Spherical Image Stabilization via Translation-Aware Rotation Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable wide-angle image capture devices that capture 360° images struggle to stabilize the image stream when the device undergoes rotation and translation, leading to undesirable changes in the point of view, especially when used in three-dimensional space motion.
Innovation Solution
The techniques involve analyzing the stream of spherical images to correct for rotation around one or more axes and account for translation by adjusting the rotation correction using predetermined rules, with options to lock onto objects for stabilization, ensuring the image stream reflects the user's intended point of view and maintains a stable horizon or object focus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the device rotates and translates in three-dimensional space to capture 360° images, then the viewer can be placed inside a sphere providing a 360° view of the captured scene, but the point of view changes undesirably between successive images
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary computational process that analyzes sensor data (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer) and applies rotation corrections to counteract device motion. This intermediary processing layer between the moving device and the final image stream stabilizes the point of view by calculating and applying compensatory rotations based on device orientation changes detected by sensors.
2Stability of the object's composition
If rotation correction is applied to stabilize the image stream, then the point of view remains stable, but the device complexity increases due to multiple correction modes and sensor processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic correction modes that can be selected or automatically switched based on the capture scenario. Multiple correction modes (horizon correction, compass correction, direction correction with horizon-locking, and three-dimensional correction) are provided, allowing the system to adapt its complexity to the specific stabilization needs. The system dynamically adjusts the level of correction applied based on device motion characteristics and user preferences.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are disclosed for stabilizing a stream of spherical images captured by an image capture device to produce a stabilized spherical video sequence. The rotation of the image capture device during capture may be corrected in one or more desired axial directions in a way that is agnostic to the translation of the image capture device. The rotation of the image capture device may also be corrected in one or more desired axial directions in a way that is aware of the translation of the image capture device. For example, the assembled output spherical video sequence may be corrected to maintain the horizon of the scene at a constant location, regardless of the translation of the image capture device (i.e., a ‘translation-agnostic’ correction), while simultaneously being corrected to maintain the yaw of the scene in the direction of the image capture device's translation through three-dimensional space (i.e., a ‘translation-aware’ correction).