SQUARE TUBE MIRROR-BASED IMAGING SYSTEM

• US 20100289874A1
• Filed: 05/17/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: University Of Kentucky Research Foundation (University of Kentucky)
• Original Assignee: University Of Kentucky Research Foundation (University of Kentucky)
• Inventors: CHENG, FUHUA
• Application Number:
  US12/781,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20100289874A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/43
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/14 operating by reflection only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/09 Multifaceted or polygonal mirrors , e.g. polygonal scanning mirrors; Fresnel mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/00 Stereoscopic photography
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/139 Format conversion, e.g. of frame-rate or size
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/218 using spatial multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/246 Calibration of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/282 for generating image signals corresponding to three or more geometrical viewpoints, e.g. multi-view systems

Abstract

A system is described for providing a three-dimensional representation of a scene from a single image. The system includes a reflector having a plurality of reflective surfaces for providing an interior reflective area defining a substantially quadrilateral cross section, wherein the reflector reflective surfaces are configured to provide nine views of an image. An imager is included for converting the nine-view image into digital data. Computer systems and computer program products for converting the data into three-dimensional representations of the scene are described.

Claims

1. A system for providing a three-dimensional representation of a scene from a single image, comprising a reflector comprising a plurality of reflective surfaces for providing an interior reflective area defining a substantially quadrilateral cross section;

wherein the reflector reflective surfaces are configured whereby the reflector reflective surfaces provide nine corresponding views of the image.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the reflector reflective surfaces are fabricated of a material whereby double images are substantially eliminated.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the reflector reflective surfaces substantially define a square or rectangular side view.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the reflector reflective surfaces substantially define an isosceles trapezoid in side view.

5. The system of claim 1, further including an imager for converting the nine-view image into digital data.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the imager is a digital camera or a scanner.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the imager is a digital camera and the reflector is cooperatively connected to the camera whereby an end of the reflector proximal to the camera is slidably translatable to increase or decrease a distance between said proximal reflector end and a pinhole of the camera.

8. The system of claim 1, further including a client computing device for receiving data from the camera and for rendering said data into a stereoscopic image or an image-plus-depth rendering.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the step of rendering said data into a stereoscopic image comprises:

obtaining a nine view image from a single scene;

identifying one or more regions in a central view of said nine view image;

identifying corresponding regions in adjacent views to the left and to the right of the central view;

interlacing the central, left, and right images of the identified one or more regions to generate an interlaced image of the identified one or more regions; and

outputting said interlaced image to a display panel for displaying stereoscopic images.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the step of rendering said data into an image-plus-depth rendering comprises:

calibrating the camera to obtain camera parameters defining a relationship between camera field of view and a view area defined by the reflector;

for one or points on the central view, identifying corresponding points on the remaining eight views in a nine-view image taken from the reflector for the one or more points on the central view, computing a depth from the corresponding one or more points on a left view, a right view, an upper view, and a bottom view of the nine view image;

combining said corresponding points data and said depth data to provide a three-dimensional image.

11. A computer program product available as a download or on a computer-readable medium for installation with a computing device of a user, for rendering a nine view image into a stereoscopic image or an image-plus-depth rendering, comprising:

a first component for identifying a camera location relative to a scene of which a nine view image is to be taken;

a second component for identifying a selected point in a central view of the nine view image and for identifying points corresponding to the selected point in the remaining eight views; and

a third component for identifying a depth of the selected point or points in the central view; and

a fourth component for combining the corresponding points data and the depth data to provide a three-dimensional image.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the nine view image is obtained by a system comprising:

a camera for translating a single image into digital data; and

a reflector comprising a plurality of reflective surfaces for providing an interior reflective area defining a substantially quadrilateral cross section;

wherein the reflector is cooperatively connected to the camera whereby a longitudinal axis of said reflector is substantially identically aligned with an optical axis of the camera.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the second and third components may be the same or may identify depth and corresponding points concurrently.

14. A computing system for rendering a nine view image into a stereoscopic image or an image-plus-depth rendering, comprising:

a camera for translating a single image into a digital form;

a reflector comprising a plurality of reflective surfaces for providing an interior reflective area defining a substantially quadrilateral cross section such that the reflective surfaces provide a nine-view image of a scene viewed from a point of view of the camera; and

at least one computing device for receiving data from the camera;

wherein the computing device, for one or points on the central view of the received nine-view image, identifies corresponding points on the remaining eight views in the nine-view image;

further wherein the computing device, for the one or more points on the central view of the received nine-view image, computes a depth from the corresponding one or more points on a left view, a right view, an upper view, and a bottom view of the nine view image;

said corresponding point data and depth data being combined to provide a three-dimensional image.

15. The computing system of claim 14, further including a display for displaying, a three-dimensional image generated by the computing device.