Method for Producing a Panoramic Image and Implementation Apparatus

1 - 12 . (canceled)

13 . A method for aligning successive images of a video sequence to produce a panoramic image, the method comprising:

estimating a displacement of a target image of a video sequence with respect to at least one previous image of the video sequence; and

correcting the first displacement vector of the target image of the video sequence, wherein the first displacement vector is determined based on the estimated displacement of the target image with respect to the at least one previous image.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein correcting the first displacement vector of the target image comprises:

determining an average of horizontal coordinates of displacement vectors of at least one image preceding the target image;

detecting the first displacement vector as a suspect vector if a difference between a horizontal coordinate of the first displacement vector and the average is detected;

comparing a horizontal coordinate of a second displacement vector associated with an image that follows the target image in the video sequence with the average; and

correcting the suspect vector if the horizontal coordinate of the second displacement vector is similar to the average.

15 . The method of claim 14 wherein correcting the suspect vector determining a variance of the average.

16 . The method of claim 15 further comprising detecting a difference between the horizontal coordinate of the first displacement vector and the average if a calculated difference between the horizontal coordinate of the first displacement vector and the average is greater than the variance.

17 . The method of claim 15 wherein the horizontal coordinate of the second displacement vector is similar to the average if a calculated difference between the horizontal coordinate of the second displacement vector and the average is less than the variance.

18 . The method of claim 14 wherein correcting the suspect vector comprises replacing the first displacement vector with the displacement vector of the image preceding the target image.

19 . A camera-equipped device comprising:

a processing circuit configured to execute the functions of:

an alignment module configured to align successive images of a video sequence to produce a panoramic image, the alignment module comprising:

an estimating function configured to:

estimate a displacement between a target image of the video sequence and the at least one previous image; and

estimate a displacement vector of the target image with respect to the at least one previous image based on the estimated displacement; and

a correcting function to correct the first displacement vector of the target image of a video sequence,

20 . The camera-equipped device of claim 19 wherein the correction function comprises:

a determination function configured to determine an average of horizontal coordinates of displacement vectors of at least one image preceding the target image;

a detection function configured to detect the first displacement vector as a suspect vector if a difference between a horizontal coordinate of the first displacement vector and the average is detected;

a comparison function configured to compare a horizontal coordinate of a second displacement vector of an image following the target image with the average; and

a correction module configured to correct the suspect vector if the horizontal coordinate of the second displacement vector is similar to the said average.

21 . The camera-equipped device of claim 19 wherein the correction function comprises a variance determination function configured to determine a variance of the average.

22 . The camera-equipped device of claim 21 wherein the detection function comprises:

a calculation function configured to calculate a subtraction between the horizontal coordinate of the first displacement vector and the average; and

a first comparison module configured to compare a result of the subtraction with the variance.

23 . The camera-equipped device of claim 21 wherein the comparison function comprises a second comparison module configured to compare a difference between the horizontal coordinate of the second displacement vector and the average with the variance.

24 . The camera-equipped device of claim 19 wherein the correction means comprises a replacement function configured to replace the first displacement vector with a displacement vector of the image preceding the target image.