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US5489940A
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Electronic imaging system and sensor for correcting the distortion in a wide-angle lens
Assignee: Motorola Solutions Inc
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Filing: 1994-12-08
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Granted: 1996-02-06
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Expires: 2014-12-08
Abstract
Abstract A wide-angle lens produces a distorted wide-angle optical image. An imaging sensor, having a surface in optical communication with the wide-angle lens, converts the wide-angle optical image into a corresponding output signal. The imaging sensor includes a plurality of imaging elements. The plurality of imaging elements have a distribution on the surface of the sensor that is representable by a nonlinear function, wherein the distribution of the imaging elements corrects the distortion in the wide-angle image.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles P. Richardson
- 👤 Bruce E. Stuckman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 08:34
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N25/00; H04N25/60; H04N25/61; H04N25/70; H04N25/702
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
An electronic imaging system for capturing a wide-angle image, the system comprising; a wide-angle lens for producing a wide-angle optical image, the wide-angle lens producing a distortion in the wide-angle image; and an imaging sensor, having a surface in optical communication with the wide-angle lens, for converting the wide-angle optical image into a corresponding output signal, the imaging sensor comprising a plurality of imaging elements, the plurality of imaging elements having a distribution on the surface representable by a nonlinear function; wherein the distribution of the imaging elements corrects the distortion in the wide-angle image.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
95 words
An electronic imaging system for capturing a wide-angle image, the system comprising; a wide-angle lens for producing a wide-angle optical image, the wide-angle lens producing a distortion in the wide-angle image; and an imaging sensor, having a surface in optical communication with the wide-angle lens, for converting the wide-angle optical image into a corresponding output signal, the imaging sensor comprising a plurality of imaging elements, the plurality of imaging elements having a distribution on the surface representable by a nonlinear function; wherein the distribution of the imaging elements corrects the distortion in the wide-angle image.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of imaging elements includes a pixel of a charge-coupled device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of imaging elements are in a two-dimensional array.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 3 wherein each of the plurality of imaging elements is electronically addressable by a two-dimensional address (a, b).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system of claim 3 wherein the distribution of imaging elements has a relatively low density at a center point of the two-dimensional array and a relatively high density at a point along the periphery of the two-dimensional array.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
70 words
The system of claim 5 wherein the nonlinear function can be represented by: rho=rho.sub.0 (1-(rT/180R').sup.2).sup.-1/2 where r is a radial distance of a selected imaging element from the center point of the two-dimensional array, rho 0 is the density of the distribution of imaging elements, R' corresponds to a maximum radius r of the two-dimensional array and where T is the maximum angle captured by the wide-angle lens (in degrees).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the output signal is a video signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the output signal includes a plurality of image data.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 1 further comprising a display, responsive to the output signal, for displaying the wide-angle image.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system of claim 1 further comprising a image processing unit, responsive to the output signal and a user command signal, for selectively magnifying a first region of the wide-angle image.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
The system of claim 10 further comprising a image processing unit, responsive to the output signal and a user command signal, for selectively panning from a second region of the wide-angle image to a third region of the wide-angle image.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 10 further comprising a user interface device, coupled to the image processing unit, for generating the user command signal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
84 words
A sensor use in an electronic imaging system having a wide-angle lens that produces a wide-angle optical image having a distortion, the sensor comprising; a surface in optical communication with the wide-angle lens; and a plurality of imaging elements, coupled to the surface, for converting the wide-angle optical image into a corresponding output signal, the plurality of imaging elements having a distribution on the surface representable by a nonlinear function; wherein the distribution of the imaging elements corrects the distortion in the wide-angle image.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
84 words
A sensor use in an electronic imaging system having a wide-angle lens that produces a wide-angle optical image having a distortion, the sensor comprising; a surface in optical communication with the wide-angle lens; and a plurality of imaging elements, coupled to the surface, for converting the wide-angle optical image into a corresponding output signal, the plurality of imaging elements having a distribution on the surface representable by a nonlinear function; wherein the distribution of the imaging elements corrects the distortion in the wide-angle image.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
The sensor of claim 13 wherein each of the plurality of imaging elements includes a pixel of a charge-coupled device.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
The sensor of claim 13 wherein the plurality of imaging elements are in a two-dimensional array.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
The sensor of claim 15 wherein each of the plurality of imaging elements is electronically addressable by a two-dimensional address (a, b).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
39 words
The sensor of claim 15 wherein the distribution of imaging elements has a relatively low density at a center point of the two-dimensional array and a relatively high density at a point along the periphery of the two-dimensional array.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
70 words
The sensor of claim 17 wherein the nonlinear function can be represented by: rho=rho.sub.0 (1-(rT/180R').sup.2).sup.-1/2 where r is a radial distance of a selected imaging element from the center point of the two-dimensional array, rho 0 is the density of the distribution of imaging elements, R' corresponds to a maximum radius r of the two-dimensional array and where T is the maximum angle captured by the wide-angle lens (in degrees).
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
13 words
The sensor of claim 13 wherein the output signal is a video signal.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
The sensor of claim 13 wherein the output signal includes a plurality of image data.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-02-05 | 1999-08-07 | 2000-02-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-02-05 | 2003-08-07 | 2004-02-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-02-05 | 2007-08-07 | 2008-02-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |