Orientation-Based Panoramic Stitching Using Sensor Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing panoramic field generation techniques face challenges such as failure to identify overlapping areas without distinct landmarks, incorrect alignment due to similar visual elements, and high computational resource consumption, especially when dealing with gaps or featureless regions.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an orientation sensor, such as a compass or gyroscopic sensor, to detect and store the device's orientation during field capture, allowing for orientation-based projection and stitching of panoramic fields, which reduces reliance on landmark-based registration and computational intensity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If landmark-based alignment techniques are used to register consecutive fields, then alignment accuracy may be achieved in some cases, but the system fails when distinct landmarks are not identifiable in overlapping areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces orientation data from sensors (compass, accelerometer, gyroscope) as an intermediary to assist in field registration. This orientation information acts as a mediator that guides the landmark-based alignment process, providing a preliminary framework that makes landmark identification more reliable even in challenging conditions with few distinct landmarks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary orientation measurement using sensors before attempting landmark-based alignment. This preliminary action of capturing orientation data in advance creates a preparatory framework that constrains the search space for landmark matching, making the subsequent alignment process more reliable when distinct landmarks are scarce.
2Measurement precision
If full-field analysis is performed to accurately register fields captured in unexpected sequences, then registration accuracy can be maintained, but computational resource consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary orientation measurement and uses it to predict the likely sequence and orientation of captured fields before performing detailed analysis. This preliminary action constrains the registration process to plausible field arrangements, avoiding the need for exhaustive full-field analysis while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter space by introducing orientation parameters from sensors to constrain the registration problem. Instead of analyzing all possible field arrangements, the system uses orientation data to narrow down the parameter space of valid registrations, reducing computational energy while maintaining accuracy.
3Reliability
If comprehensive field evaluation is performed to handle gaps and featureless regions, then panoramic field completeness is improved, but processing time and computational load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary orientation measurement to establish the spatial context of each field before attempting to identify overlaps and register them. This preliminary spatial framework allows the system to efficiently handle gaps and featureless regions by using orientation constraints to guide the search for valid field connections, reducing processing time while maintaining completeness.
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
This approach enhances the generation of panoramic fields by minimizing errors from visual content issues and reducing computational load, enabling efficient stitching on commodity hardware with minimal battery usage, regardless of capture sequence or order.
Implementation Method 1
detecting a orientation of the device with respect to various reference points (e.g., magnetic north or a horizontal or vertical plane)
Implementation Method 2
gyroscopic sensor
Implementation Method 3
set of accelerometers
Data Source
AI summary
A field sensor may be capable of generating a panoramic field, e.g., by instructing the user to capture a sequence of fields of the panorama, performing a field evaluation to identify one or more landmarks depicted in overlapping areas of two contiguous fields, performing a field registration therebetween, and stitching together the panoramic field. However, panoramic field stitching based on field evaluation may fail to register two fields accurately or at all. Rather, panoramic field stitching may be performed using a device having an orientation sensor that detects the orientation of the device while capturing each field with a field sensor. The detected orientation may be used to orient the fields within a projection, from which a panoramic field may be accurately stitched. Additional variations include stitching together projections of the panorama captured at different times and utilizing fields captured at a distance from the root location of the panorama.