Television – Camera – system and detail – Combined image signal generator and general image signal...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-09
2001-07-03
Lee, Michael H. (Department: 2714)
Television
Camera, system and detail
Combined image signal generator and general image signal...
C348S552000, C345S474000, C345S473000, C725S145000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256061
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The invention relates to an apparatus and method for utilizing still spherical or high resolution flat images to provide a moving tour through the image that creates the perception on the part of the user of experiencing a video presentation. The invention allows a multiplicity of predetermined paths to be followed faithfully in such a way as to be replicable. In this invention, an objective is the control of the view shown to the user instead of manipulation of an object, the data is the angle of view, and hardware is a computer monitor. The invention solves a key problem with the transmission of sequenced images (i.e. video) over small bandwidth connections by using a sequence of move commands on the still spherical or high-resolution flat image to imitate a video of an environment or object. Additionally, the subject invention allows the user to take control of the viewing direction at any time and look in any desired direction, giving a new dimension to interactive television, namely, personalized control of what is viewed.
2. Related Art
It is known how to pan, tilt, rotate, and magnify a live video image via a perspective transformation algorithm as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,667, assigned to the same assignee as this disclosure. This method captures a live video or still photographic image, removes the distortion associated with the lens optics, and reconstructs a portion of the image that is of interest based on operator requests for pan, tilt, rotation, and magnification. One application of the dewarping technique disclosed by this patent is the dewarping of hemispherical images. The capturing and dewarping of hemispherical images is disclosed in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,667, expressly incorporated herein by reference. The ability to simultaneously distribute these images and allow multiple users to independently view the image in any desired direction is documented and patented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,588, assigned to the same assignee as this disclosure and, hereby, incorporated by reference.
Other parent applications, which may be of reference for various parts of the invention described in greater detail below, include the following: U.S. application Ser. No. 08/516,629, filed Aug. 15, 1995, entitled “Method and Apparatus for the Interactive Display of Any Portion of a Spherical Image” of Laban Phelps Jackson, Alexis S. Pecoraro, Peter Hansen, Martin L. Bauer, and H. Lee Martin, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 08/494,599, filed Jun. 23, 1995, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Simultaneous Capture of a Spherical Image” of Danny A. McCall and H. Lee Martin, which is a continuation-in-part of a U.S. application Ser. No. 08/386,912 filed Feb. 8, 1995, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/339,663 filed Nov. 11, 1994, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/189,585 filed Jan. 31, 1994 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,588), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 07/699,366 filed May 13, 1991 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,667). This application is also divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/742,684 filed Oct. 31, 1996 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,276), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/373,446 filed Jan. 17, 1995, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/189,585 filed Jan. 31, 1994 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,588).
Video images, as described in each of the above-referenced patents, require approximately 30 frames per second to appear as a real-time video image. Unfortunately, a problem with real-time video rates is the great amount of memory and processing speed required to display these images. Alternatively, if a user wanted to download a real-time video clip from a distant source via a modem (for example, a bulletin board system or a global network of computers), the user must have a high speed modem with a wide bandwidth (for example, a minimum 128 kps ISDN line or a T1 or a T3) with a relatively powerful computer to download these images and display them in real-time. As most users do not have high speed modems or relatively powerful computers, not to mention, a bandwidth capable of handling real-time videos, most users are at a disadvantage. Even compressing the video data fails to achieve good results.
Other techniques of transmitting images include transmitting a single still image after single still image. This saves bandwidth but is no more exciting than watching a slide presentation with someone else operating the slide projector. This is because the viewer is presented with a bland, static, two-dimensional image. In a different field of endeavor, a technique is known in the robotics industry which is know as “teach/playback”. The “teaching” mode of a “teach/playback” technique relates to the recording of a series of movements of a user controlled device. Later, in the “playback” mode, the recorded movements are played back for subsequent purposes. An instance of the “teach/playback” technique is in the automotive industry where a robot operator “teaches” a robotic system how to perform a complex series of tasks involving various manipulations. For example, the robotic system may be taught how to weld portions of a car's body panels to a car's frame. In the playback mode, the robotic system repeatedly follows its memorized commands and welds body panels to frames as per its instructions. The “teach/playback” technique of programming manipulative systems has its drawbacks. For instance, systems operating under a “teach/playback” technique are inherently limited to perform only the recorded instructions. Variation in the playback of a recorded set of instructions is unheard of. The only way to change the operations of the control device is to reprogram its instruction set, or here, “reteach” the system.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a user experience that appears to be video, but uses spherical still images with sequencing instructions as its command file.
It is another object of the present invention to provide this imaging experience using digital files that can be bundled with other files to present a multimedia experience.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a continuous viewing experience by decompressing the next image to be viewed (and audio files to be heard) while displaying a current image and playing a current audio file.
It is another object of the invention to allow the user to interrupt the “video” sequence at any time and take control of the viewing direction and magnification.
It is a further object of the invention to allow the data required for this viewing experience to reside in a remote location and be downloaded to one or many users simultaneously (or sequentially, or as requested) via telecommunication networks including at least local area networks, wide area networks, global area networks, satellite networks and other related networks by means of satellite downloading, modem downloading, broadcast downloading or other equivalent downloading means.
It is another object of the invention to provide the ability to magnify, pan, tilt, zoom, and rotate the image via a simple user interface.
It is a further object of the invention to provide the ability of panning, tilting, zooming, and rotating with simple inputs made by an unskilled user through standard input means including joysticks, keyboard, mice, touchpads, or equivalent means.
It is another object of the present invention to simultaneously display the multimedia experience for a plurality of users through common downloaded or broadcast information, allowing all to be sequenced at the same time or to be user controlled in different directions in any of an infinite number of directions as selected by the users.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the drawings and accompanying description.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to constructing a viewable image, only
Grantham H. Craig
Martin H. Lee
Banner & Witcoff , Ltd.
Interactive Pictures Corporation
Lee Michael H.
LandOfFree
Method and apparatus for providing perceived video viewing... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for providing perceived video viewing..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for providing perceived video viewing... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2463281