Summary
In order to produce full-360 spherical images, the
VRstitcher Fisheye software uses a series of hemispherical
images captured with a fisheye lens and combines them
to produce an equirectangular image.
This image is then viewed using an applet that displays
the image and allows the user to pan vertically and
horizontally and to view the image in a perspective
corrected form.
The area of spherical imaging, specifically, the creation
of full-360 images from a series of fisheye photographs
is protected by a series of US patents.
In order to legitimately provide full-360 stitching
functionality, the stitching engine used in the VRstitcher
Fisheye products, is provided by Minds-Eye-View, Inc.,
which is licensed under the Oxaal patents as follows:
5,684,937, 5,903,782, 5,936,630, 6,118,454, 6,157,385,
6,243,099, 6,252,603, 6,271,853, 6,323,862.
As a result, users of the VRstitcher Fisheye software
are licensed to produce full-360, spherical images under
the protection offered by these US patents.
What other software products can legitimately
offer a full-360 spherical image, fisheye stitching
solution?
In addition to VRstitcher, in the area of spherical
imaging and the creation of full-360 images from fisheye
photographs, IPIX Corporation is the only other company
with a license to the above spherical imaging patents
provided by Minds-Eye-View, Inc.
IPIX Corporation do so on a non-exclusive basis, using
this license in the development of their IPIX stitching
software.
Neither Easypano nor 3DVista, nor users of the “Panoweaver”
and the “3D Vista Stitcher” products have
any protection under these Oxaal patents.
|
