Method and apparatus for capturing panoramic images with range data

• US 6,023,588 A
• Filed: 09/28/1998
• Issued: 02/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Schauffele, Carl N., Ray, Lawrence A., VanSprewenburg, Brett
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Application Number:
  US09/162,310
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 396/20, 396/24, 396/21, 396/322, 396/324, 396/325, 396/419, 396/428, 396/429
• US Class Current: 396/20
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/08 by simultaneous recording
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/12 Panospheric to cylindrical image transformations
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0088 Synthesising a monoscopic image signal from stereoscopic images, e.g. synthesising a panoramic or high resolution monoscopic image

Abstract

A technique of capturing a stereoscopic panoramic photographic image of a scene, includes capturing a first 360° panoramic image of a scene from a first point on a vertical axis; and capturing a second 360° panoramic image of the scene from a second point on the vertical axis, the second point being displaced from the first point by a stereoscopic baseline distance.

Claims

1. A stereoscopic panoramic photographic method, comprising the steps of:

a) capturing a first 360°

panoramic image of a scene from a first point on a vertical axis; and

b) capturing a second 360°

panoramic image of the scene from a second point on the vertical axis, the second point being displaced from the first point by a stereoscopic baseline distance.

2. The stereoscopic panoramic photographic method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

c) deriving range data from the first and second 360°

panoramic images; and

d) storing the first 360°

panoramic image with the range data.

3. The stereoscopic panoramic photographic method of claim 2, wherein the images are color images.

4. Apparatus for capturing a stereoscopic panoramic photographic image of a scene, comprising:

a) means for capturing a first 360°

panoramic image of a scene from a first point on a vertical axis; and

b) means for capturing a second 360°

panoramic image of the scene from a second point on the vertical axis, the second point being displaced from the first point by a stereoscopic baseline distance.

5. The apparatus claimed in claim 4, wherein the means for capturing the first and second 360°

panoramic images comprise first and second 360°

panoramic cameras.

6. The apparatus claimed in claim 4, wherein the means for capturing the first and second 360°

panoramic images comprise a 360°

panoramic camera and means for translating the camera along the vertical axis between first and second 360°

exposures.

7. The apparatus claimed in claim 5, wherein the cameras are silver halide film cameras.

8. The apparatus claimed in claim 5, wherein the cameras are electronic cameras.

9. The apparatus claimed in claim 6, wherein the camera is a silver halide film camera.

10. The apparatus claimed in claim 6, wherein the camera is an electronic camera.