Panoramic camera

• US 6,480,229 B1
• Filed: 07/17/2000
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cedar Lane Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Be Here Corporation
• Inventors: Morrow, Howard, Lomax, Willard Curtis, Driscoll, Edward Jr., Steinhauer, Alan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, TUAN V
• Application Number:
  US09/618,141
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5225, 348/207, 348/335, 348/336, 348/337, 348/339, 348/340, 348/343, 348/344, 348/294, 348/311, 348/315, 359/363-367, 359/725, 359/726, 359/727, 359/728, 359/402-406
• US Class Current: 348/335
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/06 Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces
• 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 3/12 Panospheric to cylindrical image transformations
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19626 optical details, e.g. lenses, mirrors or multiple lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19628 of wide angled cameras and camera groups, e.g. omni-directional cameras, fish eye, single units having multiple cameras achieving a wide angle view
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

Most camera systems only record an image from a limited viewing angle. A new panoramic camera apparatus is disclosed that instantaneously captures a 360 degree panoramic image. In the camera device, virtually all of the light that converges on a point in space is captured. Specifically, in the camera of the present invention, light striking this point in space is captured if it comes from any direction, 360 degrees around the point and from angles 50 degrees or more above and below the horizon. The panoramic image is recorded as a two dimensional annular image. Furthermore, various different systems for displaying the panoramic images and distributing the panoramic images. Specifically, methods and apparatus for digitally performing a geometric transformation of the two dimensional annular image into rectangular projections such that the panoramic image can be displayed using conventional methods such as printed images and televised images.

Claims

1. An apparatus for capturing panoramic images, said apparatus comprising:

a convex mirror, said convex mirror reflecting light from a 360 degree band around said convex mirror, said 360 degree band having a horizon line;

a beam splitter, said beam splitter dividing said reflected light into a first annular image and a second annular image;

a first electronic image capture mechanism, said first electronic image capture mechanism capturing at least half of said first annular image created by said reflected light reflected from said convex mirror; and

a second electronic image capture mechanism, said second electronic image capture mechanism capturing at least half of said second annular image created by said reflected light reflected from said convex mirror.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first electronic image capture mechanism and said second electronic image capture mechanism comprise charged coupled devices.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first electronic image capture mechanism comprises at least one charged coupled device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first electronic image capture mechanism comprises at least one complementary metal oxide semiconductor device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first electronic image capture mechanism further comprises a video camera.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first electronic image capture mechanism further includes a digital camera.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a compositing mechanism configured to electrically combine said image captured by said first electronic image capture mechanism with said image captured by said second electronic image capture mechanism.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first annular image and said second annular image are of different size.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first electronic image capture mechanism and said second electronic image capture mechanism have different resolution.