Apparatus for providing omnidirectional stereo image with single camera

• US 7,952,606 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2006
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Jang, Gi Jeong, Kweon, In So
• Primary Examiner(s): SENFI, BEHROOZ M
• Application Number:
  US11/440,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20060268103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,833 Days
• Field of Search: 348/36, 348/42, 348/46, 348/49, 348/343, 348/369, 348/37, 348/38, 348/39, 348/47, 348/51, 348/53, 348/64, 348/50, 348/52, 348/54, 348/55, 348/56, 348/57, 348/58, 348/59, 348/60, 348/72, 348/70, 382/153, 382/154
• US Class Current: 348/36
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/08 by simultaneous recording
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/06 involving anamorphosis G03B37/02, G03B37/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/218 using spatial multiplexing

Abstract

An apparatus for providing an omnidirectional stereo image with a single camera includes a first reflector reflecting a first omnidirectional view viewed from a first viewpoint, a second reflector positioned to be coaxial with and separated from the first reflector to reflect a second omnidirectional view viewed from a second viewpoint, a third reflector positioned to be coaxial with the first and second reflectors to reflect the second omnidirectional view reflected by the second reflector, wherein the second and third reflectors have a folded structure satisfying a single viewpoint constraint, and an image sensor positioned to be coaxial with the first, second and third reflectors to capture an omnidirectional stereo image containing the first omnidirectional view reflected by the first reflector and the second omnidirectional view reflected by the third reflector, and output the captured omnidirectional stereo image, wherein shapes of the first, second, and third reflectors and a relative positional relationship between the first, second, third reflectors and the image sensor satisfy the single viewpoint constraint for the first viewpoint and for the second viewpoint. The apparatus provides a high three-dimensional recovery resolution, accomplishes compactness, and facilitates search of corresponding points in two images.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing an omnidirectional stereo image with a single camera, the apparatus comprising:

a first reflector reflecting a first omnidirectional view-viewed from a first viewpoint;

a second reflector positioned to be coaxial with and separated from the first reflector to reflect a second omnidirectional view viewed from a first viewpoint;

a third reflector positioned to be coaxial with the first and second reflectors to reflect the second omnidirectional view reflected by the second reflector, wherein the second and third reflectors have a folded structure satisfying a single viewpoint constraint; and

an image sensor positioned to be coaxial with the first, second and third reflectors to capture an omnidirectional stereo image containing the first omnidirectional view reflected by the first reflector and the second omnidirectional view reflected by the third reflector, and output the captured omnidirectional stereo image,

wherein shapes of the first, second, and third reflectors and a relative positional relationship between the first, second, third reflectors and the image sensor satisfy the single viewpoint constraint for the first viewpoint and for the second viewpoint.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first reflector and the third reflector are connected in a one-body type unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first reflector is a concave or convex mirror, and the second reflector is a concave or convex mirror, and the third reflector is one of a plane mirror, a concave mirror and a convex mirror.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the concave mirror is one of a hyperboloidal mirror, and ellipsoidal mirror, and a parabolodial mirror, and the convex mirror is one of a hyperboloidal mirror, and ellipsoidal mirror.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a panoramic image converter converting the omnidirectional image provided from the image sensor to a first panoramic image corresponding to the first view and a second panoramic image corresponding to the second view, and

a three-dimensional position information extractor searching for corresponding points in the first and second panoramic images and extracting three-dimensional position information from a positional difference between the searched corresponding points.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second reflector has a bore which is passed through by rays of light reflected by the first and third reflectors, wherein the bore of the second reflector is located on a connection line of the first viewpoint and the second viewpoint.