Patent Document ID: 8599256
Application ID: 13475418
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A computer-implemented method for compiling an interactive virtual movie that simulates a user traversing and exploring a physical site comprising: receiving a first collection of photographs, each photograph in the collection of photographs acquired through sequential route photography, wherein the sequential route photography includes moving a camera along a route, determining a camera position or a camera orientation angle for each photograph that each reset to default values upon capture of each photograph, capturing each photograph at least when the camera position exceeds a predefined distance value or the apparatus orientation angle exceeds a predefined orientation value, and sequentially indexing each photograph upon being captured; forming one or more open chains using the first collection of photographs acquired through sequential route photography, each open chain linking the photographs that were captured as the camera moved along a common route; receiving a second collection of photographs, each photograph in the collection of photographs acquired through sequential junction photography, wherein sequential junction photography includes rotating a camera about a stationary physical location, determining a field of view angle for each photograph as the camera is rotated about the stationary physical location, capturing each photograph at least when the field of view angle exceeds a predefined rotation value, and sequentially indexing each photograph upon being captured; forming one or more closed chains using the second collection of photographs acquired through sequential junction photography, each closed chain linking the photographs that were captured while the camera rotated about a common physical location; and compiling the interactive virtual movie by linking one or more open chains to one or more closed chains including determining, from among the photographs in each closed chain, a corresponding similar photograph in an open chain that meets one of a correlation criteria including highest correlation or closest field of view direction.