PORTABLE WIDE-ANGLE VIDEO RECORDING SYSTEM

• US 20130050401A1
• Filed: 09/04/2009
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Breitblick GmbH
• Original Assignee: Breitblick GmbH
• Inventors: Tannhaeuser, Gunter, Anvarj, Pouyan
• Application Number:
  US13/394,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20130050401A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/00 General purpose image data processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/683 performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A portable video recording system is disclosed, comprising an array of camera modules. The set is equipped with gyroscopes, to allow the extrapolation of the camera'"'"'s movement from a stitched wide-angle reproduction.

From a composed series of master images, picture format and focus can be selected in post production, which avoids sighting and manual settings during recording.

Claims

1. A portable wide-angle video recording and processing system with an array of identical camera modules, wherein the serial images of these camera modules are radio-transmitted or recorded and processed together with the output of attached gyro sensors, to be electronically stitched together with extrapolating the camera array'"'"'s movement.

2. A portable wide angle video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the camera system is only used for recording or wireless transmission, whereas the processing of the images is effected in a computer system outside of the camera set.

3. A portable wide angle video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein image contents of the camera modules are sequentially transferred to and stored within a Hash memory set.

4. A portable wide angle video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the sequential transfer is provided by field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

5. A portable video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 2, wherein wireless transmission is executed via UHF communication.

6. A portable wide angle video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the movement of the camera set is recorded or transferred from integrated 3-axial gyro sensors.

7. A portable video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 6, wherein these gyro sensors are of the MEMS inertial sensor type.

8. A portable video recording and processing system as as set forth in claim 1, wherein all camera modules contain single anti-shake devices.

9. A portable video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 8, wherein anti-shake is executed by correcting lens movements.

10. A portable video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 8, wherein anti-shake is executed by correcting the image sensor'"'"'s position.

11. A portable video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein tracking data of single anti-shake devices are registered and processed alongside the single video streams, for later to be processed together with the gyro-data of the camera array.

12. A portable video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the output of all camera modules are compressed before transmitting or recording.

13. A portable video recording and processing system as as set forth in claim 12, wherein video compression is executed using H.264 codec.

14. A portable wide angle video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the horizontal angle of photography covers a surround view.

15. A portable wide angle video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the entire angle of imaging overlap the major human field of view, thus at least 150°

×

80°

.

16. A portable wide angle video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the images of adjacent camera modules overlap partially.

17. A portable wide angle video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 16, wherein the overlapping data is, besides better stitching, also used for electronic correction of chromatic noise and smearing.

18. A portable wide angle video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the images of the single camera modules are deskewed, devignetted and stitched to form one suite of global images.

19. A portable wide angle video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the allocation of the image sections for stitching is achieved by correct angle alignment with an overlapping section of at least 5°

.

20. A portable wide angle video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the alignment of the image sections is achieved by recognition and confocal centering of overlapping picture contents, like differentiable outlines and forms.

21. A portable wide angle video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 20, wherein the allocation of the image sections for stitching and the alignment of the image sections are combined.

22. A portable wide angle video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 18, wherein from these global images an inner frame is selected to build a master image, while extrapolating the movement of the camera set and single anti-shake corrections.

23. A portable wide angle video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 22, wherein the master images comprise horizontal and vertical field viewing angles, that exceed standard video formats, so to allow focussing on or cutting out selected content.

24. A portable video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein an extraction of different video formats and screen windows is executed from the composed master images.

25. A portable wide angle video recording and processing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein all self-adjusted parameters of the camera modules are recorded on the memory set or transferred to a control center for to realize adequate transitions in post-processing.