Patent ID: 6891561

Claim:
A method for producing a visual display of a panoramic region from a set of temporally sequential frames of visual data, each frame of visual data representing an image defining a region within the panoramic region such that at least two of the images define regions that do not coincide, the method comprising the steps of: displaying a series of active images generated from multiple temporally sequential frames of visual data, such that the series of active images comprise a moving video image of at least those portions of successive frames of visual data that overlap; obtaining camera metric data for generating the visual display including time information, wherein the visual display may be temporally and spatially modified by panning; positioning each displayed image on a display screen with respect to the position of other displayed images on the display screen in accordance with the spatial relationship in the panoramic region of the content of the displayed image to the content of the other displayed images; and displaying one or more context images while said series of active images is displayed, each context image being at least part of an image represented by a previously displayed frame of the set of temporally sequential frames of visual data, said frame no longer corresponding to an active image such that the context image is displayed as a static image; whereby the one or more context images are displayed statically to provide a context display for the series of active images displayed as a moving video image and an active display including the series of active images.