Fisheye Lens Structure With Spherical Projection Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fisheye lenses capture images with a wide field of view but introduce significant distortions, making it difficult to view and follow objects across frames.
Innovation Solution
A fisheye lens attachment with a specialized lens assembly and image processing platform that removably secures to a camera, transforming fisheye images into undistorted perspective projections using a three-dimensional coordinate sphere mapping and resampling techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If a fisheye lens is used to capture images, then the field of view is widened, but image distortion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms two-dimensional fisheye lens images into three-dimensional representations by mapping pixels onto a virtual coordinate sphere. This dimensional transformation allows the system to capture wide field of view while eliminating radial distortions through spherical projection, then converts back to a usable two-dimensional perspective view.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing pipeline between the fisheye lens and the final image output. This includes a coordinate transformation module that acts as a mediator, converting distorted fisheye coordinates through a virtual camera model and projection matrix to produce undistorted perspective images.
2Manufacturing precision
If a traditional pinhole lens is used, then image distortion is minimized, but the field of view is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the advantages of both fisheye lenses (wide field of view) and traditional pinhole lenses (minimal distortion) by combining the fisheye lens for capture with computational processing that emulates pinhole camera geometry. The system captures wide-angle footage using the fisheye lens but processes it to eliminate distortion, achieving both wide field of view and minimal distortion simultaneously.
3Manufacturing precision
If fisheye lens images are processed to remove distortion, then image quality improves, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes key parameters in the image processing pipeline, including transforming the coordinate system from Cartesian to spherical coordinates, adjusting projection matrices, and modifying camera intrinsic parameters. These parameter transformations enable efficient distortion correction through mathematical operations rather than complex iterative algorithms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables capturing expansive scenes without distortions, maintaining image quality at the edges, and allowing seamless tracking of objects across frames.
Implementation Method 1
a lens attachment that directs light rays from the lens of the camera across a wider field of view
Implementation Method 2
The processor generates a two-dimensional projection of the video frame by mapping pixels of the video frame from the three-dimensional coordinate space to a two-dimensional coordinate space
Data Source
AI summary
An image capture device accesses two-dimensional input image comprising pixels distorted in a radial direction. The image capture device defines a projection of a region within the image corresponding to a set of control signals mimicking adjustments to a field of view of the camera, The projection is a two-dimensional coordinate plane of the region without distortions in the radial direction. The image capture device normalizes each point on the projection onto a three-dimensional coordinate sphere representing a full range of motion of the camera. The image capture device maps each normalized point on the coordinate sphere to a two-dimensional point on the input image. For each mapped point on the input image, the image capture device extracts a pixel value from a pixel at the mapped point to project the pixel value at a corresponding position on the projection of the region.