Panoramic video system with real-time distortion-free imaging
First Claim
1. A method of providing a real-time panoramic video image in a rectangular format;
- the method comprising the steps of;
a) providing a panoramic annular lens system to capture a 360′
viewed annular image;
b) focusing said 360°
viewed annular image on a video camera image plane;
c) transferring a data signal output of said camera image plane to a personal computer;
d) utilizing said personal computer to unwrap said annular image into a substantially distortion free rectangular image at a rate of at least 30 fps; and
e) presenting said rectangular image on a visual display.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A panoramic annular lens system (PAL), a unitary video camera and a PC-based software system that unwraps a 360° video image into a seamless, distortion free horizontal image image in real time. The PAL system of the preferred embodiment has a 360° horizontal field of view and a 90° vertical field of view in a 40 mm diameter compact package. The invention is not limited to any particular type of lens system. In fact, there are numerous lens systems for providing a 360° panoramic view. The video camera may be a CCD or CMOS based device having a pixel resolution of either 1280×1024 (high resolution) or 720×480 (NTSC). The unwrapping system is a radiometric ray tracing program carried out using a computer'"'"'s graphics card capabilities to produce highly efficient regional transformation while minimizing software overhead. The result is real time, high resolution 30 fps conversion from a spherical distorted image to a flat panoramic image in Cartesian coordinates.
125 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of providing a real-time panoramic video image in a rectangular format;
- the method comprising the steps of;
a) providing a panoramic annular lens system to capture a 360′
viewed annular image;
b) focusing said 360°
viewed annular image on a video camera image plane;
c) transferring a data signal output of said camera image plane to a personal computer;
d) utilizing said personal computer to unwrap said annular image into a substantially distortion free rectangular image at a rate of at least 30 fps; and
e) presenting said rectangular image on a visual display. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- the method comprising the steps of;
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9. An apparatus for providing a real-time panoramic video image in a rectangular format;
- the apparatus comprising;
a panoramic annular lens system configured for capturing 360°
viewed annular image;
a video camera having an image plane for receiving said annular image and generating a corresponding data signal output;
a computer receiving said data signal output;
a graphics card and at least one software module in said computer for unwrapping said data signal output from an annular image into a substantially undistorted rectangular image at a rate of at least 30 fps; and
a visual display for displaying said rectangular image. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- the apparatus comprising;
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16. A panoramic video system having real-time distortion-free imaging;
- the system comprising;
a panoramic optical system having at least one optical element for viewing a 360°
field of view and focusing a corresponding image on an image plane;
a video camera having a sensing element at said image plane for converting said image into a corresponding video signal;
a computer receiving said video signal and having at least one program for configuring a substantially distortion-free rectangular display of said image at a rate of at least 30 fps; and
a monitor for presenting said display. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
- the system comprising;
Specification