Method and system for generating a composite image from partially overlapping adjacent images taken along a plurality of axes

• US 6,104,840 A
• Filed: 11/10/1997
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Aoki, Shin, Guan, Haike, Ejiri, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): COUSO, YON JUNG
• Application Number:
  US08/966,889
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 382/284, 382/294, 345/113, 345/433, 395/135, 359/29, 359/557, 348/36, 348/39
• US Class Current: 382/284
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects

Abstract

A composite image is generated from partially overlapping adjacent images taken at a single location along a plurality of axes. The angular relation among the overlapping images is initially determined based upon a common pattern in an overlapping portion of the images. The overlapping images are each converted to with respect to one of the images selected as a standard image based upon the previously determined angular relation.

Claims

1. A method of generating a composite image from a plurality of partially overlapping images, comprising the steps of:

a) taking said partially overlapping images along a plurality of optical axes of an image-forming lens, said partially overlapping images including a first image portion and a second image portion, said first image portion and said second image portion sharing at least a common pattern;

b) determining an angular relation between said first image portion and said second image portion based upon said common pattern;

b'"'"') converting first angular information of said first image portion into second angular information according to an angular system of said second image portion so as to generate unified angular information; and

c) generating the composite image from said first image portion and said second image portion based upon said unified angular information.

2. The method of generating a composite image according to claim 1 wherein said step b) further comprises the steps:

d) finding a predetermined number of the common patterns in said first image portion and said second image portion;

e) determining a conversion matrix based upon said angular relation; and

f) converting first angular coordinates of said common patterns in said first image portion to second angular coordinates in said second image portion based upon said conversion matrix.

3. The method of generating a composite image according to claim 2 wherein said conversion matrix converts a first position in a first space to a second position in a second space.

4. The method of generating a composite image according to claim 3 wherein said conversion matrix is expressed in a following equation:

##EQU7## where (x1, y1, z1) represents said first position, (x2, y2, z2) represents said second position, α

is an angle between x1 and a common axis, β

is an angle between x2 and the common axis, γ

is an angle between z1 and z2.

5. The method of generating a composite image according to claim 2 wherein said step c) projects said first image portion and said second image portion onto a common display surface.

6. The method of generating a composite image according to claim 1 wherein said step b) corrects distortion aberration based upon a predetermined equation.

7. The method of generating a composite image according to claim 6 wherein said predetermined equation includes:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">θ

'"'"'=θ

-Aθ

.sup.3 +Bθ

.sup.5.

8.

8. The method of generating a composite image according to claim 1 wherein said step c) further comprises an additional step h) of determining a first pixel value of said common patterns in said first image based upon pixels values surrounding said first pixel in said second image based upon liner correction.

9. A system for generating a composite image from a plurality of partially overlapping images, comprising:

an image input unit for taking said partially overlapping images along a plurality of optical axes of an image-forming lens, said partially overlapping images including a first image portion and a second image portion, said first image portion and said second image portion sharing at least a common pattern;

a first processing unit connected to said image input unit for determining an angular relation between said first image portion and said second image portion based upon said common pattern and converting first angular information of said first image portion into second angular information according to an angular system of said second image portion so as to generate unified angular information; and

a second processing unit connected to said first processing unit for generating the composite image from said first image portion and said second image portion based upon said unified angular information.

10. The system for generating a composite image according to claim 9 wherein said processing unit further comprises:

a central processing unit running software for; and

a memory unit connected to said central processing unit for holding the composite image generated based upon said first image portion and said second image portion.

11. The system for generating a composite image according to claim 10 further comprising a display unit connected to said central processing unit and said memory unit for displaying the composite image on a common display surface.

12. The system for generating a composite image according to claim 11 wherein said central processing unit generates the composite image by combining said first image portion and said second image portion onto said common display surface.

13. The system for generating a composite image according to claim 10 wherein said central processing unit determines said conversion matrix for converting a first position in a first space to a second position in a second space.

14. The system for generating a composite image according to claim 13 wherein said conversion matrix is expressed in a following equation:

##EQU8## where (x1, y1, z1) represents said first position, (x2, y2, z2) represents said second position, α

is an angle between x1 and a common axis, β

is an angle between x2 and the common axis, γ

is an angle between z1 and z2.

15. The system for generating a composite image according to claim 9 wherein said processing unit corrects distortion aberration based upon a predetermined equation.

16. The system for generating a composite image according to claim 15 wherein said predetermined equation includes:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">θ

'"'"'=θ

-Aθ

.sup.3 +Bθ

.sup.5.

17. The system for generating a composite image according to claim 11 wherein said central processing unit further determines a first pixel value of said common patterns in said first image based upon pixels values surrounding said first pixel in said second image based upon liner correction.

18. The system for generating a composite image according to claim 9 further comprising:

a storage unit for storing data representing said partially overlapping images; and

an interface unit connected to said storage unit and said processing unit for inputting said data into said processing unit.

19. An image processing device for generating a composite image, comprising:

an image input unit for taking a plurality of partially overlapping adjacent images along a plurality of optical axes of said image input unit;

an angular position sensor connected to said image input unit for determining an angular position of said image input unit for each of the partially overlapping adjacent images;

an angular converter for converting first angular information of said first image portion into second angular information according to an angular system of said second image portion so as to generate unified angular information; and

a processing unit connected to said angular converter for generating a composite image from the converted partially overlapping adjacent images based upon based upon said unified angular information.

20. The image processing device for image processing device according to claim 19 wherein said processing unit determines a conversion matrix for converting a first position in one of the partially overlapping adjacent images to a second position in another of the partially overlapping adjacent images.

21. The image processing device according to claim 20 wherein said conversion matrix is expressed in a following equation:

##EQU9## where (x1, y1, z1) represents said first position, (x2, y2, z2) represents said second position, α

is an angle between x1 and a common axis, β

is an angle between x2 and the common axis, γ

is an angle between z1 and z2.

22. An article of manufacture, comprising:

computer usable storage medium for storing a computer readable program code embodied therein which provides computer instructions for generating a composite image from a first image portion and a second image portion, the computer readable program code in said article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable sample program code for causing the computer to finding a predetermined number of the common patterns in said first image portion and said second image portion;

computer readable sample program code for causing the computer to determine an angular relation based upon the common patterns; and

computer readable processing program code for causing the computer to determine a conversion matrix based upon said angular relation so as to convert first angular coordinates of said common patterns in said first image portion to second angular coordinates in said second image portion based upon said conversion matrix.

23. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps of generating a composite image, said method steps comprising:

a) providing partially overlapping images from a common location along a plurality of optical axes of an image-forming lens, said partially overlapping images including a first image portion and a second image portion, said first image portion and said second image portion sharing at least a common pattern;

b) determining an angular relation between said first image portion and said second image portion based upon said common pattern;

b'"'"'converting first angular information of said first image portion into second angular information according to an angular system of said second image portion so as to generate unified angular information; and

c) generating the composite image from said first image portion and said second image portion based upon said unified angular information.