Abstract: The object is to provide an image viewing system that allows easy image viewing with reduced eyestrain, whether for wide-angle or enlarged viewing. The rotation of the viewer's head is detected by means of piezo-electric vibration gyroscopes 405 and 406, and the coefficient for setting the amount of change in the camera system's image shooting direction with reference to the detected direction is changed in accordance with the focal length of the camera system's zoom lens systems. Moreover, the amount of change in the image shooting direction may be changed manually by means of sensitivity setting lever 213 mounted on HMD 2.

Abstract: There are provided a multi-viewpoint image database for holding images from a plurality of different viewpoints, a viewpoint detector for detecting a position of the observer's viewpoint, and a viewpoint parameter calculating portion for obtaining a viewpoint parameter from an output from the viewpoint detector. Further, a pixel value producing portion is provided for calculating a parameter necessary for reconstruction of image from the type of display screen and the viewpoint parameter, calculating with the parameter to which pixel in the images in the multi-viewpoint image database each pixel in a reconstructed image corresponds, and extracting corresponding pixels from the multi-viewpoint image database.

Abstract: A system (300) for combining a panning camera (308) with one or more displays (304), such as head-mounted displays, is provided. A panoramic view from an electronic panning camera may be provided to an electronic panning control circuit (510). The electronic panning control circuit may be responsive to a view selector (306), such as a head-tracker located on a user's HMD. The electronic panning circuit selects the desired portion of the panoramic view to send to the user's display. A stereoscopic, view providing for a depth-of-field effect simulating actual vision, stereo view is achieved by locating a first electronic panning camera (502) in an optically horizontally offset relation with a second electronic panning camera (504). An image splitter (510), such as a half silvered mirror, sends the same, slightly horizontally offset, to both cameras. Individually pannable views may be delivered to users via a communications network (312).

Abstract: A composite image may be produced from a plurality of images. Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a process for producing a composite image includes the following steps. A current image is selected from the plurality of images. The current image has an offset. A portion is extracted from the current image. The portion of the current image is then transferred onto a storage medium that stores the composite image, to a position corresponding to the offset.

Abstract: A compact high resolution omnidirectional or panoramic viewer has several cameras with a common virtual optical center. The field of view of each of the cameras is arranged to form a continuous 360 degree view of an area when taken as a whole. The cameras are positioned so that they each views a different reflective surface of a polyhedron such as a pyramid. This results in each camera having a virtual optical center positioned within the pyramid. The cameras may be positioned so that their virtual optical centers are offset from each other. The offsets produce narrow blind regions that remove image distortions received from the edges of the pyramid's reflective surfaces. The reflective pyramids may be stacked base to base or nested within each other to produce a more compact panoramic viewer. Using two or more reflective pyramids in such close proximity permits using many cameras with the same virtual optical center.

Abstract: A novel display system for observing virtual and real images. The display system includes a light redirection surface or reflective surface (e.g, mirrored surface) to display, for example, a virtual image. The system also has a light emitting surface, or LES, which includes first and second sides directly opposite from each other. The LES emits light to form the virtual image at an apparent distance behind the reflective surface. An observing region is also included on the second side of the LES for observing the image through the LES.

Abstract: A steerable motor vehicle is remotely controlled by a human operator at a remote control station with the operator being supplied with three-dimensional realistic visual representations of scenes in the vicinity of the vehicle to allow him to exercise more accurate control of the vehicle taking into account objects and other features occurring in the environment immediately encountered by the vehicle. The vehicle carries two vehicle cameras for binocularly viewing scenes, and the viewed scenes are transmitted by RF communication links to the remote control station where the scenes are recreated on two display screens, forming part of a virtual reality headset worn by the operator, viewed separately by separate eyes of the operator to create a three-dimensional and realistic impression of the scenes seen by the two cameras.

Abstract: In an audio/video/computer graphics data synchronous reproducing/synthesizing system, a demultiplexer separates a bit stream in which an audio signal, a video signal, and computer graphics data are compressed and multiplexed, into compressed audio and video signal streams, audio and video signal time reference values, and a compressed computer graphics data stream. An audio PLL generates a first decoding clock. An audio decoder decodes the audio signal. An audio memory stores the decoded audio signal. A modulator modulates the audio signal in accordance with sound source control information. A video PLL generates a second decoding clock. A video decoder decodes the video signal. A video memory stores the decoded video signal. A CG decoder decodes the computer graphics data and event time management information. A CG memory stores the decoded computer graphics data. An event generator generates an event driving instruction. A detector detects viewpoint movement of an observer.

Abstract: Video images are displayed from a sequence of frames or lines of video signals from a prerecorded source of frames or lines, respectively. A direction that a user is facing is determined by a directional device and a portion of the sequence of frames or lines are stored based on the direction determined by the directional device. The stored portion is read from memory and displayed for the user.

Abstract: A camera provided with a housing having a plurality of entrance windows through each of which extraneous light rays are taken in, an image pickup device mounted in this housing, an optical element that is disposed in the housing and is operative to form images obtained from extraneous light rays taken in through the plurality of entrance windows on the imaging plane of the image pickup device, a light Shielding member that is provided in such a way as to be upright on the imaging plane of the image pickup device and to divide the imaging plane of the image pickup device into imaging fields on which images are respectively formed from the extraneous light rays taken in through the plurality of entrance windows, an aperture limitation remember that is placed in a stage preceding the light shielding member and has an aperture to limit the size of an incidence optical path of each of extraneous light rays from which images are formed on the imaging plane of the image pickup device, a diaphragm member that is disp

Abstract: A scheme for image selection in an image transmission system for transmitting images from an image source to an image display device, capable of eliminating a need for the viewer to select the desired image by actually watching individual images and easily selecting the desired image in which a specific desired target of the viewer is shown. Feature information for identifying targets shown in each image is obtained, while a desired feature information for identifying a desired target specified by the viewer is entered. Then, the desired image which contains the desired target specified by the viewer is selected according to the obtained feature information and the entered desired feature information. The feature information may be obtained by recognizing targets shown in each image provided by the image source, or may be generated in advance in correspondence to images provided by the image source.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transforming wide angle video into perspective corrected viewing zones which either a single user or multiple users may select, orient and magnify. The present invention first captures a wide angle digital video input by any suitable means. The captured image is then stored in a suitable memory means so portions of the image may be selected at a later time. When a portion of the stored video is selected for viewing, a plurality of discrete viewing vectors in three dimensional space are chosen on the video input and transformed to a plurality of control points in a two dimensional plane or any other suitable surface. The area between these points which is still warped from the original wide angle image capture is then transformed to a perspective corrected field of view. The perspective corrected field of view is then displayed on a suitable displaying apparatus, such as a monitor or head mounted display.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing a lens calibration procedure which is executed for each camera and lens pair. The calibration procedure is performed to determine the camera and lens nodal point offset and field of view, plus image offset in both the horizontal and vertical directions as a function of lens zoom and focus settings. The method includes the step of providing apparatus which enables the semi-automatic and rapid entry of data points representing lens zoom and focus setting information, thereby eliminating a source of human error. The general method includes the steps of creating a real environment and an identical virtual environment which is a copy of the real environment. The image from the virtual environment is superimposed on a monitor displaying the real environment. The camera's zoom and focus rings are incremented through a plurality of values by discrete steps. For each value, the virtual environment's settings are manipulated until the real and virtual images are identical.

Abstract: A reflective rotund lens is positioned for projecting a panoramic picture of its horizontal surroundings at a given elevation onto a CCD array, for converting the picture into "pixel form" or an image signal. The image signal is digitized via an A/D converter circuit. A digital signal processor system is programmed for extracting a strip of pixel locations representative of an image ring mapped to pixel locations via superimposition upon the image, whereby all pixel locations outside of the image ring are eliminated by passing the pixels thereof through said A/D converter circuit at a rate higher than the conversion rate of the A/D converter circuit.

Abstract: An image taken by a mobile camera is displayed on a head-mounted display provided with an acceleration sensor to detect movement of the observer's head, and the size of the image viewed by the observer wearing the display is varied according to the movement of the observer's head. For varying the image size, the camera is equipped with a zoom lens to change the size of shooting area, or alternatively, the display is equipped with a zoom lens as the eyepiece to enlarge or reduce the size of the displayed image. An image showing the appearance of the camera is displayed being superimposed on the image taken by the camera in order to facilitate the control of the camera by the observer.

Abstract: A video surveillance system has a camera equipped with a fisheye lens having a substantially hemispheric field of view. The system implements operations equivalent to the panning, tilting and zooming of a conventional camera without the use of moving parts. The lens is mounted vertically above a plane under surveillance. The camera produces a fisheye image made up of a plurality of pixels. The fisheye image is distorted due to the properties of the fisheye lens. The system corrects the distortion by mapping the pixels of the fisheye image to coordinates produced by selecting a particular part of the fisheye image to be viewed. This allows an operator to select parts of the field of view of the fisheye lens and view them as if they had been produced by a camera having a conventional lens being panned tilted or zoomed. The fisheye image formed by the camera is split into four separate image components carried by four bundles of optical fibers.

Abstract: Night vision apparatus including an infrared night vision sensor having a selected field of view and a display panel positioned for displaying an image detected by the sensor, the display panel having a display aspect ratio optimized based upon the horizontal dimension of the field of view of the infrared sensor such that the display aspect ratio decreases as the horizontal field of view narrows.

Abstract: The orientation of an image display device is maintained fixed relative to the viewer, the image display device is enclosed in a transparent body, and by detecting rotation angles of the image display device with respect to the transparent body, an image that is to be viewed when the transparent body is held in a hand or the like is displayed on the image display device, thereby enabling the viewer to view a displayed object from any desired direction as if he is holding the object in his hand.

Abstract: A lens 2 is mechanically connected to an image processor 3 having a different mount from that of the lens 2 via a converting adapter 1. A computer 4 is electrically connected to the converting adapter 1 and the lens 2 via electrical terminals 6 and 7. A command transmitted from the computer 4 is converted by an internal converter 8 of the converting adapter 1. The computer 4 controls an internal actuator 2c of the lens 2 by transmitting a command through communication.

Abstract: A virtual reality television system includes a video capture and encoding system for capturing and encoding the surface geometries and colors of objects and their background as the objects interact during a live action event taking place in a live action space; an audio capture and encoding system for capturing and encoding spatial sound sources emanating from the live action space as a result of the objects interacting therein, as well as ambient sounds emanating from a periphery area around the live action space and commentators' voices; and a rendering system responsive to viewer manipulated input devices for rendering a visual and auditory experience of the live action event from the perspective of a viewer selected virtual viewpoint related to the live action space.

Abstract: A multiple position camera apparatus and method for a three-dimensional computer controlled telepresence camera system useful in surrogate travel type applications. In one embodiment, it enables a telepresence application provider to form multi-view application specific stored image sequences from up to six orthogonally positioned cameras. It furthermore enables a telepresence user to subsequently retrieve for remote viewing particular subsets of the available image sequences and/or groups of sequences via a monitoring and display system. A viewing procedure provides the user with the ability to proceed spatially and/or contiguously along any camera to camera direction. It further uses a wire cage to enable the definition and setting of the field of view of each camera.

Abstract: Video image information representing an immersive image up to a complete spherical field of view is utilized by a special image processor to extract a region of interest as a moveable window. The immersive image is divided into standardized pentagonal segments according to the geometry of the dodecahedron, and these segments are carried as a plurality of video channels. The image processor extracts and assembles the moveable region of interest from among the various segments of the image as they are recorded in a segmented memory, according to pointing device information from the user, such as a joystick or the tracker of a head-mounted-display. The video image information used can come from sources including a photographic camera system recording scenes from the real world, and can be either live or prerecorded. Existing methods for transmission of video channels can be used to broadcast such immersive images.

Abstract: The system of the present invention provides actual interactive choices to members of an audience in the form of three dimensional (3D) objects in space, and after each member of the audience reaches out at, points at, or looks at the 3D object of choice, the system responds and alters the audio and/or video feedback to each member. Specifically, a 3D video production is presented on a screen and at several points during the presentation a character or person, appearing on the screen, requests each user to respond to a question by physically selecting one of several possible 3D objects, the 3D objects appearing through the 3D effect to be floating directly in front of each user. The 3D answer options could be three 3D characters, for example. Selection of one of these objects is facilitated through a unique user interface unit, embodied in either a helmet, gun, or wand configuration. Each of these alternative user interface units allow the interactive selection to be made by physical gestures.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus by which a panorama image is produced with a high degree of accuracy from an image signal are disclosed. An image signal produced by a CCD imaging element is recorded onto a video tape by way of a camera signal processing circuit, a recording signal processing circuit, a recording/reproduction amplifier and so forth. Meanwhile, a microcomputer calculates of a motion vector of an image from the output of a motion vector detector to which the image signal from the CCD imaging element is inputted, and controls a video subcode processor so that motion vector information may be recorded onto the video tape. The motion vector information is reproduced from the video tape together with the image signal, and a plurality of images are formed from the thus reproduced image signal and joined together in accordance with the motion vector information to produce a panorama image.

Abstract: System for processing digital images includes a system of n fixed real cameras whose individual fields of view merge for recording a panoramic scene. An image construction system simulates a mobile, virtual camera continuously scanning the panoramic scene (Iv) to furnish an arbitrary sub-image, referred to as a digital target image (Iv) constructed from adjacent source images of the real cameras. A luminance equalizing system includes modules which apply correction laws (Gi, Gj), respectively, to the sets (R and F(R)) of the corresponding luminance levels, in portions (Ivi, Ivj) of a digital target image (Iv) constructed from two adjacent digital source images (Ii, Ij) to equalize these corresponding levels in accordance with the relation Gi(R)=Gj[F(R)].

Abstract: A method and an apparatus by which a panorama image is produced with a high degree of accuracy from an image signal wherein an image signal produced by a CCD imaging element is recorded onto a video tape by way of a camera signal processing circuit, a recording signal processing circuit, a recording/reproduction amplifier and so forth. Meanwhile, a microcomputer calculates of a motion vector of an image from the output of a motion vector detector to which the image signal from the CCD imaging element is inputted, and controls a video subcode processor so that motion vector information may be recorded onto the video tape. The motion vector information is reproduced from the video tape together with the image signal, and a plurality of images are formed from the thus reproduced image signal and joined together in accordance with the motion vector information to produce a panorama image.

Abstract: The invention causes a panoramic view to be realistically displayed to a viewing audience. A fixed display device displays a portion of the panoramic view and a rotating support structure supports the viewing audience. The orientation of the portion of the panoramic view shown by the display device changes in coordination with the rotation of the support structure, while the viewing audience changes its viewing direction to continue looking at the display device. The characteristics of the system (in particular, the rotation of the support structure) are controlled so that the viewing audience is not conscious of the movement of the support structure, but thinks, instead, that the display device (and the displayed portion of the panoramic view) is moving about the support structure as the viewing audience changes its viewing direction. The invention can be implemented as a non-interactive system in which the system operates independently of the viewing audience.

Abstract: A compact display system simulates a panoramic view to an observer located at a central viewing station. A toric mirror, comprising a compressed portion of a sphere, has a concave reflective surface disposed in surrounding relation to the given viewing station while a spherical rear projection screen which receives projected image light on its inner surface presents a panoramic image to the toric mirror from its outer surface. A plurality of projectors are disposed tangentially above the upper periphery of the rear projection screen and project associated portions of the light image onto the inside of the screen via fold mirrors. Each projector includes a high intensity CRT and a color shutter.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus by which a panorama image is produced with a high degree of accuracy from an image signal are disclosed. An image signal produced by a CCD imaging element is recorded onto a video tape by way of a camera signal processing circuit, a recording signal processing circuit, a recording/reproduction amplifier and so forth. Meanwhile, a microcomputer calculates of a motion vector of an image from the output of a motion vector detector to which the image signal from the CCD imaging element is inputted, and controls a video subcode processor so that motion vector information may be recorded onto the video tape. The motion vector information is reproduced from the video tape together with the image signal, and a plurality of images are formed from the thus reproduced image signal and joined together in accordance with the motion vector information to produce a panorama image.

Abstract: Blue Ring is a system for video display comprising a multiplicity of non-contiguous but simultaneous video images distributed in space so as to create the illusion that the viewer is inside moving action. It uses digital video playback technology currently in the form of videodisc machines with a microchip controller to achieve the degree of simultaneity necessary for the illusion of motion surrounding the observer.

Abstract: A method of processing images for constructing a target image (Io) from adjacent images having a fixed frame line and referred to as source images (I1, . . . , Ii, Ij, . . . , In), the source and target images having substantially common view points. This method includes the steps of: digitizing the images, determining, for one of the pixels of the target image (Io), the address (Aq) of a corresponding point in one of all source images (Ij), determining the luminance value (F) at this corresponding point, assigning the luminance value (F) of this corresponding pixel to the initial pixel in the target image (Io), and repeating these steps for each pixel of the target image (Io). A device for performing this method includes a system of n fixed real cameras (C1, . . . , Cn) which provide n adjacent source images (I1, . . .

Abstract: The apparatus (10) performs pan and zoom functions in conjunction with an electronic image sensor (18) with an image area (72, 92, 112) in which a plurality of lines and columns of pixel data are generated by impinging light. Pan and zoom commands are generated by an input device (12) in response to operator input or commands from a microprocessor and the like. A vertical indexing circuitry (14, 16, 64, 72, 76, 86) is coupled to the image sensor (18) and selectively transfers from the image area (72, 92, 112) a number of successive lines of pixel data in response to the pan and zoom commands. A horizontal indexing circuitry (14, 16, 62, 66, 80, 100, 116) is coupled to the vertical indexing circuitry for receiving the selected number of successive lines of pixel data and further selecting a number of successive columns of pixel data therefrom for display in response to the pan and zoom commands.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for displaying an image that is subject to multiple distortions substantially without distortion is provided. The image is recorded from a first viewpoint and subject to a first distortion and played back from a second viewpoint and subject to a second distortion. The display surface may also be distorted (e.g., curved). By mapping back through the projector to the screen and through the camera (at the viewpoint), the image is transformed so that it can be viewed from the viewpoint with little or no distortion.

Abstract: A endoscopic-type device for omnidirectional image viewing providing electronic pan-and-tilt orientation, rotation, and magnification within a selected field-of-view for use in applications in various environments such as in internal medicine inspection, monitoring, and surgery. The imaging device (using optical or infrared images) is based on the effect that the image from a wide angle lens, which produces a circular image of an entire field-of-view, can be mathematically corrected using high speed electronic circuitry. More specifically, an incoming image from a endoscope image acquisition source, including a wide angle lens, is transmitted through an image conduit and captured by a camera that produces output signals according to that image. A transformation of these output signals is performed for the viewing region of interest and viewing direction, and a corrected image is output as a video image signal for viewing, recording, or analysis.