System and method for capturing adjacent images by utilizing a panorama mode

• US 20080062254A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clay Fisher, Eric Edwards
• Original Assignee: Clay Fisher, Eric Edwards
• Inventors: Edwards, Eric, Fisher, Clay
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,072 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3876 Recombination of partial images to recreate the original image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

A system and method for capturing adjacent images includes an imaging device with a panorama manager that performs various procedures to manipulate one or more image parameters that correspond to adjacent frames of captured image data. An image-stitching software program may then produce a cohesive combined panorama image from the adjacent frames of image data by utilizing the manipulated image parameters.

Claims

1. A system for performing a panorama imaging procedure with an imaging device, comprising:

imaging means configured to capture adjacent frames of image data;

a panorama manager that generates one or more image parameters corresponding to said adjacent frames of image data; and

a stitching module that combines said adjacent frames of image data into a composite panorama image.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said panorama manager and said imaging means are integral with said imaging device, said stitching module being integral with a host computer device that downloads said adjacent frames of image data from said imaging device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said panorama manager, said imaging means, and said stitching module are integral with said imaging device, said stitching module performing an image stitching procedure upon said adjacent frames of image data to produce and store said composite panorama image in said imaging device.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said imaging device is implemented as an electronic digital-camera device.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said imaging device is implemented as a cellular telephone device that includes image-capture functionalities.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said imaging device includes a viewfinder upon which said panorama manager displays said composite panorama image in an assembled format for evaluation by a system user.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said panorama manager selects said one or more image parameters to avoid an excessive variation between said adjacent frames of image data to thereby create a cohesive composite image quality for said composite panorama image.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said one or more image parameters include an exposure parameter, a white-balance parameter, a brightness parameter, a contrast parameter, a sharpness parameter, a hue parameter, a saturation parameter, and a color balance parameter.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said imaging device captures and stores an initial frame of said adjacent frames of said image data, said imaging device storing an initial image parameter value that corresponds to said initial frame of said image data, said panorama manager utilizing said initial image parameter value from said initial frame of said image data for all of said adjacent frames of said image data.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said initial frame is visually selected by a system user to be located anywhere among said adjacent frames of image data, said initial frame thus representing optimal image characteristics for said composite panorama image.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said imaging device samples and stores a parameter range of image parameter values from a panorama target area, said panorama manager selecting a global parameter value that represents said parameter range of image parameter values, said panorama manager utilizing said global parameter value for all of said adjacent frames of said image data.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said panorama manager selects said global parameter value by calculating an average value of said parameter range.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said panorama manager selects said global parameter value by comparing said parameter range of parameter values to a pre-determined global parameter lookup table.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said panorama manager performs a transition processing procedure on adjacent frames of said image data for defining transition parameters to create a cohesive composite image quality for a composite panorama image.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said panorama manager is implemented in a host computer, said host computer downloading said image data to remotely perform said transition processing procedure.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein said imaging device captures and stores an initial frame of said image data into frame buffers at a prior frame location, said imaging device capturing and storing a next frame of said image data into said frame buffers at a current frame location, said panorama manager performing said transition processing procedure on said image data from said prior frame location of said frame buffers, said transition processing procedure including gradually modifying said one or more image parameters from said image data from said prior frame location of said frame buffers to thereby transition from original values of said one or more image parameters at a first edge of said image data and linearly progressing to matching parameter values at a second edge of said image data, said second edge being adjacent to said image data from said current frame location of said frame buffers, said matching parameter values being equal to said one or more image parameters of said image data in said current frame location.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein said imaging device captures said adjacent frames of said image data in a selectable sequence that includes a left-right sequence, a right-left sequence, an up-down sequence, and a down-up sequence.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said panorama manager alternately generates an initial frame parameter, a global parameter, or multiple transitioned parameters for processing said adjacent frames of image data.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein said one or more image parameters include one or more exposure parameters.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein said one or more image parameters include one or more white-balance parameters.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein said imaging device includes a communications module for transferring said image data to a host computer over a distributed computer network, said distributed computer network being implemented to include an Internet computer network.

22. A method for performing a panorama imaging procedure with an imaging device, comprising the steps of:

capturing adjacent frames of image data with an imaging mechanism;

utilizing a panorama manager to generate one or more image parameters corresponding to said adjacent frames of image data; and

combining said adjacent frames of image data into a composite panorama image by utilizing a stitching module.

23. A system for performing a panorama imaging procedure with an imaging device, comprising:

imaging means configured to capture adjacent frames of image data;

a panorama manager that generates one or more image parameters corresponding to said adjacent frames of image data, said panorama manager performing a transition processing procedure on adjacent frames of said image data for defining transition parameters to create a cohesive composite image quality for a composite panorama image; and

a stitching module that combines said adjacent frames of image data into a composite panorama image.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein said imaging device captures and stores an initial frame of said image data into frame buffers at a prior frame location, said imaging device capturing and storing a next frame of said image data into said frame buffers at a current frame location, said panorama manager performing said transition processing procedure on said image data from said prior frame location of said frame buffers.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said transition processing procedure includes gradually modifying said one or more image parameters from said image data from said prior frame location of said frame buffers to thereby transition from original values of said one or more image parameters at a first edge of said image data and linearly progressing to matching parameter values at a second edge of said image data, said second edge being adjacent to said image data from said current frame location of said frame buffers, said matching parameter values being equal to said one or more image parameters of said image data in said current frame location.