes the captured pieces of video information in a parallel structure, and stitches the encoded pieces of video information to generate a 360-degree VR video.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A video conversion apparatus for generating a 360-degree virtual reality (VR) video in real time, the apparatus comprising:
an input unit configured to receive a plurality of pieces of video information having continuity from a video recording apparatus including a plurality of cameras, wherein the plurality of cameras comprise a first camera and a second camera facing opposing directions and a third camera and a fourth camera facing opposing directions; and
a controller configured to capture the plurality of pieces of video information received from the input unit, encode the plurality of pieces of video information in a parallel structure, and stitch the plurality of pieces of video information to generate a 360-degree VR video,
wherein the controller comprises:
a frame capture unit comprising a plurality of frame capture cards that are configured to capture the plurality of pieces of video information received from the plurality of cameras, each frame capture card being configured to capture one piece of video information received from a corresponding one of the plurality of cameras,
a frame encoder unit comprising a plurality of encoders that are configured to encode the plurality of pieces of video information captured by the plurality of frame capture cards of the frame capture unit, wherein the plurality of encoders comprise a first encoder and a second encoder, wherein the first encoder is configured to encode first pieces of video information received from the first and second cameras, wherein the second encoder is configured to encode second pieces of video information received from the third and fourth cameras, and
a video stitching unit configured to calibrate the plurality of pieces of video information processed by the plurality of encoders of the frame encoder unit, and stitch the plurality of pieces of video information so as to generate the 360-degree VR video.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cameras of the video recording apparatus further comprise fifth and sixth cameras facing opposing directions, wherein the plurality of encoders of the frame encoder unit further comprise a third encoder, and
wherein the third encoder is configured to encode third pieces of video information received from the fifth and sixth cameras.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the video stitching unit is configured to perform calibration such that the encoded video information is continuously connected to form a panoramic video.

4. A video conversion system comprising:
the video conversion apparatus of claim 1 ; and
a video recording apparatus configured to generate the plurality of pieces of video information having continuity with respect to 360 degrees and provide the generated plurality of pieces of video information to the video conversion apparatus.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the video recording apparatus includes:
a camera unit including the plurality of cameras; and
a support unit configured to fix the plurality of cameras at regular intervals of angle and support the plurality of cameras to take videos while being parallel to ground.

Assignees

• Korea Electronics Technology

Inventors

• Jang Junhwan
• Park Woochool
• Kim Youngwha
• Yang Jinwook
• Yoon Sangpil
• Kim Hyunwook
• Cho Eunkyung
• Choi Minsu
• Lee Junsuk
• Yang Jaeyoung

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

• H04N5/77 Primary

  between a recording apparatus and a television camera · CPC title

• H04N19/597

  specially adapted for multi-view video sequence encoding · CPC title

• H04N19/436

  using parallelised computational arrangements · CPC title