Abstract: Preserving user privacy and preventing surveillance on behalf of users of a virtual reality world. One or more plans are available when a privacy or surveillance risk to a user is detected. In one plan, configurable scripts execute on behalf of the user to create a confusing array of clone avatars that obfuscate the real user avatar behavior. A malevolent avatar, attempting to surveil the user, may have difficulty distinguishing the clones from the user and may miss out on private insights he might otherwise have learned from the user's behavior. In another exemplary privacy plan, a copy of part of the virtual world is spawned, occupied exclusively by the user's avatar, and then merged into the main world. Privacy plans may be selected manually or automatically in response to perceived privacy threats to strike a balance between privacy and enjoyment within the virtual world.

Abstract: Some embodiments of a method may include: identifying two-dimensional (2D) content present in an image of a real-world scene; retrieving metadata comprising depth information associated with the 2D content; generating a plurality of focal plane images using the metadata, the plurality of focal plane images comprising depth cues for the 2D content; and displaying the plurality of focal plane images as a see-through overlay synchronized with the 2D content.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus relate to picture and video coding in communication systems are provided. Included therein is a method comprising determining one or more layers associated with a parameter set, generating a syntax element including an indication indicating whether the one or more layers associated with the parameter set are independently coded, and generating a message including the syntax element.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for improved color rendering. In some embodiments, video is captured of a real-world scene, and a region of screen content is detected in the captured video. A processor selectively applies a screen-content color transformation on the region of screen content to generate processed video, and the processed video is displayed substantially in real time, for example on a video-see-through head-mounted display. The screen-content color processing may be different for different types of external displays. The screen-content color processing may also be determined based at least in part on illumination conditions. In some embodiments, the color of displayed virtual objects is adjusted based on visual parameters of the screen content.

Abstract: Some embodiments of a method may include: identifying two-dimensional (2D) content present in an image of a real-world scene; retrieving metadata comprising depth information associated with the 2D content; generating a plurality of focal plane images using the metadata, the plurality of focal plane images comprising depth cues for the 2D content; and displaying the plurality of focal plane images as a see-through overlay synchronized with the 2D content.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for compressing color information in point cloud data. In some embodiments, point cloud data includes point position information and point color information for each of a plurality of points. The point position information is provided to a neural network, and the neural network generates predicted color information (e.g. predicted luma and chroma values) for respective points in the point cloud. A prediction residual is generated to represent the difference between the predicted color information and the input point color position. The point position information (which may be in compressed form) and the prediction residual are encoded in a bitstream. In some embodiments, color hint data is encoded to improve color prediction.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for improved color rendering. In some embodiments, video is captured of a real-world scene, and a region of screen content is detected in the captured video. A processor selectively applies a screen-content color transformation on the region of screen content to generate processed video, and the processed video is displayed substantially in real time, for example on a video-see-through head-mounted display. The screen-content color processing may be different for different types of external displays. The screen-content color processing may also be determined based at least in part on illumination conditions. In some embodiments, the color of displayed virtual objects is adjusted based on visual parameters of the screen content.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for compressing color information in point cloud data. In some embodiments, point cloud data includes point position information and point color information for each of a plurality of points. The point position information is provided to a neural network, and the neural network generates predicted color information (e.g. predicted luma and chroma values) for respective points in the point cloud. A prediction residual is generated to represent the difference between the predicted color information and the input point color position. The point position information (which may be in compressed form) and the prediction residual are encoded in a bitstream. In some embodiments, color hint data is encoded to improve color prediction.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for providing viewers of streamed video content with the option to view alternative video content in which alternative tone maps are applied to respective regions of interest. In some embodiments, the streamed video content is divided into slices, and alternative tone maps are applied to respective regions of interest within the slices. When a server receives a request from a client for alternative tone mappings of different regions, slices with the appropriate mapping may be assembled on demand and delivered to the client in a single video stream. Tone mappings may be used, for example, to highlight particular objects, such as players in a sporting event captured in the streamed video content.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for improved color rendering. In some embodiments, video is captured of a real-world scene, and a region of screen content is detected in the captured video. A processor selectively applies a screen-content color transformation on the region of screen content to generate processed video, and the processed video is displayed substantially in real time, for example on a video-see-through head-mounted display. The screen-content color processing may be different for different types of external displays. The screen-content color processing may also be determined based at least in part on illumination conditions. In some embodiments, the color of displayed virtual objects is adjusted based on visual parameters of the screen content.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for enabling a consumer of streaming video to obtain different views of the video, such as zoomed views of one or more objects of interest. In an exemplary embodiment, a client device receives an original video stream along with data identifying objects of interest and their spatial locations within the original video. In one embodiment, in response to user selection of an object of interest, the client device switches to display of a cropped and scaled version of the original video to present a zoomed video of the object of interest. The zoomed video tracks the selected object even as the position of the selected object changes with respect to the original video. In some embodiments, the object of interest and the appropriate zoom factor are both selected with a single expanding-pinch gesture on a touch screen.

Abstract: Some embodiments of a method may include: identifying two-dimensional (2D) content present in an image of a real-world scene; retrieving metadata comprising depth information associated with the 2D content; generating a plurality of focal plane images using the metadata, the plurality of focal plane images comprising depth cues for the 2D content; and displaying the plurality of focal plane images as a see-through overlay synchronized with the 2D content.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for improved color rendering. In some embodiments, video is captured of a real-world scene, and a region of screen content is detected in the captured video. A processor selectively applies a screen-content color transformation on the region of screen content to generate processed video, and the processed video is displayed substantially in real time, for example on a video-see-through head-mounted display. The screen-content color processing may be different for different types of external displays. The screen-content color processing may also be determined based at least in part on illumination conditions. In some embodiments, the color of displayed virtual objects is adjusted based on visual parameters of the screen content.

Abstract: Power aware adaptation for a power aware video streaming system may be based on the complexity information conveyed in different ways. A complexity level of a data stream, such as a video data stream, may be selected as a function of a remaining battery power of a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and on a state set of a plurality of state sets that may be stored and/or managed by the WTRU. These state sets may correspond to, for example, different content sources and/or different complexity estimation algorithms and may be used to select the complexity level of the data stream. The data stream may then be received at the selected complexity level. The complexity level and/or a bitrate of the data stream may be adapted to accommodate, for example, the remaining battery power and/or other circumstances. The adaptation may be customized according to the objectives of use cases.

Abstract: Some embodiments of a method may include: identifying two-dimensional (2D) content present in an image of a real-world scene; retrieving metadata comprising depth information associated with the 2D content; generating a plurality of focal plane images using the metadata, the plurality of focal plane images comprising depth cues for the 2D content; and displaying the plurality of focal plane images as a see-through overlay synchronized with the 2D content.

Abstract: Sketch copy mode may be used to code blocks comprising irregular lines, syntax redundancy may be removed from blocks with special characteristics, and/or run value coding may be simplified. The parsing dependencies in palette coding design may be removed. For example, the context modeling dependency of the syntax element palette_transpose_flag be removed, for example, by simplifying the corresponding context model. The context modeling of the syntax element palette mode may be removed, for example, by using run-length coding without using context. The syntax parsing dependencies and/or the syntax signaling dependencies that are related with escape color signaling may be removed. A palette table generation process may handle input screen content video with high bit depths, for example, at the encoder side.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for providing viewers of streamed video content with the option to view alternative video content in which alternative tone maps are applied to respective regions of interest. In some embodiments, the streamed video content is divided into slices, and alternative tone maps are applied to respective regions of interest within the slices. When a server receives a request from a client for alternative tone mappings of different regions, slices with the appropriate mapping may be assembled on demand and delivered to the client in a single video stream. Tone mappings may be used, for example, to highlight particular objects, such as players in a sporting event captured in the streamed video content.

Abstract: Sketch copy mode may be used to code blocks comprising irregular lines, syntax redundancy may be removed from blocks with special characteristics, and/or run value coding may be simplified. The parsing dependencies in palette coding design may be removed. For example, the context modeling dependency of the syntax element palette_transpose_flag may be removed, for example, by simplifying the corresponding context model. The context modeling of the syntax element palette_mode may be removed, for example, by using run-length coding without using context. The syntax parsing dependencies and/or the syntax signaling dependencies that are related with escape color signaling may be removed. A palette table generation process may handle input screen content video with high bit depths, for example, at the encoder side.

Abstract: Preserving user privacy and preventing surveillance on behalf of users of a virtual reality world. One or more plans are available when a privacy or surveillance risk to a user is detected. In one plan, configurable scripts execute on behalf of the user to create a confusing array of clone avatars that obfuscate the real user avatar behavior. A malevolent avatar, attempting to surveil the user, may have difficulty distinguishing the clones from the user and may miss out on private insights he might otherwise have learned from the user's behavior. In another exemplary privacy plan, a copy of part of the virtual world is spawned, occupied exclusively by the user's avatar, and then merged into the main world. Privacy plans may be selected manually or automatically in response to perceived privacy threats to strike a balance between privacy and enjoyment within the virtual world.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for providing viewers of adaptive bit rate (ABR) streaming video with the option to view alternative streams in which an alternative tone mapping is applied to one or more regions of interest. The availability of streams with alternative tone mappings may be identified in a media presentation description (MPD) in an MPEG-DASH system. In some embodiments, the streaming video is divided into slices, and alternative tone mappings are applied to regions of interest within the slices. When a server receives a request from a client device for alternative tone mappings of different regions, slices with the appropriate mapping may be assembled on demand and delivered to the requestor as a single video stream. Tone mappings may be used, for example, to highlight particular players in a sporting event.