De-warping Circuit Tile Remapping for Lens Distortion Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image processing technologies face challenges in efficiently correcting geometric distortions introduced by wide-angle lenses, such as radial and tangential distortions, which require complex calculations and significant processing power, often consuming bandwidth and CPU resources, and may not be flexible enough to adapt to different lens geometries.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for image processing that involves generating and using de-warping matrices to remap pixels from a distorted image space to a corrected image space, implemented as a combined hardware and software solution, where the image space is segmented into tiles to reduce hardware overhead and latency, allowing for near real-time processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If complex de-warping calculations are performed to correct geometric distortions, then image correction accuracy is improved, but processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates and stores de-warping matrices for various lens distortion parameters before actual image processing. When a distorted image needs correction, the system simply retrieves the pre-computed matrix corresponding to the lens parameters and applies it through matrix multiplication, avoiding complex real-time calculations while maintaining high correction accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the continuous parameter space of lens distortions into discrete categories (e.g., different focal lengths, aperture values, and distortion coefficients). Each segment has its own pre-computed de-warping matrix, allowing the system to handle various lens configurations without performing full recalculations for each image
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional CPU-based processing is used for de-warping, then processing flexibility is maintained, but bandwidth consumption and processing speed are insufficient for real-time applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional CPU-based iterative optimization methods with hardware-accelerated matrix multiplication operations. By formulating the de-warping problem as a series of matrix operations that can be efficiently executed on GPUs or dedicated hardware circuits, the system achieves real-time processing speeds while maintaining the flexibility to handle different lens configurations through pre-computed matrices
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the computational parameters from continuous iterative optimization to discrete matrix selection and application. By transforming the problem from solving complex non-linear equations in real-time to selecting and applying pre-computed matrices based on lens parameters, the system achieves both speed and flexibility
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for image processing. A de-warping circuit is configured to retrieve, in an ordered sequence, a plurality of de-warping matrices for remapping pixels of a first image from a distorted image space to a corrected image space, where the first image depicts a scene in the distorted image space. The de-warping circuit reads, into a memory buffer, blocks of pixels of the first image based at least in part on the order of the de-warping matrices and generates a plurality of image tiles based on the blocks of pixels of the first image. Each of the image tiles is interpolated from one or more of the retrieved blocks using a respective one of the de-warping matrices. The de-warping circuit writes the plurality of image tiles to an external memory to produce a second image depicting the scene in the corrected image space.