US6002430A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for simultaneous capture of a spherical image
Assignee: Sony Corp
•
Filing: 1997-05-27
•
Granted: 1999-12-14
•
Expires: 2017-05-27
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for capture of a spherical image is disclosed. The present invention includes at least one camera having a lens with at least a 180° field-of-view for capturing a hemispherical image. In a first embodiment, a second hemispherical image is created corresponding to a mirror image of the hemispherical image captured by the camera. In a second embodiment, two back-to-back cameras capture first and second hemispherical images, respectively. In both embodiments, a converter combines the two images along their outside edges to form a single, spherical image. Finally, the converter stores the complete spherical image for later retrieval and perspective corrected viewing.
Inventors
- 👤 Danny A. McCall
- 👤 H. Lee Martin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 23:54
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N23/00; H04N23/60; H04N23/698
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
111 words
A method for capturing a spherical image comprising the steps of capturing a first approximately hemispherical image via a first camera including a first hemispherical lens; capturing a second approximately hemispherical image via a second camera including a second oppositely directed hemispherical lens, wherein the first and second approximately hemispherical images overlap with each other such that each of the first and second approximately hemispherical images has an overlapping portion with the other of the first and second approximately hemispherical images; and combining said first and second oppositely directed hemispherical images to create a seamless spherical image by averaging the overlapping portions of both the first and second approximately hemispherical images.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
111 words
A method for capturing a spherical image comprising the steps of capturing a first approximately hemispherical image via a first camera including a first hemispherical lens; capturing a second approximately hemispherical image via a second camera including a second oppositely directed hemispherical lens, wherein the first and second approximately hemispherical images overlap with each other such that each of the first and second approximately hemispherical images has an overlapping portion with the other of the first and second approximately hemispherical images; and combining said first and second oppositely directed hemispherical images to create a seamless spherical image by averaging the overlapping portions of both the first and second approximately hemispherical images.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
143 words
An apparatus for capturing a spherical image comprising: a first camera equipped with a first 180° or greater field-of-view lens, said first camera and said first lens directed in a first direction, said first camera capturing a first image; a second camera with a second 180° or greater field-of-view lens, said second camera and said second lens directed in a second direction opposite said first direction, said first and second cameras arranged in a back-to-back position, said second camera capturing a second image, wherein the first and second images overlap with each other such that each of the first and second images has an overlapping portion with the other of the first and second images; and a combining system for combining said first and second images into a seamless formed image by averaging the overlapping portions of both the first and second images.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
143 words
An apparatus for capturing a spherical image comprising: a first camera equipped with a first 180° or greater field-of-view lens, said first camera and said first lens directed in a first direction, said first camera capturing a first image; a second camera with a second 180° or greater field-of-view lens, said second camera and said second lens directed in a second direction opposite said first direction, said first and second cameras arranged in a back-to-back position, said second camera capturing a second image, wherein the first and second images overlap with each other such that each of the first and second images has an overlapping portion with the other of the first and second images; and a combining system for combining said first and second images into a seamless formed image by averaging the overlapping portions of both the first and second images.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of combining includes averaging the overlapping portions of both the first and second approximately hemispherical images using weighted averaging.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of combining includes averaging the overlapping portions of both the first and second images using weighted averaging.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the combining system is configured to combine the first and second images by averaging the overlapping portions of both the first and second images using weighted averaging.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
112 words
A method for creating a seamless spherical image, the seamless spherical image comprising at least a first image in a first direction and a second image in a second direction different from the first direction, the method comprising the steps of: combining at least the first and second images to create the seamless spherical image, the first and second images overlapping with each other such that each of the first and second images has an overlapping portion with the other of the first and second images, the step of combining including averaging the overlapping portions of the first and second images; and storing the entire seamless spherical image as a single image.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
112 words
A method for creating a seamless spherical image, the seamless spherical image comprising at least a first image in a first direction and a second image in a second direction different from the first direction, the method comprising the steps of: combining at least the first and second images to create the seamless spherical image, the first and second images overlapping with each other such that each of the first and second images has an overlapping portion with the other of the first and second images, the step of combining including averaging the overlapping portions of the first and second images; and storing the entire seamless spherical image as a single image.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 6, further including the steps of: capturing the first image; and capturing the second image.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 6, wherein the step of averaging includes averaging the overlapping portions of both the first and second images using weighted averaging.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 6, wherein the step of storing includes storing the entire seamless spherical image as a single image in a memory.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 6, wherein the step of combining includes creating a single, complete, and formed seamless spherical image.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 6, wherein each of the first and second images is an approximately hemispherical image.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 6, wherein the first image has a field of view greater than 180 degrees.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
123 words
An apparatus for creating a seamless spherical image, the seamless spherical image comprising at least a first image in a first direction and a second image in a second direction different from the first direction, the apparatus comprising: a processor for combining at least the first and second images to create the seamless spherical image, the first and second images overlapping with each other such that each of the first and second images has an overlapping portion with the other of the first and second images, the processor being configured to combine the first and second images by averaging the overlapping portions of the first and second images; and a storage device for storing the entire seamless spherical image as a single image.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
123 words
An apparatus for creating a seamless spherical image, the seamless spherical image comprising at least a first image in a first direction and a second image in a second direction different from the first direction, the apparatus comprising: a processor for combining at least the first and second images to create the seamless spherical image, the first and second images overlapping with each other such that each of the first and second images has an overlapping portion with the other of the first and second images, the processor being configured to combine the first and second images by averaging the overlapping portions of the first and second images; and a storage device for storing the entire seamless spherical image as a single image.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to average the overlapping portions using weighted averaging.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the storage device is a memory.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to combine the first and second approximately hemispherical images into a single, complete, and formed seamless spherical image.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each of the first and second images is an approximately hemispherical image.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first image has field of view greater than 180 degrees.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4152724A
Cited
US4463380A
Cited
US4549208A
Cited
US4613898A
Cited
US4736436A
Cited
US4672435A
Cited
US4965844A
Cited
US4772942A
Cited
US4858149A
Cited
US4807158A
Cited
US4899293A
Cited
US5175808A
Cited
US5023725A
Cited
US4989084A
Cited
US5130794A
Cited
US5200818A
Cited
US5185667A
Cited
US5359363A
Cited
US5384588A
Cited
US5396583A
Cited
US5444478A
Cited
WO1996008105A1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-12-13 | 2003-06-14 | 2003-12-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-12-13 | 2007-06-14 | 2007-12-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-12-13 | 2011-06-14 | 2011-12-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |