IMAGING SYSTEM, IMAGING APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM

• US 20160073024A1
• Filed: 11/13/2015
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Hideaki Yamamoto
• Inventors: YAMAMOTO, Hideaki
• Granted Patent: US 10,681,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/00 Panoramic or wide-screen photography; Photographing extended surfaces, e.g. for surveying; Photographing internal surfaces, e.g. of pipe
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0007 Image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• 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 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation

Abstract

An imaging system includes an imaging unit, a detecting unit, a recording unit, a correcting unit, and a video generating unit. The imaging unit captures images of a plurality frames. The detecting unit detects a tilt of the imaging unit with respect to a reference direction. The recording unit records time-series data of the tilt detected by the detecting unit. The correcting unit applies tilt correction to an image of each of the frames captured by the imaging unit, based on the time-series data of the tilt recorded by the recording unit and additional information unique to the imaging unit. The video generating unit generates video data based on the image of each of the frames corrected by the correcting unit.

Claims

1. An imaging system comprising:

an imaging unit to capture images of a plurality frames;

a detecting unit to detect a tilt of the imaging unit with respect to a reference direction;

a recording unit to record time-series data of the tilt detected by the detecting unit;

a correcting unit to apply tilt correction to an image of each of the frames captured by the imaging unit, based on the time-series data of the tilt recorded by the recording unit and additional information unique to the imaging unit; and

a video generating unit to generate video data based on the image of each of the frames corrected by the correcting unit.

2. The imaging system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a video compressing unit to compress the images of the frames captured by the imaging unit into data in a video format;

an output unit to output the image data in the video format compressed by the video compressing unit and the time-series data of the tilt recorded by the recording unit;

a reading unit to read the image data in the video format and the time-series data of the tilt that are output by the output unit; and

a restoring unit to restore the image of each of the frames from the image data in the video format read by the reading unit, wherein

the correcting unit applies the tilt correction to the image of each of the frames restored by the restoring unit, based on the time-series data of the tilt read by the reading unit.

3. The imaging system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an output unit to output the images of the frames captured by the imaging unit and the time-series data of the tilt recorded by the recording unit; and

a reading unit to read the images of the frames and the time-series data of the tilt that are output by the output unit, wherein

the correcting unit applies the tilt correction to the image of each of the frames read by the reading unit, based on the time-series data of the tilt read by the reading unit.

4. The imaging system according to claim 2, wherein the imaging unit, the detecting unit, the recording unit, and the output unit are included in an imaging apparatus, and the reading unit, the correcting unit, and the video generating unit are included in an image processing apparatus that is separate from the imaging apparatus.

5. The imaging system according to claim 3, wherein the imaging unit, the detecting unit, the recording unit, and the output unit are included in an imaging apparatus, and the reading unit, the correcting unit, and the video generating unit are included in an image processing apparatus that is separate from the imaging apparatus.

6. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein

the imaging unit comprises a first wide-angle imaging optical system and a second wide-angle imaging optical system,

the images of the frames captured by the imaging unit include a first partial image captured by the first wide-angle imaging optical system and a second partial image captured by the second wide-angle imaging optical system,

the correcting unit comprises:

a modifying unit to modify, according to the tilt, conversion data that is prepared for converting the first partial image and the second partial image into data in a spherical coordinate system; and

an omnidirectional image generating unit to, using the conversion data modified by the modifying unit, convert the first partial image and the second partial image into data in the spherical coordinate system, and generate omnidirectional images, and

the video data is video data of the omnidirectional images.

7. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein, in performing the tilt correction, the correcting unit loads, into a memory, images of some of the frames that are based on a starting frame of the frames constituting the entire video data.

8. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein

the reference direction is a vertical direction, and

the correcting unit performs the tilt correction so that a zenith direction of the image of each of the frames corrected by the correcting unit coincides with a vertical line.

9. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the detecting unit includes an acceleration sensor.

10. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit to image a subject and output a plurality of images thereof;

a detecting unit to detect a tilt when the subject is imaged;

a video generating unit to generate a video from the images; and

an output unit to output information on the tilt, the video, and additional information unique to the imaging unit, the additional information being used together with the information on the tilt for applying tilt correction to the video.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the output unit outputs the images constituting the video and the information on the tilt when each of the images is captured so as to be associated with each other.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 10, comprising a plurality of the imaging units, wherein

the video generating unit generates videos of a plurality of images output from the respective imaging units;

and

the output unit outputs the videos.

13. A system comprising:

an imaging unit to image a subject and output a plurality of images thereof;

a detecting unit to detect a tilt when the subject is imaged;

an image converting unit to convert the images according to the tilt and additional information unique to the imaging unit; and

a video generating unit to generate a video from the converted images.

14. The system according to claim 13, comprising a plurality of the imaging units, wherein

the image converting unit converts the images output from the imaging units;

and

the video generating unit generates the video from images each of which is obtained by combining images, among the converted images, that have been captured at an identical timing by the imaging units, into one image.