Patent Grant
7620909
The present invention relates to panoramic images and more particularly to computer programs which produce panoramic images.
A panoramic image is an image with a wide field of view. A panoramic image can have a field of view up to an entire sphere, that is 360 degrees in the horizontal dimension and 180 degrees in the vertical dimension.
Panoramic images can be computer generated using mathematical models, or they can be produced by seaming together a number of photographically captured images. The number of images which must be seamed to form a panorama is determined by the field of view of each of the images being seamed. For example a fisheye lens can capture a very wide filed of view, and as few as two such images can be seamed to form a spherical panorama.
Digital seaming technology is well developed. Computer programs are available which match the edges of images and which join a number of images to form a panorama. For example U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,023,925 and 5,703,604 describe a system for capturing images, seaming the images into panoramas, and for viewing selected portions of the panoramic images. Immersive Media Corp. (formerly Dodeca L.L.C.) located in Portland, Oreg., commercially markets a system for capturing images using a multi lens camera and for seaming images into panoramas. A image seaming program which runs on the Apple Macintosh computer system is marketed by Apple Computer Inc. under the name “The QuickTime VR Authoring Studio”
Computer programs which seam images into spherical panoramas align the images which are being seamed and then lay the end portion of one image over the end portion of an adjacent image. Generally the end portions of images that are overlapped are combined (i.e. averaged or feathered) in the area of a seam. In the overlap area, the contribution or optical dominance of each image goes from one hundred percent at the edge of the overlap region closest to the center of the image to zero percent contribution at the extreme edge of the image. The contribution can go from zero to one hundred percent on a straight line basis or according to some other selected curve.
In the area where the images overlap, visual artifacts will be created unless the images are precisely aligned. Aligning images into a panorama is particularly difficult because of warping. For example, when an image is moved in a vertical direction in order to match its vertical alignment to that of another image, the horizontal scale of the top of the image being moved is changed by a different amount than is the horizontal scale on the bottom of the image.
It is particularly difficult to align images in a multi row seamer, that is, in a seamer which joins multiple rows of images into a spherical panorama. Such seamers must align more than two edges of an image to different neighboring images.
There are a variety of other parameters which must also be selected when seaming images. Among the additional parameters is the focal length assigned to each of the images. The focal length of each image determines the image's field of view.
Thus, while it is possible to seam a number of images together to form a spherical panorama, it is very difficult to seam images into a panorama without creating visual artifacts (i.e. errors). Such visual artifacts detract from the overall visual effect. There are numerous sources of image positioning and image processing errors that create visual artifacts in seamed images. The sources of errors which produce visual artifacts in seamed images can include:
With current technology, when an annoying visual artifact is detected in a seamed panorama, one or more of the images which is responsible for the artifact are edited with a program such as PhotoShop which is marketed by Adobe Corporation. The modified images are then seamed and the process is repeated if the artifact remains in the program. Alternatively, the entire seamed image can be touched up with an editor such as PhotoShop. Such operations are exceedingly tedious to perform.
Prior art seamer programs allow a user to adjust various parameters which determine how the images will be seamed, for example they allow a user to specify the image location or pitch above or below the horizon and the bank or tilt an image, that is, the angle to the horizon. However, with prior art computer program, such parameters are entered into the program, the seaming operation proceeds and then if the result is not satisfactory, the parameters must be changed and the process repeated in an iterative manner. If changes to one of the images is required, the image must be edited by using a image editor such a Adobe PhotoShop and the process is then repeated with the altered image.
The present invention provides an interactive computer program for seaming a number of single view images (hereinafter referred to as the original single view images) into a panorama. The present invention provides a number of innovative features which make it possible to reduce or eliminate artifacts in the seamed panorama. The invention utilizes several different “windows” (a number of which can be opened at the same time) in order to facilitate the seaming process. The windows utilized by the invention include a Panorama Window, a Selected Image Window and an Alpha Window.
The Panorama Window displays the panorama as the seaming operation progresses. Each change made by the operator is (practically) immediately visible in the Panorama Window. Superimposed on the panorama in the Panorama Window are lines which designate the edges of the areas contributed by each original single view image. A user can select an area which is projected from a particular original single view image (hereinafter referred to as the Selected Image) for further operations. A separate window can be opened to displays the Selected Image. Various parameters which affect how the Selected Image is seamed into the panorama can be changed interactively. Among the parameters that can be changes are the position, the orientation, the focal length (i.e. the field of view or magnification of the Selected Image), which image will be on top (i.e. visible) where images overlap, and the opacity curve (i.e. the averaging or feathering over space of opacity) in the area where images overlap. The result of any changes in the parameters is immediately visible in the Panorama Window.
In the Panorama Window, control points are superimposed on the area in the panorama projected from the Selected Image. The user can move the control points, thereby “morphing” or distorting the contribution to the panorama of the Selected Image. The result of how the morphing affects the seaming of the images is immediately visible to the user. The original single view images are not in fact changed. Instead when a user changes a Selected Image, only the transform between the corresponding original single view image and the final panorama is changed.
Each pixel in each of the original single view images is assigned an “alpha” value. The alpha value is a value that is in addition to the conventional red, blue and green values. The alpha value indicates the opacity value of that pixel if the pixel is in an area where two images overlap. A window (hereinafter referred to as an Alpha Window) can be opened showing a Selected Image with first and second outlined areas. The second outlined area being inside the first outlined area. All pixels inside the second area have an opacity of “1” (that is in an overlap area, they will be visible to the exclusion of pixels in an image that is underneath). All pixels outside the first curve have an opacity of zero (that is in an overlap area, they will not be visible). Between the two areas, opacity changes according to a pre-established curve. An operator can change the size of the first and second areas, and immediately see the effect on the panorama which is visible in the Panorama Window.
A table is used to store the changes to the transform required in order to arrive at the desired panorama. When a user is satisfied with the appearance of a panorama, both the resulting panorama and the table showing parameters for the transform from the original image to the panorama are saved. The original single view images are not changes.
The preferred embodiment of the invention operates as an application running under the widely used Windows Operating System marketed Microsoft Corporation. The overall system is shown in
Transforms 2a, 2b, and 2c (which are computer program subroutines) transform each point the images A, B and C (i.e. each pixel at an x and y location) into values for Heading and Pitch (that is x,y space is transformed into HP space) 3A, 3B and 3C. Subroutines 4A, 4B and 4C then transform the images 3A, 3B and 3C into panorama 1. The operation (that is how transforms 4A, 4B and 4C operate on the images) is controlled by parameters in a parameter table 5. A computer program 6 which accepts user input generates the parameters which are stored in a parameter table 5.
A user can observe panorama 1 and enter commands in computer program 6 to change the parameters in table 5. The user can then see the effect of how the new parameters affect the panorama.
The parameters (referred to as image status) are stored in table 5 and they include:
The following illustrates programming code which changes the values in table 5. The field definitions are in an attachment termed Field Definitions:
The xy-hp transforms 2A, 2B, and 2C change an original single view image A, B or C which is in the xy domain into an image 3A, #b or 3C which is in the HP domain. This transformation can be calculated as follows:
The h-p transforms 4A, 4B, and 4C change HP images 3A, 3B or 3C which are in the hp domain into panorama 1. This transformation can be calculated as follows:
The images in the various windows include lines numerous lines. For example, there are lines that outline different images. These lines are draw as follows:
A user can interactively set or change the values of various parameters and observe the affect on the panorama.
In
In
The affect of the difference between
It is noted that the original single view image 21 is not in fact changed. Only the values in table 5 are changed as show above. The result is that the panorama 20 has the different appearances as shown in
The second window shown in
In the Selected Image 32, a number of control points 33 are superimposed on the image. These control points can be moved by the user (by dragging in the normal manner that items are dragged on a Microsoft Windows screen). The result is that the images is changed or morphed. For example note the control point 34 which has been moved. Note the distortion in the bridge railing. The contribution to the panorama 30 by other single view images are shown by lines 35 and 36.
It is noted that when a user moves one of the control points the image information near the control point is warped. This local warp control is independent of placement or movement of the image within the panorama. The ability to distort part of an image is extremely useful for matching image information in two or more images files that have the same imagery in an overlap area.
Lines 37 and 38 in window 31 show how the averaging or feathering of an image can be controlled interactively. The location and shape of boxes 37 and 38 can be moved by dragging. The contribution to the panorama of image A goes from 100 percent in the area covered by box 37 to zero in the area outside box 38.
Of particular importance is the fact that with the present invention, an operator can change the contribution of an image to a panorama without changing the initial image itself. The movement of the control points and the shape of the opacity windows 37 and 38 are stored in the parameter table 5. Thus the resulting panorama can be stored as a complete panorama, or the original images plus the values in the parameter table can be stored and exactly the same panorama can thereby be re-created.
This artifact can be corrected by use of the Alpha Window 57. The Alpha window 57 has a line 56 which encompasses an area where the opacity is 1 and an line 55 which encompasses an area outside of which the opacity is zero. Between areas 55 and 56 the opacity varies linearly from zero to one.
Note that the bicycle rider 53. In the Alpha window 57 the bicycle rider is within line 56 in
It is noted that in the preferred embodiment described herein, the opacity varies linearly from zero to one as one moves from area 55 to 56. In alternate embodiments, the variation can be according to a curve or function other than a linear function.
The following code illustrates how the Alpha values are set bases on the area set in the Alpha Window:
In situations where a panorama is formed by seaming together more than two single view images, the edges of each image must be matched to several adjacent images. Prior art software seamers utilize a software function that attempts to make a “best fit” in the position of each individual pair of images. This is typically done as each image is loaded into the Seamer. An image is placed with reference only to one other image. The present invention allows each images to be placement adjusted with reference to all of its neighboring images. This is useful in preventing the propagation or accumulation of matching errors all in one spot. That is, it prevents a situation where making an adjustment to match one edge may aggravate the mismatch on another edge.
The following code illustrates how the control points are handled:
Other useful features the preset invention include:
User control of Lay down order. When multiple image files are combined to create one panorama, having control of the lay down order, that is which image is “above or on top” of its neighboring images is very useful in concealing image artifacts.
Artificial horizon adjustment: Typically when shooting a panorama, great attention is give to ensuring the pan head is level with reference to the horizon. If this is not done the resulting pan image's displayed horizon will “wobble” as a user is viewing the panorama in a circular motion.
Individual image focal length can also be adjusted. Changing an individual images focal length while it is “in place” next to its adjacent images allows easy determination of the exact correct focal length for that single image. This is particularly useful when the camera was focused at different settings (causing different focal lengths) for each individual image taken.
The present invention allows the user to specify exactly where the horizon is in a panorama while it is being prepared. This can reduce the panhead cost and photographers time in shooting the individual images.
Multiple view windows can be simultaneously displayed, showing perspectively correct view as well as warped representation.
The invention provides, high resolution zoom in windows that allow extremely close examinations of artifacts without requiring the high resolution representation of the whole panorama.
The invention provides for position adjustment without changing the current warp of an individual image when it is moved up or down. This is very useful for correcting images or for placing images in their correct position when a portion of the images is inadvertently removed or cropped out by typical image processing operations. With a conventional seamer program it is difficult or impossible to correctly insert such a “damaged” image in to a panorama.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention is implemented as an application running under the widely used Microsoft Windows operating system. The facilities for performing general functions such as for opening multiples windows, for displaying images in windows, for selecting areas, for moving points, etc. are provided by the normal Microsoft Windows operating system facilities. Appendices A to G show the source code for subroutines which are used in an embodiment of the present invention. The subroutines in Appendices A to G can not be compiled into an entire operable program by themselves. Those skilled in the art will understand how to use the subroutines given in Appendices A to G to implement the invention as described herein.
The following is a definition of the fields utilized in code-given above:
The previous explanation and the code given above is meant to describe and illustrate the principles of the invention. From the above an ordinarily skilled programmer can write an operable program to practice the invention. The details involved in writing and compiling a complete fully operational program to practice the invention are within the skill of the art of a programming professional. The programming implementation details form no part of the present invention.
In the interest of full disclosure a microfiche appendix is provided with this application. The microfiche appendix provides code for a commercially viable Seamer Program which operates according to the principles of this invention. For completeness the microfiche appendix also provide commercially viable code for an Editor Program and for a Viewer Program. The code provided herewith in microfiche form is normally distributed on a CD along with various other normal conventional housekeeping programs such as a loader program and INI files. The CD also contains a copy of the program configured to operate on a Macintosh computer.
A CD has been submitted with this application which includes the code in the appendix along with the housekeeping code. It is again noted that the various details of implementation form no part of the invention.
While the invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be understood that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The applicant's invention is limited only by the appended claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 09/602,290 filed on Jun. 23, 2000 now abandoned; which (a) claims the benefit of U.S. Ser. No. 60/142,573 filed Jul. 6, 1999; and (b) is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 09/310,715 filed May 12, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,337,683. The contents of all of the foregoing are hereby incorporated by reference.
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