Omniview motionless camera orientation system
View Patent ↗An apparatus and method is provided for converting digital images for use in an imaging system. The apparatus includes a data memory which stores digital data representing an image having a circular or spherical field of view such as an image captured by a fish-eye lens, a control input for receiving a signal for selecting a portion of the image, and a converter responsive to the control input for converting digital data corresponding to the selected portion into digital data representing a planar image for subsequent display. Various methods include the steps of storing digital data representing an image having a circular or spherical field of view, selecting a portion of the image, and converting the stored digital data corresponding to the selected portion into digital data representing a planar image for subsequent display. In various embodiments, the data converter and data conversion step may use an orthogonal set of transformation algorithms.
1. A memory for a signal processor, comprising:
a data structure, responsive to a control input representing a selection of a portion of an image stored in said memory, wherein said selection is chosen across a field of view, said data structure representing an orthogonal set of transformation algorithms; and
a buffer memory adapted to store digital image data for transformation;
wherein said data structure transforms data according to the following equations:
X
=
R
[
uA
-
vB
+
mR
sin
βsin
∂
]
√
(
u
2
+
v
2
+
m
2
R
2
)
Y
=
R
[
uC
-
vD
-
mR
sin
βcos
∂
]
√
(
u
2
+
v
2
+
m
2
R
2
)
where:
A =(cos θ cos ∂−sin θ sin ∂ cos β)
B =(sin θ cos ∂+cos θ sin ∂ cos β)
C =(cos θ sin ∂+sin θ cos ∂ cos β)
D =(sin θ sin ∂−cos θ cos ∂ cos β)
and where:
R=radius of the image circle
β=zenith angle
∂=Azimuth angle in image plane
θ=object plane rotation angle
m=Magnification
u,v=object plane coordinates
x,y=image plane coordinates.