Image streaming method and electronic device for supporting the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018063512-A1
Application number	US-201715694189-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 1, 2017
Priority date	Sep 1, 2016
Publication date	Mar 1, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a display configured to output an image, a transceiver configured to establish a plurality of channels with an external electronic device, and a processor configured to classify a virtual three dimensional (3D) projection space around the electronic device into a plurality of regions, link each of the plurality of regions with one of the plurality of channels, receive image data over the channel linked to each of the plurality of regions via the transceiver from the external electronic device, and output a streaming image on the display based on the image data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device for outputting an image, the electronic device comprising:
a display configured to output the image; a transceiver configured to establish a plurality of channels with an external electronic device; and a processor configured to:
classify a virtual three dimensional (3D) projection space around the electronic device into a plurality of regions,
link each of the plurality of regions with one of the plurality of channels,
receive image data over each channel linked to each of the plurality of regions via the transceiver from the external electronic device, and
output a streaming image on the display based on the image data.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor module configured to collect sensing information related to a line of sight of the user, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a first region corresponding to a field of view (FOV) among the plurality of regions based on the sensing information.

3 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine an image quality of image data for at least one of the plurality of regions based on an angle between a first vector facing a central point of the FOV from a reference point of the 3D projection space and a second vector facing a central point of each of the plurality of regions from the reference point.

4 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
map the plurality of regions to a spherical surface, and determine an image quality of an image data for at least one of the plurality of regions based on a spherical distance between a central point of each of the plurality of regions and a central point of the FOV.

5 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the line of sight is normal to a surface of the display.

6 . The electronic device of claim 2 ,
wherein the transceiver is further configured to:
receive first image data of a first image quality over a first channel linked to the first region, and
receive second image data of a second image quality over a second channel linked to a second region that is adjacent to the FOV, and
wherein the processor is further configured to:
output an image in the first region based on the first image data, and
output an image in the second region based on the second image data.

7 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine an output timing between first video data included in the first image data and second video data included in the second image data with respect to audio data included in the first image data and the second image data.

8 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to, if buffering occurs in the second image data, skip an image output by the second image data during an image interval.

9 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to, if the FOV changes, duplicate and receive the second image data for an image interval and replace the received second image data with at least part of the second image data previously received.

10 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive third image data of a third image quality over a third channel linked to a third region that is separated from the first region via the transceiver, and output an image in the third region based on the third image data.

11 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to limit reception of the third image data.

12 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine an image quality range of image data received over each channel linked to each of the plurality of regions based on wireless communication performance.

13 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
group the plurality of regions into a plurality of groups, and output a streaming image for each of the plurality of groups based on image data of different image quality.

14 . A server for streaming an image on an external electronic device, the server comprising:
a transceiver configured to establish a plurality of channels with the external electronic device; a processor configured to map a two-dimensional (2D) image to each face constituting a three dimensional (3D) space; an encoder configured to layer image data corresponding to at least one surface constituting the 3D space to vary in image quality; and a database configured to store the layered image data.

15 . The server of claim 14 , wherein the encoder is further configured to generate the image data having a quadrangular frame by adding dummy data.

16 . The server of claim 14 , wherein the encoder is further configured to generate the image data having a quadrangular frame by recombining image data corresponding to a plurality of adjacent faces of the 3D space.

17 . The server of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of channels are linked to each surface constituting the 3D space.

18 . A method for streaming images in an electronic device, the method comprising:
classifying a virtual three dimensional (3D) projection space around the electronic device into a plurality of regions; linking each of the plurality of regions with one of the plurality of channels associated with an external device; receiving image data over each channel linked to each of the plurality of regions from the external device; and outputting a streaming image on a display of the electronic device based on the image data.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the receiving of the image data comprises:
collecting sensing information related to a line of sight of a user using a sensor module of the electronic device; and determining a first region corresponding to a field of view (FOV) among the plurality of regions based on the sensing information.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the receiving of the image data further comprises:
receiving first image data of a first image quality over a first channel linked to the first region; and receiving second image data of a second image quality over a second channel linked to a second region adjacent to the first region.

21 . A method for receiving streaming images in an electronic device, the method comprising:
when a line of sight associated with the electronic device corresponds to a first region, receiving a first image for a first region with a first quality and a second image for a second region with a second quality; when the line of sight associated with the electronic device corresponds to the second region, receiving the first image for the first region with the second quality and the second image for the second region with a first quality; and displaying the first image and the second image, wherein the first quality and the second quality are different.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hong Seung Seok
• Lee Doo Woong
• Park Gwang Woo
• Kim Dong Woo
• Kim Sung Jin
• Shin Ho Chul
• Lee Sang Jun
• Lee Seung Bum
• Yeom Dong Hyun

Classifications

• H04N23/698

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

• H04N21/21805 Primary

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

• H04N13/0059

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/23238

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N13/0278 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic