APPARATUS FOR GENERATING PANORAMIC IMAGES AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20090262180A1
• Filed: 01/08/2009
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: CHUNG, Hee-jin, CHOI, Tai-ho, KIM, Geon-ho, KWON, Bom-jun
• Application Number:
  US12/350,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20090262180A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

A panoramic image generating apparatus, including a plurality of sub processors; and a main processor to divide data of an image to be processed to form a panoramic image into a plurality of areas, assign the divided data to a plurality of sub processors, and process the data in parallel. Accordingly, the time required to generate a panoramic image is reduced.

Claims

1. A method of generating a panoramic image, comprising:

dividing data of an image to be processed to form the panoramic image into a plurality of areas;

assigning the divided data to a plurality of sub processors, and processing the data in parallel; and

combining the data processed by the sub processors so as to form the panoramic image.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dividing of the data, the assigning and processing of the divided data, and the combining of the data are performed by each of a plurality of sub processors of a panoramic image processing apparatus.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the sub processors perform one of a first operation to extract key points from a plurality of source images, a second operation to match the extracted key points, a third operation to stitch the plurality of images using the matched key points, and a fourth operation to blend the stitched source images.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first operation comprises:

dividing the source image into a plurality of areas;

assigning the divided source images to the plurality of sub processors, and blurring the source images;

dividing the blurred source images into a plurality of areas;

assigning the divided source images to the plurality of sub processors, and calculating the difference of Gaussians; and

extracting the key points using the calculated difference of Gaussians.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the second operation comprises:

building a search tree to search for and match the key points;

assigning the search tree to the plurality of sub processors, and traversing each branch unit of the search tree; and

matching the key points by traversing the search tree.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the third operation comprises:

dividing the source image into a plurality of areas;

assigning the areas corresponding to the key points to the plurality of sub processors and extracting source coordinates corresponding to target coordinates on the panoramic image to be generated;

applying a source image corresponding to the extracted source coordinates to the target coordinates, and dividing the source image;

assigning the divided source image to the plurality of sub processors, and interpolating the source image; and

generating the source image stitched by the interpolation.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the fourth operation comprises:

dividing the stitched source image into lines;

assigning starting addresses of the lines to the plurality of sub processors, and reducing or enlarging the stitched source image;

combining the reduced or enlarged source image, and generating a panoramic image.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the divided data are assigned using round-robin scheduling.

9. A panoramic image generating apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of sub processors; and

a main processor to divide data of an image to be processed to form the panoramic image into a plurality of areas, to assign the divided data to the plurality of sub processors, and to process the data in parallel.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the main processor divides the data and assigns the data for each of at least one operation of a panoramic image process.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one operation comprises at least one of a first operation to extract key points from a plurality of source images, a second operation to match the extracted key points, a third operation to stitch the plurality of images using the matched key points, and/or a fourth operation to blend the stitched source images.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, during the first operation:

the plurality of sub processors blur the source images;

the main processor divides the blurred source images into a plurality of areas and assigns the divided source images to the plurality of sub processors;

the plurality of sub processors calculate the difference of Gaussians and extract the key points based on the calculated difference of Gaussians.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, during the second operation:

the main processor builds a search tree to search for and match the key points and assigns the built search tree to the plurality of sub processors; and

the plurality of sub processors traverse each branch unit of the search tree and match the key points.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, during the third operation:

the main processor divides the source image into a plurality of areas, and assigns the areas corresponding to the key points to the plurality of sub processors;

the plurality of sub processors extract source coordinates corresponding to target coordinates on a panoramic image to be generated;

the main processor applies a source image corresponding to the extracted source coordinates to the target coordinates, divides the source image, and assigns the divided source image to the plurality of sub processors; and

the plurality of sub processors interpolate the source image and generate the source image stitched by the interpolation.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, during the fourth operation:

the main processor divides the stitched source image into lines, and assigns starting addresses of the lines to the plurality of sub processors;

the plurality of sub processors reduce or enlarge the stitched source image; and

the main processor combines the reduced or enlarged source image to generate the panoramic image.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the divided data are assigned using round-robin scheduling.