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US5990941A
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Method and apparatus for the interactive display of any portion of a spherical image
Assignee: Sony Corp
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Filing: 1995-08-18
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Granted: 1999-11-23
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Expires: 2015-08-18
Abstract
Abstract 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.
Inventors
- 👤 Laban Phelps Jackson
- 👤 Alexis S. Pecoraro
- 👤 Peter Hansen
- 👤 Martin L. Bauer
- 👤 H. Lee Martin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 21:50
CPC Classifications
G; G08; G08B; G08B13/00; G08B13/18; G08B13/189; G08B13/194; G08B13/196; G08B13/19617; G08B13/19626; G08B13/19628; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/40; G06T; G06T3/00; G06T3/12; G08B13/19639; G08B13/19641; H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/21; H04N1/2104; H04N1/2158; H04N1/2166; H04N1/217; H04N23/00; H04N23/58; H04N23/60; H04N23/698; H04N25/00; H04N5/00; H04N5/222; H04N5/262; H04N5/2628; H04N7/00; H04N7/002; H04N7/18; H04N7/183
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
96 words
A method of taking a single image captured with a lens having a field of view equal to 180 degrees and creating a 360 degree fully surrounding spherical visualization for an observer comprising the steps of obtaining a first 180 degree image, mirror imaging the first image to obtain a second 180 degree image, combining the first and second images into a spherical image, and storing said combined spherical image in memory, wherein a further step comprises transforming a selected image at the seam between the first image and the second image into a planar image.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
96 words
A method of taking a single image captured with a lens having a field of view equal to 180 degrees and creating a 360 degree fully surrounding spherical visualization for an observer comprising the steps of obtaining a first 180 degree image, mirror imaging the first image to obtain a second 180 degree image, combining the first and second images into a spherical image, and storing said combined spherical image in memory, wherein a further step comprises transforming a selected image at the seam between the first image and the second image into a planar image.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the preliminary step of digitizing the image data and the mirror imaging step comprises the step of axis reversal of image data to obtain mirror image data.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the preliminary step of digitizing the image data and the additional step of seam filtering pixel data at the border between the first and second images.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of designating active regions for subsequent programming reference.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of distortion and perspective correction of a selected portion using equations based on a fisheye lens' optical characteristics including said lens' radius R.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
65 words
A method of creating a mirror image to complete a combined seamless spherical image when only one hemisphere is used by a user for interactive viewing comprising the steps of mirror imaging a first 180 degree or greater image to obtain a second 180 degree or greater image, and combining said first and second 180 degree or greater images into said combined seamless spherical image.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
65 words
A method of creating a mirror image to complete a combined seamless spherical image when only one hemisphere is used by a user for interactive viewing comprising the steps of mirror imaging a first 180 degree or greater image to obtain a second 180 degree or greater image, and combining said first and second 180 degree or greater images into said combined seamless spherical image.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-11-22 | 2003-05-24 | 2003-11-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-11-22 | 2007-05-24 | 2007-11-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-11-22 | 2011-05-24 | 2011-11-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |