Digital 3D/360 degree camera system

• US 8,274,550 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2008
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Leonard P. Steuart III
• Original Assignee: Leonard P. Steuart III
• Inventors: Steuart, Leonard P. (Skip) III
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Allen
• Application Number:
  US12/289,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20090073256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• Field of Search: 348/36, 348/42, 345/419, 345/629, 445/30
• US Class Current: 348/36
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/08 by simultaneous recording
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/00 Panoramic or wide-screen photography; Photographing extended surfaces, e.g. for surveying; Photographing internal surfaces, e.g. of pipe
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/04 with cameras or projectors providing touching or overlapping fields of view
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/246 Calibration of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

The digital 3D/360° camera system is an omnidirectional stereoscopic device for capturing image data that may be used to create a 3-dimensional model for presenting a 3D image, a 3D movie, or 3D animation. The device uses multiple digital cameras, arranged with overlapping fields of view, to capture image data covering an entire 360° scene. The data collected by one, or several, digital 3D/360° camera systems can be used, to create a 3D model of a 360° scene by using triangulation of the image data within the overlapping fields of view.

Claims

1. A method for creating an image of an area comprising:

capturing an image from each of a plurality of digital cameras, each digital camera among the plurality of digital cameras having a field of view that overlaps with the field of view of at least one other digital camera among the plurality of digital cameras, wherein the digital cameras with overlapping fields of view form a stereoscopic field of view;

storing the images from the plurality of digital cameras as an array of images;

storing a pixel vector map comprising a coordinate system that defines the relationship between each digital camera among the plurality of digital cameras and the image captured by each of the plurality of digital cameras; and

associating the array of images with the coordinate system to identify a system reference point for the array of images.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a three-hundred-sixty degree digital representation of the area surrounding the plurality of digital cameras.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

generating a digital three-dimensional model of the three-hundred-sixty degree area surrounding the plurality of digital cameras using the three-hundred-sixty degree digital representation and the pixel vector map.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein generating a digital three-dimensional model further comprises determining a distance between the system reference point and another point of image data captured by at least two of the plurality of digital cameras.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein generating a digital three-dimensional model further comprises determining a distance between the system reference point and every point of an image that is captured by at least two of the plurality of digital cameras.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pixel vector map further comprises a plurality of pixels, each pixel among the plurality of pixels being described by a directional vector, a direction of the directional vector being referenced to the system reference point.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the images are captured individually or in sequence.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of digital cameras comprise a first plurality of digital cameras and a second plurality of digital cameras, and further wherein the second plurality of digital cameras is positioned in a location different from the first plurality of digital cameras to image an area from a different point of view.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the images further comprises storing the images until the images are downloaded and arranged into an array of images.

10. A memory storage device containing computer instructions which when executed by a computer processor, cause the computer processor to perform a method for creating an image of an area, the method comprising:

capturing an image from each of a plurality of digital cameras, each digital camera among the plurality of digital cameras having a field of view that overlaps with the field of view of at least one other digital camera among the plurality of digital cameras, wherein the digital cameras with overlapping fields of view form a stereoscopic field of view;

storing the images from the plurality of digital cameras as an array of images; and

creating a pixel vector map by;

establishing a coordinate system that defines the relationship between each digital camera among the plurality of digital cameras and the image captured by each of the plurality of digital cameras, and

associating the array of images with the coordinate system to identify a system reference point for the array of images.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

generating a three-hundred-sixty degree digital representation of the area surrounding the plurality of digital cameras.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

generating a digital three-dimensional model of the three-hundred-sixty degree area surrounding the plurality of digital cameras using the three-hundred-sixty degree digital representation and the pixel vector map.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein generating a digital three-dimensional model further comprises determining a distance between the system reference point and another point of image data captured by at least two of the plurality of digital cameras.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein generating a digital three-dimensional model further comprises determining a distance between the system reference point and every point of an image that is captured by at least two of the plurality of digital cameras.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the pixel vector map comprises a plurality of pixels, each pixel among the plurality of pixels being described by a directional vector, a direction of the directional vector being referenced to the system reference point.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of digital cameras comprise a first plurality of digital cameras and a second plurality of digital cameras, and further wherein the second plurality of digital cameras is positioned in a location different from the first plurality of digital cameras to image an area from a different point of view.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein storing the images further comprises storing the images until the images are downloaded and arranged into an array of images.

18. A digital camera system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations of;

capturing an image from each of a plurality of digital cameras, each digital camera among the plurality of digital cameras having a field of view that overlaps with the field of view of at least one other digital camera among the plurality of digital cameras, wherein the digital cameras with overlapping fields of view form a stereoscopic field of view;

storing the images from the plurality of digital cameras as an array of images;

storing a pixel vector map comprising a coordinate system that defines the relationship between each digital camera among the plurality of digital cameras and the image captured by each of the plurality of digital cameras; and

associating the array of images with the coordinate system to identify a system reference point for the array of images.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations of:

generating a three-hundred-sixty degree digital representation of the area surrounding the plurality of digital cameras.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations of:

generating a digital three-dimensional model of the three-hundred-sixty degree area surrounding the plurality of digital cameras using the three-hundred-sixty degree digital representation and the pixel vector map.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the operation of generating a digital three-dimensional model further comprises determining a distance between the system reference point and another point of image data captured by at least two of the plurality of digital cameras.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the operation of generating a digital three-dimensional model further comprises determining a distance between the system reference point and every point of an image that is captured by at least two of the plurality of digital cameras.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the pixel vector map further comprises a plurality of pixels, each pixel among the plurality of pixels being described by a directional vector, a direction of the directional vector being referenced to the system reference point.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the images are captured individually or in sequence.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of digital cameras comprise a first plurality of digital cameras and a second plurality of digital cameras, and further wherein the second plurality of digital cameras is positioned in a location different from the first plurality of digital cameras to image an area from a different point of view.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein the operation of storing the images further comprises storing the images until the images are downloaded and arranged into an array of images.