Wide-Angle Camera Projection Mapping for Pitch Distortion Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wide-angle cameras used in videoconferencing settings suffer from significant optical distortions, particularly when tilted, causing objects near the sides of the field of view to appear warped and unsatisfactory for remote participants.
Innovation Solution
Applying a projection mapping with a tilt parameter based on the camera's pitch angle to correct image distortions, using a tilted cylindrical, rectilinear, or spherical projection, which accounts for the camera's specific optical center and lens distortion parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a wide-angle camera is used to capture a broad field of view in videoconferencing, then the coverage area is improved, but significant optical distortion occurs causing objects to appear warped
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies projection mapping with adjustable parameters (tilt parameter, vertical shift parameter) to transform the distorted wide-angle image coordinates into corrected coordinates. By changing the projection parameters based on camera pitch angle, the system maintains broad field of view coverage while correcting geometric distortion to achieve natural-looking vertical orientations of objects
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces projection mapping as an intermediary transformation process between the raw wide-angle camera capture and the final displayed image. This intermediary step uses mathematical projection models to mediate the geometric distortion, mapping distorted image points to corrected positions without requiring hardware changes
2Area of stationary object
If the camera is tilted to achieve proper positioning in the scene, then the field of view coverage is improved, but image distortion increases causing unsatisfactory appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by using projection mapping to pre-correct the distortion caused by camera tilt before the image is displayed. The system calculates the expected distortion based on the camera pitch angle and applies the inverse transformation through projection mapping, thereby counteracting the harmful warping effect in advance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the projection parameters (particularly the tilt parameter) to match the camera's pitch angle. By adjusting these parameters, the system compensates for the distortion introduced by tilting the camera to achieve proper scene coverage, thereby eliminating the warping effect
3Device complexity
If standard projection mapping is applied without tilt parameter, then the processing complexity is reduced, but the distortion correction is insufficient causing objects to remain warped
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enhances the projection mapping by introducing additional parameters (tilt parameter, vertical shift parameter) to the standard model. These additional parameters increase the processing complexity slightly but dramatically improve the distortion correction accuracy, allowing objects to appear vertically oriented and natural
Data Source
AI summary
One disclosed example provides a videoconferencing system comprising a processor and a storage device storing instructions executable by the processor to obtain an image of a scene acquired via a camera, the image of the scene comprising image distortion arising from a camera pitch angle at which the image of the scene was acquired. The instructions are further executable to apply a projection mapping to the image of the scene to map the image of the scene to a projection comprising a tilt parameter that is based upon the camera pitch angle at which the image of the scene was acquired, thereby obtaining a corrected image, and output the corrected image.