Late last month the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Samsung that revealed an expected development in their Gear VR headset. While the system has been used to show photos or play games, one of the latest inventions is quite the leap in creating a whole new service working with sporting and other types of live event venues. These venues will be setting up omnidirectional cameras strategically near the action, be it sports, music, a play and so forth. Gear VR headsets will be able to tap into the venue's camera system in order to take photos and perhaps even videos that the user is interested in, for a fee.

For example, in Samsung's FIG. 10 noted below we're able to see a photographing device/camera selection screen #1000 within the Gear VR headset that may include an arrangement of information #1002 and a selection list #1004.

The arrangement information may indicate locations of cameras 1, 2, 3, and 4 arranged in different locations within a specified area, such as a baseball stadium in this example.

The cameras 1 to 4 may be omnidirectional photographing devices. The selection list may include a list of cameras 1 to 4 and utilization fee information on an image photographed by each of cameras 1 to 4.

Utilization fees of the images photographed by cameras 1 to 4 may be differently defined. The user may select a camera arranged in a location in which the user desires to see a game from cameras 1 to 4 arranged in different locations in a baseball stadium.

The electronic device may display the cameras such that the camera selected by the user is distinguished from the cameras which are not selected. For example, when camera 3 is selected, the electronic device may shade camera 3 as illustrated in FIG. 10.

The omnidirectional photographing device may simultaneously photograph the photographing place in all directions unlike a general two dimensional (2D) photographing device, but the user wearing the head mounted electronic device can see only some directions. Therefore, it may be unclear which part of the image photographed by the omnidirectional photographing device should be shown to the user.

Wikipedia notes that "In 2015 Facebook began rolling out omnidirectional videos where the user can view the video at any arbitrary camera angle around a 360-degree radius and limited tilt up-and-down angles."

Below is just an example of the Samsung Gear Virtual reality camera that could take 360-degree video. Of course Venue equipment will be far more advanced and tied into a pay-for-service.





Samsung's patent filing notes that "According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the server [at a particular venue] may store the images photographed by the photographing devices and provide a video on demand (VOD) service to the electronic device by using the stored images.

In Samsung's patent FIG. 14 noted below we're able to view a flowchart illustrating an example of a method of providing an image to an electronic device by a server.





Samsung's patent FIG. 11B noted below illustrates another example of the default view when a plurality of photographing devices are arranged in a location for performances.





If you're attending a concert and you're miles from the stage, you'll be able to tap into the venue's omnidirectional camera system through your Gear VR headset in order to see your favorite group from better angles and be able to take a photo of them during a song you like for a fee. I think it's a very cool idea.

The next-gen Gear VR would have more sensors and technology behind it to accommodate the communications between the venue and personal VR headset and beyond as noted in patent FIG. 6 below.





Samsung filed this U.S. patent application back in November 2015 and a year earlier in Korea. Considering that this is a patent application, the timing of such a product to market is unknown at this time.

Some of Samsung's thinking was first presented in a 2013 patent application from Apple that they re-tweaked back in 2014. The patent is entitled "Adjusting Media Display in a Personalized Display System based on Perspective." The patent covered a "seating map" for venues as noted below in Apple's patent FIG. 5.

In many ways, Apple's concept is a little more advanced as outlined in our reports. So it's not like Apple is behind on this concept, at least in theory.

The difference however is that Facebook is ramping up at a 1000 miles an hour to bring content and services to the Oculus Rift beyond gaming. Zuckerberg made it clear at a Samsung event in February that VR is the next platform, as is noted in the photo collage below.





Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during his keynote spot that "VR is the next platform, where anyone can create and experience anything they want. For right now, it's mostly used for gaming. That's quickly evolving. That's why Facebook is investing so much in VR, so we can deliver these new social experiences. VR is going to be the next social platform. And that's why we're working with Samsung."

While Apple has reportedly assembled a team to expedite their VR project, for now, Facebook and Samsung appear to be preparing to take VR to the next level sooner than most expect.

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