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 . A telepresence system for providing a first user with a first display of an environment and a second user with a second display of the 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 at least one camera path and a first camera having a first output and a second camera having a second output;   a first user interface device associated with the first user having first user inputs associated with movement along a first path in the array;   a second user interface device associated with the second user having second user inputs associated with movement along a second path in the array;   at least one processing element coupled to the user interface devices for receiving user inputs, the processing element configured to interpret received first inputs and select outputs of cameras in the first path, interpret received second inputs and select outputs of cameras in the second path independently of the first inputs, thereby allowing the first user and second user to navigate simultaneously and independently through the array, and the processing element is configured to mix the first and second outputs in accordance with the received first user inputs by mosaicing the view associated with the first camera with the view of the second camera.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the system further includes a memory storing additional source output, wherein the user inputs include an indication of viewing the additional source output, and the processing element is further configured to mix camera output and the additional source output upon receiving the indication to view the additional source output by mosaicing the camera output and the additional source output. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the additional source output includes output from the group of outputs including: computer graphic imagery, virtual world imagery, applets, film clips, and animation. 
     
     
         4 . A device for providing a user with a display of an environment in response to user inputs, 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;   memory storing an additional source output; and   at least one processing element coupled to the memory for receiving the additional source output, the processing element configured to interpret user inputs and select, based on the user inputs, a camera output to provide to the user, the additional source output to provide to the user, or both a camera view and the additional source output to provide to the user, and the processing element is configured to mix the additional source output with camera output by mosaicing from the camera output to the additional source output.   
     
     
         5 . A system for remote seamless viewing of an environment from an array of cameras, each having an output representing an image of the environment, the device comprising:
 an interface device having inputs for selecting a path through at least a portion of the array from which to view the environment, the path including a sequence of cameras, each camera in the sequence having a different point perspective and a field of view that overlaps that of an adjacent cameras; and   a display device for sequentially displaying the image from each camera in the sequence by mosaicing the image of a current camera in the sequence to the image of a next camera in the sequence, thereby providing the user a seamless view of the environment.   
     
     
         6 . A method for seamless viewing of an environment, the method comprising:
 receiving electronically a first image from an array of cameras, the first image having a first field of view;   receiving electronically a second image from the array, the second image having a second field of view that overlaps the first field of view;   receiving electronically a third image from the array, the third image having a third field of view that overlaps the second field of view;   mosaicing the first image with the second image and then mosaicing the second image with the third image; and   displaying the first, second, third and mosaic images in sequence to obtaining a seamless view through the environment.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  further including selecting an additional source output to be displayed and mosaicing the additional source output with the third image. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the first, second and third images correspond to first, second, and third cameras, respectively. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the second camera is adjacent to the first and third cameras. 
     
     
         10 . A telepresence system for providing a first user with a first display of an environment and a second user with a second display of the 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 at least one camera path and a first camera having a first output and a second camera having a second output;   a first user interface device associated with the first user having first user inputs associated with movement along a first path in the array;   a second user interface device associated with the second user having second user inputs associated with movement along a second path in the array;   at least one processing element coupled to the user interface devices for receiving user inputs, the processing element configured to interpret received first inputs and select outputs of cameras in the first path, interpret received second inputs and select outputs of cameras in the second path independently of the first inputs, thereby allowing the first user and second user to navigate simultaneously and independently through the array, and the processing element is configured to mix the first and second outputs in accordance with the received first user inputs by tweening the view associated with the first camera with the view of the second camera.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the system further includes a memory storing additional source output, wherein the user inputs include an indication of viewing the additional source output, and the processing element is further configured to mix camera output and the additional source output upon receiving the indication to view the additional source output by tweening the camera output and the additional source output. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the additional source output includes output from the group of outputs including: computer graphic imagery, virtual world imagery, applets, film clips, and animation. 
     
     
         13 . A device for providing a user with a display of an environment in response to user inputs, 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;   memory storing an additional source output; and   at least one processing element coupled to the memory for receiving the additional source output, the processing element configured to interpret user inputs and select, based on the user inputs, a camera output to provide to the user, the additional source output to provide to the user, or both a camera view and the additional source output to provide to the user, and the processing element is configured to mix the additional source output with camera output by tweening from the camera output to the additional source output.   
     
     
         14 . A system for remote seamless viewing of an environment from an array of cameras, each having an output representing an image of the environment, the device comprising:
 an interface device having inputs for selecting a path through at least a portion of the array from which to view the environment, the path including a sequence of cameras, each camera in the sequence having a different point perspective and a field of view that overlaps that of an adjacent cameras; and   a display device for sequentially displaying the image from each camera in the sequence by tweening the image of a current camera in the sequence to the image of a next camera in the sequence, thereby providing the user a seamless view of the environment.   
     
     
         15 . A method for seamless viewing of an environment, the method comprising:
 receiving electronically a first image from an array of cameras, the first image having a first field of view;   receiving electronically a second image from the array, the second image having a second field of view that overlaps the first field of view;   receiving electronically a third image from the array, the third image having a third field of view that overlaps the second field of view;   tweening the first image with the second image and then mosaicing the second image with the third image; and   displaying the first, second, third and tweened images in sequence to obtaining a seamless view through the environment.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further including selecting an additional source output to be displayed and tweening the additional source output with the third image. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the first, second and third images correspond to first, second, and third cameras, respectively. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the second camera is adjacent to the first and third cameras. 
     
     
         19 . A method of providing users with real time views of a remote environment, the method comprising:
 receiving electronic images of the environment from an array of cameras, the array including at least one camera path through the environment;   receiving a first input from a first user interface device associated with a first user, the first input indicating movement along a first path;   receiving a second input from a second user interface device associated with a second user, the second input indicating movement along a second path;   obtaining a first mixed image by mosaicing or tweening, with a first processing element, a first image with a second image in accordance with the first input;   obtaining a second mixed image by mosaicing or tweening, with a second processing element, a third image with a fourth image in accordance with the second input;   providing the first user with the first mixed image in substantially real time, thereby simulating movement along the first path; and   providing the second user with the second mixed image substantially in real time and simultaneous to providing the first user with the first mixed image, thereby independently and simulating movement along the second path.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein receiving the first input includes receiving an indication of mosaicing or tweening an additional source output, the method further including obtaining a third mixed output by mosaicing or tweening the second image with the additional source output. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  further including obtaining a third mixed image by mosaicing or tweening the second image with a fifth image in accordance with the first input and providing the first use the third mixed image. 
     
     
         22 . A telepresence system for providing a first user with a first display of an environment and a second user with a second display of the environment, the system comprising:
 a plurality of removable arrays of cameras, each camera having an associated view of the environment and an associated camera output representing the associated view;   at least one storage device including a plurality of storage nodes wherein the output of each camera is stored in an associated storage node, the storage nodes are accessible to permit at least one path for viewing the environment;   a first user interface device associated with the first user having first user inputs associated with movement along a first path in the environment;   a second user interface device associated with the second user having second user inputs associated with movement along a second path in the environment;   at least one processing element coupled to the user interface devices for receiving user inputs including moving up down, clockwise around an environment, counter-clockwise around an environment, forward and backward through the environment, the processing element configured to interpret received first inputs and select outputs of the storage nodes forming the first path, and interpret received second inputs and select outputs of storage nodes forming the second path independently of the first inputs, thereby allowing the first user and second user to navigate simultaneously and independently through the environment.   
     
     
         23 . The telepresence system of  claim 22  wherein the outputs of the cameras are accessible by the processing element. 
     
     
         24 . The telepresence system of  claim 22  wherein each removable array is situated at different lengths from the environment. 
     
     
         25 . The telepresence system of  claim 23  wherein each array is removed after the cameras in the array have transmitted the output to the associated storage node. 
     
     
         26 . The telepresence system of  claim 25  wherein each array is of cylindrical shape and of a varying diameter. 
     
     
         27 . A telepresence system for providing a first user with a first display of an environment and a second user with a second display of the environment, the system comprising:
 a plurality of removable arrays of cameras, each camera having an associated view of the environment and an associated camera output representing the associated view, the arrays situated at varying lengths from the environment and including at least one path for viewing the environment, said arrays are removed after the cameras in the array have transmitted the output to an associated storage node;   at least one storage device including a plurality of storage nodes wherein the output of each camera is stored in an associated storage node, the storage nodes are accessible to permit at least one path for viewing the environment;   a first user interface device associated with the first user having first user inputs associated with movement along a first path in the environment;   a second user interface device associated with the second user having second user inputs associated with movement along a second path in the environment;   at least one processing element coupled to the user interface devices for receiving user inputs including moving up down, clockwise around an environment, counter-clockwise around an environment, forward and backward through the environment, the processing element configured to interpret received first inputs and select outputs of the storage node forming the first path, and interpret received second inputs and select outputs of the storage node forming the second path independently of the first inputs, thereby allowing the first user and second user to navigate simultaneously and independently through the environment.   
     
     
         28 . A method of providing users with views of a remote environment, the method comprising:
 receiving electronic images of the environment from a plurality of array of cameras;   storing the image of the environment in storage nodes associated with each camera, the storage nodes are accessible to permit at least one path for viewing the environment;   removing the array of cameras after storing the image in the associated storage node;   receiving a first input from a first user interface device associated with a first user, the first input indicating movement along a first path;   receiving a second input from a second user interface device associated with a second user, the second input indicating movement along a second path;   obtaining a first mixed image by mixing, with a first processing element, a first image with a second image in accordance with the first input;   obtaining a second mixed image by mixing, with a second processing element, a third image with a fourth image in accordance with the second input;   providing the first user with the first mixed image thereby simulating movement along the first path; and   providing the second user with the second mixed image thereby independently and simulating movement along the second path.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein one array at a time is situated around the environment. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the storage nodes may be accessed to permit a plurality of navigable paths and the first path differs from the second path.