Method of selectively retrieving video images from a video reproducer for simulating movement

Claim 1

A method of identifying and storing a plurality of video images in a plurality of selectable sequences for use in a video image reproducing apparatus in order to simulate movement within a multi-dimensional space, said reproducing apparatus including video image storage means for retrievably storing said video images in addressable locations on a storage medium, each of said video images being associated with an identifying number corresponding to one of said addressable locations, said reproducing apparatus having an operable capability of jumping at least a predetermined number k of said addressable locations to access a subsequent addressable location within a predetermined time period t, said reproducing apparatus being operative to reproduce any image within k addressable locations of a given image subsequent to reproducing said given image, comprising the steps of: (1) arranging a plurality of images representing said multi-dimensional space into an array comprising a plurality of rows and columns of branches and a plurality of nodes, wherein: each of said branches comprises a pair of sequences of images comprising a first sequence corresponding to movement in one direction along said branch and a second sequence corresponding to movement in the opposite direction along said branch, each of said sequences beginning at one of said nodes and ending at an adjacent one of said nodes, said rows and said columns intersecting at said nodes, and the ending image of each one of said sequences ending at a given node being associated with the beginning image of a predetermined number b of said sequences beginning at said given node; (2) selecting a base jump increment j less than k; (3) assigning a progressively varying row first sequence identifying number to each of said images in each of said first sequences in each of said rows, said row first sequence identifying numbers varying by j in one horizontal direction along each of said rows and varying by at least one least significant digit m between adjacent rows; (4) assigning a progressively varying row second sequence identifying number to each of said images in each of said second sequences in each of said rows, said row second sequence identifying numbers varying by j in the opposite horizontal direction along each of said rows and varying by one from the corresonding least significant digit m of said row; (5) assigning a progressively varying column first sequence identifying number to each of said images in each of said first sequences in each of said columns, said column first sequence identifying numbers varying along each of said columns connecting adjacent rows by incrementing by j for a first count, varying a predetermined number i for a second count, and then varying by decrementing by j for a third count; (6) assigning a progressively varying column second sequence identifying number to each of said images in each of said second sequences in each of said columns, said column second sequence identifying numbers varying along each of said columns connecting adjacent rows by incrementing by j for a first count, varying said predetermined number i for a second count, and then varying by decrementing by j for a third count; and (7) the difference between the sequence identifying number at the end of each sequence ending at a given node and the sequence identifying number of each of said b sequences beginning at said given node always being less than k, whereby said reproducing apparatus, after reproducing the last image of a given sequence ending at a given node can jump fewer than k addressable locations from said last image of said given sequence ending at said given node to the beginning image of any one of said b sequences beginning at said given node within said time period t.

Claim 2

A method of identifying and storing a plurality of video images in a plurality of selectable sequences for use in a video image reproducing apparatus in order to simulate movement within a multi-dimensional space, said reproducing apparatus including video image storage means for retrievably storing said video images in addressable locations on a storage medium, each of said video images being associated with an identifying number corresponding to one of said addressable locations, said reproducing apparatus having an operable capability of jumping at least a predetermined number k of said addressable locations to access a subsequent addressable location within a predetermined time period t, said reproducing apparatus being operative to reproduce any image within k addressable locations of a given image subsequent to reproducing said given image, comprising the steps of: (1) arranging a plurality of images representing said multi-dimensional space into an array comprising a plurality of rows and columns of branches and a plurality of nodes, wherein: each of said branches comprises a pair of sequences of images comprising a first sequence corresponding to movement in one direction along said branch and a second sequence corresponding to movement in the opposite direction along said branch, each of said sequences beginning at one of said nodes and ending at an adjacent one of said nodes, said rows and said columns intersecting at said nodes, and the ending image of each one of said sequences ending at a given node being associated with the beginning image of a predetermined number b of said sequences beginning at said given node; (2) selecting a base jump increment j less than k; (3) assigning a progressively varying row first sequence identifying number to each of said images in each of said first sequences in each of said rows, said row first sequence identifying numbers varying by j in one horizontal direction along each of said rows and varying by at least one least significant digit m between adjacent rows; (4) assigning a progressively varying row second sequence identifying number to each of said images in each of said second sequences in each of said rows, said row second sequence identifying numbers varying by j in the opposite horizontal direction along each of said rows and varying by one from the corresonding least significant digit m of said row; (5) assigning a progressively varying column first sequence identifying number to each of said images in each of said first sequences in each of said columns, said column first sequence identifying numbers varying along each of said columns connecting adjacent rows by incrementing by j for a first count, varying a predetermined number i for a second count, and then varying by decrementing by j for a third count; (6) assigning a progressively varying column second sequence identifying number to each of said images in each of said second sequences in each of said columns, said column second sequence identifying numbers varying along each of said columns connecting adjacent rows by incrementing by j for a first count, varying said predetermined number i for a second count, and then varying by decrementing by j for a third count; and (7) the difference between the sequence identifying number at the end of each sequence ending at a given node and the sequence identifying number of each of said b sequences beginning at said given node always being less than k, whereby said reproducing apparatus, after reproducing the last image of a given sequence ending at a given node can jump fewer than k addressable locations from said last image of said given sequence ending at said given node to the beginning image of any one of said b sequences beginning at said given node within said time period t.