CA2363775A1 - A symmetric, high vertical field of view 360 degree reflector using cubic transformations and method - Google Patents

A symmetric, high vertical field of view 360 degree reflector using cubic transformations and method Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2363775A1
CA2363775A1 CA002363775A CA2363775A CA2363775A1 CA 2363775 A1 CA2363775 A1 CA 2363775A1 CA 002363775 A CA002363775 A CA 002363775A CA 2363775 A CA2363775 A CA 2363775A CA 2363775 A1 CA2363775 A1 CA 2363775A1
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CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
imaging apparatus
mirror
panoramic
panoramic imaging
camera
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
CA002363775A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2363775C (en
Inventor
Craig Summers
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
VR INTERACTIVE Corp
Original Assignee
VR INTERACTIVE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by VR INTERACTIVE INTERNATIONAL, INC. filed Critical VR INTERACTIVE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Priority to CA2363775A priority Critical patent/CA2363775C/en
Priority to AU2002365449A priority patent/AU2002365449A1/en
Priority to PCT/CA2002/001786 priority patent/WO2003046632A1/en
Publication of CA2363775A1 publication Critical patent/CA2363775A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2363775C publication Critical patent/CA2363775C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N5/00—Details of television systems
    • H04N5/222—Studio circuitry; Studio devices; Studio equipment
    • H04N5/262—Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects
    • H04N5/2628—Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B13/00—Optical objectives specially designed for the purposes specified below
    • G02B13/06—Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03B—APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
    • G03B37/00—Panoramic or wide-screen photography; Photographing extended surfaces, e.g. for surveying; Photographing internal surfaces, e.g. of pipe
    • G03B37/06—Panoramic or wide-screen photography; Photographing extended surfaces, e.g. for surveying; Photographing internal surfaces, e.g. of pipe involving anamorphosis
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06T—IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
    • G06T3/00—Geometric image transformations in the plane of the image
    • G06T3/04—Context-preserving transformations, e.g. by using an importance map
    • G06T3/047—Fisheye or wide-angle transformations
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06T—IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
    • G06T3/00—Geometric image transformations in the plane of the image
    • G06T3/40—Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
    • G06T3/4038—Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N23/00—Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
    • H04N23/60—Control of cameras or camera modules
    • H04N23/698—Control of cameras or camera modules for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Studio Devices (AREA)
  • Stereoscopic And Panoramic Photography (AREA)

Abstract

A panoramic imaging apparatus and method for capturing a 360 degree outward looking panoramic image of a scene using a single, stationary camera, comprises a mirror in the shape of an inverted dome, having an outward facing generally smooth convexly shaped peripheral surface for reflecting light emanating from the 360 degree panoramic scene, a camera -- which may preferably be a still or video camera having a digital sensor such as a charge coupled device (CCD) sensor or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor, but which may also be a conventional film based camera -- for recording the image projected by the convex dome-like mirror, and a mounting system for attaching the camera to the mirror. The apparatus may also include a suitably programmed computer for dewarping and processing the image for display using a virtual reality display program.

Claims (22)

1. A panoramic imaging apparatus for capturing panoramic images comprising:
a dome-like convex mirror, said convex mirror reflecting light from 360 degrees around said mirror;
an image capture mechanism, said mechanism capturing said light reflected from said convex mirror;
wherein said convex mirror is shaped such as to be defined by a cubic equation.
2. A panoramic imaging apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said image capture mechanism is an electronic camera having a charge coupled device (CCD) sensor at its image plane and the output of said sensor is connected to signal processing means.
3. A panoramic imaging apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said signal processing means is programmed to produce a dewarped image.
4. A panoramic imaging apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said signal processing means are in a camera.
5. A panoramic imaging apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said signal processing means are in a set top box.
6. A panoramic imaging apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said image capture mechanism is a video camera or a still camera.
7. A panoramic imaging apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said convex mirror is shaped such as to compensate for a smaller central than outer circumference.
8. A panoramic imaging apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said convex mirror is shaped so that bands on an inner circumference are approximately 2.3 times taller than around the outer circumference.
9. A panoramic imaging apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said convex mirror is shaped to produce distorted images when a polar-rectangular transformation is used.
10. A panoramic imaging apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein the convex mirror is comprised of a single surface.
11. A panoramic imaging apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein the mirror is a first-surface mirror with a durable chrome-like bonded surface.
12. A panoramic imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein ridges are located in ring-like fashion around said convex mirror.
13. A panoramic imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the images are symmetric above and below the horizon.
14. A panoramic imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein a screw is mounted in a flat glass rod to the mirror.
15. A method of recording a 360 degree panoramic image of a scene comprising the steps of:
locating a dome-like mirror having an outward facing convexly shaped peripheral surface within the scene so that said mirror reflects a 360 degree panoramic view of the scene; and sensing and recording said reflected panoramic view.
16. A method of presenting panoramic images, said method comprising the steps of:
recording a representation of a panorama;
storing said representation as a digitized representation;
geometrically transforming said digitized representation of said panorama; and displaying a resulting projection of said panorama.
17. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein said step of geometrically transforming the digitized representation is a cubic function.
18. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the transforming can be done in a computer, a camera or a set top box.
19. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the step of displaying a resulting projection comprises running a Quicktime Tm VR program.
20. The method as claimed in claim 16, said method comprising the further step of:
centrally controlling the storing, transforming and displaying steps.
21. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein a processing code number is allocated.
22. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein a unique computer identifier number is generated by authentication software.
CA2363775A 2001-11-26 2001-11-26 A symmetric, high vertical field of view 360 degree reflector using cubic transformations and method Expired - Fee Related CA2363775C (en)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA2363775A CA2363775C (en) 2001-11-26 2001-11-26 A symmetric, high vertical field of view 360 degree reflector using cubic transformations and method
AU2002365449A AU2002365449A1 (en) 2001-11-26 2002-11-26 Panoramic 360-degree imaging apparatus having a convex reflector defined by a cubic equation, and method using the same
PCT/CA2002/001786 WO2003046632A1 (en) 2001-11-26 2002-11-26 Panoramic 360-degree imaging apparatus having a convex reflector defined by a cubic equation, and method using the same

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA2363775A CA2363775C (en) 2001-11-26 2001-11-26 A symmetric, high vertical field of view 360 degree reflector using cubic transformations and method

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2363775A1 true CA2363775A1 (en) 2003-05-26
CA2363775C CA2363775C (en) 2010-09-14

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA2363775A Expired - Fee Related CA2363775C (en) 2001-11-26 2001-11-26 A symmetric, high vertical field of view 360 degree reflector using cubic transformations and method

Country Status (3)

Country Link
AU (1) AU2002365449A1 (en)
CA (1) CA2363775C (en)
WO (1) WO2003046632A1 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2011098760A1 (en) 2010-02-10 2011-08-18 Thomas Alexander Lawton An attachment for a personal communication device
CN103576422A (en) * 2013-10-30 2014-02-12 樊书印 Mobile phone panoramic lens

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7253969B2 (en) 2002-05-14 2007-08-07 O.D.F. Medical Ltd. Spherical and nearly spherical view imaging assembly
IL150746A0 (en) 2002-07-15 2003-02-12 Odf Optronics Ltd Optical lens providing omni-directional coverage and illumination
IL152628A0 (en) 2002-11-04 2004-02-08 Odf Optronics Ltd Omni-directional imaging assembly
US7336299B2 (en) * 2003-07-03 2008-02-26 Physical Optics Corporation Panoramic video system with real-time distortion-free imaging
US7399095B2 (en) * 2003-07-09 2008-07-15 Eyesee360, Inc. Apparatus for mounting a panoramic mirror
US7224326B2 (en) 2004-03-03 2007-05-29 Volo, Llc Virtual reality system
JP4744823B2 (en) * 2004-08-05 2011-08-10 株式会社東芝 Perimeter monitoring apparatus and overhead image display method
JP4440749B2 (en) * 2004-11-02 2010-03-24 ローム株式会社 Image reading device
GB0613048D0 (en) * 2006-07-01 2006-08-09 Pano Pro Ltd Dome-like convex mirror for a panoramic imaging system
US7768545B2 (en) 2007-03-06 2010-08-03 Otto Gregory Glatt Panoramic image management system and method
DE202007005691U1 (en) * 2007-04-18 2007-06-28 Krüger, Frank Mirror scope for panorama photography for digital cameras has mirror that, together with rod and cover, can be inserted as a whole in into interior of suitably dimensioned housing, whereby cover joins housing on upper side
GB2456334B (en) * 2008-01-11 2012-08-15 Atreides Ltd Panoramic optical assembly
GB0820416D0 (en) * 2008-11-07 2008-12-17 Otus Technologies Ltd Panoramic camera
JP5742210B2 (en) * 2010-12-22 2015-07-01 ソニー株式会社 Imaging apparatus, image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program
WO2012145317A1 (en) * 2011-04-18 2012-10-26 Eyesee360, Inc. Apparatus and method for panoramic video imaging with mobile computing devices
JP5652349B2 (en) 2011-07-25 2015-01-14 株式会社リコー Wide-angle lens and omnidirectional imaging device
CN103581524A (en) * 2013-10-30 2014-02-12 樊书印 Mobile phone panoramic lens
CN103747166A (en) * 2013-10-30 2014-04-23 樊书印 Panorama lens of handset
CN103576423B (en) * 2013-10-30 2016-08-24 邢皓宇 A kind of mobile phone full shot
CN103576424A (en) * 2013-10-30 2014-02-12 樊书印 Mobile phone panoramic lens
CN106461382B (en) * 2014-05-07 2019-12-06 伊雷克托科学工业股份有限公司 Five-axis optical detection system
US9727957B2 (en) 2015-12-18 2017-08-08 Ebay Inc. Source image providing multiple item views
CN106442544B (en) * 2016-10-18 2018-11-20 凌云光技术集团有限责任公司 Omnidirectional imaging system
RU175867U1 (en) * 2016-12-28 2017-12-21 Общество с ограниченной ответственностью "Высокие технологии" PANORAMIC IMAGE INSTRUMENT
WO2019098609A1 (en) 2017-11-14 2019-05-23 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Method and apparatus for managing a wide view content in a virtual reality environment
US10845681B1 (en) 2020-08-17 2020-11-24 Stephen Michael Buice Camera apparatus for hiding a camera operator while capturing 360-degree images or video footage

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HU192125B (en) * 1983-02-08 1987-05-28 Budapesti Mueszaki Egyetem Block of forming image for centre theory projection adn reproduction of spaces
US5745305A (en) * 1995-04-28 1998-04-28 Lucent Technologies Inc. Panoramic viewing apparatus
JP3054146B1 (en) * 1999-01-06 2000-06-19 宜昇科技股▲分▼有限公司 Panoramic image device

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2011098760A1 (en) 2010-02-10 2011-08-18 Thomas Alexander Lawton An attachment for a personal communication device
CN103576422A (en) * 2013-10-30 2014-02-12 樊书印 Mobile phone panoramic lens
CN103576422B (en) * 2013-10-30 2016-05-11 邢皓宇 A kind of mobile phone full shot

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2003046632A1 (en) 2003-06-05
CA2363775C (en) 2010-09-14
AU2002365449A1 (en) 2003-06-10

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