Systems and methods for providing a spatially indexed panoramic video

1. A video system comprising:

a database including spatial data;

a user interface having an image display; and

a video that is rendered in response to a specified action, wherein the video comprises a plurality of images retrieved from the database, and wherein each of the images is panoramic and spatially indexed in accordance with a predetermined position along a virtual path in a virtual environment, the virtual path being defined by coordinates in a coordinate system of the virtual environment.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface further comprises:

a map display that is associated with the predetermined position, and wherein the virtual path is a predefined virtual path.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the user interface further comprises:

a text display illustrating spatial data that is associated with the predetermined position.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the user interface further comprises:

an audio output that conveys audio data associated with the predetermined position.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the video system is a stand alone system.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the video system is located on a server and the user interface is implemented as a client display program.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the spatial data is at least one of a panoramic image, a map, text, an audio output and a hypertext link.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the specified action is a request for virtual movement.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the virtual movement is at least one of a direction of travel, stopping, defining a speed, snapping on an object to view, dragging a position icon, initiating a tour and panning.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the specified action is selected by at least one selection device comprising at least one of a keyboard command, a mouse, a knob, a joystick, a head tracking device, a floating arrow indicator, floating text indicator, a pedal, a hypertext link indicator, joysticks, and controllers.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the specified action is a request to render the video in a continuous presentation.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the continuous presentation is a guided tour.

13. The video system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual path is based on real-world coordinate positions.

14. The video system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual path comprises a continuous virtual path.

15. A video system comprising:

a controller;

a database including spatial data and metadata;

a user interface; and

a video, displayed in the user interface, that is generated in response to a specified action, wherein the user interface includes:

an image display in which a video is displayed, wherein the video comprises a plurality of images retrieved from the database;

a map display illustrating spatial data associated with a position;

a text display illustrating spatial data associated with the position; and

an audio output that conveys audio data associated with the position;

wherein each of the images is panoramic and spatially indexed in

accordance with a predetermined position along a virtual path in a virtual environment, the virtual path being defined by coordinates in a coordinate system of the virtual environment.

16. The video system of claim 15 , wherein the virtual path is based on real-world coordinate positions.

17. The video system of claim 15 , wherein the virtual path comprises a continuous virtual path.

18. A method for generating a video for virtual reality comprising:

specifying an action;

generating a video along a virtual path in a virtual environment based on the specified action, the virtual path being defined by coordinates in a coordinate system of the virtual environment, wherein the video is both panoramic and spatially indexed in accordance with a position along the virtual path;

providing a user interface; and

displaying the video via the user interface.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

displaying a map that corresponds to the position along the virtual path, wherein the virtual path is a predefined virtual path.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

displaying text illustrating spatial data that corresponds to the position along the virtual path.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:

outputting audio data associated with the position along the virtual path.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein specifying an action comprises:

requesting virtual movement.

23. The method of claim 18 , wherein the virtual path is based on real-world coordinate positions.

24. The method of claim 18 , wherein the virtual path comprises a continuous virtual path.

25. A method for generating a video for virtual reality comprising:

specifying an action along a virtual path in a virtual environment, the virtual path being defined by coordinates in a coordinate system of the virtual environment;

processing a request corresponding to the specified action;

retrieving a plurality of images that make up the video, wherein each of the images is panoramic and spatially indexed in accordance with a position along the virtual path;

providing a user interface having an image display window in which the video is displayed, and a map display window in which a map corresponding to the video is displayed; and

rendering the video and the map on the user interface in response to the specified action.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the virtual path is based on real-world coordinate positions.

27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the virtual path comprises a continuous virtual path.

28. A control program stored on a computer-readable storage medium, the control program usable for providing a video for virtual reality to a device for executing the control program, the control program including instructions comprising:

instructions for specifying an action;

instructions for generating a video along a virtual path in a virtual environment based on the specified action, the virtual path being defined by coordinates in a coordinate system of the virtual environment, wherein the video is both panoramic and spatially indexed in accordance with a position along the virtual path;

instructions for providing a user interface; and

instructions for displaying the video via the user interface.

29. The control program of claim 28 , wherein the control program includes instructions comprising:

instructions for providing an image display;

instructions for providing a map display;

instructions for providing a text display; and

instructions for providing an audio output.

30. The control program of claim 28 , wherein the virtual path is based on real-world coordinate positions.

31. The control program of claim 28 , wherein the virtual path comprises a continuous virtual path.

32. A computer readable storage medium, comprising:

computer readable program code embodied on the computer readable storage medium, the computer readable program code usable to program a computer to program a system that provides a video for virtual reality, comprising the steps of:

specifying an action;

generating a video along a virtual path in a virtual environment based on the specified action, the virtual path being defined by coordinates in a coordinate system of the virtual environment, wherein the video is both panoramic and spatially indexed in accordance with a position along the virtual path;

providing a user interface; and

displaying the video via the user interface.

33. The storage medium of claim 32 , wherein the virtual path is based on real-world coordinate positions.

34. The storage medium of claim 32 , wherein the virtual path comprises a continuous virtual path.