Abstract: Components for generating, reviewing, processing, storing, retrieving, analyzing, and optimizing information input to or output from a virtual environment. The components may be a video camera component, a stand-alone or device mountable on a tripod to permit a camera person to select from one or more views within a virtual environment, such as a video game being executed, and to provide alternative views within the confines of the virtual environment. The component permits selection from multiple views and manipulation of the same, including a rotation leftward or rightward, a tilt upward or downward, a zooming inward or outward, a translation (for example, a track movement) leftward, rightward, forward, or backward, a rolling movement, and a camera position adjustment (for example, crane movement) upward or downward.

Abstract: Components for generating, reviewing, processing, storing, retrieving, analyzing, and optimizing information input to or output from a virtual environment. The components may be a video camera component, a stand-alone or device mountable on a tripod to permit a camera person to select from one or more views within a virtual environment, such as a video game being executed, and to provide alternative views within the confines of the virtual environment. The component permits selection from multiple views and manipulation of the same, including a rotation leftward or rightward, a tilt upward or downward, a zooming inward or outward, a translation (for example, a track movement) leftward, rightward, forward, or backward, a rolling movement, and a camera position adjustment (for example, crane movement) upward or downward.

Abstract: In a telepresence system, a scene is captured by recording pixel data elements, each associated with a pixel ray vector having a direction and an intercept on an known locus in the frame of reference of the scene. Each pixel data element includes data representing the illumination along the pixel ray vector. For example, the pixel data elements may be captured by operating numerous video cameras pointing in different directions on a spherical locus. A virtual viewpoint image representing the image which would be seen from an arbitrary viewpoint, looking in an arbitrary direction, can be synthesized by determining the directions of synthetic pixel ray vectors from each pixel of the virtual viewpoint image through the virtual viewpoint and the intercepts of these vectors on the locus. Recorded pixel data elements having pixel ray vector directions and intercepts close to those of the synthetic pixel ray vector can be copied or interpolated to provide data representing illumination in the synthetic pixel.

Abstract: In a telepresence system, a scene is captured by recording pixel data elements, each associated with a pixel ray vector having a direction and an intercept on an known locus in the frame of reference of the scene. Each pixel data element includes data representing the illumination along the pixel ray vector. For example, the pixel data elements may be captured by operating numerous video cameras pointing in different directions on a spherical locus. A virtual viewpoint image representing the image which would be seen from an arbitrary viewpoint, looking in an arbitrary direction, can be synthesized by determining the directions of synthetic pixel ray vectors from each pixel of the virtual viewpoint image through the virtual viewpoint and the intercepts of these vectors on the locus. Recorded pixel data elements having pixel ray vector directions and intercepts close to those of the synthetic pixel ray vector can be copied or interpolated to provide data representing illumination in the synthetic pixel.

Abstract: In a telepresence system, a scene is captured by recording pixel data elements, each associated with a pixel ray vector having a direction and an intercept on an known locus in the frame of reference of the scene. Each pixel data element includes data representing the illumination along the pixel ray vector. For example, the pixel data elements may be captured by operating numerous video cameras pointing in different directions on a spherical locus. A virtual viewpoint image representing the image which would be seen from an arbitrary viewpoint, looking in an arbitrary direction, can be synthesized by determining the directions of synthetic pixel ray vectors from each pixel of the virtual viewpoint image through the virtual viewpoint and the intercepts of these vectors on the locus. Recorded pixel data elements having pixel ray vector directions and intercepts close to those of the synthetic pixel ray vector can be copied or interpolated to provide data representing illumination in the synthetic pixel.

Abstract: In a telepresence system, a scene is captured by recording pixel data elements, each associated with a pixel ray vector having a direction and an intercept on an known locus in the frame of reference of the scene. Each pixel data element includes data representing the illumination along the pixel ray vector. For example, the pixel data elements may be captured by operating numerous video cameras pointing in different directions on a spherical locus. A virtual viewpoint image representing the image which would be seen from an arbitrary viewpoint, looking in an arbitrary direction, can be synthesized by determining the directions of synthetic pixel ray vectors from each pixel of the virtual viewpoint image through the virtual viewpoint and the intercepts of these vectors on the locus. Recorded pixel data elements having pixel ray vector directions and intercepts close to those of the synthetic pixel ray vector can be copied or interpolated to provide data representing illumination in the synthetic pixel.

Abstract: A system for generating images of a scene as the scene would be observed from an arbitrary location. A plurality of discrete images, typically video images, taken at different viewpoints, as, for example, by a plurality of cameras pointing outwardly on a curving locus are converted to an offset epipolar image. The offset epipolar image includes a plurality of linesets, each such lineset incorporating one scanning line from each of the discrete video images. Each line in the virtual image is reconstructed from a lineset of the epipolar image. The reconstruction may include interpolation between pixel data representing lines from adjacent discrete images and mapping of pixels from one or more lines representing one or more adjacent discrete images onto the pixel line of the virtual image. The nature of the mapping depends upon the viewpoint selected for the virtual image. The system can provide real time stereoscopic telepresence, i.e.

Abstract: A system for generating images of a scene as the scene would be observed from an arbitrary location. A plurality of discrete images, typically video images, taken at different viewpoints, as, for example, by a plurality of cameras pointing outwardly on a curving locus are converted to an offset epipolar image. The offset epipolar image includes a plurality of linesets, each such lineset incorporating one scanning line from each of the discrete video images. Each line in the virtual image is reconstructed from a lineset of the epipolar image. The reconstruction may include interpolation between pixel data representing lines from adjacent discrete images and mapping of pixels from one or more lines representing one or more adjacent discrete images onto the pixel line of the virtual image. The nature of the mapping depends upon the viewpoint selected for the virtual image. The system can provide real time stereoscopic telepresence, i.e.