System and method for creating still images by utilizing a video camera device

• US 20010030693A1
• Filed: 02/08/2001
• Published: 10/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Edwards, Eric D., Fisher, Clay H., Blasgen, Michael W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,133,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/218.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3876 Recombination of partial images to recreate the original image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof

Abstract

A system and method for creating still images by utilizing a video camera comprises a cradle device that transports the video camera across a target object during a scanning procedure that captures and stores video data. During the scanning procedure, a motion detector captures and provides scan motion data to a scanning manager from the video camera. The scanning manager may then responsively utilize the scan motion data to accurately extract still frames corresponding to the target object from the captured video data at pre-determined time intervals. A stitching software program may then access and combine the still frames generated by the scanning manager to thereby create composite still images.

Claims

1. A system for creating a still image of a target object by utilizing a video camera, comprising:

a support device configured to transport said video camera across said target object during a scanning procedure; and

a scanning manager coupled to said video camera for analyzing scan motion data from said scanning procedure, and responsively generating still frames corresponding to said target object.

2. The system of

claim 1

wherein a stitching software program combines said still frames to produce said still image, said stitching software program residing on one of said video camera and an external computer device.

3. The system of

claim 1

wherein said target object includes one of a document, a photographic image, a physical object, a graphics image, and a geographic location.

4. The system of

claim 1

wherein a motion detector generates said scan motion data by monitoring said support device during said scanning procedure, said scan motion data including at least one of a scan speed and a scan direction.

5. The system of

claim 1

wherein said support device includes a cradle that is initially positioned at a starting index of a scan track to allow said video camera to frame said target object using at least one of a focus mechanism and a zoom mechanism.

6. The system of

claim 5

wherein a system user enters scan parameters into said video camera for performing said scanning procedure, said scan parameters including at least one of a scan speed control, a scan direction control, a still frame time interval control, a scan overlap control, and a scan resolution control.

7. The system of

claim 6

wherein said video camera generates an error warning on a user interface when said system user enters an invalid scan parameter, said invalid scan parameter including a negative overlap setting which would cause said still images to be aligned in excess of a minimum adjacent still image overlap value.

8. The system of

claim 5

wherein said cradle begins traveling along said scan track during said scanning procedure, said video camera responsively beginning to capture and store video data that corresponds to said target object.

9. The system of

claim 8

wherein a display manager in said video camera displays an active scan mode indicator on a user interface of said video camera during said scanning procedure, said active scan mode indicator displaying user settings for said scan parameters.

10. The system of

claim 8

wherein said video camera captures said video data using at least one of a complete video frame format in which a series of sequential video frames each contain a complete pixel set, and a keyframe format in which a series of keyframes that contain said complete pixel set are separated by a series of difference frames which contain only altered pixels which are different from a corresponding one of said keyframes, each of said keyframes being generated when an altered pixel total exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

11. The system of

claim 8

wherein a motion detector captures scan motion data corresponding to movements of said video camera, said motion detector providing said scan motion data to said scanning manager of said video camera, said scan motion data including at least one of a scan speed and a scan direction.

12. The system of

claim 11

wherein said motion detector generates said scan speed by monitoring a rotational velocity sensor for at least one wheel upon which said cradle travels during said scanning procedure.

13. The system of

claim 11

wherein said scan speed is expressed by a formula:

Scan Speed=Non-Overlapped Scan Distance/Time Interval

where said Non-Overlapped Scan Distance is a length of a non-overlapped region of an immediately-preceding still frame prior to a start of a current still frame, and said Time Interval is a length of time required by said cradle to transport said video camera across said Non-Overlapped Scan Distance to said start of said current still frame.

14. The system of

claim 11

wherein said scanning manager extracts an initial still frame of said target object from said video data that is captured by said video camera during said scanning procedure.

15. The system of

claim 14

wherein said scanning manager extracts a current still frame of said target object from said video data at a pre-determined time interval during said scanning procedure.

16. The system of

claim 15

wherein said scanning manager determines an overlap region between said initial still frame and said current still frame by referencing said scan motion data.

17. The system of

claim 16

wherein said scanning manager calculates an overlap length for said overlap region according to a formula:

Overlap Length=Still Frame Length−

Non-Overlapped Scan Distance

where said Overlap Length is a distance from a start of said overlap region to an end of said overlap region, said Non-Overlapped Scan Distance is a length of a non-overlapped region of said initial still frame prior to a start of said current still frame, and Still Frame Length is a constant length of one of said still frames.

18. The system of

claim 16

wherein a stitching software program combines said video data in said overlap region between said initial still frame and said current still frame to provide greater image detail and increased image resolution, said stitching software program thereby generating a composite still image of said target object from said initial still frame and said current still frame.

19. The system of

claim 1

wherein said video camera performs at least one of a reiterative combination procedure and concurrent combination procedure, said reiterative combination procedure repeatedly combining an immediately-preceding one of said still frames and a current one of said still frames to generate said still image, said concurrent combination procedure concurrently combining a series of said still frames to generate said still image.

20. The system of

claim 1

wherein said scanning procedure is performed by one of a moving video camera process, a moving target object process, and a stationary camera-stationary target process that utilizes a moving scanning reflector element.

21. A method for creating a still image of a target object by utilizing a video camera, comprising the steps of:

transporting said video camera across said target object with a support device during a scanning procedure;

analyzing scan motion data from said scanning procedure with a scanning manager; and

generating still frames corresponding to said target object by utilizing said scanning manager.

22. The method of

claim 21

wherein a stitching software program combines said still frames to produce said still image, said stitching software program residing on one of said video camera and an external computer device.

23. The method of

claim 21

wherein said target object includes one of a document, a photographic image, a physical object, a graphics image, and a geographic location.

24. The method of

claim 21

wherein a motion detector generates said scan motion data by monitoring said support device during said scanning procedure, said scan motion data including at least one of a scan speed and a scan direction.

25. The method of

claim 21

wherein said support device includes a cradle that is initially positioned at a starting index of a scan track to allow said video camera to frame said target object using at least one of a focus mechanism and a zoom mechanism.

26. The method of

claim 25

wherein a system user enters scan parameters into said video camera for performing said scanning procedure, said scan parameters including at least one of a scan speed control, a scan direction control, a still frame time interval control, a scan overlap control, and a scan resolution control.

27. The method of

claim 26

wherein said video camera generates an error warning on a user interface when said system user enters an invalid scan parameter, said invalid scan parameter including a negative overlap setting which would cause said still images to be aligned in excess of a minimum adjacent still image overlap value.

28. The method of

claim 25

wherein said cradle begins traveling along said scan track during said scanning procedure, said video camera responsively beginning to capture and store video data that corresponds to said target object.

29. The method of

claim 28

wherein a display manager in said video camera displays an active scan mode indicator on a user interface of said video camera during said scanning procedure, said active scan mode indicator displaying user settings for said scan parameters.

30. The method of

claim 28

wherein said video camera captures said video data using at least one of a complete video frame format in which a series of sequential video frames each contain a complete pixel set, and a keyframe format in which a series of keyframes that contain said complete pixel set are separated by a series of difference frames which contain only altered pixels which are different from a corresponding one of said keyframes, each of said keyframes being generated when an altered pixel total exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

31. The method of

claim 28

wherein a motion detector captures scan motion data corresponding to movements of said video camera, said motion detector providing said scan motion data to said scanning manager of said video camera, said scan motion data including at least one of a scan speed and a scan direction.

32. The method of

claim 31

wherein said motion detector generates said scan speed by monitoring a rotational velocity sensor for at least one wheel upon which said cradle travels during said scanning procedure.

33. The method of

claim 31

wherein said scan speed is expressed by a formula:

Scan Speed=Non-Overlapped Scan Distance/Time Interval

where said Non-Overlapped Scan Distance is a length of a non-overlapped region of an immediately-preceding still frame prior to a start of a current still frame, and said Time Interval is a length of time required by said cradle to transport said video camera across said Non-Overlapped Scan Distance to said start of said current still frame.

34. The method of

claim 31

wherein said scanning manager extracts an initial still frame of said target object from said video data that is captured by said video camera during said scanning procedure.

35. The method of

claim 34

wherein said scanning manager extracts a current still frame of said target object from said video data at a pre-determined time interval during said scanning procedure.

36. The method of

claim 35

wherein said scanning manager determines an overlap region between said initial still frame and said current still frame by referencing said scan motion data.

37. The method of

claim 36

wherein said scanning manager calculates an overlap length for said overlap region according to a formula:

Overlap Length=Still Frame Length−

Non-Overlapped Scan Distance

where said Overlap Length is a distance from a start of said overlap region to an end of said overlap region, said Non-Overlapped Scan Distance is a length of a non-overlapped region of said initial still frame prior to a start of said current still frame, and Still Frame Length is a constant length of one of said still frames.

38. The method of

claim 36

wherein a stitching software program combines said video data in said overlap region between said initial still frame and said current still frame to provide greater image detail and increased image resolution, said stitching software program thereby generating a composite still image of said target object from said initial still frame and said current still frame.

39. The method of

claim 21

wherein said video camera performs at least one of a reiterative combination procedure and concurrent combination procedure, said reiterative combination procedure repeatedly combining an immediately-preceding one of said still frames and a current one of said still frames to generate said still image, said concurrent combination procedure concurrently combining a series of said still frames to generate said still image.

40. The method of

claim 21

wherein said scanning procedure is performed by one of a moving video camera process, a moving target object process, and a stationary camera-stationary target process that utilizes a moving scanning reflector element.

41. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for creating a still image with a video camera, by performing the steps of:

transporting said video camera across said target object with a support device during a scanning procedure;

analyzing scan motion data from said scanning procedure with a scanning manager; and

generating still frames corresponding to said target object by utilizing said scanning manager.

42. A system for creating a still image of a target object by utilizing a video camera, comprising:

means for transporting said video camera across said target object during a scanning procedure;

means for analyzing scan motion data from said scanning procedure; and

means for generating still frames corresponding to said target object.