BANANA CODEC

• US 20100097526A1
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Photint Venture Group Inc.
• Original Assignee: Photint Venture Group Inc.
• Inventors: Jacob, Stephane Jean-Louis
• Granted Patent: US 8,395,657 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/578
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/047 Fisheye or wide-angle transformations
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images

Abstract

A method and system for stitching two or more images to generate a resultant image of good quality is disclosed. The disclosed method and system represents a way to stitch two or more images captured through fisheye lenses. The method and system converts two fisheye hemispherical images to two triangles, which are thereafter stitched together to form a rectangular image. Herein each single pixel in the hemispherical images at the beginning represents one single pixel in the resultant rectangular figure at the end of the process. Thus, the resultant stitched image comprises of the same concentration of pixels at the end as was in the initial images to be stitched and occupies lesser storage space than equirectangular images or videos.

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A method for stitching two or more images comprising the steps of:

capturing two or more images from at least one point and different directions of view by an image capture means to result in hemispherical images;

converting each hemispherical image into a corresponding triangular image;

orienting at least a first triangular image along an edge of at least a second triangular image wherein an edge of the first triangular image corresponds to the edge of the second triangular image; and

combining common points on the edge of the first triangular image with the corresponding points on the edge of the second triangular image to form a single stitched image.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of converting comprises the steps of:

representing each of the hemispherical images by a corresponding circle;

representing the base of the triangle by the perimeter of the circle; and

representing the perpendicular and hypotenuse of the triangle by a ray originating from centre of the circle to the edge of the circle.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the step of orienting comprises the step of rotating at least a first triangular image by 180 degrees.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the stitched image is a rectangular image with the same pixel concentration as the original hemispherical images.

25. A computer program product for stitching two or more images, comprising one or more computer readable media configured to perform the method as claimed in claim 13.

26. A computer program product for stitching two or more images, comprising one or more computer readable media configured to perform the method as claimed in claims 14.

27. A computer program product for stitching two or more images, comprising one or more computer readable media configured to perform the method as claimed in claims 15.

29. A computer program product for stitching two or more images, comprising one or more computer readable media configured to perform the method as claimed in claim 17.

18. A system for stitching two or more images comprising:

image capture means for capturing two or more hemispherical images from at least one point and different directions of view; and

image processing means coupled to the image capture means to convert two or more hemispherical images into triangular images and combine the triangular images into a single stitched image.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the image capture means includes at least one wide angle lens.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the image capture means captures still and moving images.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the stitched image is a rectangular image with the same pixel concentration as the hemispherical images.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the system further comprises:

storage means to store captured images, intermediate and stitched images and related image processing information; and

output means to display captured intermediate and stitched images.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the system is communicatively coupled to a communication network.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the system is communicatively coupled to a communication network.