Digital 3D/360 degree camera system

• US 9,706,119 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2015
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• 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, III, Leonard P.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALLEN C
• Application Number:
  US14/822,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20150350542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 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 digital camera system comprising:

a plurality of digital cameras each having a respective position relative to a reference point and associated with a respective pixel vector map;

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions; and

one or more processors programmed to execute the stored instructions to;

commanding the plurality of cameras to simultaneously capture respective images, the respective captured images having an array of pixels;

calculating, for pixels that occur in two or more of the arrays of pixels of the respective captured images, a corresponding distance measurement using the respective positions and the respective pixel vector maps; and

generating a three-dimensional model of the pixels that occur in two or more of the arrays of pixels of the respective captured images based on the corresponding distance measurements.

2. The digital camera system of claim 1, wherein

a first digital camera of the plurality of digital cameras uses a variable focus lens;

and

the first digital camera associated with one or more of;

a plurality of respective pixel vector maps corresponding to various focal lengths, and

a single pixel vector and a function to adjust the single pixel vector based on a given focal length of the variable focus lens.

3. The digital camera system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of digital cameras are configured to capture visible spectrum.

4. The digital camera system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of digital cameras are configured to capture non-visible spectrum.

5. The digital camera system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of digital cameras are configured to capture both visible and non-visible spectrum.

6. The digital camera system of claim 1, wherein generating the three-dimensional model includes:

defining a three-dimensional coordinate system based on the reference point, and

calculating a three-dimensional coordinate for the pixels that occur in two or more of the arrays of pixels of the respective captured images.

7. The digital camera system of claim 6, further comprising a camera housing that secures the plurality of digital cameras to the respective positions.

8. The digital camera system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of digital cameras provide a stereoscopic three-hundred-sixty degree view of the area surrounding the plurality of cameras.

9. The digital camera system of claim 1, wherein the respective positions of the plurality of digital cameras is based on respective centers of the plurality of digital cameras.

10. The digital camera system of claim 1, wherein the respective captured images are still images.

11. A computer implemented method for generating a three-dimensional model comprising:

commanding a plurality of cameras to simultaneously capture respective images, the respective captured images having an array of pixels, and the plurality of digital cameras each having a respective position relative to a reference point and associated with a respective pixel vector map;

calculating, for pixels that occur in two or more of the arrays of pixels of the respective captured images, a corresponding distance measurement using the respective positions and the respective pixel vector maps; and

generating a three-dimensional model of the pixels that occur in two or more of the arrays of pixels of the respective captured images based on the corresponding distance measurements.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein

a first digital camera of the plurality of digital cameras uses a variable focus lens;

and

the first digital camera associated with one or more of;

a plurality of respective pixel vector maps corresponding to various focal lengths, and

a single pixel vector and a function to adjust the single pixel vector based on a given focal length of the variable focus lens.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of digital cameras are configured to capture visible spectrum.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of digital cameras are configured to capture non-visible spectrum.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of digital cameras are configured to capture both visible and non-visible spectrum.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein generating the three-dimensional model includes:

defining a three-dimensional coordinate system based on the reference point, and

calculating a three-dimensional coordinate for the pixels that occur in two or more of the arrays of pixels of the respective captured images.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a camera housing secures the plurality of digital cameras to the respective positions.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of digital cameras provide a stereoscopic three-hundred-sixty degree view of the area surrounding the plurality of cameras.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the respective positions of the plurality of digital cameras is based on respective centers of the plurality of digital cameras.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

commanding a plurality of cameras to simultaneously capture respective images, the respective captured images having an array of pixels, and the plurality of digital cameras each having a respective position relative to a reference point and associated with a respective pixel vector map;

calculating, for pixels that occur in two or more of the arrays of pixels of the respective captured images, a corresponding distance measurement using the respective positions and the respective pixel vector maps; and

generating a three-dimensional model of the pixels that occur in two or more of the arrays of pixels of the respective captured images based on the corresponding distance measurements.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the plurality of digital cameras are configured to capture visible spectrum.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the plurality of digital cameras are configured to capture non-visible spectrum.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the plurality of digital cameras are configured to capture both visible and non-visible spectrum.