Seamless multi-camera panoramic imaging with distortion correction and selectable field of view

Claim 2

An imaging system for the production of a panoramic or a panospheric output image for the simultaneous seamless merging of a plurality of overlapping input images to collectively display an entire field of panoramic view, comprising; a plurality of cameras mounted so as to collectively capture said panoramic field of view; a means to direct simultaneous streams of digital or analog output from each of said cameras, into an image transformation engine; said image transformation engine arranged to process digital or analog signals so as to remove distortions generated by the image capture process, so as to seamlessly merge the images from adjacent cameras, by removing redundant pixels by digital separation and coloration to create a single output stream of digital or analog video; a means to direct said output stream of analog or digital video to an image clipper, including a transparent color filter; a pan-tilt-rotation-zoom controller arranged to control said image clipper to select a portion of said panoramic or panospheric image for display; and a display device to permit the viewing, by the separate eyes of an observer, of the overlapping regions of an output image of said image clipper.

Claim 3

The imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the collective field of view is overlapping, and in which said image transformation engine provides a digital separation of redundant pixels into at least two separate output streams, each of said output streams being directed to a separate eye of an observer, so as to provide stereoscopic viewing of overlapping regions.

Claim 4

The imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein said display device may be selected from the group comprising a monitor, television, virtual reality helmet, or projective display.

Claim 5

A process for the seamless display of a plurality of images, all of which have an overlapping field of view between adjacent images, said process comprising: arranging a plurality of cameras so as to collectively capture a panoramic or panospheric field of view; directing a stream of output from each of said cameras into an image transformation engine; removing distortions introduced by the image capturing process in said image transformation engine; removing redundant pixels to seamlessly merge said images and subsequently outputting a single stream of digital or analog video from said engine; directing output stream of digital or analog video to an image clipper; controlling said image clipper by a pan-tilt-rotation-zoom controller to select a portion of the merged images; color toning each of said separate output streams so that they can be blocked by a translucent color filter arrangement prior to observation thereof; directing each of said two separate viewable output streams from the collective overlapping field of view through said translucent color filter arrangement to separate eyes of an observer to permit stereoscopic viewing of overlapping regions; and displaying said portion for viewing thereof.

Claim 6

A process for the seamless display of a plurality of images, all of which have an overlapping field of view between adjacent images, said process comprising: arranging a plurality of cameras so as to collectively capture a panoramic or panospheric field of view; directing a stream of output from each of said cameras into an image transformation engine; removing distortions introduced by the image capturing process in said image transformation engine; removing redundant pixels to seamlessly merge said images and subsequently outputting a single stream of digital or analog video from said engine; directing output stream of digital or analog video to an image clipper; controlling said image clipper by a pan-tilt-rotation-zoom controller to select a portion of the merged images; color toning each of said separate output streams so that they can be blocked by a translucent color filter arrangement prior to observation thereof; directing each of said two separate viewable output streams from the collective overlapping field of view through said translucent color filter arrangement to separate eyes of an observer to permit stereoscopic viewing of overlapping regions; and displaying said portion for viewing thereof.

Claim 7

The process as recited in claim 4, including the step of: separating digitally, redundant pixels of said output stream into two separate viewable output streams.

Claim 8

The process as recited in claim 5, including the step of: directing each of said two separate viewable output streams to the separate eyes of an observer to permit stereoscopic viewing of overlapping regions.