Systems and methods for providing a spatially indexed panoramic video

• US 20030063133A1
• Filed: 04/05/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kimber, Donald G., Foote, Jonathan T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,096,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/850
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]

Abstract

Systems and methods generate a video for virtual reality wherein the video is both panoramic and spatially indexed. In embodiments, a video system includes a controller, a database including spatial data, and a user interface in which a video is rendered in response to a specified action. The video includes a plurality of images retrieved from the database. Each of the images is panoramic and spatially indexed in accordance with a predetermined position along a virtual path in a virtual environment.

Claims

1. A video system comprising:

a database including spatial data;

a user interface having an image display; and

a video that is rendered in response to a specified action, wherein the video comprises a plurality of images retrieved from the database, and wherein each of the images is panoramic and spatially indexed in accordance with a predetermined position along a virtual path in a virtual environment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises:

a map display that is associated with the predetermined position.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the user interface further comprises:

a text display illustrating spatial data that is associated with the predetermined position.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the user interface further comprises:

an audio output that conveys audio data associated with the predetermined position.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the video system is a stand alone system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the video system is located on a server and the user interface is implemented as a client display program.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the spatial data is at least one of a panoramic image, a map, text, an audio output and a hypertext link.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the specified action is a request for virtual movement.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the virtual movement is at least one of a direction of travel, stopping, defining a speed, snapping on an object to view, dragging a position icon, initiating a tour and panning.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the specified action is selected by at least one selection device comprising at least one of a keyboard command, a mouse, a knob, a joystick, a head tracking device, a floating arrow, floating text, a pedal, a hypertext link, joysticks, and controllers.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the specified action is a request to render the video in a continuous presentation.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the continuous presentation is a guided tour.

13. A video system comprising:

a controller;

a database including spatial data and metadata;

a user interface; and

a video, displayed in the user interface, that is generated in response to a specified action, wherein the user interface includes;

an image display in which a video is displayed, wherein the video comprises a plurality of images retrieved from the database;

a map display illustrating spatial data associated with the position;

a text display illustrating spatial data associated with the position; and

an audio output that conveys audio data associated with the position;

wherein each of the images is panoramic and spatially indexed in accordance with a predetermined position along a virtual path in a virtual environment.

14. A method for generating a video for virtual reality comprising:

specifying an action;

generating a video along a virtual path in a virtual environment based on the specified action, wherein the video is both panoramic and spatially indexed in accordance with a position along the virtual path;

providing a user interface; and

displaying the video via the user interface.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying a map that corresponds to the position along the virtual path.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying text illustrating spatial data that corresponds to the position along the virtual path.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

outputting audio data associated with the position along the virtual path.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein specifying an action comprises:

requesting virtual movement.

19. A method for generating a video for virtual reality comprising:

specifying an action along a virtual path in a virtual environment;

processing a request corresponding to the specified action;

retrieving a plurality of images that make up the video, wherein each of the images is panoramic and spatially indexed in accordance with a position along the virtual path;

providing a user interface having an image display window in which the video is displayed, and a map display window in which a map corresponding to the video is displayed; and

rendering the video and the map on the user interface in response to the specified action.

20. A transport protocol used to transmit a control program usable for providing a video for virtual reality to a device for executing the control program, the control program including instructions comprising:

instructions for specifying an action;

instructions for generating a video along a virtual path in a virtual environment based on the specified action, wherein the video is both panoramic and spatially indexed in accordance with a position along the virtual path;

instructions for providing a user interface; and

instructions for displaying the video via the user interface.

21. The control program of claim 20, wherein the control program includes instructions comprising:

instructions for providing an image display;

instructions for providing a map display;

instructions for providing a text display; and

instructions for providing an audio output.

22. A computer readable storage medium, comprising:

computer readable program code embodied on the computer readable storage medium, the computer readable program code usable to program a computer to program a system that provides a video for virtual reality, comprising the steps of;

specifying an action;

generating a video along a virtual path in a virtual environment based on the specified action, wherein the video is both panoramic and spatially indexed in accordance with a position along the virtual path;

providing a user interface; and

displaying the video via the user interface.