Method and apparatus for electronically distributing motion panoramic images

• US 6,331,869 B1
• Filed: 08/07/1998
• Issued: 12/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cedar Lane Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Be Here Corporation
• Inventors: Furlan, John Louis Warpakowski, Driscoll, Edward Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): RAO, ANAND SHASHIKANT
• Application Number:
  US09/131,186
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 348/36-61, 382/232-234
• US Class Current: 348/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

The present invention discloses an electronic image distribution apparatus for distributing motion panoramic images. The main portion of the apparatus is a motion panoramic image server that has a source of motion panoramic images. The source of panoramic image frames may be a motion panoramic image playback device or a connection to a motion panoramic camera system. The motion panoramic image server transforms the panoramic image frames into an intermediate format that is more conducive for electronic transmission. The motion panoramic image server then transmits the motion panoramic images to client systems. A first panoramic image transmission system divides the intermediate planar representation into individual tiles and transmits tiles that are requested by client systems. A second panoramic image transmission system divides the intermediate planar representation into individual tiles and transmits the individual tiles on different multicast channels. Client systems then subscribe to the multicast channels needed to render an image in the direction of a desired view.

Claims

1. An electronic image distribution apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

a motion panoramic image source, said motion panoramic image source providing successive frames of panoramic images;

a division unit, said division unit dividing said successive frames of panoramic images into tiles, said tiles being spatially variant; and

a transmitter, said transmitter transmitting a first set of selected tiles to a first client system to construct a view in said client system.

2. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said transmitter divides said tiles into a size also dependent upon said first client system.

3. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a transformation unit, said transformation unit transforming said successive frames of panoramic images into an intermediate planar representation before passing said frames to said division unit.

4. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said intermediate planar representation is a spherical projection representation.

5. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said intermediate planar representation is a cylindrical projection representation.

6. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said transformation unit creates more than one intermediate planar representation wherein each intermediate planar representation has different resolution levels.

7. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said panoramic image frames comprise an annular panoramic image format.

8. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said transmitter compresses said tiles.

9. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a compression unit, said compression unit occasionally compressing one of said successive frames of panoramic images into a highly compressed format and transmitting said highly compressed format to said first client system.

10. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said compression unit compresses every Nth of said successive frames of panoramic images into said highly compressed format.

11. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said client system requests said first set of selected tiles.

12. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said transmitter further transmits a second set of selected tiles to a second client system.

13. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said second client system requests said second set of selected tiles.

14. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tiles overlap each other.

15. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein transmitter transmits more than just the tiles needed to render said view in said client system.

16. A method of distributing electronic images, said method comprising the steps of:

capturing a panoramic image frame;

dividing said panoramic image into a plurality of tiles, said tiles being spatially variant; and

selectively transmitting a subset of said plurality of tiles to a first client system.

17. The method of distributing electronic images as claimed in claim 16 further comprising:

transforming said panoramic image frame into an intermediate planar format.

18. The method of distributing electronic images as claimed in claim 17 wherein said intermediate planar representation comprises a spherical projection representation.

19. The method of distributing electronic images as claimed in claim 17 wherein said intermediate planar representation comprises a cylindrical projection representation.

20. The method of distributing electronic images as claimed in claim 17 wherein transforming said panoramic image frame comprises transforming said panoramic image frame into more than one intermediate planar format wherein each intermediate planar format has a different resolution level.

21. The method of distributing electronic images as claimed in claim 17 wherein said tiles are divided into a size further dependent upon said first client system.

22. The method of distributing electronic images as claimed in claim 16 wherein said first client system specifies which tiles must be transmitted to render a view on said client system.

23. The method of distributing electronic images as claimed in claim 16 wherein said client system requests outside tiles just outside of said view in case said client system needs said outside tiles for a future view.

24. The method of distributing electronic images as claimed in claim 16 further comprising:

transforming said panoramic image frame into a highly compressed intermediate planar format frame; and

transmitting said highly compressed intermediate format frame to said first client system.

25. The method of distributing electronic images as claimed in claim 16 wherein said subset of said plurality of tiles are compressed before being transmitted.

26. The method of distributing electronic images as claimed in claim 16 wherein said plurality of tiles overlap each other.

27. The method of distributing electronic images as claimed in claim 16 further comprising:

selectively transmitting a second subset of said plurality of tiles to a second client system.

28. An electronic image distribution apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

a motion panoramic image source, said motion panoramic image source providing successive frames of panoramic images;

a divider, said divider dividing said successive frames of panoramic images into a set of individual tiles; and

a transmitter, said transmitter transmitting tiles on multicast channels.

29. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 28 further comprising:

a transformation unit, said transformation unit transforming said successive frames of panoramic images into an intermediate planar format.

30. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 29 wherein said intermediate planar format comprises a spherical projection representation.

31. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 29 wherein said intermediate planar representation comprises a cylindrical projection representation.

32. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 28 wherein said successive frames of panoramic images comprise annular panoramic image frames.

33. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 28 further comprising:

a first client system, said first client system subscribing to a first set of multicast channels needed to render a first image.

34. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 33 further comprising:

a second client system, said second client system subscribing to a second set of multicast channels needed to render a second image, wherein said first image and said second image can differ.

35. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 28 wherein said transmitter compresses said individual tiles.

36. The electronic image distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 28 wherein said multicast channels comprise multicast streams on the Internet.

37. An electronic image distribution method, said method comprising:

capturing successive frames of panoramic images;

dividing said successive frames of panoramic images into a set of individual tiles, said tiles being spatially variant; and

transmitting said individual tiles on individual multicast channels.

38. The method as claimed in claim 37 further comprising:

transforming said successive frames of panoramic images into an intermediate planar representation.

39. The method as claimed in claim 37 further comprising:

subscribing a first client system to multicast channels needed to render a first view into said panoramic image on said first client system.

40. The method as claimed in claim 39 further comprising:

subscribing a second client system to multicast channels needed to render a second view into said panoramic image on said second client system.

41. The method as claimed in claim 37 wherein said individual tiles are compressed before transmitting.

42. The method as claimed in claim 39 wherein said multicast channels comprise multicast streams on the Internet.