Dynamic video image synthesis using multiple cameras and remote control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11025978-B2
Application number	US-202016822324-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2020
Priority date	Oct 15, 2015
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving, at a broadcast image processor, from a single broadcast event, a plurality of camera feeds, wherein the camera feeds each comprise an image of the single broadcast event from a different angle, providing, by the broadcast image processor, a summary of the plurality of camera feeds to a media processor, receiving, by the broadcast image processor, a request to select a requested angle from among the plurality of camera feeds from the media processor, and creating, by the broadcast image processor, a custom view from the plurality of camera feeds according to the request for the media processor. Other embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
sending to a mobile device, by a broadcast image processor comprising a processing system including a processor, camera feed information including a plurality of camera feeds from a broadcast event, wherein each camera feed of the plurality of camera feeds comprises an image of the broadcast event from a different angle;
storing, in a buffer, buffered content from the plurality of video feeds;
collecting descriptions of the plurality of video feeds;
sending, to the mobile device, the descriptions of the plurality of video feeds and information about the buffered content from the plurality of video feeds, wherein the mobile device generates summaries of the plurality of video feeds based on the descriptions of the plurality of video feeds and the buffered content;
receiving, by the broadcast image processor, a request from the mobile device for presenting a custom viewing angle of the broadcast event;
synthesizing, by the broadcast image processor, the custom viewing angle of the broadcast event according to a first camera feed and a second camera feed of the plurality of camera feeds according to camera angle data included in the request;
providing, by the broadcast image processor, the custom viewing angle of the broadcast event to a media processor responsive to the request from the mobile device;
instructing, by the broadcast image processor, the mobile device to provide a visual presentation of a time slider feature of available content of the plurality of camera feeds in the buffer, wherein the visual presentation further includes one or more time selection elements to access the available content from the plurality of camera feeds from the time slider feature, wherein the time slider feature provides access to prior time points in the available content, wherein each respective time selection element of the one or more time selection elements is associated with a respective one of the available content of the plurality of camera feeds in the buffer; and
receiving, by the broadcast image processor, a trick play request to modify the custom viewing angle via the one or more time selection elements, wherein the broadcast image processor provides, in response to the trick play request, a buffered presentation of the custom viewing angle from the buffer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the trick play request includes a point in time, wherein the point in time is determined based upon detecting an input at one of:
a first time selection element of the one or more time selection elements that corresponds to all of the camera feeds of a first one of the plurality of camera feeds, or
a second time selection element of the one or more time selection elements that corresponds to all of the camera feeds of a second one of the plurality of camera feeds.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first time selection element comprises a first time slider and wherein the second time selection element comprises a second time slider.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device displays the summaries of the plurality of the camera feeds that are generated by the mobile device based upon the camera feed information, the description of the plurality of video feeds and the buffered content received from the broadcast image processor.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first camera feed comprises first images at a first viewing angle, wherein the second camera feed comprises second images at a second viewing angle.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the synthesizing comprises interpolating between the first images and the second images to generate the custom viewing angle of the broadcast event.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a second request to select a second custom viewing angle of the broadcast event.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising creating the second custom viewing angle from the plurality of camera feeds by synthesizing the first camera feed of the plurality of camera feeds and the second camera feed of the plurality of camera feeds.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising providing the second custom viewing angle to the media processor via a unicast communication path.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the broadcast event comprises a video gaming event, and wherein the plurality of camera feeds comprise virtual camera feeds from the video gaming event.

11. An apparatus, comprising:
a processing system including a processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
providing a plurality of camera feeds for a broadcast event to a media processor, wherein each of the plurality of feeds comprises an image from the broadcast event;
storing, in a buffer, buffered content from the plurality of camera feeds;
collecting descriptions of the plurality of camera feeds;
providing, to a mobile device, the descriptions of the plurality of camera feeds and information about the buffered content stored in the buffer, wherein the mobile device is responsive to the providing to generate a summary of the plurality of camera feeds based on the camera feeds, the descriptions of the plurality of camera feeds and the buffered content, wherein the summary includes selectable options associated with the plurality of camera feeds to be displayed on the mobile device, wherein the summary comprises a visual presentation of a time slider feature of available content of a plurality of the plurality of camera feeds in the buffer, wherein the providing the visual presentation comprises providing one or more time selection elements for accessing the available content from the time slider feature, wherein the time slider feature provides access to prior time points in the available content, wherein each respective time selection element of the one or more time selection elements is associated with a respective one of the available content of the plurality of camera feeds;
receiving a request from the mobile device for presenting a custom viewing of the broadcast event based on the selectable options, wherein the request comprises timing data and camera angle data for generating the custom viewing of the broadcast event;
creating the custom viewing from the plurality of camera feeds according to the request by synthesizing the custom viewing from a first camera feed of the plurality of camera feeds and a second camera feed of the plurality of camera feeds according to the request; and
providing, to the media processor, the custom viewing, wherein the synthesizing and providing are performed in real time responsive to the request from the mobile device, and wherein both the media processor and the mobile device are in communication with the processing system.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of camera feeds is in one of a plurality of camera feed groups, and wherein each of the plurality of camera feed groups comprises at least two of the plurality of camera feeds, and wherein the timing data is determined based upon detecting an input from the selectable options comprising:
a first time selection element of a plurality of time selection elements that corresponds to all of the camera feeds of a first one of the plurality of camera feed groups, and
a second time selection element of the plurality of time selection elements that corresponds to all of the camera feeds of a second one of the plurality of camera feed groups.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , providing, on the mobile device, summaries of the plurality of camera feeds that are gen

Assignees

• At & T Mobility Ii Llc

Inventors

• Meredith Sheldon Kent
• Fix Jeremy

Classifications

• H04N21/2187 Primary

  Live feed · CPC title

• H04N21/458

  Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules {; time-related management operations (arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10)} · CPC title

• H04N21/4622

  Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet (web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859) · CPC title

• H04N21/21805

  enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras · CPC title

• H04N21/8549

  Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer {(retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739)} · CPC title