Optimizing the content of a digital omnidirectional image

1. A method for compression mapping of omnidirectional images at a traffic intersection of a road, the method comprising:

storing information in memory regarding a physical site of an omnidirectional camera pointed over the traffic intersection, wherein the stored information identifies a plurality of areas of the traffic intersection within the physical site, wherein a first area of the plurality of areas is identified as being of non-interest, and a second area, and a third area of the plurality of areas are identified as being of interest;

capturing an image of the physical site via the omnidirectional camera, wherein a first portion of the captured image oversamples the first area of non-interest, a second portion of the captured image under samples the second area of interest, and a third portion of the captured image maintains samples of the third area of interest;

executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor:

resamples the captured image based on a reducing map for the omnidirectional camera, wherein the resampled image includes:

a first image portion corresponding to the first area of non-interest, the first image portion having a lower pixel density than the first portion of the captured image,

a second image portion corresponding to the second area of interest, the second image portion having a higher pixel density than the second portion of the captured image, and

a third image portion corresponding to the third area of interest, the third image portion having a pixel density maintained as the third portion of the captured image, wherein the first image portion, the second image portion and the third image portion corresponds with the plurality of areas of the traffic intersection, and

compresses the resampled image; and

transmitting the compressed image to a designated recipient device over a communication network.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating the reducing map for the omnidirectional camera based on the stored information regarding the physical site, wherein the reducing map identifies a plurality of image portions that each corresponds to a different area of the physical site and specifies at least one of the image portions as subject to pixel reduction, the specified image portion corresponding to the identified area of non-interest within the physical site.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving user input regarding the physical site, wherein the stored information identifying the at least one area of non-interest is based on the received user input.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stored information further identifies at least one other area within the physical site as being of interest, wherein the reducing map further specifies at least one other image portion subject to pixel increase, the specified other image portion corresponding to the identified area of interest within the physical site.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one other image portion subject to pixel increase is located along an outer edge of the captured image.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the resampled image further includes another portion corresponding to the identified area of interest, the included other portion having higher pixel density than a corresponding portion of the captured image.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identified area of non-interest is located directly beneath the omnidirectional camera.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising decompressing the compressed image at the recipient device; and processing the decompressed image based on the reducing map.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stored information further includes information identifying a position of the omnidirectional camera at the physical site, and wherein generating the reducing map is further based on the identified position of the omnidirectional camera.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising aligning a digital sensor of the omnidirectional camera relative to a lens of the omnidirectional camera, wherein a center of the digital sensor is offset from a center of the lens.

11. A system for compression mapping of omnidirectional images at a traffic intersection of a road, the system comprising:

memory that stores information regarding the physical site of an omnidirectional camera pointed over the traffic intersection, wherein the stored information identifies a plurality of areas of the traffic intersection within the physical site, wherein a first area of the plurality of areas is identified as being of non-interest, and a second area, and a third area of the plurality of areas are identified as being of interest;

a digital sensor of the omnidirectional camera that captures an image of the physical site, wherein the image oversamples the identified central area of non-interest;

a processor that executes instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor:

resamples the captured image based on a reducing map for the omnidirectional camera, wherein the resampled image includes:

a first image portion corresponding to the first area of non-interest, the first image portion having a lower pixel density than the first portion of the captured image,

a second image portion corresponding to the second area of interest, the second image portion having a higher pixel density than the second portion of the captured image, and

a third image portion corresponding to the third area of interest, the third image portion having a pixel density maintained as the third portion of the captured image, wherein the first image portion corresponds with the plurality of areas of the traffic intersection, and compresses the resampled image; and

a communication interface that transmits the compressed image to a designated recipient device over a communication network.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor further generates the reducing map for the omnidirectional camera based on the stored information regarding the physical site, wherein the reducing map identifies a plurality of image portions that each corresponds to a different area of the physical site and specifies at least one of the image portions as subject to pixel reduction, the specified image portion corresponding to the identified area of non-interest within the physical site.

13. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a user interface that receives user input regarding the physical site, wherein the stored information identifying the at least one area of non-interest is based on the received user input.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the stored information further identifies at least one other area within the physical site as being of interest, and wherein the reducing map further specifies at least one other image portion subject to pixel increase, the specified other image portion corresponding to the identified area of interest within the physical site.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one other image portion subject to pixel increase is located along an outer edge of the captured image.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the resampled image further includes another portion corresponding to the identified area of interest, the included other portion having higher pixel density than a corresponding portion of the captured image.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the identified area of non-interest is located directly beneath the omnidirectional camera.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the recipient device decompresses the compressed image at the recipient device, and processes the decompressed image based on the reducing map.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the stored information further includes information identifying a position of the omnidirectional camera at the physical site, and wherein the processor generates the reducing map further based on the identified position of the omnidirectional camera.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the digital sensor is positioned relative to a lens of the omnidirectional camera such that a center of the digital sensor is not aligned to a center of the lens.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having embodied thereon a program executable by a processor to perform a method for compression mapping of omnidirectional images at a traffic intersection of a road, the method comprising:

storing information in memory regarding a physical site of an omnidirectional camera pointed over the traffic intersection, wherein the stored information identifies a plurality of areas of the traffic intersection within the physical site, wherein a first area of the plurality of areas is identified as being of non-interest, and a second area, and a third area of the plurality of areas are identified as being of interest;

capturing an image of the physical site via the omnidirectional camera, wherein a first portion of the captured image oversamples the first area of non-interest, a second portion of the captured image under samples the second area of interest, and a third portion of the captured image maintains samples of the third area of interest;

resampling the captured image based on a reducing map for the omnidirectional camera, wherein the resampled image includes:

a first image portion corresponding to the first area of non-interest, the first image portion having a lower pixel density than the first portion of the captured image,

a second image portion corresponding to the second area of interest, the second image portion having a higher pixel density than the second portion of the captured image, and

a third image portion corresponding to the third area of interest, the third image portion having a pixel density maintained as the third portion of the captured image, wherein the first image portion corresponds with the plurality of areas of the traffic intersection;

compressing the resampled image; and

transmitting the compressed image to a designated recipient device over a communication network.