Image processing device, camera device, image processing method, and program

• US 8,289,420 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2008
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoda, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Pasiewicz, Daniel M
• Application Number:
  US12/038,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20080218606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,693 Days
• Field of Search: 348/39, 348/222.1, 348/240.99, 348/240.2, 348/241, 348/335, 348/340, 348/369, 382/276
• US Class Current: 348/240.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/81 for suppressing or minimising disturbance in the image signal generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/61 the noise originating only from the lens unit, e.g. flare, shading, vignetting or "cos4"

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an image processing device capable of correcting distortion of au original image picked up bad a wide-angle lens using distortion correcting parameters formed in a form of a lattice. The image processing device includes a processing unit configured to sharably process distortion correcting parameters for at least one of an arbitrary pan angle and an arbitrary tilt angle on a basis of a fact that distortion of the wide-angle lens has symmetry from a central point of an optical axis.

Claims

1. An image processing device configured to correct distortion of an original image picked up by a wide-angle lens having a symmetrical distortion from a central point of an optical axis, the image processing device storing a first distortion correcting vector, a second distortion correcting vector, a third distortion correcting vector, a fourth distortion correcting vector, a fifth distortion correcting vector, a six distortion correcting vector, the image processing device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

(a) for a first symmetrizing process and for a first arbitrary pan angle;

(i) using the stored first distortion correcting vector, generate a first new distortion correcting vector; and

(ii) using the stored second distortion correcting vector and the first new distortion correcting vector, correct the distortion of the original image;

(b) for a second symmetrizing process and for a first arbitrary tilt angle;

(i) using the stored third distortion correcting vector, generate a second new distortion correcting vector; and

(ii) using the stored fourth distortion correcting vector and the second new distortion correcting vector, correct the distortion of the original image; and

(c) for a third symmetrizing process and for a second arbitrary pan angle and a second arbitrary tilt angle;

(i) using the stored fifth distortion correcting vector, generate a third new distortion correcting vector;

(ii) using the stored sixth distortion correcting vector, generate a fourth new distortion correcting vector; and

(ii) using the third new distortion correcting vector and the fourth new distortion correcting vector, correct the distortion of the original image,

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate new distortion correcting vectors symmetrically with respect to an optical axis center line touching the central point of the optical axis by subjecting distortion correcting vectors to mirror image processing with the optical axis center line as an axis, and

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to exclude an optical axis center region from objects for symmetrization.

2. The image processing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, for the first symmetrizing process and for the first arbitrary pan angle, generate a first new distortion correcting vector symmetrically with respect to an optical axis center line as a center in a pan direction touching the central point of the optical axis by subjecting a first distortion correcting vector to mirror image processing in the pan direction with the optical axis center line as an axis.

3. The image processing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, for the second symmetrizing process and for the first arbitrary tilt angle, generate a second new distortion correcting vector symmetrically with respect to an optical axis center line as a center in a tilt direction touching the central point of the optical axis by subjecting a second distortion correcting vector to mirror image processing in the tilt direction with the optical axis center line as an axis.

4. The image processing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, for the third symmetrizing process and for the second arbitrary pan angle and the second arbitrary tilt angle:

(a) generate the third new distortion correcting vector symmetrically with respect to a first optical axis center line as a center in a pan direction touching the central point of the optical axis by subjecting the stored fifth distortion correcting vector to mirror image processing in the pan direction with the first optical axis center line as a first axis; and

(b) generate the fourth new distortion correcting vector symmetrically with respect to a second optical axis center line as a center in a tilt direction touching the central point of the optical axis by subjecting the stored sixth distortion correcting vector to mirror image processing in the pan direction and the tilt direction with the second optical axis center line as a second axis.

5. The image processing device of claim 1, wherein the distortion correcting vectors include distortion correcting vectors prepared in advance for at least one of rotation, mirror image processing, and synthesis processing.

6. A camera device having an electronic pan and tilt function, the camera device comprising:

an image pickup element;

an optical system configured to form an image of a subject on the image pickup element, the optical system including a wide-angle lens having point-symmetric distortion with an optical axis as a center; and

an image processing device configured to correct distortion of an original image picked up by the wide-angle lens and the image pickup element, the image processing device storing a first distortion correcting vector, a second distortion correcting vector, a third distortion correcting vector, a fourth distortion correcting vector, a fifth distortion correcting vector, and a sixth distortion correcting vector, the image processing device including;

(a) a processor; and

(b) a memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

(i) for a first symmetrizing process and for a first arbitrary pan angle;

(A) using the stored first distortion correcting vector, generate a first new distortion correcting vector; and

(B) using the stored second distortion correcting vector and the first new distortion correcting vector, correct the distortion of the original image;

(ii) for a second symmetrizing process and for a first arbitrary tilt angle;

(A) using the stored third distortion correcting vector, generate a second new distortion correcting vector; and

(B) using the stored fourth distortion correcting vector and the second new distortion correcting vector, correct the distortion of the original image; and

(iii) for a third symmetrizing process and for a second arbitrary pan angle and a second arbitrary tilt angle;

(A) using the stored fifth distortion correcting vector, generate a third new distortion correcting vector;

(B) using the stored sixth distortion correcting vector, generate a fourth new distortion correcting vector; and

(C) using the third new distortion correcting vector and the fourth new distortion correcting vector, correct the distortion of the original image,

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate new distortion correcting vectors symmetrically with respect to an optical axis center line touching the central point of the optical axis by subjecting distortion correcting vectors to mirror image processing with the optical axis center line as an axis, and

wherein the distortion correcting vectors parameters include distortion correcting vectors parameters prepared in advance for at least one of rotation, mirror image processing, and synthesis processing.

7. The camera device of claim 6, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, for the first symmetrizing process and for the first arbitrary pan angle, generate a first new distortion correcting vector symmetrically with respect to an optical axis center line as a center in a pan direction touching the central point of the optical axis by subjecting a stored first distortion correcting vector to mirror image processing in the pan direction with the optical axis center line as an axis.

8. The camera device of claim 6, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, for the second symmetrizing process and for the first arbitrary tilt angle, generate a second new distortion correcting vector symmetrically with respect to an optical axis center line as a center in a tilt direction touching the central point of the optical axis by subjecting a stored second distortion correcting vector to mirror image processing in the tilt direction with the optical axis center line as an axis.

9. The camera device of claim 6, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, for the third symmetrizing process and for the second arbitrary pan angle and the second arbitrary tilt angle:

(a) generate the third new distortion correcting vector symmetrically with respect to a first optical axis center line as a center in a pan direction touching the central point of the optical axis by subjecting the stored fifth distortion correcting vector to mirror image processing in the pan direction with the first optical axis center line as a first axis; and

(b) generate the fourth new distortion correcting vector symmetrically with respect to a second optical axis center line as a center in a tilt direction touching the central point of the optical axis by subjecting the stored sixth distortion correcting vector to mirror image processing in the pan direction and the tilt direction with the second optical axis center line as a second axis.

10. The camera device of claim 6, wherein the distortion correcting vectors parameters include distortion correcting vectors prepared in advance for at least one of rotation, mirror image processing, and synthesis processing.

11. A method of operating an image processing device configured to correct distortion of an original image picked up by a wide-angle lens having a symmetrical distortion from a central point of an optical axis, the image processing device storing a first distortion correcting vector, a second distortion correcting vector, a third distortion correcting vector, and a fourth distortion correcting vector, a fifth distortion correcting vector, and a sixth distortion correcting vector, the method comprising:

(a) for a first symmetrizing process and for a first arbitrary pan angle;

(i) causing a processor to execute instructions to, using the stored first distortion correcting vector, generate a first new distortion correcting vector; and

(ii) using the stored second distortion correcting vector and the first new distortion correcting vector, causing the processor to execute the instructions to correct the distortion of the original image;

(b) for a second symmetrizing process and for a first arbitrary tilt angle;

(i) causing the processor to execute the instructions to, using the stored third distortion correcting vector, generate a second new distortion correcting vector; and

(ii) causing the processor to execute the instructions to, using the stored fourth distortion correcting vector and the second new distortion correcting vector, correct the distortion of the original image; and

(c) for a third symmetrizing process and for a second arbitrary pan angle and a second arbitrary tilt angle;

(i) causing the processor to execute the instructions to, using the stored fifth distortion correcting vector, generate a third new distortion correcting vector;

(ii) causing the processor to execute the instructions to, using the stored sixth distortion correcting vector, generate a fourth new distortion correcting vector; and

(ii) causing the processor to execute the instructions to, using the third new distortion correcting vector and the fourth new distortion correcting vector, correct the distortion of the original image,

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate new distortion correcting vectors symmetrically with respect to an optical axis center line touching the central point of the optical axis by subjecting distortion correcting vectors to mirror image processing with the optical axis center line as an axis, and

wherein the distortion correcting vectors parameters include distortion correcting vectors parameters prepared in advance for at least one of rotation, mirror image processing, and synthesis processing.

12. A non-transitory computer readable-medium storing instructions structured to cause an image processing device which is configured to correct distortion of an original image picked up by a wide-angle lens having a symmetrical distortion from a central point of an optical axis, the image processing device storing a first distortion correcting vector, a second distortion correcting vector, a third distortion correcting vector, a fourth distortion correcting vector, a fifth distortion correcting vector, and a sixth correcting vector, to:

(a) for a first symmetrizing process and for a first arbitrary pan angle;

(i) using the stored first distortion correcting vector, generate a first new distortion correcting vector; and

(ii) using the stored second distortion correcting vector and the first new distortion correcting vector, correct the distortion of the original image;

(b) for a second symmetrizing process and for a first arbitrary tilt angle;

(i) using the stored third distortion correcting vector, generate a second new distortion correcting vector; and

(ii) using the stored fourth distortion correcting vector and the second new distortion correcting vector, correct the distortion of the original image; and

(c) for a third symmetrizing process and for a second arbitrary pan angle and a second arbitrary tilt angle;

(i) using the stored fifth distortion correcting vector, generate a third new distortion correcting vector;

(ii) using the stored sixth distortion correcting vector, generate a fourth new distortion correcting vector; and

(ii) using the third new distortion correcting vector and the fourth new distortion correcting vector, correct the distortion of the original image,

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate new distortion correcting vectors symmetrically with respect to an optical axis center line touching the central point of the optical axis by subjecting distortion correcting vectors to mirror image processing with the optical axis center line as an axis, and

wherein the distortion correcting vectors parameters include distortion correcting vectors parameters prepared in advance for at least one of rotation, mirror image processing, and synthesis processing.