Image shooting method for recording visual spheres and device for implementing such method

• US 4,949,108 A
• Filed: 03/31/1988
• Issued: 08/14/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jean-Michel Verret
• Original Assignee: Jean-Michel Verret
• Inventors: Verret, Jean-Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Mathews, A. A.
• Application Number:
  US07/180,981
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 354/81, 354/293, 354/77, 352/69, 352/70, 352/71, 352/243, 358/229
• US Class Current: 396/20
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/00 Special procedures for taking photographs; Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/00 Panoramic or wide-screen photography; Photographing extended surfaces, e.g. for surveying; Photographing internal surfaces, e.g. of pipe

Abstract

The device includes a U-shaped fixing support on which is secured an optical recording device. The support is also fixed by means of two axes aligned with each other and at right angles with the legs of the U-shaped fixing support. The support is pivotally mounted in bearings provided on the legs of a second fixing support which is fixed to a vertical axis pivotally mounted in a bearing provided in the upper face of a base which carries the bearing and further includes securing means for fixing the device to an appropriate support. The device enables the taking a plurality of photographs from a single focal point to thereby enable the recordation of and the re-creation of complete "environmental photograph" from a single point.

Claims

1. A method of taking views and enabling visual spheres to be recorded, comprising the steps of:

(a) taking photographs of a plurality of views from a first point, said plurality of views surrounding said first point and being at a predetermined lateral and longitudinal relationship to each other;

(b) recording images from said views; and

(c) placing said images about a second point in the same lateral and longitudinal relationship to each other as when the view were taken, wherein said first and second points are focal points of respective areas surrounding said first and second points.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first point and said second point are identical or substantially identical.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first point and said second point are different.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said images are recorded by a recording apparatus which is also capable of displaying said image, said images being placed about said second point by said recording apparatus.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the center of each view, recording each image at the center of each view, and placing the images using the same orientation that was used for recording.

6. A method of taking views and enabling visual spheres to be recorded, comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a visual recording apparatus;

(b) dividing the visual sphere into a plurality of facings and determining the orientation of each facing;

(c) recording images of each facing from a single focal point within the sphere; and

(d) locating the recording images in relation to a single focal point to form a sphere, the recorded images having the same orientation as said orientation of each facing.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the recorded images are located by projecting, by using the same optical means that was used for recording the images.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein said recording step includes determining the center of each facing, recording each image at the center of each facing, and projecting the images using the same orientation that was used for recording.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein said visual sphere is divided into twenty facings.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein said facings are in the form of equilateral triangles.

11. An apparatus for taking views and enabling visual spheres to be recorded, comprising:

(a) a first U-shaped fixing support having two legs, an axis on each of said legs, extending at substantially right angles to said legs, said axes being substantially aligned with each other;

(b) a second U-shaped fixing support mounted for movement about a vertical axis, said axes of said first U-shaped fixing support being pivotally mounted in bearings in opposed legs of said second U-shaped fixing support; and

(c) extensions of said axes of said first U-shaped fixing support and an extension of said vertical axis crossing at a focal point, an optical recording means being mounted on said first U-shaped fixing support at said focal point, wherein and optical recording means is able to rotate in any direction about said focal point and two perpendicular axes defined by the extensions of the axes of said first U-shaped fixing support and said vertical axis.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said optical recording means is a video-optical device.

13. The apparatus according to calim 11, wherein each of said first and second U-shaped fixing supports are driven about their respective axes by motors connected to reduction means.