GB2378627A

GB2378627A - Visualising system for providing a preview of an area from predetermined positions

Info

Publication number: GB2378627A
Application number: GB0119441A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David John Leftley; James Anthony Irwin
Original assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
Current assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
Priority date: 2001-08-09
Filing date: 2001-08-09
Publication date: 2003-02-12
Anticipated expiration: 2021-08-09
Also published as: GB0119441D0; GB2378627B

Abstract

A visualising system for providing views of an area (12) (e.g. stage or screen) from a plurality of viewing positions (e.g. seats) enables a user to select a seat. Personal details (e.g. performance date and time, price, person's height) are used to help select the best available seat. The user can preview scenes from all seats manually, or the system selects available seats which satisfy the preferences using calculated measures (e.g. the Percentage of Unobstructed View). A 3D view (10) from a chosen seat, including obstructions (e.g. pillars or person in front (13)) is displayed. Selection of a particular seat enables the system to record the reservation and height of the person. This creates an obstruction for at least the seat immediately behind, to be included in any subsequent preview for that seat.

Description

VIEW VISUALISER SYSTEM AND VIEWING POSITION SELECTION SYSTEM BASED THEREON The invention relates to a view visualiser system and a viewing position selection system based thereon. Such systems, embodying the invention and to be described in more detail below by way of example only, can be used for interactive selection and reservation of a viewing position, such as a seating position in a place where a performance, entertainment or other spectacle is to be presented, According to the invention, there is provided a visualising system applicable to a threedimensional space comprising a predetermined viewed area viewable from each of a plurality of predetermined viewing positions each of which is potentially occupiable by a respective user, comprising selection means operative in response to a request by a potential user to select one of the viewing positions, and displaying means for displaying the view of the viewed area therefrom.

According to the invention, there is further provided a visualising method applicable to a three-dimensional space comprising a predetermined viewed area viewable from each of a plurality of predetermined viewing positions each of which is potentially occupiable by a respective user, comprising the steps of selecting one of the viewing positions in response to a request by a potential user, and displaying the view of the viewed area therefrom.

A system for visualising the view from various viewing positions or seats for a spectacle, such as in a theatre, cinema or other place of entertainment, and embodying the invention, and a reservation system embodying the invention and employing such a visualising system for use in reserving such a position or seat, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a flow chart for explaining operations in the visualiser and reservation system;

Figure 2 shows a total viewed area presented by the visualising system and that part of the --a-- 1 t-~p, 3rtoftlie total viewed area comprising a useful viewed area; Figure 3 shows obstructions present in the total viewed area of Figure 2; Figure 4 combines Figures 2 and 3 and shows the total viewed area and the useful part thereof, together with the obstructions; and Figure 5 shows the obstruction insofar as they obscure the useful viewed area.

The visualisation system now to be described is for use in connection with places where a performance, an entertainment or other spectacle is to take place (for example, a theatre, cinema or a stadium). This spectacle will be assumed to take place within a predetermined area (''Useful Viewed Area"), such as a stage, and to be viewed by

spectators from respective and predetermined viewing positions, which would normally be seating positions. The visualising system provides, for each viewing position, the view of the Useful Viewed Area which would be perceived therefrom. In accordance with an aspect of the invention, obstructions between each viewing position and the Useful Viewed Area are presented as part of the view. Such a visualising system can therefore be advantageously used as part of a reservation system for use by would-be spectators in selecting and then reserving a suitable viewing position. As each viewing position becomes so selected and reserved, the assumed occupancy of that viewing position will thus create a potential obstruction for the viewing position immediately behind it (in relation to a frontwards view towards the performance area) and possibly for other viewing positions as well, and the resulting obstructions can therefore be presented as part of the views from these other viewing positions.

The views from the viewing position are presented to would-be spectators in any suitable way, such as on a screen presented by an internet terminal including a mobile telecommunications terminal, on a television screen (especially a digital-television screen), or on a custom terminal such as a special purpose terminal provided at the place (cinema, theatre, stadium etc. ) where the spectacle is to be performed or possibly at a booking agency.

The visualising system and the reservation system will now be described in more detail below with reference to the flow diagram of Figure 1.

The process starts at step A. The user enters the specific details relating to the intended reservation. The user could have located the desired website or be physically at a custom terminal, for example At step B, the user will be asked to enter their physical characteristics, such as height, weith etc. This information could be pre-stored as a profile on the mobile terminal or with the service provider. Included with the user's. profile there could also be the profile

for family members and close friends.

At step C, the user is given the option of manually selecting a viewing position from those so far unreserved or having this selection process carried out automatically. If the user decides to select the viewing position manually, the system (step D) determines the viewing position at this time which are free (unreserved) and selects (step E) the first such free viewing position. For simplicity, the viewing positions in the description which follows with reference to the drawings will be referred to as "seats". Clearly, however, they could be defined standing positions or other viewing positions.

At step F, the system creates and displays a view of the Useful Viewed Area as viewed from the selected seat, and displays this to the user preferably as a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional form. Other forms of display could be possible, for example Virtual Reality, holographic etc. This display includes all obstructions between

that seat and the Useful Viewed Area, such as presented by the occupants of other seats already referred and physical obstructions which are part of the place where the spectacle is to be presented. At step G, the user is asked whether to accept this seat. If the response is"no", the next free seat is selected (step H) and the view therefrom is displayed (step F).

When the user at step G decides to accept a particular seat after its view has been displayed, the identity (seat number etc. ) of the seat is recorded by the system and the particular seat is reserved (step I) for that user. The user may then start again to choose further seats for a group booking. The user would have to enter the details for each member of the group.

The reservation of this seat will now be recorded by the system and will automatically create a potential obstruction to the seat immediately behind it and possibly to other seats.

Such obstructions to the views of the Useful Viewed Area from those seats will now be recorded in the system (the magnitude of each obstruction being a function of the user's height which has already been entered in the system (step B) ) and these obstructions will thus be presented to subsequent users of the system in the viewing areas of those seats when those seats are presented to that user for possible reservation.

At step C, however, the user may respond"no"when asked whether the user wants to make a manual selection of a seat. The system thus now makes an automatic selection of

a seat for the user.

At step J, the user enters seat preferences. If seats in different parts of the Useful Viewed Area are available at different prices, the user may select a particular seat price or seat price range (obtaining this perhaps from previously displayed information). Other preferences which may affect the choice of seat may be entered at this stage: for example, that a seat in a no-smoking area is required. For a sporting event, the user could indicate which team the user supports. At this stage, the user would also indicate that multiple seats are required (i. e. a group booking) and indicate the seating arrangement of all those involved.

Taking all these factors into account, the system then identifies one or more seats/set of seats complying with the user's preferences. Obviously, the number of complying seats depends on the number of seats still available (unreserved). If no seat is available exactly complying with the preferences, the system may identity one or more seats most nearly complying with the preferences.

At step K, the system selects the first such seat and at step L, the view from this seat of the useful viewed area is displayed to the user. At step M, the user is asked whether to accept this seat. If the response is"no", the user will be asked to re-enter the user's preferences (step J), at which time the user may of course re-enter the previously entered preferences. The system then selects the next appropriate seat (step K) and the view therefrom is displayed at step L. If a group booking is required, the view from each seat

is displayed in turn before the user is asked whether to accept the seats at step M.

If7when the user accepts a particular seat, the identity of this seat (seat number etc. ) is identified and the particular seat is reserved (step I).

Again, of course, the selection of this seat by the particular user creates a potential obstruction to the view from the seat immediately behind and possibly other seats as well and these obstructions are thus shown in the views from these seats when presented to subsequent users.

The reservation steps may of course include the step of paying for the seat.

In order to assist users in selecting seats, a suitable display (for example, a trailer for the film or other performance, or perhaps one or more advertisements) may be provided on the screen to fill the Useful Viewed Area, thereby better enabling users to make an assessment of the acceptability of a particular view.

Figure 2 shows the total viewed area 10 visible from a particular viewing position. The area 12 within the diagonally cross-hatched border inside the area 10 is the Useful Viewed Area, for example comprising the view of the stage in a theatre or the screen in a cinema.

In Figure 3, the total viewing area 10 is shown and within this are shown (in the vertically hatched areas 13) the obstructions presented within the total viewing area 10 to the particular viewing position. These obstructions may comprise physical obstructions within the building etc. , and obstructions comprising people occupying (or potentially occupying) viewing positions in front of the particular viewing position.

Figure 4 shows Figure 3 superimposed on Figure 1 and thus those parts of the obstructions 14 now visible within the Useful Viewed Area 12 are now shown.

Finally, Figure 5 extracts the part of Figure 4, consisting of the Useful Viewed Area 12 with the relevant part of the obstructions 14 superimposed thereon.

The views shown in Figures 2 to 5 can enable algorithms to be constructed for use in selecting optimal viewing positions. The algorithms can use one or more of the metrics described below.

Thus, Figure 2 can be used to construct a metric, Percentage of View (PoV). Thus, the view as shown in Figure 2 as presented on a screen is assessed and two measurements are taken (a) the number of pixels (N1) present within the Useful Viewed Area 12 and (b) the number of pixels (N2) present within the Total Viewing Area 10. Then,

Another metric which can be calculated is the Percentage of Unobstructed View (PoUV). The view shown in Figure 4 is displayed on a screen and two measurements are taken (a) the number of pixels (N3) which are unobscured in the Useful Viewed Area 12 (that is, the total number of pixels in the white area of Figure 4) and (b) the number of pixels (N2) present within the Total Viewing Area 10. Then,

A further metric which can be calculated is the Percentage of Unobstructed View (PoUUV). This is calculated from the view shown in Figure 5. Two measurements are taken. First, the number of unobstructed pixels in the Useful Viewed Area 12 is meausred: this will be N3 as already calculated with reference to Figure 4. The second measurement is the total number of pixels within the Useful Viewed Area 12-in its unobstructed form as shown in Figure 2: this is N1. Then,

Thus, maximising the metric PoUUV for a user will give that user the best seat in accordance with the pre-selected preferences. Other metrics could be employed in optimising the user's seating arrangement, for example leg room, elbow space etc.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A visualising system applicable to a three-dimensional space comprising a predetermined viewed area viewable from each of a plurality of predetermined viewing positions each of which is potentially occupiable by a respective user, comprising selection means operative in response to a request by a potential user to select one of the viewing positions, and displaying means for displaying the view of the viewed area therefrom.
2. A system according to claim 1, in which the view displayed by the displaying means includes obstructions between the respective viewing position and the predetermined viewed area.
3. A system according to claim 2, in which the obstructions include an obstruction which would be presented by a user occupying another one of the viewing positions.
4. A system according to any preceding claim, including reservation means for reserving a viewing position for a particular user.
5. A system according to claim 3, including reservation means for reserving a viewing position for a particular user, and means for storing an obstruction parameter relating to that user when the viewing position is reserved for that user by the reservation

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means.
6. A system according to claim 5, in which the obstruction parameter includes the physical height or any other physical characteristic of the user.
7. A system according to any preceding claim, in which the selection means is operable manually to select in sequence the viewing position out of a group comprising all or a predetermined part of the predetermined viewing positions.
8. A system according to any one of claims I to 6, in which the selection means is operative automatically according to predetermined criteria input by a particular user for selecting in sequence one or more particular ones of the predetermined viewing positions satisfying those criteria.
9. A system according to claim 8, in which the viewing position or viewing positions satisfying one of the criteria provide a substantially unobstructed view of the predetermined viewed area for a user having a particular height.
10. A visualising method applicable to a three-dimensional space comprising a predetermined viewed area viewable from each of a plurality of predetermined viewing positions each of which is potentially occupiable by a respective user, comprising the steps of selecting one of the viewing positions in response to a request by a potential user,

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and displaying the view of the viewed area therefrom.
11. A method according to claim 10, in which the view displayed by the displaying means includes obstructions between the respective viewing position and the predetermined viewed area.
12. A method according to claim 11, in which the obstructions include an obstruction which would be presented by a user occupying another one of the viewing positions.
13. A method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, including the step of reserving a viewing position for a particular user.
14. A method according to claim 12, in which the obstructions include an obstruction which would be presented by a user occupying another one of the viewing positions, and the steps of storing an obstruction parameter relating to that user when the viewing position is reserved for that user.
15. A method according to claim 14, in which the obstruction parameter includes the physical height of the user.
16. A method according to any one of claims 10 to 15, in which the selection step is carried out manually by the user to select in sequence the viewing position out of a group

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comprising all or a predetermined part of the predetermined viewing positions.
17. A method according to any one of claims 10 to 15, in which the selection step is carried out automatically step is carried out according to predetermined criteria input by a particular user for selecting in sequence one or more particular ones of the predetermined viewing positions satisfying those criteria.
18. A method according to claim 9, in which the viewing position or viewing positions satisfying one of the criteria provide a substantially unobstructed view of the predetermined viewed area for a user having a particular height.

I
19. A visualising system, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
20. A visualising method, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.