Panorama processing

Abstract

This disclosure pertains to devices, methods, and computer readable media for performing panoramic photography processing techniques in handheld personal electronic devices. A few generalized steps may be used to carry out the panoramic photography processing techniques described herein: 1.) acquiring image data from the electronic device's image sensor's image stream; 2.) displaying a scaled preview version of the image data in real-time on the device's display; 3.) performing "motion filtering" on the acquired image data; 4.) generating full-resolution and lower-resolution versions of portions of the images that are not filtered out by the "motion filtering" process; 5.) substantially simultaneously "stitching" both the full-resolution and lower-resolution image portions together to create the panoramic scene; and 6.) substantially simultaneously sending the stitched version of the lower-resolution image portions to a preview region on the device's display and storing the stitched version of the full-resolution image portions to a memory.

Description

[0001] Cross References to Related Applications [0002] This application is related to commonly assigned applications having attorney docket numbers P10712US1 (119-0224US), P10713US1 (119-0225US), P10714US1 (119-0226US), and P10715US1 (119-0227US), all filed May 17, 2011 filed, and all of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. technical field [0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to panoramic photography. Embodiments of the present disclosure relate, inter alia, to techniques for improving real-time panoramic photography processing for handheld personal electronic devices with image sensors. Background technique [0004] Panoramic photography can generally be defined as the photographic technique of capturing images using an extended field of view. Images showing a field of view that is approximately or greater than the field of view of a human eye (eg, approximately 160 degrees wide by 75 degrees high) may be ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

These challenges include photographic issues such as: difficulty in determining appropriate exposure settings caused by differences in lighting conditions across panoramic scenes; blurring across image seams caused by object motion within panoramic scenes; Problems caused by apparent displacements or differences in the apparent positions of objects within a panoramic scene in successively captured images as the camera rotates around an axis other than its center of perspective (COP)

To date, panorama photography systems have not been able to simultaneously generate a full-resolution version of the panorama during panning while providing the user with a meaningful preview of the panorama, and thus have not been able to prepare the full panorama at the same time as the user completes the panorama. Resolution version for storage and / or viewing

Images