Navigable telepresence method and system utilizing an array of cameras

Abstract

A telepresence system including an array of cameras, a user interface device and at least one processor. Each camera has an associated view of the environment and an associated camera output representing the associated view, the array thus including at least one camera path for viewing the environment. In one embodiment, the user interface device has first user inputs associated with movement along a first path in the environment. The user interface device is coupled to the processor, which receives and interprets the user inputs and provides camera outputs to the user interface device, thereby allowing the user to navigate through the environment. In another embodiment, the processor is configured to provide additional source output, such as virtual world imagery and data, to the user interface device, thereby allowing the user to navigate real, virtual and combination real and virtual worlds.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
   
   
       31 . A telepresence system for providing a first user with a first display of an environment, the system comprising:
 an array of cameras, each camera having an associated view of the environment and an associated camera output representing the associated view, the array including multiple camera paths corresponding to real-world paths through the environment;   a first user interface device associated with the first user and first user inputs associated with movement along a first real-world path;   electronic memory storing additional source output; and   at least one processor in communication with the electronic memory and the first user interface device for receiving user inputs, the processor configured to interpret received first user inputs, select outputs of cameras in the first path based on the first user inputs and provide selected camera outputs to the first user interface device, thereby allowing the first user to navigate through the array and the real-world environment, the processor further configured to access the memory and to provide the additional source output to the first user interface device.   
   
   
       32 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the additional source output includes one or more of the following: computer graphic imagery, virtual world camera views and virtual world grid data, virtual world imagery, virtual objects and grid positioning data, applets, sprites, avatar representations, film clips, animation, augmented reality objects, real-world images, and real-world recordings. 
   
   
       33 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the processor is configured to provide the additional source output, alone or in combination with the camera output, by mosaicing, mixing, layering or multiplexing it with the camera outputs. 
   
   
       34 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the additional source output is a virtual world environment having multiple perspectives, each registered with the view associated with one of the cameras in the first path. 
   
   
       35 . The system of  claim 34  wherein the additional source output includes a virtual camera path through the virtual world environment and wherein the processor is configured to provide the first user interface device with selected camera outputs along the first real-world path, and to provide virtual camera views to the first user interface device, wherein the first real-world path transitions into the virtual camera path. 
   
   
       36 . The system of  claim 35  wherein the processor is configured to transition from the first real-world path to the virtual camera path by one or more of the following techniques: multiplexing, layering and image dissolve. 
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 36  wherein the virtual camera path includes a virtual representation of a real-world feature in the output of at least one cameras, the virtual representation providing a visual transition from the first real-world camera path to the virtual camera path.