Image-based digital representation of a scenery

Abstract

An image-based digital representation of a scenery for visually presenting the scenery is stored in an image information storing structure, which comprises vertices, each representing a digital image, and edges binding together a first vertex with a second vertex. Each edge represents information of a transition between a first image in the first vertex and a second image in the second vertex, the first and the second image depicting different views of the scenery, the first image having a first area and the second image having a second area, wherein the depictions of the first area substantially correspond to the depictions of the second area. The transition information defines a manipulation of at least one of the first and the second images, said manipulation comprising a computation of at least one transition image, the transition image depicting a new view of the scenery depicted in the first and second images. Also, a method for presentation of a navigation in a scenery, a method for presentation of images, and a device, a method, and a computer program for creating an image information storing structure is disclosed.

1 . An image-based digital representation of a scenery for visually presenting the scenery, the representation being stored in an image information storing structure comprising 
 vertices, each representing a digital image, and    edges binding together a first vertex with a second vertex, each edge representing information of a transition between a first image in the first vertex and a second image in the second vertex, the first and the second image depicting different views of the scenery, the first image having a first area and the second image having a second area, wherein the depictions of the first area substantially correspond to the depictions of the second area,    said transition information defining a manipulation of at least one of the first and the second images, said manipulation comprising a computation of at least one transition image, the transition image depicting a new view of the scenery depicted in the first and second images.    
     
     
         2 . The image-based digital representation according to  claim 1 , wherein the manipulation comprise a computation of several transition images depicting different views of the scenery.  
     
     
         3 . The image-based digital representation according to  claim 1 , wherein the transition information defines a manipulation for altering a presentation of a first image, the depictions of which comprising a planar surface from a first viewing point, to a presentation of a second image, the depictions of which comprising said planar surface from a second viewing point.  
     
     
         4 . The image-based digital representation according to  claim 1 , wherein the transition information defines a manipulation for altering a presentation of a first image depicting a scenery from a viewing point in a first viewing angle to a presentation of a second image depicting the scenery from said viewing point in a second viewing angle.  
     
     
         5 . The image-based digital representation according to  claim 1 , wherein the transition information defines a manipulation for altering a presentation of a first image depicting a scenery from a first viewing point in a viewing angle to a presentation of a second image depicting the scenery from a second viewing point in said viewing angle.  
     
     
         6 . The image-based digital representation according to  claim 1 , wherein the manipulation comprises a projective transformation.  
     
     
         7 . The image-based digital representation according to  claim 1 , wherein said manipulation is based on the information in the first and second areas.  
     
     
         8 . The image-based digital representation according to  claim 1 , wherein said manipulation uses information of correspondence points in the first and the second areas.  
     
     
         9 . The image-based digital representation according to  claim 8 , wherein the transition information defines a function of the progress of the transition for the movement of the correspondence points from a position in the first image to another position in the second image.  
     
     
         10 . The image-based digital representation according to  claim 8 , wherein the transition information further comprises a point set, which define the positions of the correspondence points in a specific transition image.  
     
     
         11 . The image-based digital representation according to  claim 1 , wherein a point in the transition image is computable by blending a mapping of a point in the first image onto said point in the transition image with a mapping of a point in the second image onto said point in the transition image.  
     
     
         12 . The image-based digital representation according to  claim 11 , wherein the transition information defines weights for the blending, said weights defining the influence of each point in the first and second images for calculation of the transition image.  
     
     
         13 . The image-based digital representation according to  claim 12 , wherein the weights differ within the first and second image in accordance with a predefined function.  
     
     
         14 . The image-based digital representation according to  claim 12 , wherein the weights of the first and the second images varies as a function of the progress of the transition for calculation of different transition images.  
     
     
         15 . The image-based digital representation according to  claim 1 , wherein the manipulation uses at least one additional image for computation of the transition image, the first, the second and the additional images depicting different views of the scenery, the first image having a first area, the second image having a second area, and the additional image having a third area, wherein the depictions of the first area substantially correspond to the depictions of the second area and the third area.  
     
     
         16 . The image-based digital representation according to claim l,wherein the transition information defines a function for altering a presentation of at least a part of the first image to a presentation of at least a part of the second image via a presentation of the at least one transition image.  
     
     
         17 . The image-based digital representation according to  claim 16 , wherein the transition is reversible, whereby the transition is usable for altering a presentation of at least a part of the second image to a presentation of at least a part of the first image.  
     
     
         18 . The image-based digital representation according to  claim 1 , wherein the vertex representing the first image further comprises a link to another vertex via at least one specified edge for transition of a presentation of the first image to a presentation of the image represented by the other vertex.  
     
     
         19 . The image-based digital representation according to  claim 18 , wherein the link is coupled to the first area.  
     
     
         20 . The image-based digital representation according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second areas are predefined.  
     
     
         21 . The image-based digital representation according to  claim 1 , wherein the transition is controllable by input from a user.  
     
     
         22 . A method for presentation of a navigation in a scenery represented by digital images, said method comprising the steps of: 
 accessing a first and a second digital image, the first and the second image depicting different views of the scenery, the first image having a first area and the second image having a second area, wherein the depictions of the first area substantially correspond to the depictions of the second area,    accessing information of a transition between the first image and the second image, said transition defining a manipulation of at least one of the first and the second images,    determining at least one transition image using the defined manipulation, said transition image depicting a new view of the scenery depicted in the first and second images,    performing a visual navigation in the scenery by replacing a presentation of an image depicting a view of the scenery by a presentation of another image depicting a different view of the scenery.    
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein a user controls what image is to be presented.  
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein an animation is presented, said animation forming a specified path for altering the presentation of an image to the presentation of another image.  
     
     
         25 . The method according to any one of claims  24 , wherein the presentation of the animation is controllable by a user.  
     
     
         26 . The method according to any one of the claims  22 , further comprising the step of downloading the first and the second images to a presentation device.  
     
     
         27 . The method according to any one of claims  26 , wherein calculations of the manipulation is performed at the presentation device.  
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 26 , further comprising the step of enabling a transition from a first image to a second image, when both images have been downloaded to the presentation device.  
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the steps of accessing the first and the second images and the transition comprise the step of accessing a computer program, which accesses the image information storing structure.  
     
     
         30 . An image information storing structure for altering a presentation of a first image so that a transition is made to a presentation of a second image, said image information storing structure being accessible by a presentation device and comprising: 
 vertices, each representing an image, and    edges binding together a first vertex with a second vertex, each edge representing information of a transition from a first image in the first vertex to a second image in the second vertex, the first image having a first area and the second image having a second area, information in the first area substantially corresponding to information in the second area,    said transition information defining a manipulation of at least one of the first and the second images, said manipulation forming a function for altering a presentation of the first image so that a transfer is made to a presentation of the second image via a presentation of at least one transition image.    
     
     
         31 . An image information storing structure for altering a presentation of a first image so that a transition is made to a presentation of a second image, said image information storing structure being accessible by a presentation device and comprising: 
 a first image and a second image, the first image having a first area and the second image having a second area, information in the first area substantially corresponding to information in the second area,    information of a transition from a first image to a second image, said transition information defining a manipulation of at least one of the first and the second images, said manipulation forming a function for altering a presentation of the first image so that a transfer is made to a presentation of the second image via a presentation of at least one transition image.    
     
     
         32 . A method for presentation of digital images, said method comprising the steps of: 
 accessing a first and a second stored digital image, said first image having a first area and said second image having a second area, information in the first area substantially corresponding to information in the second area,    accessing information of a defined transition from the first to the second image,    presenting the first image on a presentation device,    performing the transition from the first image to the second image by calculating a manipulation of at least one of the first and the second images,    presenting at least one transition image on the presentation device, said transition image being created by the manipulation,    presenting the second image on the presentation device to complete the transition of presentation of the first image to presentation of the second image.    
     
     
         33 . A device for creating an image-based digital representation of a scenery for visually presenting the scenery, said device comprising 
 means for obtaining a first and a second digital image, the first and the second image depicting different views of the scenery,    means for defining a first area of the first image and a second area of the second image, wherein the depictions of the first area substantially correspond to the depictions of the second area,    means for defining information of a transition between the first image and the second image, said transition information defining a manipulation of at least one of the first and the second images, said manipulation comprising a computation of at least one transition image, the transition image depicting a new view of the scenery depicted in the first and second images,    means for storing the first and the second images as two vertices in a graph of an image information storing structure and the defined transition information between the first and the second image as an edge binding together said two vertices in the graph of the image information storing structure.    
     
     
         34 . The device according to  claim 33 , further comprising means for presenting an overview of the graph of the image information storing structure.  
     
     
         35 . The device according to  claim 33 , further comprising means for defining correspondence points of the first and the second images for use in the manipulation.  
     
     
         36 . The device according to  claim 35 , further comprising means for presenting guiding lines for the definition of correspondence points.  
     
     
         37 . The device according to  claim 35 , further comprising means for presenting a magnified view of a part of an image, in which a correspondence point is to be defined.  
     
     
         38 . The device according to  claim 37 , further comprising means for scaling down the obtained images in resolution.  
     
     
         39 . The device according to  claim 37 , wherein the means for presenting a magnified view uses the obtained image, which is in high resolution.  
     
     
         40 . The device according to any one of claims  33 , further comprising means for presenting the defined transition.  
     
     
         41 . The device according to  claim 40 , further comprising means for halting a presentation of the defined transition at an arbitrary point.  
     
     
         42 . A method for creating an image-based digital representation of a scenery for visually presenting the scenery, said method comprising the steps of: 
 obtaining a first and a second digital image, the first and the second image depicting different views of the scenery,    defining a first area of the first image and a second area of the second image, wherein the depictions of the first area substantially correspond to the depictions of the second area,    defining information of a transition between the first image and the second image, said transition information defining a manipulation of at least one of the first and the second images, said manipulation comprising a computation of at least one transition image, the transition image depicting a new view of the scenery depicted in the first and second images,    storing the first and the second images as two vertices in a graph of an image information storing structure and the defined transition information between the first and the second image as an edge binding together said two vertices in the graph of the image information storing structure.    
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 42 , further comprising the step of presenting an overview of the graph of the image information storing structure.  
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 42 , further comprising the step of defining correspondence points of the first and the second images for use in the manipulation.  
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 44 , further comprising the step of presenting guiding lines for the definition of correspondence points.  
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 43 , further comprising the step of presenting a magnified view of a part of an image, in which a correspondence point is to be defined.  
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 42 , further comprising the step of presenting the defined transition.  
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 47 , further comprising the step of halting a presentation of the defined transition at an arbitrary point.  
     
     
         49 . A computer program for creating an image-based digital representation of a scenery for visually presenting the scenery, said computer program comprising 
 code for obtaining a first and a second digital image, the first and the second image depicting different views of the scenery,    code for defining a first area of the first image and a second area of the second image, wherein the depictions of the first area substantially correspond to the depictions of the second area,    code for defining information of a transition between the first image and the second image, said transition information defining a manipulation of at least one of the first and the second images, said manipulation comprising a computation of at least one transition image, the transition image depicting a new view of the scenery depicted in the first and second images,    code for storing the first and the second images as two vertices in a graph of an image information storing structure and the defined transition information between the first and the second image as an edge binding together said two vertices in the graph of the image information storing structure.    
     
     
         50 . The computer program according to  claim 49 , further comprising code for presenting an overview of the graph of the image information storing structure.  
     
     
         51 . The computer program according to  claim 49 , further comprising code for defining correspondence points of the first and the second images for use in the manipulation.  
     
     
         52 . The computer program according to  claim 51 , further comprising code for presenting guiding lines for the definition of correspondence points.  
     
     
         53 . The computer program according to  claim 51 , further comprising code for presenting a magnified view of a part of an image, in which a correspondence point is to be defined.  
     
     
         54 . The computer program according to  claim 49 , further comprising code for presenting the defined transition.  
     
     
         55 . The computer program according to  claim 54 , further comprising code for halting a presentation of the defined transition at an arbitrary point.