Panoramic display system

An image display system comprising:

• (a) a video input source which functions to transmit a conventional raster scan television signal of a composite image representing a scene of substantially spherical coverage and which outputs a resulting video signal representing said image;
• (b) image processing including:
• (1) an image controller having segment circuit means to process said video signal to divide said composite image into rectangular image segments of conventional raster scan television format to enable each segment to be displayed on a respective display area of a conventional video display unit of conventional format in a similar orientation to said scene;
• and
• (2) viewer interaction devices to operate the processing means and including means to distribute said rectangular image segments of said composite image to conventionally formatted video display units;
• and
• (c) a display assembly means including a structural assembly mounting a plurality of said display units, said display units display screens facing inward to the viewer, said display units operable to display images in a size and shape equal to said rectangular divisions compatible with conventional raster scan television format, said display units arranged to form six rectangular sides positioned tangent to one another about a viewer such that a viewer views a respective portion of said composite image in any viewable direction surrounding the viewer.

An image display system comprising:

• (a) a video input source including a panoramic video camera system with a plurality of objective lenses which cooperate to record a composite image representing a scene of substantially spherical coverage and outputting a video signal representing said image
• (b) image processing means including a digital computer system to process said video signal representing said composite image and viewer interaction devices for operating said image processing means;
• and
• (c) display assembly means including a head-mounted display assembly with display system means for receiving said video signal as processed by said image processing means and displaying a selected portion of said composite image as defined by said image processing means.

A panoramic optical system comprising:

• (a) a plurality of objective lenses oriented in outwardly facing mutually angular relation to enable substantially spherical coverage by said lens means;
• (b) lens elements associated with each objective lens for transmission of images by way of optical means to a light sensitive surface;
• (c) said optical means transmitting said images such that they communicate a composite image of a substantially spherical field of view coverage to said light sensitive surface and where at least some of said optical means are positioned to change the direction of light to facilitate off-axis transmission of said transmitted images to said light sensitive recording surface;
• and
• (d) housing means to hold said objective lenses, said lens elements, and said optical means in place and in image communicating relationship to said light sensitive surface.

A portable video viewing system primarily for instant video viewing and selective, substantially concurrent, playback, said viewing system comprising:

• (a) a portable video camera including a lens assembly comprising a plurality of objective lenses oriented at equal angles from a mutual point, said objective lenses cooperating to achieve substantially spherical coverage about said mutual point;
• (b) optical means for optically transmitting subject images in focus from said objective lenses to a recording surface of said video camera;
• (c) connector interface means and camera electronics to generate and transmit a video signal representing a composite image gathered by said lens assembly to a reorder/player for storage on an associated storage medium;
• (d) said camera and recorder/player including viewing control adjustment means;
• (e) said camera and recorder/player including a portable power source;
• and
• (f) housing means of portable dimension and configuration and including:
• (1) an optical housing to hold optical elements including said lens assembly and said optical means in place;
• (2) a support armature to hold said optical elements of said optical housing in an advantageous viewing position;
• (3) a backpack housing to hold said support armature and to hold said camera electronics and said recorder/player;
• and
• (4) fastening means to removably attach said backpack housing to a host being or vehicle.

An image display system comprising:

• (a) a video input source which functions to transmit a composite image representing a scene of substantially spherical coverage and which outputs a resulting video signal representing said composite image;
• (b) a plurality of rear projection screen systems including respective rear projection screens for receiving video signals from said segment circuit means, hidden and widely spaced rear screen projection display systems and associated rear projection screens being supported by a hidden structural assembly, and said rear projection screens being arranged adjacent to one another such that a viewer views a respective portion of images displayed by said rear projection screens in substantially any viewable direction, said screen means being adapted to have images projected onto an external surface and to have said images viewed from an internal surface of said rear projection screen;
• (c) image processing means including:
• (1) an image controller having segment circuit means to process said video signal to divide said composite image into image segments to enable each segment to be projected by dispersed projector display units from the exterior of the respective display area by video display units such that the resultant composite image results in a similar orientation to said scene;
• and
• (2) viewer interaction devices to operate the processing means and including means to distribute said image segments of said composite image to video display units;
• and
• (d) structural assembly including an opaque enclosure surrounding and supporting said rear projection display units, said rear projection screen being supported within said enclosure, entry and exit means positioned latterly of said viewer, planar structural support beneath the viewer on which the viewer is situated, and contiguous rear projection screen positioned beneath, to the sides, and above the viewer.

A panoramic optical system for an unpiloted autonomous vehicle comprising:

• (a) a housing means;
• (b) a plurality of objective lens means positioned on said housing means in outwardly facing, mutually angular relation to enable substantially spherical coverage by said lens means;
• and
• (c) light sensitive means of said unpiloted autonomous vehicle optically communicating with said lens means and receiving respective images therefrom.

A remote control unit for a portable video viewing system comprising:

• (a) video screen means mounted within a remote housing means in communicating relationship to a recorder/player and structured to receive video signals representing a composite scene therefrom and convert said signals for visual display within said housing means, said video screen means comprising display means disposed in interrupting relation to a line of sight viewing defined by the optical means of a corresponding camera;
• (b) said viewing system including a dispersion lens means disposed in visually projecting relation to a visual display projected from said display means and structured to disperse said visual display in full and complete communication with said remote control housing;
• said dispersion lens means being disposed in overlying, immediately adjacent relation to said display means and comprising a convex configuration structured to project said visual display over said line of sight to a camera operator;
• (c) control means including circuitry means structured to selectively regulate, transfer and convert electrical video signals into visual display on said display means, whereby a user may instantaneously observe a predetermined field of viewing as a visual display on said display means and selectively view a substantially concurrent replay of the fields of view recorded by said camera;
• (d) a portable power source in communicating relationship with said video screen means and said control means;
• and
• (e) a remote control housing to hold in place said control means to enable a viewer to observe said visual display and manually operate said control means to interactively control said recorder/camera located at a remote location.