Method and apparatus for sampling images to simulate movement within a multidimensional space

A system for displaying video images for simulating movement within an imaginary space, comprising:

• mass data storage means for storing a plurality of sets of keypoint image data corresponding to a plurality of panoramic views within said imaginary space, said keypoint image data comprising a plurality of picture elements obtained from mapping at least a portion of a panoramic view of a first surface to be simulated in said imaginary space onto a second mapping surface, said picture elements comprising the picture values of areas of said mapping surface corresponding to areas of said first surface projected onto said mapping surface;
• means for selecting a particular one of said keypoint data sets store in said mass storage means as a function of input observer position signals;
• addressable memory means for storing data corresponding to a selected one of said keypoint data sets selected by said selecting means;
• means for generating addresses for said addressable memory means corresponding to said observer position signals and input observer spatial orientation signals;
• means for retrieving a selected plurality of picture elements from said addressable memory means from addresses provided by said address generating means;
• and
• means for displaying said selected plurality of picture to provide a video image.

Image reproducing apparatus for generating images to simulate movement within an imaginary space, comprising:

• image storage means for retrievably storing panoramic image data, said panoramic image data comprising a plurality of picture elements obtained from mapping at least a portion of panoramic view of a first surface to be simulated in said imaginary space onto a second mapping surface, said picture elements comprising the picture values of area:
• of said mapping surface corresponding to areas of said first surface projected onto said mapping surface;
• means for sampling a particular portion of said stored panoramic image data corresponding to an observer field of view with respect to said imaginary space to select a plurality of picture elements;
• and
• means for displaying said selected plurality of picture elements.

A method of reproducing a video image to simulate movement within an imaginary space, comprising the steps of:

• (1) mapping a panoramic view of the imaginary space onto a first projection surface associated with a keypoint, the keypoint comprising a point of view of a mapping observer of the imaginary space;
• (2) storing picture elements at addresses in an addressable memory corresponding to the coordinates of the first projection surface;
• (3) determining the intersection of a first ray emanating from the point of view of a viewing observer within the imaginary space through a predetermined picture element location on a viewing screen associated with the viewing observer with a second projection surface corresponding to the ground of the imaginary space;
• (4) tracing a second ray from the intersection of the first ray with the second projection surface to the keypoint;
• (5) determining the address in the addressable memory of a picture elements on the first projection surface as a function of coordinates of the intersection of the second ray with the first projection surface;
• (6) retrieving data from the addressable memory corresponding to the determined picture element address;
• (7) displaying a picture element derived from said retrieved data as the picture element for the predetermined picture element location on a display corresponding to the viewing screen;
• and
• (8) repeating the above steps (3) through (7) to create an entire viewing screen image for all picture element locations of the viewing screen.

A method of reproducing a series of video images to simulate movement within an imaginary space, comprising the steps of:

• (1) creating a database comprising a plurality of panoramic images, each of the images comprising a plurality of picture elements, each of the images being associated with a predefined keypoint region and set of orientations of an observer within said imaginary space, each of the images including picture elements corresponding to all visible picture elements within a field of view of the observer positioned within a predefined subspace and set of observer orientations within said imaginary space associated with said keypoint region;
• (2) storing the panoramic images on a storage medium;
• (3) selecting one of the stored panoramic images as a function of the spatial location and spatial orientation of the observer within the predefined subspace;
• (4) retrieving from the storage medium image data corresponding to the selected one of said stored panoramic images;
• (5) storing the retrieved image data in an addressable buffer memory;
• (6) selecting a plurality of picture elements stored in the buffer memory corresponding to the location and orientation of the observer within the predefined subspace;
• and
• (7) displaying the selected plurality of picture elements on a display.

In an aircraft flight simulator system, a system for displaying images to simulate movement through an imaginary space, comprising:

• data storage means for storing a plurality of sets of keypoint data, each of said keypoint data sets comprising a plurality of picture elements corresponding to a panoramic view from a predetermined location within said imaginary space;
• means for receiving position signals and attitude signals form a host controller associated with said simulator system corresponding to an imaginary position and attitude within said imaginary space;
• control means responsive to said position signals and said attitude signals for computing frame rate constant signals;
• second control means responsive to said position signals and said attitude signals for selecting for display one of said plurality of sets of keypoint data associated with said imaginary position and attitude of said simulator within said imaginary space;
• addressable memory means for storing data corresponding to said selected one of said plurality of sets of keypoint data;
• keypoint address generator means responsive to said frame rate constant signals for generating addresses for said addressable memory means corresponding to a selected subset of said picture elements of said selected one of said plurality of sets of keypoint data stored in said addressable memory, said selected subset of said picture elements corresponding to particular ones of said picture elements visible to an observer in said simulator system positioned at said imaginary position and attitude within said imaginary space;
• means for retrieving said selected subset of said picture elements form said addressable memory means from said addresses provided by said keypoint address generator means;
• and
• means for displaying said selected subset of said picture elements to provide an image corresponding to the view visible to the observer in said simulator positioned at said imaginary position and attitude within said imaginary space.

In a visual system for a vehicle simulator, said visual system generating a plurality of output images to simulate an imaginary space, a system for generating a haze overlay for said images to simulate variable visibility conditions, comprising:

• means for providing distance signals corresponding to the distance from an observer in the simulator to a point in the imaginary space;
• means responsive to said distance signals for computing a haze factor corresponding to the degree of haze to be imposed upon said images;
• and
• output means responsive to said haze factor and input signals representing said images for providing output signals corresponding to said images overlaid with haze.

A method of generating a displayed image to simulate a view seen by an observer moving within an imaginary space, comprising the steps of:

• (1) obtaining a panoramic image by mapping at least a portion of a panoramic view of a first surface to be simulated in the imaginary space onto a second mapping surface by providing as picture elements the picture values of areas of said mapping surface corresponding to areas of said first surface projected onto said mapping surface;
• (2) storing said panoramic image on a storage medium;
• (3) retrieving from said storage medium portions of said panoramic image associated with the point of view of an observer within the imaginary space;
• and
• (4) displaying on a display a plurality of displayed picture elements formed from spatial modification of said retrieved portions of said panoramic image.

A method of generating a video image to simulate movement within an imaginary space, comprising the steps of:

• (1) mapping at least a portion of a panoramic view of a first surface to be simulated in the imaginary space onto a second mapping surface by providing as picture elements the picture values of areas of said mapping surface corresponding to areas of said first surface projected onto said mapping surface, a plurality of picture elements associated with a predetermined keypoint of view in the imaginary space corresponding to a panoramic image;
• (2) storing on a storage medium a plurality of said panoramic images, each of said panoramic images being associated with a different one of a plurality of said predetermined keypoints of view within the imaginary space;
• (3) selecting a particular one of said panoramic images stored on said storage medium as a first function of the spatial position and orientation of the field of view of an observer with respect to the imaginary space;
• (4) retrieving said particular one of said panoramic images from said storage medium;
• (5) selecting a particular subset of said plurality of picture elements of said particular retrieved one of said panoramic images as a second function of the spatial position and orientation of the field of view of the observer with respect to the imaginary space;
• and
• (6) displaying said selected subset of said picture elements on a display.