Virtual reality method

Abstract

A virtual reality method provides, first, a plurality of images, and these images are connected in series as an image sequence. Then, a pointer pointed to a target-image in the image sequence is provided. A direction signal is received, and the pointer points to an adjacent image next to the target-image when the direction signal is a first direction; and the pointer points to an adjacent image previous to the target-image when the direction signal is a second direction.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A virtual reality method, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a plurality of images and connecting the images in series as an image sequence;    providing a pointer pointed to a target-image in the image sequence, wherein the target-image is one of the images in the image sequence;    receiving a direction signal;    determining the direction signal;    altering the pointer to point to an adjacent image next to the target-image in the image sequence when the direction signal is a first direction signal; and    altering the pointer to point to an adjacent image previous to the target-image in the image sequence when the direction signal is a second direction signal.    
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising: 
 determining whether the pointer is pointing to the last image of the image sequence; and  
 altering the pointer to point to the first image of the image sequence when the direction signal is the first direction signal and the pointer is pointing to the last image of the image sequence.  
 
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising: 
 determining whether the pointer is pointing to the first image of the image sequence; and  
 altering the pointer to point to the last image of the image sequence when the direction signal is the second direction signal and the pointer is pointing to the first image of the image sequence.  
 
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising displaying the image pointed to by the pointer.  
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the first direction signal is a right signal.  
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the second direction signal is a left signal.  
     
     
         7 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the images are the photos of an object at different positions on a circle having a fixed radius, and there is a predetermined angle difference between one image and its adjacent image in the image sequence.  
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the predetermined angle difference is a 24 degree horizontal angle.  
     
     
         9 . A virtual reality method, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a plurality of images and arranging the images into a matrix;    providing a pointer pointed to a target-image in the matrix, wherein the target-image is one of the images in the matrix;    receiving a direction signal;    determining the direction signal;    altering the pointer to point to an adjacent image next to the target-image in the matrix when the direction signal is a first direction signal;    altering the pointer to point to an adjacent image previous to the target-image in the matrix when the direction signal is a second direction signal;    altering the pointer to point to an adjacent image above the target-image in the matrix when the direction signal is a third direction signal; and    altering the pointer to point to an adjacent image below the target-image in the matrix when the direction signal is a fourth direction signal.    
     
     
         10 . The method as claimed in  claim 9  further comprising: 
 determining whether the pointer is pointing to the image in the last column of the matrix; and  
 altering the pointer to point to the image in the first column of the matrix when the direction signal is the first direction signal and the pointer is pointing to the image in the last column of the matrix.  
 
     
     
         11 . The method as claimed in  claim 9  further comprising: 
 determining whether the pointer is pointing to the image in the first column of the matrix; and  
 altering the pointer to point to the image in the last column of the matrix when the direction signal is the second direction signal and the pointer is pointing to the image in the first column of the matrix.  
 
     
     
         12 . The method as claimed in  claim 9  further comprising: 
 determining whether the pointer is pointing to the image in the first row of the matrix; and  
 altering the pointer to point to the image in the first row of the matrix when the direction signal is the third direction signal and the pointer is pointing to the image in the first row of the matrix.  
 
     
     
         13 . The method as claimed in  claim 9  further comprising: 
 determining whether the pointer is pointing to the image in the last row of the matrix; and  
 altering the pointer to point to the image in the last row of the matrix when the direction signal is the fourth direction signal and the pointer is pointing to the image in the last row of the matrix.  
 
     
     
         14 . The method as claimed in  claim 9  further comprising displaying the image pointed to by the pointer.  
     
     
         15 . The method as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the first direction signal is a right signal.  
     
     
         16 . The method as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the second direction signal is a left signal.  
     
     
         17 . The method as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the third direction signal is an up signal.  
     
     
         18 . The method as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the fourth direction signal is a down signal.  
     
     
         19 . The method as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the images are the photos of an object at different positions on a virtual spherical surface, and the images in the same row of the matrix represent the images photographed from the same overlooking angle but different horizontal angles, and there is a predetermined horizontal angle difference between one image and its adjacent image in one row, and the images in the same column of the matrix represent the images photographed from the same horizontal angle but different overlooking angles, and there is a predetermined overlooking angle difference between one image and its adjacent image in one column.  
     
     
         20 . The method as claimed in  claim 19  wherein the predetermined horizontal angle difference is a 24 degree horizontal angle.