Apparatus and method for spatially referencing images

A method for providing spatially-referenced panoramic images of indoor spaces in a virtual tour, the method comprising:

• receiving, by one or more processing devices, a plurality of distance-referenced panoramic images of an indoor space;
• converting, by the one or more processing devices, the plurality of distance-referenced panoramic images into a set of corresponding spatially-referenced panoramic images associated with the indoor space, each of the plurality of distance-referenced panoramic images being captured from a different position within the indoor space, and each of the plurality of distance-referenced panoramic images having one or more distance measurements and an orientation indicator associated therewith;
• storing the set of spatially-referenced panoramic images associated with the indoor space in memory;
• receiving a request from a client device in response to a user interaction event;
• selecting, by the one or more processing devices, one or more of the spatially-referenced panoramic images of the set in response to the request;
• and
• transmitting the selected spatially-referenced panoramic images to the client device for presentation in a virtual tour on a display interface thereof.

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing instructions thereon, the instructions, when executed by one or more processing devices, causing the one or more processing devices to perform a method for providing spatially-referenced panoramic images of indoor spaces in a virtual tour, the method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of distance-referenced panoramic images of an indoor space;
• converting the plurality of distance-referenced panoramic images into a set of corresponding spatially-referenced panoramic images associated with the indoor space, each of the plurality of distance-referenced panoramic images being captured from a different position within the indoor space, and each of the plurality of distance-referenced panoramic images having one or more distance measurements and an orientation indicator associated therewith;
• storing the set of spatially-referenced panoramic images associated with the indoor space in memory;
• receiving a request from a client device in response to a user interaction event;
• selecting one or more of the spatially-referenced panoramic images of the set in response to the request;
• and
• transmitting the selected spatially-referenced panoramic images to the client device for presentation in a virtual tour on a display interface thereof.