BACKGROUND

1. Field

The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting information about three-dimensional (3D) content, and particularly, to a method and apparatus for transmitting metadata for 3D content including a plurality of viewpoints.

2. Description of the Related Art

The Internet is being evolved from a human-centered connection network over which people generate and consume information to the Internet of things (IoT) in which distributed elements such as things exchange and process information. The Internet of everything (IoE) is an example of convergence between big data processing and the IoT via a connection to a cloud server or the like.

To implement the IoT, technology elements such as sensing technology, wired and wireless communication, network infrastructure, service interfacing, and security are required. Recently, techniques such as sensor networks, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, and machine type communication (MTC) are under study for connectivity between things.

In the IoT environment, an intelligent Internet technology (IT) service of creating new values to human living by collecting and analyzing data generated from connected things may be provided. The IoT may find its applications in the fields of smart homes, smart buildings, smart cities, smart cars or connected cars, smart grids, health care, smart appliances, and up-to-date medical services, through convergence between existing IT technologies and various industries. For IoT implementation, content has also been evolving. Along with the on-going evolution of black and white content to color content, high definition (HD) content, ultra high definition (UHD) content, and recent high dynamic range (HDR) content, driven by content distribution and standardization, virtual reality (VR) content reproducible on VR devices such as Oculus and Samsung's Gear VR is under development. A VR system refers to a system making interactions possible between a user and a content display device or a processing unit by monitoring the user, allowing the user to provide a feedback input to the content display device or processing unit by some kind of controller, and enabling the device or unit to process the input and adjust content accordingly.

A VR device may reproduce a three-dimensional (3D) image such as a spherical or cylindrical shape. The 3D image may be referred to as an omnidirectional image. The VR device is capable of displaying a specific area of the 3D image in consideration of a user's gaze direction or the like.

SUMMARY

3D content may include a plurality of viewpoints to provide a user with experience at various positions. Each of the plurality of viewpoints may correspond to a 3D image from the viewpoint. The VR device may display a 3D image viewed from a selected one of the plurality of viewpoints.

When switching occurs between the plurality of viewpoints, how to set a switched viewport may be an issue, and computations for viewport switching may be a load on the processor of the VR device.

The present disclosure is intended to provide a format of metadata for three-dimensional (3D) content to support easy switching between a plurality of viewpoints.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the objects that could be achieved with the present disclosure are not limited to what has been particularly described hereinabove and the above and other objects that the present disclosure could achieve will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for transmitting metadata for omnidirectional content including a plurality of viewpoints comprises identifying the metadata for the omnidirectional content including the plurality of viewpoints; and transmitting the identified metadata wherein the metadata includes information about an identifier (ID) of a viewpoint group including at least one viewpoint of the plurality of viewpoints, and wherein the at least one viewpoint in the viewpoint group shares a common reference coordinate system.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for processing information about omnidirectional content including a plurality of viewpoints comprises receiving the metadata for the omnidirectional content including the plurality of viewpoints; and processing media data for the omnidirectional content based on the received metadata, wherein the metadata includes information about an identifier (ID) of a viewpoint group including at least one viewpoint of the plurality of viewpoints, and wherein the at least one viewpoint in the viewpoint group shares a common reference coordinate system.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, at least the following effects are achieved.

According to the present disclosure, a plurality of viewpoints included in three-dimensional (3D) content may be grouped and managed accordingly by means of provided metadata.

Further, according to the present disclosure, switching between a plurality of viewpoints included in 3D content may be supported by means of provided metadata.

That is, the present disclosure may provide a method of detecting defects in a remote radio head (RRH) which does not rely on thresholds and expert knowledge.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the effects that can be achieved with the present disclosure are not limited to what has been particularly described hereinabove and other advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

