Wide-angle dewarping method and apparatus

• US 7,042,497 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2001
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1994
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Chartoleaux KG LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Be Here Corporation
• Inventors: Gullichsen, Eric, Wyshynski, Susan
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, TUAN V
• Application Number:
  US10/015,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20020063802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,611 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.99, 348/207.1, 348/207.11, 348/211.99, 348/211.1, 348/211.4, 348/211.12, 348/335, 348/342, 348/360, 348/241, 348 36- 39, 348/143, 348/147, 382/293, 382/294
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/047 Fisheye or wide-angle transformations
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/12 Panospheric to cylindrical image transformations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation

Abstract

A method and apparatus for transforming wide angle video into perspective corrected viewing zones which either a single user or multiple users may select, orient and magnify. The present invention first captures a wide angle digital video input by any suitable means. The captured image is then stored in a suitable memory means so portions of the image may be selected at a later time. When a portion of the stored video is selected for viewing, a plurality of discrete viewing vectors in three dimensional space are chosen on the video input and transformed to a plurality of control points in a two dimensional plane or any other suitable surface. The area between these points which is still warped from the original wide angle image capture is then transformed to a perspective corrected field of view. The perspective corrected field of view is then displayed on a suitable displaying apparatus, such as a monitor or head mounted display.

Claims

1. A method for providing perspective corrected images from at least one distorted image, the method comprising steps of:

receiving said distorted image;

storing a portion of said distorted image;

transforming a set of control vectors to a set of control points that defines an area that associates said portion of said distorted image with a portion of a perspective corrected image;

transforming said portion of said distorted image associated with said area to said portion of said perspective corrected image using a global bivariate polynomial transformation;

displaying said portion of said perspective corrected image;

sensing inputted information; and

controlling the transformation and display of said perspective corrected image through said inputted information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transforming said portion of said distorted image is accomplished using:

3. The method of claim 2 wherein N is 2 or 3.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said set of control points contains a number of control points, said number having a lower limit of five and an upper limit of one-half of the number of pixels in said portion of said perspective corrected image.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said distorted image is received from a computer storage device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said distorted image is received from a network.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said network is a computer network.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said network is in communication with the Internet.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said distorted image is a result of imaging an environment through at least one wide-angle lens.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said distorted image is a result of imaging an environment through at least one fisheye lens.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said distorted image includes an image of at least one sixth of an environment.

12. An apparatus for providing perspective corrected images from at least one distorted image, the apparatus comprising:

an input configured to receive said distorted image;

a memory, coupled to the input, configured to store a portion of said distorted image;

a processor, coupled to the memory, configured to transform a set of control vectors to a set of control points that defines an area that associates said portion of said distorted image with a portion of a perspective corrected image, the processor further configured to transform said portion of said distorted image associated with said area to said portion of said perspective corrected image using a global bivariate polynomial transformation;

a presentation mechanism, coupled to the memory, configured to present said portion of said perspective corrected image; and

a selection mechanism, coupled to the processor, configured to specify said set of control vectors.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the transformation of said portion of said distorted image is accomplished using:

14. The method of claim 13 wherein N is 2 or 3.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said set of control points contains a number of control points, said number having a lower limit of five and an upper limit of one-half of the number of pixels in said portion of said perspective corrected image.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said distorted image is received from a computer storage device.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said distorted image is received from a network.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said network is a computer network.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said network is in communication with the Internet.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said distorted image is a result of imaging an environment through at least one wide-angle lens.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said distorted image is a result of imaging an environment through at least one fisheye lens.

22. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said plurality of distorted images includes an image of at least one sixth of an environment.