2351results about "Panoramic photography" patented technology

The present invention comprises a compact optical see-through head-mounted display capable of combining, a see-through image path with a virtual image path such that the opaqueness of the see-through image path can be modulated and the virtual image occludes parts of the see-through image and vice versa.

A camera array captures plural component images which are combined into a single scene from which “panning” and “zooming” within the scene are performed. In one embodiment, each camera of the array is a fixed digital camera. The images from each camera are warped and blended such that the combined image is seamless with respect to each of the component images. Warping of the digital images is performed via pre-calculated non-dynamic equations that are calculated based on a registration of the camera array. The process of registering each camera in the arrays is performed either manually, by selecting corresponding points or sets of points in two or more images, or automatically, by presenting a source object (laser light source, for example) into a scene being captured by the camera array and registering positions of the source object as it appears in each of the images. The warping equations are calculated based on the registration data and each scene captured by the camera array is warped and combined using the same equations determined therefrom. A scene captured by the camera array is zoomed, or selectively steered to an area of interest. This zooming- or steering, being done in the digital domain is performed nearly instantaneously when compared to cameras with mechanical zoom and steering functions.

The present invention comprises a foveated imaging system capable of capturing a wide field of view image and a foveated image, where the foveated image is a controllable region of interest of the wide field of view image.

A media capture device (MCD) that provides a multi-sensor, free flight camera platform with advanced learning technology to replicate the desires and skills of the purchaser / owner is provided. Advanced algorithms may uniquely enable many functions for autonomous and revolutionary photography. The device may learn about the user, the environment, and / or how to optimize a photographic experience so that compelling events may be captured and composed into efficient and emotional sharing. The device may capture better photos and videos as perceived by one's social circle of friends, and / or may greatly simplify the process of using a camera to the ultimate convenience of full autonomous operation.

A panoramic optical system includes optical means including one or more objective and relay optics to focus at least one image representing at least some portion of a substantially spherical field-of-view scene in focus to an imaging plane, housing means including support means to hold the optical means and mounting means that attaches the panoramic optical system to an adjacent camera.

A user borne portable personal digital assistant, a brain activity sensing system, a surround sensing system, and correlation system are provided for video logging and memory enhancement. Signatures simultaneously input from the brain system and surround system representing the environment around the user at a given time and place are correlated into a historical relational database. Real-time query means for identifying correlations between the historical database and current internal and external signatures as the user moves through space and time are provided. Body integrated sensor, processing, and display devices are provided to accomplish statistically valid neural representations within the brain correlated to externally originated geo-spatial information and sensory representations surrounding the user. Methods and systems are disclosed for using the resultant data from the data logging system as input into a simulation, stimulation, search engine, social network, telecommunication, or emulation system within a biological, mechanical, and bio-mechanical system.

A mobile user borne brain activity data and surrounding environment data correlation system comprising a brain activity sensing subsystem, a recording subsystem, a measurement computer subsystem, a user sensing subsystem, a surrounding environment sensing subsystem, a correlation subsystem, a user portable electronic device, a non-transitory computer readable medium, and a computer processing device. The mobile user borne system collects and records brain activity data and surrounding environment data and statistically correlates and processes the data for communicating the data into a recipient biological, mechanical, or bio-mechanical system.

An imaging system for producing stereoscopic panoramic images using multiple coplanar pairs of image capture devices with overlapping fields of view held in a rigid structural frame for long term calibration maintenance. Pixels are dynamically adjusted within the imaging system for position, color, brightness, aspect ratio, lens imperfections, imaging chip variations and any other imaging system shortcomings that are identified during calibration processes. Correction of pixel information is implemented in various combinations of hardware and software. Corrected image data is then available for storage or display or for separate data processing actions such as object distance or volume calculations.

Methods and apparatus to create and display panoramic images on a mobile device are disclosed. Such a mobile device can be a mobile phone. Apparatus is provided to control the position of a lens in relation to a reference lens. Methods and apparatus are provided to generate multiple images that are combined into a panoramic image. A panoramic image may be a static image. It may also be a video image. A controller provides correct camera settings for different conditions. An image processor creates a panoramic image from the correct settings provided by the controller. A panoramic camera is applied in a computer gaming system.

A panoramic camera system includes a plurality of camera units mounted in a common, e.g., horizontal, plane and arranged in a circumferential array. Each camera unit includes one or more lenses for focusing light from a field of view onto an array of light-sensitive elements. A panoramic image generator combines electronic image data from the multiplicity of the fields of view to generate electronic image data representative of a first 360-degree panoramic view and a second 360-degree panoramic view, wherein the first and second panoramic views are angularly displaced. A stereographic display system is provided to retrieve operator-selectable portions of the first and second panoramic views and to display the user selectable portions in human viewable form. In a further aspect, a video display method is provided.

A vehicle based data collection and processing system which may be used to collect various types of data from an aircraft in flight or from other moving vehicles, such as an automobile, a satellite, a train, etc. In various embodiments the system may include: computer console units for controlling vehicle and system operations, global positioning systems communicatively connected to the one or more computer consoles, camera array assemblies for producing an image of a target viewed through an aperture communicatively connected to the one or more computer consoles, attitude measurement units communicatively connected to the one or more computer consoles and the one or more camera array assemblies, and a mosaicing module housed within the one or more computer consoles for gathering raw data from the global positioning system, the attitude measurement unit, and the retinal camera array assembly, and processing the raw data into orthorectified images.

A traffic sign recognition system including a detection mechanism adapted for detecting a candidate traffic sign and a recognition mechanism adapted for recognizing the candidate traffic sign as being an electronic traffic sign. A partitioning mechanism may be adapted for partitioning the image frames into a first partition and a second partition. The detection mechanism may use the first portion of the image frames and the recognition mechanism may use the second portion of the image frames. When the candidate traffic sign is detected as an electronic traffic sign, the recognition mechanism may use both the first partition of the image frames and the second portion of the image frames.

A catadioptric camera having a perspective camera and multiple curved mirrors, images the multiple curved mirrors and uses the epsilon constraint to establish a vertical parallax between points in one mirror and their corresponding reflection in another. An ASIFT transform is applied to all the mirror images to establish a collection of corresponding feature points, and edge detection is applied on mirror images to identify edge pixels. A first edge pixel in a first imaged mirror is selected, its 25 nearest feature points are identified, and a rigid transform is applied to them. The rigid transform is fitted to 25 corresponding feature points in a second imaged mirror. The closes edge pixel to the expected location as determined by the fitted rigid transform is identified, and its distance to the vertical parallax is determined. If the distance is not greater than predefined maximum, then it is deemed correlate to the edge pixel in the first imaged mirror.

An omnidirectional sensor array system, for example a panoptic camera, comprising a plurality of sensors arranged on a support of predetermined shape to acquire data, wherein said sensors are directional and wherein each sensor is attached to a processing node which comprises integrated electronics that carries out at least a portion of the signal processing algorithms locally in order to reduce the computational load of a central hardware unit.

A stereoscopic imaging system incorporates a plurality of imaging devices or cameras to generate a high resolution, wide field of view image database from which images can be combined in real time to provide wide field of view or panoramic or omni-directional still or video images.

A system for capturing super wide-angle panoramic images. In particular, a two-reflector system is disclosed which is substantially self-correcting in which optical aberrations are substantially eliminated, such as field curvature, astigmatism and the like. Moreover, the super wide-angle panoramic imaging apparatus of the invention captures a super-wide field of view from a substantially single reference viewpoint. The invention provides a substantially compact viewpoint, while also having a substantially flat and stigmatic image plane, in the context of a super wide-angle panoramic system. Devices and methods for capturing panoramic images of super wide-angle scenes are provided. In a particular embodiment of the invention, two reflectors are provided (e.g., one a hyperboloidal mirror, the other a concave ellipsoidal or spherical mirror), a relay system (e.g., optics such as a mirror, a lens, a pinhole and the like) and an image sensor (e.g., an electronic photo-sensor, a film and the like).

A computerized system for displaying, geolocating, and taking measurements from captured oblique images includes a data file accessible by the computer system. The data file includes a plurality of image files corresponding to a plurality of captured oblique images, and positional data corresponding to the images. Image display and analysis software is executed by the system for reading the data file and displaying at least a portion of the captured oblique images. The software retrieves the positional data for one or more user-selected points on the displayed image, and calculates a separation distance between any two or more selected points. The separation distance calculation is user-selectable to determine various parameters including linear distance between, area encompassed within, relative elevation of, and height difference between selected points.

An LED based light source unit for an endoscopic imaging system produces illumination for a camera through an endoscope. The light source unit includes an array of LEDs mounted to a thermally conductive substrate. The light source unit is integrated into the proximal end of an endoscope and coupled directly to the optical fibers running to the tip of the endoscope. A plurality of such light source units may be integrated into the housing of an endoscope. Light emitted from each light source unit is directed to a distinctive section of the endoscope's tip and a doctor may control light output of each individual light source unit during a surgery.

System and method of the invention provides for creating, storing and broadcasting interactive panoramic walk-through applications. The combination of images is determined by the user's choice of direction of displacement at each intersection point and from each view point or geographical coordinate, in order to provide a complete view from a first person's point of view. The system provides a visual perspective comparable to a human visual experience.

A camera includes a display device, an angular velocity sensor to sense yaw rotation, an acceleration sensor to sense lateral and fore / aft acceleration, a memory to store first and second locations, and a processor. The angular velocity sensor is at the first location and the acceleration sensor is at the second location, and both locations are away from a center of perspective. The processor determines an initial position when an initial image is captured, a target position for capturing a next image, and a current position. The current position is determined from rotation sensed by the angular velocity sensor, acceleration sensed by the acceleration sensor, and the first and second locations. The processor causes a visual indication of the target position and a visual indication of the current position to be rendered on the display device. When the target and current positions are in substantial alignment, the camera automatically captures the next image.

A camera holding assembly that is configured to hold a plurality of cameras in a predetermined orientation includes a support having a plurality of receptacles. Each of the receptacles include at least one feature enabling a camera to be releasably retained therein as well as at least one and preferably at least three attachment features configured for enabling the camera holding assembly to be secured to another object. The receptacles are oriented about the support so that each camera, when loaded into the defined receptacles, is aimed in a different angular orientation. Images obtained from each retained camera can be stitched to create either a composite 360 degree×180 degree full spherical image or a composite 360 degree composite image of a scene of interest.

A method for capturing a digital panoramic image includes projecting a panorama onto an image sensor by means of a panoramic objective lens. The panoramic objective lens has a distribution function of the image points that is not linear relative to the field angle of the object points of the panorama, such that at least one zone of the image obtained is expanded while at least another zone of the image is compressed. When a panoramic image obtained is then displayed, correcting the non-linearity of the initial image is required and is performed by means of a reciprocal function of the non-linear distribution function of the objective lens or by means of the non-linear distribution function.

An image projection apparatus is provided. The image projection apparatus includes a camera which acts as an image pickup device. The camera detects the position of curved surface which serves as a target for displaying projected image. Thus, an image can be projected by the projection apparatus to a surface other than a fixed planar surface. Markers are placed on the curved surface, and a marker follower follows the markers based on an image pickup signal from the camera. An attitude and / or position prediction unit is provided for predicting the attitude and / or position of the curved surface. A computer is provided having an image creating unit for creating an image based on the attitude and / or position of the curved surface. Finally, a projector is provided for projecting an image from the computer to the curved surface as a target of the projection.

The invention discloses a method for forming a panoramic video based on multi-view video streaming, which comprises the following steps: 1) using a plurality of cameras to capture video with an omnidirectional coverage at different viewing angles; 2) establishing one-to-one correspondence of synchronous frames in each video streaming; 3) correcting each video streaming independently by the camera's calibration; 4) panoramically joining a group of the synchronous video frames and calculating the joint parameter of each frame; 5) applying the jointed parameter to the joint of each frame in each video streaming to obtain a panoramic video formed by the panoramic frames. Compared with the prior method that uses a concave lens or a convex lens to focus lights and then reduce into a panoramic video, the invention has the advantages of low cost, no picture distortion, and suitability for the shooting during movement.

A camera for automatically triggering a plurality of exposures during a pan based on a measure of camera displacement. During a pan, the camera regularly acquires images to compare a recently acquired image to a reference image. If the recently acquired image is optimally overlapped with the reference image, an exposure is triggered. In a digital camera, the images may be acquired with the native imager. In a film-based camera, or as an alternative embodiment for the digital camera, a sensor may be used to measure displacement. A series of images comprising a pan may be stored in the camera, or alternatively, each subsequent image may be stitched to a previous image to create a single panoramic image.

A traffic sign recognition system including a detection mechanism adapted for detecting a candidate traffic sign and a recognition mechanism adapted for recognizing the candidate traffic sign as being an electronic traffic sign. A partitioning mechanism may be adapted for partitioning the image frames into a first partition and a second partition. The detection mechanism may use the first portion of the image frames and the recognition mechanism may use the second portion of the image frames. When the candidate traffic sign is detected as an electronic traffic sign, the recognition mechanism may use both the first partition of the image frames and the second portion of the image frames.

A camera module includes first and second lens modules, a first holder receiving the first lens module therein, a second holder receiving the second lens modules therein, a circuit board arranged between the first and second holders, first and second image sensors arranged on opposite surfaces of the circuit board, and first and second reflecting members. The first image sensor is received in the first holder. The second image sensor is received in the second holder. The first reflecting member is arranged in the first holder and has a first reflecting surface for reflecting and directing the light converged by the first lens module to the first image sensor. The second reflecting member is arranged in the second holder and has a second reflecting surface for reflecting and directing the light converged by the second lens module to the second image sensor.

A pipe inspection system employing a camera head assembly incorporating multiple local condition sensors, an integral dipole Sonde, a three-axis compass, and a three-axis accelerometer. The camera head assembly terminates a multi-channel push-cable that relays local condition sensor and video information to a processor and display subsystem. A cable storage structure includes data connection and wireless capability with tool storage and one or more battery mounts for powering remote operation. During operation, the inspection system may produce a two- or three-dimensional (3D) map of the pipe or conduit from local condition sensor data and video image data acquired from structured light techniques or LED illumination.

A scanning camera with a rotating drum has one or more sensors characterized by a non-radial optical axis. With two sensors on opposite sides of the drum and facing in substantially the same direction, stereoscopic recording of a panorama is accomplished as the drum rotates. The adjustment of convergence between stereoscopic viewpoints is described that improves the viewing and interpretation of stereoscopic images. Rapid rotation of the scanning camera produces panoramic motion picture recording, with the final frame speed dependent on the sensitivity and speed of the sensor, the resolution desired, and the capabilities of the recording device. The preferred embodiment employs rotating fisheye lenses for a substantially full-sphere field of view. Additional sensors in the same arrangement are used to increase resolution and light sensitivity through multiplexed or additive recording of the image data. Recording image information using film, either internal or external to the camera drum, is also described as a cost-effective alternative to digital media storage.