Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Three-dimension
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-17
2001-06-12
Vo, Cliff N. (Department: 2772)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Three-dimension
C345S426000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06246413
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to panoramic images of scenes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cartography has long been concerned with the ability to accurately portray the surface of a three-dimensional object by a planar drawing. The classical Mercatur projection, still an underlying basis of map-making today, was developed in order to render the surface of a sphere onto a planar map.
Panoramic images of a scene are two-dimensional renditions of a three-dimensional scene of up to 360° in circumference. The images are synthesized by taking video footage or multiple still photographs of a scene, as the camera rotates through a range of angles. In addition, either the images individually or the synthesized image is projected onto a surface such as that of a cylinder or sphere. The surface is parametrized in terms of two coordinates, and these coordinates are uniformly sampled, so that the pixel values at the sample points can be used to generate a digital image in one of the standard image formats such as JPEG (Joint Photographics Expert Group). In this way a three-dimensional scene is rendered into a representation through a two-dimensional (planar) panoramic digital image.
Conventional panoramic digital images typically have an unnatural look to them, since the “round” 360° scene is “warped” onto a single “flat” digital image. As a result, panoramic images viewed without viewer software typically have little or no utility in and of themselves. Special viewer software which corrects the perspective of the surface projection is normally necessary to view panoramic images. This software only enables a small portion (or “window”) of the full panoramic image to be viewed at any single instant of time, since the perspective correction varies as the viewer's line of sight is changed.
As an example, one may consider the FLASHPIX® image format along with an extension thereof that embeds panoramic data, such as field of view and angular range information, into a FLASHPIX® image. FLASHPIX®, a registered trademark of the Digital Imaging Group (DIG), is an example of a multi-resolution tiled image format. A core FLASHPIX® reader, that is not able to access the embedded panoramic data, would only be able to display the panoramic image as a flat two-dimensional image, without perspective correction. This image would appear awkward, but is nevertheless a FLASHPIX® compliant digital image that can be successfully displayed.
As another example, when a conventional panoramic image is printed, it looks like a poster with a 360° view—for example, a panoramic view of New York City. However, due to warping, the details of the poster appear unnatural.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method and system for creating a panoramic image of a desired scene projected onto a general surface geometry. An embodiment of the present invention includes a user interface for interactively controlling the shape of the general surface geometry.
Typically photographs of the desired scene are stitched together to form a first panoramic image, corresponding, for example, to a cylindrical or spherical geometry. The present invention teaches how to modify the first panoramic image so as to obtain a modified panoramic image corresponding to a projection of the desired scene onto another surface. Thus the present invention can be used to transform a cylindrical or spherical panoramic image into a modified panoramic image having a different surface geometry.
There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a method for creating a panoramic image of a scene, including providing an initial panoramic image of a scene, generating, in response to user input, a surface upon which the scene is to be projected, to form a generated surface, and modifying the initial panoramic image using the generated surface to produce a modified panoramic image corresponding to projection of the scene upon the generated surface.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the method further includes the step of printing the modified panoramic image.
Moreover in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the method further includes the step of storing the modified panoramic image on a server computer for providing access over a network.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the generating includes repositioning indicators at selected areas within the initial panoramic image.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the generating includes repositioning indicators to control the scale of the generated surface.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the modified panoramic image has reduced distortion of straight lines as compared with the initial panoramic image.
Moreover in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the generated surface is a surface with a rounded polygonal cross-sections.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the generating includes positioning indicators to control the lengths of sides of the rounded polygonal cross-section.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the generating includes positioning indicators to control the curvatures of corners of the rounded polygonal cross-section.
There is also provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a method for creating a panoramic image of a scene, including generating, in response to user input, a surface upon which a scene is to be projected, to form a generated surface, and computing projection of the scene onto the generated surface to produce a panoramic image.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the method further includes the step of printing the panoramic image.
Moreover in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the method further includes the step of storing the panoramic image on a server computer for providing access over a network.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the method further includes the step of providing an initial panoramic image and the generating step includes repositioning indicators at selected areas within the initial panoramic image.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the generating includes repositioning indicators to control the scale of the generated surface.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the modified panoramic image has reduced distortion of straight lines as compared with the initial panoramic image.
Moreover in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the generated surface is a surface with a rounded polygonal cross-sections.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the generating includes positioning indicators to control the lengths of sides of the rounded polygonal cross-section.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the generating comprises positioning indicators to control the curvatures of corners of the rounded polygonal cross-section.
There is also provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a method for creating, from a first panoramic image of the scene projected onto a first surface, a second panoramic image of a scene projected onto a second surface, including modifying the first panoramic image using the first and second surfaces to produce a second panoramic image corresponding to projection of the scene upon the second surface.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the method further includes the step of printing the second panoramic image.
Moreover in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the method further includes the step of storing the second p
Blakely & Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman
MGI Software Corporation
Vo Cliff N.
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