Image analysis – Applications – Motion or velocity measuring
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-27
2004-02-03
Boudreau, Leo (Department: 2621)
Image analysis
Applications
Motion or velocity measuring
C382S276000, C345S649000, C345S427000, C348S154000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06687387
ABSTRACT:
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Contained herein is material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction of the patent disclosure by any person as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all rights to the copyright whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of image processing and image navigation. More particularly, the invention relates to a novel process for varying the level of dewarping applied to images containing a predictable, analytical distortion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Immersive (or panoramic) images are a valuable tool for presentation of 360 degree scenes. Such images are widely used in 3D games, virtual tours, digital marketing, and other virtual reality applications, such as virtual environment navigation.
FIG. 1
is a high-level block diagram of a prior art image capture and viewing system. The image capture and viewing system includes an image viewer
110
, a scene database
120
, a scene capture process
130
, a video camera
140
, and a display
150
. Immersive images are commonly generated by an image processing application, such as scene capture process
130
. The scene capture process
130
typically combines (or stitches together) a number of images that have been recorded using an image recording device, such as video camera
140
having a wide field-of-view lens (e.g., a “fisheye” lens). One or more 360 degree scenes generated in this manner may then be stored by the scene capture process
130
in the scene database
120
for later retrieval and presentation by the image viewer
110
.
In order to correct distortion introduced during image capture, most immersive image viewers perform a geometric transformation process on a representation of the scene. This process of transforming distorted images to accurate perspective images is referred to as “dewarping”. Dewarping the image restores the scene to proper perspective based upon the orientation of the perspective view.
It is well documented that some users of current immersive viewing technologies experience a sense of discomfort and disorientation commonly referred to as “cybersickness.” Cybersickness is widely thought to be at least partly attributable to the lack of correspondence between the visible motion of the image and the physical motion of the user. Therefore, one approach to ease the feelings of discomfort and disorientation is to reduce the amount of dewarping performed on the image, thereby reducing the dynamic distortion the user sees. However, such an approach has the disadvantage of visible geometric inaccuracies in the image. For example, lines in the image that should appear as straight lines may remain somewhat curved as a result of the residual distortion.
In view of the foregoing, it is desirable to provide a dynamic dewarping technique that allows panoramic images to be presented in a manner that reduces the perception of distortion without sacrificing the perceived geometric accuracy of the image.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method and apparatus are described for dewarping images. According to one aspect of the present invention, rotational motion of a scene is taken into account for purposes for performing image dewarping. The image is extracted from the scene by selecting pixel values from an environment map that correspond to a viewing plane. Velocity information associated with rotational motion of the scene is determined. Then, based upon the velocity information, a velocity-dependent transformation is determined. Finally, a perspective image is created by applying the velocity-dependent transformation to the image.
Other features of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description which follows.
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Molnar Joseph R. S.
Mutz Andrew H.
Boudreau Leo
Frost Brown Todd LLC
Internet Pictures Corporation
Lu Tom Ying
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