Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for providing special effects for wide-angle video images. The special effects include replacing a selected portion of a wide-angle video image with a predetermined image or an associated portion of a video image captured in a subsequent frame. Other special effects include image intensity scaling for wide-angle video images.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing an improved Internet camera is described. The method of keeping a periodically refreshed image on a user's system comprises receiving a plurality of images, and identifying a most interesting image. The method further comprises selecting the most interesting image as a current image, and sending the current image to the user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing an improved Internet camera is provided. The method of sending data to a client comprises sending the data through a first path to the client and periodically refreshing the data, the refreshing data sent through a second path to the client.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing an improved Internet camera is described. The method of keeping a refreshed image from a camera on a user's system comprises sending the image to the user's system and refreshing the image when a refresh period has elapsed. The method further comprises decreasing a frequency of the refresh after a period of time.

Abstract: The present invention, generally speaking, provides an improved web-based media submission tool. As with some existing tools, operation of the tool is drag and drop or the user can “click” to browse a directory to select media objects. Unlike existing tools, the tool provides the user an opportunity to confirm the submission, for example by generating a thumbnail image of an image file that has been dragged and dropped. Batch submission is provided for in which a user drags and drops a plurality of images or other media objects. Submission from a web page to a web page is also provided for. The submission tool is configurable to perform a variable amount of intellegent preprocessing on media objects prior to upload. In the case of digital images, the tool can perform sizing and formatting, for example. Information capture is performed with information being uploaded together with the media objects. In an exemplary embodiment, information capture is both user-transparent (e.g.

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.