Panorama image producing method and apparatus

• US 5,689,611 A
• Filed: 01/05/1996
• Issued: 11/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Hiroshi, Iijima, Koji, Ohta, Masashi, Fukuda, Kyoko, Hamada, Toshimichi, Sekiya, Tsuneo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/583,441
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 358/335, 358/906, 358/909.1, 358/342, 358/311, 348/36, 348/37, 348/38, 348/39, 348/407, 348/208, 348/413, 360/35.1, 360/33.1, 360/27, 386/46, 386/95, 386/111, 386/112, 386/107, 386/117, 386/125, 386/124
• US Class Current: 386/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/23 with coding of regions that are present throughout a whole video segment, e.g. sprites, background or mosaic
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9201 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9208 involving the use of subcodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/923 using preemphasis of the signal before modulation and deemphasis of the signal after demodulation volume compression or expansion in amplifiers in general H03G7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/937 by assembling picture element blocks in an intermediate store
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/83 the recorded chrominance signal occupying a frequency band under the frequency band of the recorded brightness signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/906 Hand-held camera with recorder in a single unit

Abstract

A method and an apparatus by which a panorama image is produced with a high degree of accuracy from an image signal are disclosed. An image signal produced by a CCD imaging element is recorded onto a video tape by way of a camera signal processing circuit, a recording signal processing circuit, a recording/reproduction amplifier and so forth. Meanwhile, a microcomputer calculates of a motion vector of an image from the output of a motion vector detector to which the image signal from the CCD imaging element is inputted, and controls a video subcode processor so that motion vector information may be recorded onto the video tape. The motion vector information is reproduced from the video tape together with the image signal, and a plurality of images are formed from the thus reproduced image signal and joined together in accordance with the motion vector information to produce a panorama image.

Claims

1. An apparatus for recording a panorama image, comprising:

imaging means for imaging a subject to produce a plurality of image signals, each of said image signals representing a respective image;

motion vector detecting means for detecting motion vector information representing motion between at least two of said images; and

recording means for recording the motion vector information onto a recording medium together with the plurality of image signals produced by said imaging means, said plurality of images being recoverable upon reproduction of said plurality of image signals from said recording medium without using the recorded motion vector information, and the panorama image of said subject being producible from the recorded plurality of image signals using the recorded motion vector information.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the motion vector information is recorded into a video subcode area of the recording medium.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein panning information is additionally recorded onto the recording medium.

4. A method of recording a panorama image, comprising the steps of:

imaging a subject to produce a plurality of image signals, each of said image signals representing a respective image;

detecting motion vector information representing motion between at least two of said images; and

recording the motion vector information onto a recording medium together with the plurality of image signals, said plurality of images being recoverable upon reproduction of said plurality of image signals from said recording medium without using the recorded motion vector information, and the panorama image of said subject being producible from the recorded plurality of image signals using the recorded motion vector information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the recording medium includes a video subcode area, and said motion vector information is recorded into said video subcode area of the recording medium.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of producing panning information and recording said panning information onto the recording medium.