Patent Document ID: 6031540
Application ID: 08980503
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for simulating movement within a multidimensional CG or natural environment by displaying an image at a specified viewpoint and orientation within said environment, where said viewpoint and orientation specify the location and direction of a point of view, the method comprising the steps of: (A) forming a database of the environment in a computer-readable storage medium by: i) determining a set of k-points in the environment, each k-point within said set having a domain within the environment and playback data associated therewith, said k-point domain forming a range of supported viewpoints and orientations, each of said k-points being defined as a center of projection; ii) projecting the environment onto a planar surface at a predetermined orientation to form a corresponding k-projection, the step of projecting the environment including: a) capturing a fisheye image with a camera having a subhemispherical fisheye lens; b) mapping said fisheye image to a sphere to form a mapped fisheye image; and c) projecting said mapped fisheye image onto a planar surface at a predetermined orientation to form a corresponding k-projection; and iii) segmenting said corresponding k-projection into one or more k-polygons; iv) for each said k-polygon, determining an e-polygon, said e-polygon being a planar polygon that approximates an area in the environment, said k-polygon being a projection of said area; (B) finding the k-point in the database whose domain supports the specified viewpoint and orientation; (C) mapping the k-projections at said k-point to said viewpoint and orientation to form said image; and (D) displaying said image.