Image capture and processing using converging rays

• US 8,334,895 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2011
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DD Micoy Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micoy Corporation (Digital Domain Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Grover, Trent N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pe, Geepy
• Application Number:
  US13/008,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20110109718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 348/42, 348 46- 52, 348/54
• US Class Current: 348/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/111 Transformation of image signals corresponding to virtual viewpoints, e.g. spatial image interpolation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/204 using stereoscopic image cameras stereoscopic photography G03B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors

Abstract

Apparatus and systems, as well as methods and articles, may operate to capture a portion of an omniscopic or omni-stereo image using one or more image capture media. The media may be located substantially perpendicular to a converging ray originating at a viewpoint on an inter-ocular circle and having a convergence angle between zero and ninety degrees from a parallel viewpoint baseline position that includes a non-converging ray originating at the viewpoint. The media may also be located so as to be substantially perpendicular to a non-converging ray originating at a first viewpoint at a first endpoint of a diameter defining an inter-ocular circle, wherein the origin of the non-converging ray gravitates toward the center of the inter-ocular circle as spherical imagery is acquired.

Claims

1. An apparatus, including:

a first image-capture medium to capture a first portion of a spherical image, wherein the first image-capture medium is substantially perpendicular to a first converging ray that originates at a first viewpoint on an inter-ocular circle and having a first convergence angle between zero and ninety degrees from a first non-converging ray that originates at the first viewpoint; and

a second image-capture medium located at a second viewpoint on the inter-ocular circle to capture a second portion of the spherical image, wherein the second image-capture medium is substantially perpendicular to a second converging ray that originates at the second viewpoint and having a second convergence angle between zero and ninety degrees from a second non-converging ray that originates at the second viewpoint, and wherein the second non-converging ray is parallel to the first non-converging ray.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spherical image comprises an omni-stereoscopic image.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an image-storage medium to store a subset of the first portion and a subset of the second portion as a pair of triangles included in a convex quadrilateral.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an image-storage medium to store a subset of the first portion and a subset of the second portion as a pair of triangles included in a convex quadrilateral, wherein the pair of triangles includes a first triangle associated with a left-eye view, and a second triangle associated with a right-eye view.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an image-storage medium to store a subset of the first portion and a subset of the second portion as a pair of triangles included in a convex quadrilateral, wherein the pair of triangles is included in a plurality of triangles forming a substantially uniformly tessellated portion of the spherical image.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the pair of triangles are adjacent each other in the substantially uniformly tessellated portion of the spherical image.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an image-storage medium; and

a processor to control storage of the first portion and the second portion on the image-storage medium, and to control repetitive acquisition of other portions of the spherical image and storage of the other portions on the image-storage medium.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a lens to focus the first portion of the spherical image on the first image-capture medium.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the lens comprises a plurality of facets to focus on corresponding groups of pixels included in the first image-capture medium, and wherein the corresponding groups are defined by N×

N pixel arrays for N comprising a positive integer.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further including:

a viewfinder to view a subset of the first portion.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further including:

a plurality of additional image-capture media located along a substantially circular path, wherein the plurality of additional image-capture media includes a corresponding plurality of orientations, ranging from substantially perpendicular to the non-converging ray to substantially perpendicular to the converging ray.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the convergence angle is approximately determined by a convergence point located in a plane including the converging ray and a minor image of the converging ray that intersects the converging ray and originates at the second viewpoint.

23. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the first image-capture medium is further configured to capture a third portion of the spherical image when the first image-capture medium is substantially perpendicular to a third converging ray that originates at the first viewpoint on the inter-ocular circle and that has both a non-zero pitch angle and a third convergence angle from the first non-converging ray, and wherein the third convergence angle is larger than the first convergence angle;

and

wherein the second image-capture medium is further configured to capture a fourth portion of the spherical image when the second image-capture medium is substantially perpendicular to a fourth converging ray that originates at the second viewpoint and that has both the non-zero pitch angle and a fourth convergence angle from the second non-converging ray.

24. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the first image-capture medium is further configured to capture a third portion of the spherical image when the first image-capture medium is substantially perpendicular to a third converging ray that originates at the first viewpoint on the inter-ocular circle and that has a non-zero pitch angle and a non-zero yaw angle and a third convergence angle from the first non-converging ray, and wherein the third convergence angle is larger than the first convergence angle;

and

wherein the second image-capture medium is further configured to capture a fourth portion of the spherical image when the second image-capture medium is substantially perpendicular to a fourth converging ray that originates at the second viewpoint and that has the non-zero pitch angle and the non-zero yaw angle and a fourth convergence angle from the second non-converging ray.

13. A method, including:

capturing a first portion of a spherical image using a first image-capture medium substantially perpendicular to a first converging ray originating at a first viewpoint on an inter-ocular circle and having a first convergence angle between zero and ninety degrees from a first non-converging ray originating at the first viewpoint, and

capturing a second portion of the spherical image using a second image-capture medium substantially perpendicular to a second converging ray originating at a second viewpoint on the inter-ocular circle and having a second convergence angle between zero and ninety degrees from a second non-converging ray originating at the second viewpoint, wherein the second non-converging ray is parallel to the first non-converging ray.

14. The method of claim 13, further including:

storing the first portion of the spherical image in a storage medium as a first one of a pair of triangles included in a convex quadrilateral, and storing the second portion of the spherical image in a storage medium as a second one of the pair of triangles included in the convex quadrilateral.

15. The method of claim 13, further including:

determining the convergence angle by locating a convergence point in a plane including the converging ray and a minor image of the converging ray that intersects the converging ray and originates in a second viewpoint on the inter-ocular circle.

16. The method of claim 13, further including:

determining the convergence angle by locating a convergence point in a plane including the converging ray and a minor image of the converging ray that intersects the converging ray and originates in a second viewpoint on the inter-ocular circle; and

locating the convergence point at a surface of an object visible to the first and second viewpoints.

17. The method of claim 13, further including:

rotating the first image-capture medium by a selected yaw correction amount about an axis parallel to the converging ray, wherein the selected yaw correction amount is substantially equal to a selected portion of the convergence angle.

18. The method of claim 13, further including:

sweeping the first image-capture medium about a substantially circular path; and

moving the first image-capture medium from an orientation substantially perpendicular to the non-converging ray to substantially perpendicular to the converging ray.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein moving the first image capture medium further includes:

maintaining the first image-capture medium at the orientation substantially perpendicular to the non-converging ray for a first portion of the substantially circular path; and

moving the first image-capture medium from the orientation substantially perpendicular to the non-converging ray to substantially perpendicular to the converging ray for a second portion of the substantially circular path.

20. The method of claim 13, further including:

locating a plurality of additional image-capture media along a substantially circular path, wherein the plurality of additional image-capture media includes a corresponding plurality of orientations, ranging between an orientation substantially perpendicular to the non-converging ray to an orientation substantially perpendicular to the converging ray.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having associated information embedded thereon, wherein the information includes computer program instructions that, when accessed and executed by a machine, result in the machine performing a method comprising:

capturing a first portion of a spherical image using a first image-capture medium substantially perpendicular to a first converging ray originating at a first viewpoint on an inter-ocular circle and having a first convergence angle between zero and ninety degrees from a first non-converging ray originating at the first viewpoint, and

capturing a second portion of the spherical image using a second image-capture medium substantially perpendicular to a second converging ray originating at a second viewpoint on the inter-ocular circle and having a second convergence angle between zero and ninety degrees from a second non-converging ray originating at the second viewpoint, wherein the second non-converging ray is parallel to the first non-converging ray.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the information includes computer program instructions that, when accessed and executed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

storing the first portion of the spherical image in a storage medium as a first one of a pair of triangles included in a convex quadrilateral, and

storing the second portion of the spherical image in a storage medium as a second one of the pair of triangles included in the convex quadrilateral.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the information includes computer program instructions that, when accessed and executed by the machine, result in the machine performing a method further comprising:

capturing a third portion of a spherical image using a first image-capture medium substantially perpendicular to a third converging ray originating at a first viewpoint on an inter-ocular circle and having a non-zero pitch angle and a non-zero yaw angle and a third convergence angle from the first non-converging ray, and wherein the third convergence angle is larger than the first convergence angle; and

capturing a second portion of the spherical image using a second image-capture medium substantially perpendicular to a fourth converging ray originating at a second viewpoint on the inter-ocular circle and having the non-zero pitch angle and the non-zero yaw angle and a fourth convergence angle from the second non-converging ray.