Abstract: Novel fiducial designs that are based on a plane circle are Disclosed. These fiducial designs can provide five or six degree of freedom poses with a single fiducial using efficient closed form solutions. A novel pose estimation method is used to select the appropriate solution from the multiple solutions obtained, given certain application assumptions, is also disclosed.

Abstract: A novel method of region segmentation for an image is disclosed. Specifically, region segmentation is accomplished by dividing the image into a plurality of sticks of pixels and determining whether each stick belongs to any region from a set of region. Each stick that belongs to any region is classified as belonging to a specific region.

Abstract: A texture projection is generated from a plurality of initial polygonal curved surfaces. Specifically, each of the initial polygonal curved surfaces are divided to form a plurality of second-generation polygonal curved surfaces. Each second-generation polygonal curved surface is then divided to form a third-generation polygonal curved surface. In one embodiment of the present invention, each polygonal curved surface of the same generation has the same area. The texture projection formed using polygonal curved surfaces is more efficient than conventional texture projection because each facet of the texture projection formed using polygonal curved surfaces maps to a spherical area.

Abstract: A decompression unit is configured to partially decompress a compressed image formed by compressed tiles. Each compressed tiles correspond to a tile of the uncompressed image. The decompression unit selects a subset of relevant tiles, which are visible in a view window or a view frustum. Specifically, the decompression unit includes a tile selector to select the relevant tile and a tile decompressor to decompress the relevant tiles. By decompressing only a subset of the compressed tiles, the decompression unit reduces the processing time required to generate the contents of the view window.

Abstract: Asymmetrical camera systems, which are adapted to utilize a greater proportion of the image data from each camera as compared to symmetrical camera systems, are disclosed. Specifically, an outward facing camera system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of equatorial cameras distributed evenly about an origin point in a plane. The outward facing camera system also includes a first plurality of polar cameras tilted above the plane. Furthermore, some embodiments of the present invention include a second plurality of polar cameras tilted below the plane. The equatorial cameras and polar cameras are configured to capture an complete coverage of an environment.

Abstract: Novel fiducial designs that are based on a plane circle are Disclosed. These fiducial designs can provide five or six degree of freedom poses with a single fiducial using efficient closed form solutions. A novel pose estimation method is used to select the appropriate solution from the multiple solutions obtained, given certain application assumptions, is also disclosed.

Abstract: A novel method of region segmentation for an image is disclosed. Specifically, region segmentation is accomplished by dividing the image into a plurality of sticks of pixels and determining whether each stick belongs to any region from a set of region. Each stick that belongs to any region is classified as belonging to a specific region.

Abstract: A decoder decodes a binary input string encoded with a variable length code using an offset lookup table and a symbol lookup table. The decoder reads a first subset of leading bits from the binary input string and calculates an offset index value for the offset lookup table based on the first subset of leading bits. The offset index value is used to index the offset lookup table to obtain an offset value. Then, a symbol index value for the symbol lookup table is calculated from the offset value and a second subset of leading bits from the binary input string. The symbol index value is used to index the symbol lookup table to obtain a symbol, which corresponds to a third subset of leading bits of the binary input string.

Abstract: An immersive video system for displays a view window of an environment using multiple video streams. The immersive video system includes a video source containing multiple overlapping video streams. An immersive video decoder selects an active video stream based on the location of the view window. A video decoder decodes the active video stream for the immersive video decoder. The immersive video decoder then selects the appropriate parts of the video stream to display in the view window.

Abstract: An environment map creation system creates an environment map from one or more images representing an environment. The environment map creation system includes a texture projection generation unit, which produces a texture projection having polygonal curved surfaces as facets. An environment map rendering unit uses the texture projection to create the environment map from the one or more images. Specifically, the environment map creation system determines an image area in the one or more images corresponding to each polygonal curved surface. The polygonal curved surface is colored based on the corresponding image area. The environment map is formed from the polygonal curved surfaces which become texels in the environment map.

Abstract: A method for providing fast switching between video tracks is presented. Video packets are defined as each having a size of less than one group of pictures (GOP). These video packets are combined in an interleaved fashion and may be written to a storage medium. When obtaining interleaved video stream elements from a storage medium or from a video stream, each video stream element is read such that the read buffer contains data for a particular frame from each of the tracks. A video stream element may be a packet of size less than one GOP or an interleaved video unit (IlVU) containing one or more GOPs. Because multiple views of the particular frame are resident in the read buffer, a decoder may respond to a command to change video tracks simply by reading a different location in the read buffer, rather than first loading additional track information into the read buffer. The video stream elements are locked into the read buffer when switching between tracks.

Abstract: An immersive video display system is configured to display an immersive video formed by a plurality of compressed environment maps. The immersive video display system includes a decompression unit to partially decompress each compressed environment map to create a partially decompressed environment map. A texture rendering unit creates an image for a view window for each of the compressed environment maps by texture mapping the visible portion of a texture projection using the partially decompressed environment map. By decompressing only a portion of the compressed environment map, the immersive video display system requires less processing time to generate the contents of the view window.

Abstract: A three-dimensional model of an object can be generated using a computer system by identifying reference points in two or more 2D representations of the object to be modeled, and deriving 3D positional data based on an application of an initial estimation model to the identified reference points. A texture-mapped version of the 3D model can be generated by mapping texture information from the 2D representations onto the derived 3D positional data.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method combines related source images, each represented by a set of digital data, by determining three-dimensional relationships between data sets representing related source images and creating a data set representing an output image by combining the data sets representing the source images in accordance with the determined three-dimensional relationships.