Virtual window with simulated parallax and field of view change

• US 7,880,739 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2006
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, Jason S, Long, David C
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kimbinh T
• Application Number:
  US11/548,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20080088624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/419, 345/427, 382/103, 382/117, 348/143, 348/14.08
• US Class Current: 345/427
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/205 Image-based rendering

Abstract

A system and method for simulating to one or more individual observers a view through a window using a display screen comprising a storage device containing in electronic form one or more images of a scene selected from the group consisting of one or more images of the scene at different angles and one or more images of the scene at different magnifications. A display screen is adapted to display the images to one or more individual observers, and a sensor is adapted to locate observers with respect to the display screen. A controller is adapted to select one or more of the images based on angle or distance of the individual observers with respect to the display screen and display the selected images on the display screen to simulate to the observers a view through a window of the scene.

Claims

1. A method of simulating to one or more individual observers a view through a window using a display screen comprising:

providing a storage device containing in electronic form one or more stored images of a scene at one or more different angles or at one or more different magnifications;

providing a display screen for displaying the one or more images to one or more individual observers;

determining location of one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen;

using a computer, selecting one or more of the stored images based on angle or distance of the one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen, the selected one or more stored images not being in real time at the time of selection; and

using a computer, displaying the selected one or more stored, non-real time images on the display screen to simulate to the one or more individual observers a view through a window of the scene.

2. The method of claim 1 further including changing the displayed image on the display screen based on changing location of one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the location of the one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen comprises distance of the one or more individual observers from the display screen, and wherein the one or more images selected is based on the distance of the one or more individual observers from the display screen.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the location of the one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen comprises angle of the one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen, and wherein the one or more images selected is based on the angle of the one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the location of the one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen comprises distance of the one or more individual observers from the display screen and angle of the one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen, and wherein the one or more images selected is based on the distance of the one or more individual observers from the display screen and the angle of the one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more images of the scene are provided by providing a camera at a scene location, and capturing a plurality of images of the scene while the camera rotates over a desired angle through a desired plane.

7. The method of claim 6 further including storing the one or more images of the scene in the storage device, and wherein the storage device is associated with the display screen.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more images displayed on the display screen are still images, and wherein the display screen sequentially displays still images that differ in angle of view and magnification of the scene based on changes in location of the one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein location of one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen is determined using a pressure, ultrasonic, infrared or radar sensor, or a camera.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the display screen is planar, and the location of the one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen is based on distance of the one or more individual observers from a center of the display screen, and by angle of a line extending between the center of the display screen and the one or more individual observers.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the image of the scene is digitally magnified based on distance of the one or more individual observers from the display screen.

12. A system for simulating to one or more individual observers a view through a window using a display screen comprising:

a storage device containing in electronic form one or more stored images of a scene at different angles or at different magnifications;

a display screen adapted to display the one or more images to one or more individual observers;

a sensor adapted to locate one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen; and

a controller adapted to select one or more of the stored images based on angle or distance of the one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen, the selected one or more stored images not being in real time at the time of selection, and display the selected one or more stored, non-real time images on the display screen to simulate to the one or more individual observers a view through a window of the scene.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the controller is adapted to change the displayed image on the display screen based on changing location of one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the sensor is adapted to locate the one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen based on distance of the one or more individual observers from the display screen, and wherein the controller is adapted to select the one or more images based on the distance of the one or more individual observers from the display screen.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the sensor is adapted to locate the one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen based on angle of the one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen, and wherein the controller is adapted to select the one or more images selected based on the angle of the one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the sensor is adapted to locate the one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen based on distance of the one or more individual observers from the display screen and angle of the one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen, and wherein the controller is adapted to select the one or more images based on the distance of the one or more individual observers from the display screen and the angle of the one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen.

17. The system of claim 12 further including a camera at a scene location adapted to capture a plurality of images of the scene while the camera rotates over a desired angle through a desired plane.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the camera is adapted to store the images of the scene in the storage device, and wherein the storage device is associated with the display screen.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein the location sensor is a pressure, ultrasonic, infrared or radar sensor, or a camera.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein the display screen is planar, and the location sensor is adapted to determine location of the one or more individual observers with respect to the display screen based on distance of the one or more individual observers from a center of the display screen, and by angle of a line extending between the center of the display screen and the one or more individual observers.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein the controller adapted to digitally magnify the image of the scene based on distance of the one or more individual observers from the display screen.

22. A computer program product for use with a display device for simulating to one or more individual observers a view through a window, said computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for providing one or more electronically stored images of a scene at different angles or at different magnifications;

computer readable program code means for determining location of one or more individual observers with respect to the display device;

computer readable program code means for selecting one or more of the stored images based on angle or distance of the one or more individual observers with respect to the display device, the selected one or more stored images not being in real time at the time of selection; and

computer readable program code means for displaying the selected one or more stored, non-real time images on the display device to simulate to the one or more individual observers a view through a window of the scene.