Method of mapping image information from one face onto another continuous face of different geometry

An information processing method using a computer for converting start information on a start spherical surface into end information on an end plane via a tetrahedron, comprising:

• providing a computer comprising a computer program stored in a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium and executable to provide a method comprising;
• a plane dividing step for dividing the start spherical surface to generate an intermediary spherical polyhedron having 96 divisional spherical faces each holding a divisional piece of said start information;
• a plane integrating step for integrating said 96 divisional spherical faces of the intermediary polyhedron onto four triangular faces of a tetrahedron such that all of the divisional pieces of the start information held on said divisional spherical faces of the intermediary polyhedron are mapped onto the four triangular faces of the tetrahedron without gaps and overlaps;
• a flattening step for developing said tetrahedron into a rectangular plane comprising a rectangular omnidirectional image mapped thereon by iso-area mapping;
• receiving a user request to view the rectangular omnidirectional image mapped on the rectangular plane;
• displaying, on a user display device, the rectangular omnidirectional image mapped on the rectangular plane;
• and
• providing for the user to control navigation to move a viewer frame to extract a part of the rectangular omnidirectional image mapped on the rectangular plane,
• wherein said start information on the start spherical surface is converted into the end information on the end plane while equally maintaining an equal area ratio between said start information and said end information.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a program recorded thereon;

• where the program makes a computer execute
• a procedure for a plane dividing step for dividing the start spherical surface to generate an intermediary spherical polyhedron having divisional spherical faces each holding a divisional piece of said start information;
• a procedure for a plane integrating step for integrating said divisional spherical faces of the intermediary polyhedron onto four triangular faces of a tetrahedron such that all of the divisional pieces of the start information held on said divisional spherical faces of the intermediary polyhedron are mapped onto the four triangular faces of the tetrahedron without gaps and overlaps;
• and
• a procedure for a flattening step for developing said tetrahedron into a rectangular plane,
• a procedure to receive a user request to view an image mapped on the rectangular plane;
• a procedure for displaying, on a user display device, the image;
• and
• a procedure for the user to control navigation to move a viewer frame to extract a part of the image,
• wherein said start information on the start spherical surface is converted into the end information on the end plane while equally maintaining an equal area ratio between said start information and said end information.