Imove, Inc.

G David Ripley

Michael C Park

Scott Gilbert

David J Kaiman

Gwendolyn Meredith Hunt

Patrick W White

Brian Hunt

Multiple streams of data are streamed to a user's terminal with images from different cameras. Low resolution thumbnail images tell the user what image streams are available. A focus stream provides high resolution images from a selected camera. A user can switch the focus stream to another stream by clicking on the associated thumbnail. The users can also be provided with a thumbnail of panoramic image. Other data streams sent to the user can contain (a) audio data, (b) interactivity markup data which describes regions of the image which provide interactivity opportunities such as hotspots, (c) presentation markup data which defines how data is presented on the user's screen, (d) a telemetry data stream which can be used for various statistical data. One data stream contains a low quality base image for each data stream which can be enhanced to form a high resolution focus image.

Multiple camera video system which displays selected images

An improved surveillance system which includes a multi-lens camera system and a viewer. The camera system includes a plurality of single lens cameras each of which have a relatively wide angle lens. These single lens cameras simultaneously capture images that can be seamed into a panorama. The camera system also includes a high resolution camera (i.e. a camera with a telephoto lens) that can be pointed in a selected direction that is within the field of view of the other cameras. The system displays a view window into the panorama that is created from images captured by the wide angle lenses. The image from the high resolution camera is either superimposed on top of the panoramic image or it is displayed on a separate monitor. If it is displayed in the panorama, the higher solution image is positioned at the point in the panorama which is displaying the same area in space at a lower resolution. Thus an operator sees a relatively low resolution panorama; however, a selected portion of the panorama is displayed at a high resolution. An operator can point the high resolution camera toward any desired location, thereby providing an output which shows more detail in a selected area of the panorama.

Camera system with both a wide angle view and a high resolution view

A surveillance system that includes a number of camera subsystems. Each camera subsystem includes a number of single lens cameras pointing in different directions which simultaneously capture images. Each camera subsystem covers a particular theater of interest. Each single lens camera captures an image of a particular region in a particular theater. When an object of interest is identified, the system can follow the object as it moves between regions and theaters in a facility. When an object is being followed, the system can provide a view of the object as it transitions between regions covered different single lens cameras in a particular camera subsystem and as it transitions between theaters covered by different camera subsystems.

Security camera system for tracking moving objects in both forward and reverse directions

Panoramic movie which utilizes a series of captured panoramic images to display movement as observed by a viewer looking in a selected direction

Movement through multi-dimensional space is simulated using a series of panoramic images which are projected or displayed in sequence. The user's direction of view, that is the selected view window, is maintained as the series of images is projected or displayed. Motion in directions other than forward or reverse is simulated by utilizing &ldquo;branch&rdquo; points in the sequence. Each path from a branch point simulates motion in a different direction. Branch points are generally indicated to a viewer by visual indicators called &ldquo;hot spots&rdquo;; however, branch points may also be hidden and activated in response to the viewer's selected direction of view. If a branch point is indicated by a visual indicator, a user can select motion in a desired direction by clicking on a &ldquo;hot spot&rdquo;. In order to conserve storage space, the image representing each panorama can be stored in a compressed format. Only the portion of the panorama necessary to create a &ldquo;view window&rdquo; that is, the portion of the image displayed in response to the user's direction of view, is decompressed at view time. An index methodology is used to store the panoramic images. Use of the indexing methodology allows the images to be retrieved in both the forward and backward direction to simulate movement in either direction. Sound is provided in a special format, so that special effects can be provided based on the user's point of view and dependent upon the direction of motion selected by the user.

Panoramic movies which simulate movement through multidimensional space

The present invention provides a very flexible, digital system for capturing and storing panoramic images using progressive scan (that is, non interlaced) technology. The system includes a digital image input device and an associated control computer. Since the image capture device is digital it can be easily and flexibly controlled by software in the control computer. The image input device has six lenses positioned on the six faces of a cube. While the image input system can have other lens configurations, the use of six lenses in a cubic configuration is optimal for a system that is used to capture a spherical panorama. The six lenses simultaneously focuses different images on six CCDs (Charge Coupled Devices). The image input device also includes an embedded controller, and data compression circuitry. The embedded controller controls the exposure time of the CCDs (i.e. the effective aperture and effective shutter speed) and reads image data from the CCDs. The image data read from the CCDs is compressed, multiplexed, and sent to the control computer. The control computer stores the images in frames, each of which have one image from each of the six lenses. Each frame includes six images that were simultaneously recorded and any associated information, such as audio tracks, textual information, or environmental information such as GPS (Global Position System) data or artificial horizon data. The control computer includes a user interface which allows a user to specify control information such as frame rate, compression ratio, gain, etc. The control computer sends control information to the embedded controller which in turn controls the CCDs and the compression circuitry. The images can be sent from the control computer to a real time viewer so that a user can determine if the correct images are being captured. The images stored at the control computer are later seamed into panoramas and made into panoramic movies.

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

G David Ripley