US 12,347,064 B2
Efficient graphical processing in 360-degree spherical space
Campbell Morgan, London (GB); Finbar Mostyn William, London (GB); Maria Loks-Thompson, London (GB); and Glenn Kirk, London (GB)
Assigned to OFF WORLD LIVE LIMITED, London (GB)
Appl. No. 18/043,803
Filed by OFF WORLD LIVE LIMITED, London (GB)
PCT Filed Sep. 15, 2021, PCT No. PCT/GB2021/052391
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 2, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/058725, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 24, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2014781 (GB), filed on Sep. 18, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0316457 A1, Oct. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. G06T 3/4038 (2024.01); G06T 3/40 (2024.01); G06T 7/64 (2017.01); G06T 7/73 (2017.01)
CPC G06T 3/4038 (2013.01) [G06T 3/40 (2013.01); G06T 7/64 (2017.01); G06T 7/73 (2017.01); G06T 2207/10016 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20212 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of applying a blur effect to image data representative of a 360-degree spherical space, the method comprising:
(1) providing an input two-dimensional representation of the 360-degree spherical image data, the two-dimensional representation including a two-dimensional array of pixels, each pixel being associated with a (θ,φ) coordinate pair, where θ is a polar angle and φ is an azimuthal angle in a spherical polar coordinate representation of the 360-degree spherical image data;
(2) creating a blurred two-dimensional representation of the 360-degree spherical image data by:
(a) defining one or more blur arrays having weighting values for samples taken within a blur area around a source pixel;
(b) identifying a source pixel in the input two-dimensional representation to which the blur effect is to be applied, the source pixel being associated with a spherical coordinate pair (θ0,φ0);
(c) defining a first great circle and a second great circle in the spherical polar coordinate representation, wherein the first and second great circles intersect orthogonally at (θ0,φ0);
(d) extracting a first spherical coordinate pair (θ1,φ1) spaced away from (θ0,φ0) around the first great circle a first distance d1 in a first direction and identifying a first location in the input two-dimensional representation corresponding to (θ1,φ1);
(e) extracting a second spherical coordinate pair (θ2,φ2) spaced away from (θ0,φ0) around the first great circle a second distance d2 in a second direction opposite the first direction and identifying a second location in the input two-dimensional representation corresponding to (θ2,φ2);
(f) extracting a third spherical coordinate pair (θ3,φ3) spaced away from (θ0,φ0) around the second great circle a third distance d3 in a third direction and identifying a third location in the input two-dimensional representation corresponding to (θ3,φ3);
(g) extracting a fourth spherical coordinate pair (θ4,φ4) spaced away from (θ0,φ0) around the second great circle a fourth distance d4 in a fourth direction opposite the third direction and identifying a fourth location in the input two-dimensional representation corresponding to (θ4,φ4);
(h) writing a blurred pixel value to a blurred pixel having a location associated with (θ0,φ0) in the blurred two-dimensional representation of the 360-degree spherical image data, the blurred pixel value being a weighted average of pixel values in the input two-dimensional representation encompassed within an area having as its outer extent each of the first, second, third and fourth locations, the weightings for each pixel within the area being derived from the one or more blur arrays.