System for omindirectional image viewing at a remote location without the transmission of control signals to select viewing parameters

Claim 1

A system for providing perspective corrected views of a distorted wide angle image at a location removed from the site of the creation of the distorted wide angle image without transmitting control signals to the site of the creation of the distorted image, the system comprising: a camera-imaging system at a first site for receiving optical images and for producing output signals corresponding to the optical images; a wide angle lens at the first site associated with the camera imaging system for producing the optical images throughout the field of view of the lens for optical conveyance to the camera imaging system, the optical images being distorted by the wide angle lens; a transmitter at the first site to receive the output signals of the camera imaging system to transmit the output signals from the first site to at least one second site; a receiver at the second site to receive signals transmitted by the transmitter; image capture circuitry at the second site for receiving and digitizing signals from the receiver corresponding to output signals of the camera imaging system; input image memory circuitry at the second site for receiving digital signals from the image capture circuitry; image transform processor at the second site for processing the digitized signals in the input image memory circuitry according to selected viewing angles and degree of magnification, and for producing output transform calculations signals according to a combination of the digitized signals, the selected viewing angles and degree of magnification; output image memory circuitry at the second site for receiving the output signals from the image transform processor; input means at the second site for selecting the viewing angles and degree of magnification; microprocessor means at the second site for receiving the selected viewing angles and degree of magnification from the input means and for converting the selected viewing angles and degree of magnification for input to the image transform processor to control the processing of the transform processor; and output means at the second site connected to the output image memory circuitry to display the perspective corrected view according to the selected viewing angles and degree of magnification.

Claim 2

A system for providing perspective corrected views of a distorted wide angle image at a location removed from the site of the creation of the distorted wide angle image without transmitting control signals to the site of the creation of the distorted image, the system comprising: a camera-imaging system at a first site for receiving optical images and for producing output signals corresponding to the optical images; a wide angle lens at the first site associated with the camera imaging system for producing the optical images throughout the field of view of the lens for optical conveyance to the camera imaging system, the optical images being distorted by the wide angle lens; a transmitter at the first site to receive the output signals of the camera imaging system to transmit the output signals from the first site to at least one second site; a receiver at the second site to receive signals transmitted by the transmitter; image capture circuitry at the second site for receiving and digitizing signals from the receiver corresponding to output signals of the camera imaging system; input image memory circuitry at the second site for receiving digital signals from the image capture circuitry; image transform processor at the second site for processing the digitized signals in the input image memory circuitry according to selected viewing angles and degree of magnification, and for producing output transform calculations signals according to a combination of the digitized signals, the selected viewing angles and degree of magnification; output image memory circuitry at the second site for receiving the output signals from the image transform processor; input means at the second site for selecting the viewing angles and degree of magnification; microprocessor means at the second site for receiving the selected viewing angles and degree of magnification from the input means and for converting the selected viewing angles and degree of magnification for input to the image transform processor to control the processing of the transform processor; and output means at the second site connected to the output image memory circuitry to display the perspective corrected view according to the selected viewing angles and degree of magnification.

Claim 11

A system for providing perspective corrected views of a selected portion of a distorted wide angle image at a location removed from the site of the creation of the distorted wide angle image without transmitting control signals to the site of the creation of the distorted image, the system comprising: a camera-imaging system at a first site for receiving optical images and for producing output signals corresponding to the optical images; a wide angle lens at the first site associated with the camera imaging system for producing the optical images throughout the field of view of the lens for optical conveyance to the camera imaging system, the optical images being distorted by the wide angle lens; a transmitter at the first site to receive the output signals of the camera imaging system to transmit the output signals from the first site to at least one second site; a receiver at the second site to receive signals transmitted by the transmitter; image capture circuitry at the second site for receiving and digitizing signals from the receiver corresponding to output signals of the camera imaging system; input image memory circuitry at the second site for receiving digital signals from the image capture circuitry; image transform processor at the second site for processing the digitized signals in the input image memory circuitry according to selected viewing angles and degree of magnification, and for producing output transform calculations signals according to a combination of the digitized signals, the selected viewing angles and degree of magnification; output image memory circuitry at the second site for receiving the output signals from the image transform processor; input means at the second site for selecting a portion of the distorted wide angle image, and selecting the viewing angles and degree of magnification; microprocessor means at the second site for receiving the selected portion and selected viewing angles and degree of magnification from the input means and for converting the selected portion and selected viewing angles and degree of magnification for input to the image transform processor to control the processing of the transform processor; and output means at the second site connected to the output image memory circuitry to display and record the perspective corrected view according to the selected portion of the image and the selected viewing angles and degree of magnification.

Claim 12

A system for providing perspective corrected views of a selected portion of a distorted wide angle image at a location removed from the site of the creation of the distorted wide angle image without transmitting control signals to the site of the creation of the distorted image, the system comprising: a camera-imaging system at a first site for receiving optical images and for producing output signals corresponding to the optical images; a wide angle lens at the first site associated with the camera imaging system for producing the optical images throughout the field of view of the lens for optical conveyance to the camera imaging system, the optical images being distorted by the wide angle lens; a transmitter at the first site to receive the output signals of the camera imaging system to transmit the output signals from the first site to at least one second site; a receiver at the second site to receive signals transmitted by the transmitter; image capture circuitry at the second site for receiving and digitizing signals from the receiver corresponding to output signals of the camera imaging system; input image memory circuitry at the second site for receiving digital signals from the image capture circuitry; image transform processor at the second site for processing the digitized signals in the input image memory circuitry according to selected viewing angles and degree of magnification, and for producing output transform calculations signals according to a combination of the digitized signals, the selected viewing angles and degree of magnification; output image memory circuitry at the second site for receiving the output signals from the image transform processor; input means at the second site for selecting a portion of the distorted wide angle image, and selecting the viewing angles and degree of magnification; microprocessor means at the second site for receiving the selected portion and selected viewing angles and degree of magnification from the input means and for converting the selected portion and selected viewing angles and degree of magnification for input to the image transform processor to control the processing of the transform processor; and output means at the second site connected to the output image memory circuitry to display and record the perspective corrected view according to the selected portion of the image and the selected viewing angles and degree of magnification.

Claim 17

A system for providing perspective corrected views of a selected portion of a distorted wide angle image at a location removed from the site of the creation of the distorted wide angle image without transmitting control signals to the site of the creation of the distorted image, the system comprising: a camera-imaging system at a first site for receiving optical images and for producing output signals corresponding to the optical images; a wide angle lens at the first site associated with the camera imaging system for producing the optical images throughout the field of view of the lens for optical conveyance to the camera imaging system, the optical images being distorted by the wide angle lens; a transmitter at the first site to receive the output signals of the camera imaging system to transmit the output signals from the first site to at least one second site; a receiver at the second site to receive signals transmitted by the transmitter; image capture circuitry at the second site for receiving and digitizing signals from the receiver corresponding to output signals of the camera imaging system; input image memory circuitry at the second site for receiving digital signals from the image capture circuitry; image transform processor at the second site for processing the digitized signals in the input image memory circuitry according to selected viewing angles and degree of magnification, and for producing output transform calculation Signals according to a combination of the digitized signals, the selected viewing angles and degree of magnification, the transformation being according to the equations ##EQU8## where: A=(cosφcos∂-sinφsin∂cosβ) B=(sinφcos∂+cosφsin∂cosβ) C=(cosφsin∂+sinφcos∂cosβ) D=(sinφsin∂+cosφcos∂cosβ) and where: R=radius of the image circle β=zenith angle ∂=Azimuth angle in image plane φ=Object plane rotation angle m=Magnification u,v=object plane coordinates x,y=image plane coordinates output image memory circuitry at the second site for receiving the output signals from the image transform processor; input means at the second site for selecting a portion of the distorted wide angle image, and selecting the viewing angles and degree of magnification; microprocessor means at the second site for receiving the selected portion and selected viewing angles and degree of magnification from the input means and for converting the selected portion and selected viewing angles and degree of magnification for input to the image transform processor to control the processing of the transform processor; and output means at the second site connected to the output image memory circuitry to display and record the perspective corrected view according to the selected portion of the image and the selected viewing angles and degree of magnification.

Claim 18

A system for providing perspective corrected views of a selected portion of a distorted wide angle image at a location removed from the site of the creation of the distorted wide angle image without transmitting control signals to the site of the creation of the distorted image, the system comprising: a camera-imaging system at a first site for receiving optical images and for producing output signals corresponding to the optical images; a wide angle lens at the first site associated with the camera imaging system for producing the optical images throughout the field of view of the lens for optical conveyance to the camera imaging system, the optical images being distorted by the wide angle lens; a transmitter at the first site to receive the output signals of the camera imaging system to transmit the output signals from the first site to at least one second site; a receiver at the second site to receive signals transmitted by the transmitter; image capture circuitry at the second site for receiving and digitizing signals from the receiver corresponding to output signals of the camera imaging system; input image memory circuitry at the second site for receiving digital signals from the image capture circuitry; image transform processor at the second site for processing the digitized signals in the input image memory circuitry according to selected viewing angles and degree of magnification, and for producing output transform calculation Signals according to a combination of the digitized signals, the selected viewing angles and degree of magnification, the transformation being according to the equations ##EQU8## where: A=(cosφcos∂-sinφsin∂cosβ) B=(sinφcos∂+cosφsin∂cosβ) C=(cosφsin∂+sinφcos∂cosβ) D=(sinφsin∂+cosφcos∂cosβ) and where: R=radius of the image circle β=zenith angle ∂=Azimuth angle in image plane φ=Object plane rotation angle m=Magnification u,v=object plane coordinates x,y=image plane coordinates output image memory circuitry at the second site for receiving the output signals from the image transform processor; input means at the second site for selecting a portion of the distorted wide angle image, and selecting the viewing angles and degree of magnification; microprocessor means at the second site for receiving the selected portion and selected viewing angles and degree of magnification from the input means and for converting the selected portion and selected viewing angles and degree of magnification for input to the image transform processor to control the processing of the transform processor; and output means at the second site connected to the output image memory circuitry to display and record the perspective corrected view according to the selected portion of the image and the selected viewing angles and degree of magnification.