Method for interactively viewing full-surround image data and apparatus therefor

• US 8,077,176 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2009
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Grandeye Limited (Oncam Global Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Grandeye Limited (Oncam Global Group AG)
• Inventors: Oxaal, Ford
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, Ryan R
• Application Number:
  US12/475,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20100033480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 345/420
• US Class Current: 345/420
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/02 with scanning movement of lens or cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

A method of modeling of the visible world using full-surround image data includes steps for selecting a view point within a p-surface, selecting a direction of view within the p-surface, texture mapping full-surround image data onto the p-surface such that the resultant texture map is substantially equivalent to projecting full-surround image data onto the p-surface from the view point to thereby generate a texture mapped p-surface, and displaying a predetermined portion of the texture mapped p-surface. An apparatus for implementing the method is also described.

Claims

1. A method for modeling the visible world, comprising:

texture mapping full-surround image data onto a p-surface to generate a model of the visible world substantially equivalent to projecting the image data onto the p-surface from a point of projection;

allowing a user to select a direction of view from a view point on the model; and

allowing a portion of the model mapped on p-surface based on the view point to be displayed;

wherein the p-surface comprises polygons approximating at least a portion of a sphere.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the full-surround image data is derived from source image data generated by a 3D modeling and/or rendering system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the full-surround image data is derived from source image data generated by some combination of a 3D modeling and/or rendering system and visible stimuli.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein full-surround image data is derived from source image data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the texture mapped p-surface is integrated with a virtual world created in a 3D modeling and/or rendering system.

6. A method of modeling of the visible world using full-surround image data, the method comprising:

allowing selection of a view point within a p-surface, wherein the p-surface comprises polygons approximating at least a partial sphere;

allowing selection of a direction of view within the p-surface;

texture mapping full-surround image data onto the p-surface such that the resultant texture map is substantially equivalent to projecting full-surround image data onto the p-surface from the view point to thereby generate a texture mapped p-surface; and

allowing a selected portion of the texture mapped p-surface to be displayed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the p-surface comprises one or more polygons such that there exists a half-space for each polygon, and wherein the intersection of all such half-spaces includes at least one point in common.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein a point is within the p-surface if it is included in the intersection.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the p-surface comprises one or more polygons, and wherein a point is within the p-surface if it is included in the union of a given set of half-spaces, wherein the set includes no more than one half-space per polygon.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the p-surface comprises one or more polygons, and wherein a point is within the p-surface if it is included in the intersection of a given set of half-spaces, wherein the set includes no more than one half-space per polygon.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the full-surround image data is a sample of incoming image data.

12. A method of modeling the visible world using full-surround image data, the method comprising:

texture mapping full-surround image data onto a p-surface such that the resultant texture map is substantially equivalent to projecting the full-surround image data onto the p-surface from a point of projection to thereby generate a texture mapped p-surface;

allowing a direction of view from a view point to be selected; and

allowing a portion of the texture mapped p-surface based on the selecting to be displayed;

wherein the p-surface comprises polygons approximating at least a partial sphere.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the p-surface comprises one or more polygons such that there exists a half-space for each polygon, and wherein the intersection of all such half-spaces includes at least one point in common.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the p-surface comprises one or more polygons, and wherein a point is within the p-surface if it is included in the union of a given set of half-spaces, wherein the set includes no more than one half-space per polygon.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the p-surface comprises one or more polygons, and wherein a point is within the p-surface if it is included in the intersection of a given set of half-spaces, wherein the set includes no more than one half-space per polygon.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the full-surround image data is a sample of incoming image data.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the point of projection comprises the view point.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the point of projection is different from the view point.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the direction of view is selected by a user.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the direction of view is selected by a user using an interactive user interface.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the view point is within the p-surface.

22. A method for generating a 3D world simulator environment, comprising the steps of:

creating a full-surround simulator environment with a texture mapped p-surface that includes portions generated at least in part from a full-surround camera data set;

maneuvering within the simulator environment; and

generating imagery at least in part from the full-surround data set as a viewer space created in a 3D modeling and/or rendering system.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of:

augmenting the viewer space with computer generated images.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of:

generating computer generated images dynamically; and

mapping the computer generated images onto the viewer space.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the simulator imagery includes a combination of real world imagery and computer generated images.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of:

augmenting simulator imagery with statically mapped computer generated imagery.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of:

augmenting simulator imagery with dynamically mapped computer generated imagery.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the data set comprises a first image and a second image, and the viewer space includes a combination of the first image and second image.