Abstract: The primary components of the panoramic video viewer include a decoder module. The purpose of the decoder module is to input incoming encoded panoramic video data and to output a decoded version thereof. The incoming data may be provided over a network and originate from a server, or it may simply be read from a storage media, such as a hard drive, CD or DVD. Once decoded, the data associated with each video frame is preferably stored in a storage module and made available to a 3D rendering module. The 3D rendering module is essentially a texture mapper that takes the frame data and maps the desired views onto a prescribed environment model. The output of the 3D rendering module is provided to a display module where the panoramic video is viewed by a user of the system. Typically, the user will be viewing just a portion of the scene depicted in the panoramic video at any one time, and will be able to control what portion is viewed.

Abstract: A directed graph includes a plurality of containers, where each container has a type value and is instantiated based on one of a plurality of container types. Each action as instantiated includes an action method table comprising a plurality of action methods. Each action when traversing the directed graph employs the type value of an encountered container as an offset into the action method table thereof to select the action method to be executed on the encountered container. During run-time and prior to traversing the directed graph, an action is instantiated if not already instantiated, and the method table of the action is expanded and filled in based on any new container types in the system.