System and method for capturing adjacent images by utilizing a panorama mode

• US 6,978,051 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2001
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Edwards, Eric D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Sanjiv
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kassa, Yosef
• Application Number:
  US09/781,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20010045986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• Field of Search: 382/284, 382/287, 382/291, 382/294, 382/295, 382/282, 382/274, 382/275, 358/540, 358/450, 348/36, 348/39, 348/218.1, 385/538, 385/540, 385/520, 345/36, 352/69
• US Class Current: 382/284
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/215 Recording a sequence of still pictures, e.g. burst mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3876 Recombination of partial images to recreate the original image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3247 Data linking a set of images to one another, e.g. sequence, burst or continuous capture mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

A system and method for capturing adjacent images includes an imaging device with a panorama manager that performs various procedures to manipulate one or more image parameters that correspond to adjacent frames of captured image data. An image-stitching software program may then produce a cohesive combined panorama image from the adjacent frames of image data by utilizing the manipulated image parameters.

Claims

1. A system for implementing a panorama mode in an imaging device, comprising:

a panorama manager configured to selectively generate one or more image parameters corresponding to adjacent frames of image data that are captured by said imaging device, at least one of said one or more image parameters corresponding to ambient lighting conditions that exist when said image data is captured, said at least one of said one or more image parameters being equal to an average value of a parameter range from all of said adjacent frames of said image data, said one or more image parameters being utilized during said panorama mode to avoid an excessive variation between said adjacent frames of image data; and

a processor that controls said panorama manager to thereby implement said panorama mode.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said imaging device is implemented as one of a digital still camera and a digital scanner device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein an image-stitching software program combines said adjacent frames of image data to form a composite panorama image.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said panorama manager selects said one or more image parameters to avoid said excessive variation between said adjacent frames of image data to thereby create a cohesive composite image quality for said composite panorama image.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said one or more image parameters include at least one of an exposure parameter, a white-balance parameter, a brightness parameter, a contrast parameter, a sharpness parameter, a hue parameter, a saturation parameter, and a color balance parameter.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said imaging device includes a capture subsystem, a viewfinder, and a control module, said control module having a processor, a memory, and an input/output interface.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said memory includes at least one of an application software program, an operating system, a panorama manager, frame buffers, a display manager, image data, an auto-correction module, and said image parameters.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein a system user selects a panorama mode for operating said imaging device.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said imaging device captures and stores an initial frame of said adjacent frames of said image data.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said panorama manager stores an initial image parameter value that corresponds to said initial frame of said image data.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said panorama manager disables an auto-correction module which automatically selects said one or more image parameters for said imaging device.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said imaging device captures all of said adjacent frames of said image data by utilizing said initial image parameter value from said initial frame of said image data.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein said panorama manager disables an auto-correction module which automatically selects said one or more image parameters for said imaging device.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein a display manager and said panorama manager display a user interface that prompts said system user to perform a sweep procedure across a panorama target area with said imaging device.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said imaging device samples and stores said parameter range of current image parameter values from said panorama target area.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said panorama manager selects a global parameter value from said parameter range of current image parameter values.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said panorama manager selects said global parameter value by calculating one of said average value of said parameter range and a mean value of said parameter range.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein said panorama manager selects said global parameter value by comparing said parameter range of current parameter values to a pre-determined global parameter lookup table.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein said imaging device captures said adjacent frames of said image data by utilizing said global parameter value.

20. The system of claim 8 wherein said imaging device captures and stores an initial frame of said image data into frame buffers at a prior frame location.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said imaging device captures and stores a next frame of said image data into said frame buffers at a current frame location.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said panorama manager performs a transition processing procedure on said image data from said prior frame location of said frame buffers.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein said transition processing procedure proceeds in a sequence that is selected from one or more of a left-right sequence, a right-left sequence, an up-down sequence, and a down-up sequence.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein said imaging device archives said image data from said prior frame location of said frame buffers after said transition processing procedure is completed.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein said panorama manager transfers said image data from said current frame location of said frame buffers into said prior frame location of said frame buffers after said imaging device archives said image data that has been processed during said transition processing procedure.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein said imaging device repeatedly captures and processes successive pairs of said adjacent frames of said image data using said transition processing procedure.

28. The system of claim 8 wherein said imaging device captures and stores all of said adjacent frames of said image data, and wherein said panorama manager performs a global transition processing procedure on said all of said adjacent frames in a substantially concurrent event.

29. The system of claim 1 wherein an image processing program on a remote computer device performs a transition processing procedure on said adjacent frames of said image data to create a cohesive combined panorama image.

30. The system of claim 1 wherein said imaging device captures said adjacent frames of said image data in a selectable sequence that includes at least one of a left-right sequence, a right-left sequence, an up-down sequence, and a down-up sequence.

23. A system for implementing a panorama mode in an imaging device, comprising:

a panorama manager configured to selectively generate one or more image parameters corresponding to adjacent frames of image data that are captured by said imaging device, said one or more image parameters including an exposure parameter; and

a processor that controls said panorama manager to thereby implement said panorama mode during which a system user selects said panorama mode for operating said imaging device, said imaging device capturing and storing an initial frame of said image data into frame buffers at a prior frame location, said imaging device capturing and storing a next frame of said image data into said frame buffers at a current frame location, said panorama manager performing a transition processing procedure on said image data from said prior frame location of said frame buffers, said transition processing procedure including gradually modifying said one or more image parameters from said image data in said prior frame location of said frame buffers to thereby transition from original values of said one or more image parameters at a first edge of said image data and linearly progressing to matching parameter values at a second edge of said image data, said second edge being adjacent to said image data in said current frame location of said frame buffers, said matching parameter values being equal to said one or more image parameters of said image data in said current frame location.

31. A method for implementing a panorama mode in an imaging device, comprising the steps of:

utilizing a panorama manager to selectively generate one or more image parameters corresponding to adjacent frames of image data that are captured by said imaging device, at least one of said one or more image parameters corresponding to ambient lighting conditions that exist when said image data is captured, said at least one of said one or more image parameters being equal to an average value of a parameter range from all of said adjacent frames of said image data, said one or more image parameters being utilized during said panorama mode to avoid an excessive variation between said adjacent frames of image data; and

controls said panorama manager with a processor to thereby implement said panorama mode.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said imaging device is implemented as one of a digital still camera and a digital scanner device.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein an image-stitching software program combines said adjacent frames of image data to form a composite panorama image.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein said panorama manager selects said one or more image parameters to avoid said excessive variation between said adjacent frames of image data to thereby create a cohesive composite image quality for said composite panorama image.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein said one or more image parameters include at least one of an exposure parameter, a white-balance parameter, a brightness parameter, a contrast parameter, a sharpness parameter, a hue parameter, a saturation parameter, and a color balance parameter.

36. The method of claim 31 wherein said imaging device includes a capture subsystem, a viewfinder, and a control module, said control module having a processor, a memory, and an input/output interface.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein said memory includes at least one of an application software program, an operating system, a panorama manager, frame buffers, a display manager, image data, an auto-correction module, and said image parameters.

38. The method of claim 31 wherein a system user selects a panorama mode for operating said imaging device.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein said imaging device captures and stores an initial frame of said adjacent frames of said image data.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein said panorama manager stores an initial image parameter value that corresponds to said initial frame of said image data.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein said panorama manager disables an auto-correction module which automatically selects said one or more image parameters for said imaging device.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein said imaging device captures all of said adjacent frames of said image data by utilizing said initial image parameter value from said initial frame of said image data.

43. The method of claim 38 wherein said panorama manager disables an auto-correction module which automatically selects said one or more image parameters for said imaging device.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein a display manager and said panorama manager display a user interface that prompts said system user to perform a sweep procedure across a panorama target area with said imaging device.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein said imaging device samples and stores said parameter range of current image parameter values from said panorama target area.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein said panorama manager selects a global parameter value from said parameter range of current image parameter values.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein said panorama manager selects said global parameter value by calculating one of said average value of said parameter range and a mean value of said parameter range.

48. The method of claim 46 wherein said panorama manager selects said global parameter value by comparing said parameter range of current parameter values to a pre-determined global parameter lookup table.

49. The method of claim 46 wherein said imaging device captures said adjacent frames of said image data by utilizing said global parameter value.

50. The method of claim 38 wherein said imaging device captures and stores an initial frame of said image data into frame buffers at a prior frame location.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein said imaging device captures and stores a next frame of said image data into said frame buffers at a current frame location.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein said panorama manager performs a transition processing procedure on said image data from said prior frame location of said frame buffers.

54. The method of claim 52 wherein said transition processing procedure proceeds in a sequence that is selected from one or more of a left-right sequence, a right-left sequence, an up-down sequence, and a down-up sequence.

55. The method of claim 52 wherein said imaging device archives said image data from said prior frame location of said frame buffers after said transition processing procedure is completed.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein said panorama manager transfers said image data from said current frame location of said frame buffers into said prior frame location of said frame buffers after said imaging device archives said image data that has been processed during said transition processing procedure.

57. The method of claim 56 wherein said imaging device repeatedly captures and processes successive pairs of said adjacent frames of said image data using said transition processing procedure.

58. The method of claim 38 wherein said imaging device captures and stores all of said adjacent frames of said image data, and wherein said panorama manager performs a global transition processing procedure on said all of said adjacent frames in a substantially concurrent event.

59. The method of claim 31 wherein an image processing program on a remote computer device performs a transition processing procedure on said adjacent frames of said image data to create a cohesive combined panorama image.

60. The method of claim 31 wherein said imaging device captures said adjacent frames of said image data in a selectable sequence that includes at least one of a left-right sequence, a right-left sequence, an up-down sequence, and a down-up sequence.

53. A method for implementing a panorama mode in an imaging device, comprising the steps of:

utilizing a panorama manager to selectively generate one or more image parameters corresponding to adjacent frames of image data that are captured by said imaging device, said one or more image parameters including an exposure parameter; and

controls said panorama manager with a processor to thereby implement said panorama mode, during which a system user selects said panorama mode for operating said imaging device, said imaging device capturing and storing an initial frame of said image data into frame buffers at a prior frame location, said imaging device capturing and storing a next frame of said image data into said frame buffers at a current frame location, said panorama manager performing a transition processing procedure on said image data from said prior frame location of said frame buffers, said transition processing procedure including gradually modifying said one or more image parameters from said image data in said prior frame location of said frame buffers to thereby transition from original values of said one or more image parameters at a first edge of said image data and linearly progressing to matching parameter values at a second edge of said image data, said second edge being adjacent to said image data in said current frame location of said frame buffers, said matching parameter values being equal to said one or more image parameters of said image data in said current frame location.

61. A system for implementing a panorama mode in an imaging device, comprising:

means for selectively generating one or more image parameters corresponding to adjacent frames of image data that are captured by said imaging device at least one of said one or more image parameters corresponding to ambient lighting conditions that exist when said image data is captured, said at least one of said one or more image parameters being equal to an average value of a parameter range from all of said adjacent frames of said image data, said one or more image parameters being utilized during said panorama mode to avoid an excessive variation between said adjacent frames of image data; and

means for controlling said means for cohesively generating to thereby implement said panorama mode.

62. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for implementing a panorama mode by performing the steps of:

utilizing a panorama manager to selectively generate one or more image parameters corresponding to adjacent frames of image data that are captured by said imaging device at least one of said one or more image parameters corresponding to ambient lighting conditions that exist when said image data is captured, said at least one of said one or more image parameters being equal to an average value of a parameter range from all of said adjacent frames of said image data, said one or more image parameters being utilized during said panorama mode to avoid an excessive variation between said adjacent frames of image data; and

controls said panorama manager with a processor to thereby implement said panorama mode.