Methods and apparatus for streaming or playing back stereoscopic content are described. Camera dependent correction information is communicated to a playback device and applied in the playback device to compensate for distortions introduced by the lenses of individual cameras. By performing lens dependent distortion compensation in the playback device edges which might be lost if correction were performed prior to encoding are preserved. Distortion correction information may be in the form of UV map correction information. The correction information may indicate changes to be made to information in a UV map, e.g., at rendering time, to compensate for distortions specific to an individual camera. Different sets of correction information may be communicated and used for different cameras of a stereoscopic pair which provide images that are rendered using the same UV map. The communicated correction information is sometimes called a correction mesh since it is used to correct mesh related information.

Methods and apparatus for streaming or playing back stereoscopic content are described. Camera dependent correction information is communicated to a playback device and applied in the playback device to compensate for distortions introduced by the lenses of individual cameras. By performing lens dependent distortion compensation in the playback device edges which might be lost if correction were performed prior to encoding are preserved. Distortion correction information may be in the form of UV map correction information. The correction information may indicate changes to be made to information in a UV map, e.g., at rendering time, to compensate for distortions specific to an individual camera. Different sets of correction information may be communicated and used for different cameras of a stereoscopic pair which provide images that are rendered using the same UV map. The communicated correction information is sometimes called a correction mesh since it is used to correct mesh related information.

In accordance with embodiments, a method of transmitting a video includes inter-view redundancy removing pictures for multiple viewing positions; packing inter-view redundancy removed pictures; and/or encoding the packed pictures and/or signaling information including center view generation information, pre-generation information, view synthesis recommendation information and/or reference view information. In accordance with embodiments, a method of receiving a video includes decoding a bitstream of the video based on viewing position and/or viewport information, unpacking pictures in the decoded bitstream; view regenerating the unpacked pictures; and/or view synthesizing the view regenerated pictures.

The present invention relates to a method for displaying an image in a direction towards an observer observing the image from a viewpoint. The method comprises providing a display system including a tracking system for tracking or detecting the position of the observer, a display screen having a plurality of image pixels for displaying the image, a controller for controlling the direction of light emitted from said display screen, and a processing unit for generating a buffer image from a data source. The method further comprises tracking the observer and generating tracking data to the processing unit, generating the buffer image and embedding the tracking data as embedded data in the buffer image, outputting the buffer image to the display screen and displaying the image on the display screen, and reading the embedded data by the controller and directing light from the display screen in a direction towards the viewpoint.

The present invention relates to a method for displaying an image in a direction towards an observer observing the image from a viewpoint. The method comprises providing a display system including a tracking system for tracking or detecting the position of the observer, a display screen having a plurality of image pixels for displaying the image, a controller for controlling the direction of light emitted from said display screen, and a processing unit for generating a buffer image from a data source. The method further comprises tracking the observer and generating tracking data to the processing unit, generating the buffer image and embedding the tracking data as embedded data in the buffer image, outputting the buffer image to the display screen and displaying the image on the display screen, and reading the embedded data by the controller and directing light from the display screen in a direction towards the viewpoint.

In aspects, methods and apparatus are provided for generating a haptic effect for a three-dimensional (3D) environment that is experienced virtually by a user. The methods may be performed by a processor, and includes receiving media data that describes the 3D environment, wherein the media data includes haptic data which describes a haptic characteristic associated with at least one object, structure, or event in the 3D environment. The method further includes performing a haptic decoding operation and a haptic rendering operation. The decoding operation may include extracting the haptic data from the media data. The haptic rendering operation may include generating a drive signal and communicating the drive signal to a haptic output device to cause the haptic output device to generate a haptic effect at a user peripheral device. Numerous other aspects are provided.

In aspects, methods and apparatus are provided for generating a haptic effect for a three-dimensional (3D) environment that is experienced virtually by a user. The methods may be performed by a processor, and includes receiving media data that describes the 3D environment, wherein the media data includes haptic data which describes a haptic characteristic associated with at least one object, structure, or event in the 3D environment. The method further includes performing a haptic decoding operation and a haptic rendering operation. The decoding operation may include extracting the haptic data from the media data. The haptic rendering operation may include generating a drive signal and communicating the drive signal to a haptic output device to cause the haptic output device to generate a haptic effect at a user peripheral device. Numerous other aspects are provided.

A method of transmitting image data in a safety sensor or in a safety system is provided, in which transmission errors are recognized in that meta information is added to the image data prior to the transmission and the meta information is checked after the transmission. The image data are here transmitted by an unsafe communication link, in particular a black channel, the meta information is prepended and/or appended to the image data and/or to the partial packets, and the meta information comprises a piece of information on the structure of the image data.

A system for encoding and decoding a video coding block of a multi-view video signal is provided. A decoder is configured to decode a texture-depth video coding block (t.sub.0, d.sub.0) of a first texture frame and a first depth map associated with a first view for providing a decoded texture-depth video coding block (t.sub.0, d.sub.0) and the first depth map. A synthesized predicted texture-depth video coding block (t.sub.syn, d.sub.syn) of a view synthesis texture frame and a view synthesis depth map associated with a second view is generated. An inpainted synthesized predicted texture-depth video coding block is generated. Based on the impainted predicted texture-depth video block, the decoder reconstructs a texture-depth video coding block (t.sub.1, d.sub.1) of a second texture frame and a second depth map associated with the second view. An encoder is configured to encode the texture-depth video coding block in a manner that complements the decoding provided by the decoder.

A system for encoding and decoding a video coding block of a multi-view video signal is provided. A decoder is configured to decode a texture-depth video coding block (t.sub.0, d.sub.0) of a first texture frame and a first depth map associated with a first view for providing a decoded texture-depth video coding block (t.sub.0, d.sub.0) and the first depth map. A synthesized predicted texture-depth video coding block (t.sub.syn, d.sub.syn) of a view synthesis texture frame and a view synthesis depth map associated with a second view is generated. An inpainted synthesized predicted texture-depth video coding block is generated. Based on the impainted predicted texture-depth video block, the decoder reconstructs a texture-depth video coding block (t.sub.1, d.sub.1) of a second texture frame and a second depth map associated with the second view. An encoder is configured to encode the texture-depth video coding block in a manner that complements the decoding provided by the decoder.