Cloud generation of content to be streamed to vr/ar platforms using a virtual view broadcaster

Abstract

The disclosure provides virtual view broadcasters and a broadcaster for a cloud-based computer application. In one embodiment, the virtual view broadcaster includes: (1) a cloud-based renderer configured to generate virtual view images from a virtual camera positioned in a computer application, wherein the cloud-based renderer includes multiple Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), and (2) an image processor configured to generate a virtual view stream for the virtual camera employing the virtual view images, wherein a single one of the GPUs is used to generate the virtual view images for the virtual camera.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A virtual view broadcaster, comprising:
 a cloud-based renderer configured to generate virtual view images from a virtual camera positioned in a computer application, wherein the cloud-based renderer includes multiple Graphics Processing Units (GPUs); and   an image processor configured to generate a virtual view stream for the virtual camera employing the virtual view images, wherein a single one of the GPUs is used to generate the virtual view images for the virtual camera.   
     
     
         2 . The virtual view broadcaster as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the virtual camera is one of multiple virtual cameras positioned in the computer application, and the virtual camera is selected based on an input from a viewer of the computer application. 
     
     
         3 . The virtual view broadcaster as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the virtual camera is one of multiple virtual cameras positioned in the computer application and a different one of the GPUs generates virtual view images for each different one of the multiple virtual cameras. 
     
     
         4 . The virtual view broadcaster as recited in  claim 3 , wherein each different one of the GPUs generates the virtual view images from the multiple virtual cameras at least partially in parallel. 
     
     
         5 . The virtual view broadcaster as recited in  claim 3 , wherein each of the multiple virtual cameras is selected based on an input from a different viewer of the computer application. 
     
     
         6 . The virtual view broadcaster as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the virtual view images for the multiple virtual cameras are based on a viewing direction of a different viewer of the computer application. 
     
     
         7 . The virtual view broadcaster as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the image processor is configured to generate a different virtual view stream from the virtual view images of each of the different multiple virtual cameras. 
     
     
         8 . The virtual view broadcaster as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising a video transmitter configured to simultaneously transmit each of the different virtual view streams to multiple viewers of the computer application. 
     
     
         9 . The virtual view broadcaster as recited in  claim 8 , wherein one or more of the multiple viewers is a passive viewer of the computer application. 
     
     
         10 . The virtual view broadcaster as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the computer application is a computer aided design application. 
     
     
         11 . The virtual view broadcaster as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the computer application is a cloud-based video game. 
     
     
         12 . The virtual view broadcaster as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the virtual camera is a mobile virtual camera controlled by a passive viewer of the computer application. 
     
     
         13 . The virtual view broadcaster as recited in  claim 1  wherein the virtual view stream is a spherical virtual video. 
     
     
         14 . The virtual view broadcaster as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the spherical virtual video is a stereo video. 
     
     
         15 . A virtual view broadcaster, comprising:
 a cloud-based renderer configured to generate virtual view images from one or more virtual cameras positioned in a computer application; and   an image processor configured to generate, employing the virtual view images, a virtual view stream for at least one of the one or more virtual cameras based on a selection of at least one of more passive viewers of the computer application.   
     
     
         16 . The virtual view broadcaster as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the virtual view stream is further based on a viewing direction of the one or more passive viewers. 
     
     
         17 . The virtual view broadcaster as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the image processor is further configured to generate virtual view streams for multiple ones of the one or more virtual cameras based on different selections and viewing directions of multiple ones of the passive viewers. 
     
     
         18 . The virtual view broadcaster as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the one or more virtual cameras are unrelated to an active participant of the computer application. 
     
     
         19 . A broadcaster for a cloud-based computer application, comprising:
 a rendering engine configured to generate a set of virtual view images from different virtual cameras positioned in a cloud-based computer application, wherein the rendering engine includes multiple Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and each of the GPUs is used to generate virtual view images for a single one of the different virtual cameras; and   an image processor configured to stitch each of the sets of virtual view images to form 360 degree virtual views corresponding to each of the different virtual cameras and encode the stitched 360 degree virtual views into different video streams, wherein at least one of the different video streams corresponding to one of the different virtual cameras is selected for transmission to a computing device based on a selection of a viewer of the cloud-based computer application.   
     
     
         20 . The broadcaster as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the cloud-based computer application is a computer aided design application.