Camera layout for acquiring images used in panoramic synthesis

• US 6,950,120 B1
• Filed: 06/17/1998
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Endo, Takaaki, Katayama, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, RICHARD J
• Application Number:
  US09/098,544
• Time in Patent Office: 2,659 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N00.7/18, 348/36, 348/39, 348/42, 348/143, 348148-153, 348/159, 348/211, 353/10, 359/202, 382/104, 382/154, 396/166, 355/46
• US Class Current: 348/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/02 Picture taking arrangements specially adapted for photogrammetry or photographic surveying, e.g. controlling overlapping of pictures

Abstract

An image recording apparatus for recording images sensed by at least two cameras attached to a vehicle, has a first camera which is arranged to have an image sensing direction agreeing with a first direction of a vehicle, a second camera which is arranged at a position separated a known distance r from the first camera to have an image sensing direction agreeing with a second direction about 180° different from the first direction, and a unit for, when the vehicle travels in the first direction, recording first image data sensed by the first camera and second image data sensed by the second camera a time duration later corresponding to the known distance, in association with each other.

Claims

1. An image processing method for synthesizing first image data sensed by a first image sensing means with second image data sensed by a second image sensing means to make panoramic image data, said method comprising the steps of:

retrieving image data sensed at a first time instant t1 from among a group of the first image data;

retrieving image data sensed at a second time instant t2 from among a group of the second image data, where the second time instant t2 is a time occurring after the first time instant t1 by a time period corresponding to a known distance r between the first image sensing means and the second image sensing means so that t2=t1+r/v, wherein the first image sensing means and the second image sensing means are arranged separately on a mobile object with the known distance r between them the mobile object is moving in a moving direction with a velocity v, the first image sensing means is arranged to have an image sensing direction substantially aligned with the moving direction of the mobile object, the second image sensing means is arranged to have an image sensing direction aligned with a direction opposite to the moving direction of the mobile object, and each of the first and second image data is recorded with information indicating when the image data was sensed; and

synthesizing the image data retrieved at the first time instant and the second time instant to make panoramic image data of a panoramic image from a location of the first image sensing means at the first time instant.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second image data is recorded with information indicating where the image was sensed.

3. An image processing apparatus for synthesizing first image data sensed by a first image sensing means with second image data sensed by second image sensing means to make panoramic image data, said apparatus comprising:

first retrieving means for retrieving the image data sensed at a first time instant t1 from among a group of the first image data;

second retrieving means for retrieving the image data sensed at a second time instant t2, from among a group of the second image data, where the second time instant t2 is a time occurring after the first time instant t1 by a time period corresponding to a known distance r between the first image sensing means and the second image sensing means so that t2=t1+r/v, wherein the first image sensing means and the second image sensing means are arranged separately on a mobile object with the known distance r between them, the mobile object is moving in a moving direction with a velocity v, the first image sensing means is arranged to have an image sensing direction substantially aligned with the moving direction of the mobile object, the second image sensing means is arranged to have an image sensing direction aligned with a direction opposite to the moving direction of the mobile object, and each of the first and second image data is recorded with information indicating when the image data was sensed; and

synthesizing means for synthesizing the two retrieved image data to make panoramic image data of a panoramic image from a location of the first image sensing means at the first time instant.