Maintenance of panoramic camera orientation

• US 20060023075A1
• Filed: 12/31/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cutler, Ross G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,593,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/218.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/80 Analysis of captured images to determine intrinsic or extrinsic camera parameters, i.e. camera calibration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

Systems and methods for maintaining orientation of a non-cylindrical panorama is described wherein an initial magnetometer reading is obtained for a panoramic camera. If the panoramic camera is rotated from an initial position, a new magnetometer reading is obtained and a magnitude of rotation is determined. The magnitude of rotation is factored into an image stitching and warping process to create a panoramic image that maintains the initial orientation.

Claims

1. A panoramic camera system, comprising:

one or more cameras configured to image a panoramic area;

orientation detection means for determining an orientation of the panoramic camera system;

initialization means for receiving and storing an initial heading from the orientation detection means that identifies an orientation of the panoramic camera system at an initial time;

remapping means for receiving images from the one or more cameras and remapping the images onto a panoramic image;

rotation correction means for determining a direction and magnitude of a rotation that occurs when the panoramic camera system is rotated from the initial heading and supplying correction values to the remapping means; and

wherein the remapping means incorporates the correction values into the remapping process so that the panoramic image maintains a similar orientation before and after the rotation.

2. The panoramic camera system as recited in claim 1, wherein the orientation means further comprises a magnetometer that is configured to detected an orientation of the panoramic camera system with regard to a magnetic pole.

3. The panoramic camera system as recited in claim 1, further comprising table selection means for identifying a shape of table used to support the panoramic camera system.

4. The panoramic camera system as recited in claim 3, wherein the table selection means further comprising a size of the table used to support the panoramic camera system.

5. The panoramic camera system as recited in claim 1, wherein the rotation correction means further comprises a non-cylindrical warping function that normalizes objects appearing in the panoramic image according to a distances that the objects are located from the panoramic camera system.

6. The panoramic camera system as recited in claim 1, wherein the remapping means is further configured to remap the corrected values in real time.

7. The panoramic camera system as recited in claim 1, further comprising orientation means for orienting the panoramic camera system in a particular way with respect to a table that supports the panoramic camera system.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving images from a camera device that includes one or more individual cameras that image a panoramic area;

remapping the images to panoramic space to create a panoramic image;

detecting a rotation of the camera device;

adjusting the remapping process to account for the detected rotation so that each point in the panoramic area that is imaged is rendered in approximately a same location of the panoramic space before and after the rotation.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the detecting step further comprises:

storing an initial heading that identifies a first orientation of the camera device at a first time;

receiving a detected heading that identifies a second orientation of the camera device at a second time, the second orientation being different from the first orientation; and

deriving a direction and magnitude of the rotation from a difference between the initial heading and the detected heading.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising receiving the initial heading and the detected heading from an orientation device that detects an orientation of the camera device with respect to a magnetic pole.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising receiving data regarding a shape of a table on which the camera device is situated.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising applying a non-cylindrical warping function to the panoramic image to normalize objects according to the shape of the table on which the camera device is situated.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising receiving data regarding a size of the table on which the camera device is situated.

14. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising identifying a camera device orientation that indicates a way in which the camera device should be physically oriented.

15. One or more computer-readable media containing executable instructions that, when executed, implement the following steps:

receiving an initial heading that indicates an orientation of a camera device;

receiving images from one or more cameras that image a panoramic area;

remapping the images received from the one or more cameras to a panoramic image according to the initial heading;

receiving a detected heading that is different from the initial heading; and

computing remapping correction values that are used in the remapping process that alters the remapping process so that the panoramic image maintains a similar orientation before and after the occurrence of the rotation.

16. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, further comprising additional executable instructions that, when executed, implement an additional step of applying a non-cylindrical warping function to the panoramic image to normalize sizes of objects appearing in the panoramic image according to a location of each object with respect to the camera device.

17. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 16, further comprising additional executable instructions that, when executed, implement an additional step of receiving table data regarding a shape of a table on which the camera device is situated and using the table data in the non-cylindrical warping function.

18. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the table data further comprises data regarding a size of the table on which the camera device is situation.

19. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, further comprising additional executable instructions that, when executed, implement an additional step of determining a direction and magnitude of the rotation of the camera device.

20. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, wherein the indication of the orientation of a camera device further comprises an indication of the orientation of a camera device with respect to a magnetic pole of the earth.