Interactive Pictures Corporation

Ipix Corporation

Laban Phelps Jackson

H Lee Martin

Peter Hansen

Martin L Bauer

Alexis S Pecoraro

Bruce Cole

Apparatus for interactive display of any portion of a spherical image preferably comprises a personal computer or other digital processor apparatus for storing digital data representative of at least one image having a 180 degree or greater field of view (or hemispherical image). In order to view a selected image portion without warp or distortion at the seam between opposite hemispherical images, edge filtering is applied to eliminate a halo effect. Moreover, an opposite hemispherical image may either be obtained by creating a mirror image of a first hemispherical image or by capturing a second hemispherical image by means of an oppositely directed camera and storing the digital image. Equations for image transformation are based on a lens' characteristics including the lens' radius R. An input interface preferably comprises a display including a magnification region and a directional cursor for pointing the direction to a next spherical image. &ldquo;Hot spots&rdquo; can be linked to audio, text, graphics, or other media or trigger a charge for a pay event or identify program links to the next spherical image.

Method and apparatus for the interactive display of any portion of a spherical image

Method and system for creation and interactive viewing of totally immersive stereoscopic images

A method of inserting a high resolution image into a low resolution interactive image provides a greater sensation of virtual reality (presence) because increased magnification of the low resolution image, typically a wide angle image, reduces the sensation of virtual presence in the image. For example, according to the invention, as an image of the wall of an art gallery becomes magnified in a virtual presence experience, a rectangular or other planar image portion such as a painting that the user zooms on is replaced with a high resolution image stored and associated in memory. The virtual presence may be achieved by high resolution scanning a desired section of an image portion for overlay into the image scanned into a second memory at lower resolution. The high resolution image for insertion may be a dewarped portion of a fish-eye lens captured interactive image. Preferably, at least three reference points in the wide angle image and the planar image portion for insertion, such as the painting image, are identified and stored with the image data and a selected or predetermined magnification level. In this manner, the three image points can be manipulated and matched from the high resolution image to the perspective of the wide angle image. Also, for identity of perspective, the wide angle and high resolution images may be captured from the identical camera location. As the user inputs viewing angle criteria, such as pan and tilt angles, the rectangular image may be manipulated to match. The camera may be digital or analog, video, movie or still. Also, a high resolution photographic image may be inserted into a graphic image or vice versa.

Method and apparatus for inserting a high resolution image into a low

Apparatus for interactive display of any portion of a spherical image preferably comprises a personal computer or other digital processor apparatus for storing digital data representative of at least one image having a 180 degree or greater field of view (or hemispherical image). In order to view a selected image portion without warp or distortion at the seam between opposite hemispherical images, edge filtering is applied to eliminate a halo effect. Moreover, an opposite hemispherical image may either be obtained by creating a mirror image of a first hemispherical image or by capturing a second hemispherical image by means of an oppositely directed camera and storing the digital image. Equations for image transformation are based on a lens' characteristics including the lens' radius R. An input interface preferably comprises a display including a magnification region and a directional cursor for pointing the direction to a next spherical image. 'Hot spots' can be linked to audio, text, graphics, or other media or trigger a charge for a pay event or identify program links to the next spherical image.

Method and apparatus for the interactive display of any portion of a

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Knoxville, TN, United States of America

Laban Phelps Jackson