Interactive image seamer for panoramic images

• US 7,620,909 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2004
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Immersive Licensing, Inc.
• Original Assignee: iMove Inc. (Digital Domain Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Park, Michael C., Gilbert, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax; Steven P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Belousov; Andrey
• Application Number:
  US10/789,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20040257384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,091 Days
• Field of Search: 715/790, 345/592, 345/629, 345/646
• US Class Current: 715/790
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/806 with processing of the sound signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8211 the additional signal being a sound signal H04N9/835 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8233 the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

An interactive computer program for seaming a number of images into a panorama. Various parameters which affect how the images are seamed can be changed interactively. Parameters such as position, orientation, focal length, which image will be visible where images overlap, and the opacity curve can be changed. The result of any change is immediately visible. A user can move the control points, thereby “morphing” or distorting the contribution to the panorama of an image. Each pixel is assigned an “alpha” value which indicates the opacity value of that pixel in an area where images overlap. Alpha values can be changed according to a pre-established curve. The original images are not changed. Instead, only the transform between the original images and the final panorama is changed.

Claims

1. An interactive seamer apparatus for seaming two or more single view images vertically or horizontally into a panoramic image, comprising:

a user interface comprising;

a first display area configured to display;

a panoramic image generated from the two or more single view images having overlapping portions, each pixel in the overlapping portions encompassed by an outlined area having an opacity value that is determined by the location of the pixel in the outlined area and a predetermined opacity curve;

an array of two or more control points superimposed within an area in the panoramic image corresponding to an interior of a selected single view image for manually warping parts of the panoramic image corresponding to the selected single view image by moving the control points, the interior of the selected single view image excluding four corners of the selected single view image;

a second display area configured to display a selected single view image projected from the panoramic image, opacity values of pixels in the overlapping portions manually adjusted by changing a size of an outlined area of the selected single view image in the second display area;

a third display area configured to display values of parameters; and

a fourth display area configured to display a perspectively corrected view of the selected single view image, the fourth display displayed simultaneously with the first display area; and

an image seamer configured to seam the two or more single view images vertically or horizontally based on locations of the control points and the size of the outlined area in the second display area.

2. The interactive seamer of claim 1, wherein the image seamer is further configured to seam the two or more single view images based on the focal length of a selected portion of the panoramic image.

3. The interactive seamer of claim 1, wherein the parameters comprise at least one parameter associated with high resolution zoom to enable a user to examine artifacts without requiring a high resolution representation of the entire panoramic image.

4. The interactive seamer of claim 1, wherein the parameters comprise at least one parameter specifying an artificial horizon in the panoramic image.

5. The interactive seamer of claim 1, wherein the parameters comprise at least one parameter specifying a lay down order of the two or more single view images.

6. The interactive seamer of claim 1, wherein the warped single view image is repositioned within the panoramic image responsive to receiving a user input.

7. A computer-implemented method of interactively seaming single view images vertically or horizontally in a partly overlapping manner into a panoramic image, comprising:

displaying a panoramic image generated from the two or more single view images in a first display area of a user interface;

displaying at least one of two or more single view images projected from the panoramic image in a second display area of the user interface, the two or more single view images having overlapping portions at least partially encompassed by at least one outlined area, each pixel in the overlapping portions encompassed by the outlined area having an opacity value that is determined by the location of the pixel in the outlined area and a predetermined opacity curve;

changing the opacity values of the pixels in the overlapping portions responsive to receiving first user inputs representing changing of a size of an outlined area in the second display area;

superimposing an array of two or more control points within an area in the panoramic image corresponding to an interior of a selected single view image, the interior of the selected single view image excluding four corners of the selected single view image;

warping parts of the panoramic image corresponding to the selected single view image responsive to receiving second user inputs for moving the control points;

displaying values of parameters;

displaying a perspectively corrected view of the selected single view image, the perspectively corrected view displayed simultaneously with the panoramic image;

seaming the two or more single view images vertically or horizontally in a partly overlapping manner into the panoramic image based on locations of the control points and the size of the outlined area in the second display area; and

storing the panoramic image.