Method and apparatus for presenting images from a remote location

• US 6,583,815 B1
• Filed: 08/14/2000
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cedar Lane Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Be Here Corporation
• Inventors: Morrow, Howard, Lomax, Willard Curtis, Driscoll, Edward Jr., Steinhauer, Alan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, TUAN V
• Application Number:
  US09/638,289
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207, 348/335, 348/340, 348/342, 348/343, 348/344, 348/211, 348/218, 348/222, 348/552, 348/36, 348/37, 348/38, 348/39, 348/211.99, 348/211.2, 348/211.3, 348/207.99, 348/207.1, 348/333.01, 348/333.12, 359/859, 359/853, 359/838, 359/884
• US Class Current: 348/211.3
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/06 Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/12 Panospheric to cylindrical image transformations
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19626 optical details, e.g. lenses, mirrors or multiple lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19628 of wide angled cameras and camera groups, e.g. omni-directional cameras, fish eye, single units having multiple cameras achieving a wide angle view
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

Most camera systems only record an image from a limited viewing angle. A new panoramic camera apparatus is disclosed that instantaneously captures a 360 degree panoramic image. In the camera device, virtually all of the light that converges on a point in space is captured. Specifically, in the camera of the present invention, light striking this point in space is captured if it comes from any direction, 360 degrees around the point and from angles 50 degrees or more above and below the horizon. The panoramic image is recorded as a two dimensional annular image. Furthermore, various different systems for displaying the panoramic images and distributing the panoramic images. Specifically, methods and apparatus for digitally performing a geometric transformation of the two dimensional annular image into rectangular projections such that the panoramic image can be displayed using conventional methods such as printed images and televised images.

Claims

1. A method of presenting images of a remote location, said method comprising the steps of:

capturing a digitized annular representation of a panorama at said remote location;

geometrically transforming said digitized annular representation into a planar representation of said panorama;

transmitting a portion of said planar representation of said panorama to a local receiver; and

displaying said portion of said planar representation of said panorama.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting transmits said planar representation over a network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting transmits said planar representation over a broadcast channel.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said portion of said planar representation is substantially all of said planar representation and the step of displaying is responsive to a viewport into said planar representation.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said digitized annular representation is one of a plurality of digitized annular representation comprising a video representation of said panorama.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said planar representation is compressed.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said portion of said planar representation is substantially all of said planar representation and the step of displaying displays substantially all of said planar representation.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said planar representation is rectangular.

9. An apparatus for presenting images of a remote location, said apparatus comprising:

a receiver mechanism configured to receive a rectangular representation of a digitized annular representation of a panorama captured at said remote location;

a transformation mechanism configured to geometrically transform a portion of said rectangular representation, received from the receiver mechanism, into a portion of a planar projection of said panorama; and

a display mechanism configured to display said portion of said planar projection generated by the transformation mechanism.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the receiver mechanism is configured to receive said rectangular representation over a network.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the receiver mechanism is configured to receive said rectangular representation over a broadcast channel.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the transformation mechanism further includes a viewport control mechanism configured to control a viewport, said viewport used to select said portion of said rectangular representation.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said digitized annular representation is one of a plurality of digitized annular representations comprising a video representation of said panorama.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said rectangular representation is compressed.

15. An apparatus for transmitting images of a panorama, said apparatus comprising:

a transformation mechanism configured to geometrically transform a digitized annular representation of said panorama into a planar representation of said panorama; and

a transmission mechanism configured to transmit a portion of said planar representation of said panorama, generated by the transformation mechanism, to a local receiver.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the transmission mechanism is configured to send said planar representation over a network.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the transmission mechanism is configured to send said planar representation over a broadcast channel.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said portion of said planar representation is substantially all of said planar representation.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said digitized annular representation is one of a plurality of digitized annular representations comprising a video representation of said panorama.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said planar representation is compressed.

21. A system for presenting images of a remote location, said apparatus comprising:

a transformation mechanism configured to geometrically transform a portion of a digitized annular representation of a panorama captured at said remote location into a portion of a planar projection of said panorama;

a transmitter mechanism configured to transmit said portion of said planar projection;

a receiver mechanism configured to receive said portion of said planar projection transmitted by the transmitter mechanism;

a

a display mechanism configured to display said portion of said planar projection generated by the transformation mechanism.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the transmission mechanism and the receiver mechanism communicate over a network.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the transmission mechanism sends said portion of said planar projection of said panorama to the receiver mechanism over a broadcast channel.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the transformation mechanism further includes a viewport control mechanism configured to control a viewport, said viewport used to select said portion of said digitized annular representation and in communication with the transmitter mechanism.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein said digitized annular representation is one of a plurality of digitized annular representations comprising a video representation of said panorama.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein said video representation is compressed.

27. A computer program product including:

a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave having computer readable code embodied therein for causing a computer to present images of a remote location, said computer readable code including;

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a receiver mechanism configured to receive a digitized annular representation captured at said remote location;

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a transformation mechanism configured to geometrically transform a portion of said digitized annular representation, received from the receiver mechanism, into a portion of a planar projection of said panorama; and

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a display mechanism configured to display said portion of said planar projection generated by the transformation mechanism.

28. The product of claim 27 wherein the transformation mechanism further includes computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a viewport control mechanism configured to control a viewport, said viewport used to select said portion of said digitized annular representation.

29. The product of claim 27 wherein said digitized annular representation is one of a plurality of digitized annular representations comprising a video representation of said panorama.

30. A computer program product including:

a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave having computer readable code embodied therein for causing a computer to transmit images of a panorama, said computer readable code including;

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a transformation mechanism configured to geometrically transform a digitized annular representation of said panorama into a planar representation of said panorama; and

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a transmission mechanism configured to transmit a portion of said planar representation of said panorama, generated by the transformation mechanism, to a local receiver.

31. The product of claim 30 wherein said portion of said planar representation is substantially all of said planar representation.

32. The product of claim 30 wherein said digitized annular representation is one of a plurality of digitized annular representations comprising a video representation of said panorama.

33. A computer program product including:

a computer usable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein for causing a computer to present images of a remote location, said computer readable code including;

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a receiver mechanism configured to receive a rectangular representation of a digitized annular representation of a panorama captured at said remote location;

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a transformation mechanism configured to geometrically transform a portion of said rectangular representation, received from the receiver mechanism, into a portion of a planar projection of said panorama; and

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a display mechanism configured to display said portion of said planar projection generated by the transformation mechanism.