Omniview motionless camera orientation system

Abstract

A method and apparatus for capture of a spherical image is disclosed. The present invention includes at least one camera having a lens with at least a 180° field-of-view for capturing a hemispherical image. In a first embodiment, a second hemispherical image is created corresponding to a mirror image of the hemispherical image captured by the camera. In a second embodiment, two back-to-back cameras capture first and second hemispherical images, respectively. In both embodiments, a converter combines the two images along their outside edges to form a single, spherical image. Finally, the converter stores the complete spherical image for later retrieval and perspective corrected viewing.

1 - 35 . (canceled) 
   
   
       36 . A method for creating a spherical image comprising the steps of:
 capturing a first approximately hemispherical image via a first camera including a first approximately hemispherical lens directed in a first direction;   waiting for a period of time after capturing the first approximately hemispherical image;   capturing a second approximately hemispherical image after the period of time is complete   
     via a second camera including a second approximately hemispherical lens directed in a second direction approximately opposite to the first direction; and
 combining the first approximately hemispherical image with the second approximately hemispherical image to form the spherical image. 
 
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the second camera is the first camera. 
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the first approximately hemispherical image and the second approximately hemispherical image are captured on a same frame of film. 
   
   
       39 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein the first approximately hemispherical image is a greater than 180° field-of-view image and the second image is a greater than 180° field-of-view image. 
   
   
       40 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein the first camera includes film configured to be exposed with the first approximately hemispherical image, the method further comprising the step of converting the first approximately hemispherical image exposed on the film into an electronic format. 
   
   
       41 . Apparatus for creating a spherical image, the apparatus comprising:
 a first approximately hemispherical lens directed in a first direction for receiving a first approximately hemispherical image;   a second approximately hemispherical lens directed in a second direction approximately opposite to the first direction for receiving a second approximately hemispherical image, the apparatus being configured to capture the second approximately hemispherical image a period of time after capturing the first approximately hemispherical image; and   a computer for combining the first approximately hemispherical image with the second approximately hemispherical image to form the spherical image.   
   
   
       42 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , further including a camera coupled to the computer for capturing the first and second approximately hemispherical images, the first approximately hemispherical lens being optically connected to the camera via first reflective optics and the second approximately hemispherical lens being optically connected to the camera via second reflective optics. 
   
   
       43 . The apparatus according to  claim 42 , wherein the camera comprises a still camera. 
   
   
       44 . The apparatus according to  claim 42 , wherein the camera comprises a video camera. 
   
   
       45 . The apparatus according to  claim 42 , wherein the camera comprises a motion picture camera. 
   
   
       46 . The apparatus according to  claim 42 , wherein the camera comprises a linear scanning CID camera array. 
   
   
       47 . The apparatus according to  claim 42 , wherein the camera comprises a linear scanning CCD camera array. 
   
   
       48 . The apparatus according to  claim 42 , wherein the camera comprises a linear scanning CMOS APS camera array. 
   
   
       49 . The apparatus according to  claim 41 , further including a first camera for capturing the first approximately hemispherical and a second camera for capturing the second approximately hemispherical image, the first and second cameras being attached to each other in a back-to-back configuration. 
   
   
       50 . The apparatus according to  claim 42 , wherein the first approximately hemispherical lens is coupled to the camera via a fiber optic line, the first approximately hemispherical image received by the first approximately hemispherical lens being transferred to the camera via the fiber optic line. 
   
   
       51 . The apparatus according to  claim 41 , further including at least one of a film for capturing the first and second approximately hemispherical images on a same frame of the film. 
   
   
       52 . The apparatus according to  claim 41 , wherein the first approximately hemispherical image is a greater than 180° field-of-view image and the second image is a greater than 180° field-of-view image.