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US6608923B1 Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

System and method for rectifying images of three dimensional objects

Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
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Filing: 1999-06-19
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Granted: 2003-08-19
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Expires: 2019-06-19
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Abstract

Abstract The present invention is embodied in a system and method for rectifying two dimensional images of three dimensional (3D) objects for stereo vision processing. In general, the system and method of the present invention computes 2D projective transforms or homographies derived from specialized projective and affine transforms or components. The affine transform is comprised of a first transform and an optional second transform for image rectification. During image rectification of the present invention, optimization techniques are used for reducing the distortion.

Inventors

  • 👤 Zhengyou Zhang
  • 👤 Charles T. Loop

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 11:51
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T3/00; G06T7/00; G06T7/50; G06T7/55; G06T7/593; G06V; G06V10/00; G06V10/10; G06V10/12; G06V10/14; G06V10/147

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim 54 words
A method for processing images of an object comprising: computing a first homography transform of the images, the first homography transform comprised of isolated projective characteristics; computing a second homography transform of the images, the second homography transform comprised of at least one an affine component; and combining the homographies into a rectifying homography.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 54 words
A method for processing images of an object comprising: computing a first homography transform of the images, the first homography transform comprised of isolated projective characteristics; computing a second homography transform of the images, the second homography transform comprised of at least one an affine component; and combining the homographies into a rectifying homography.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 21 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the first homography is comprised of components that minimize a predefined projective distortion criteria.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 15 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining a fundamental matrix between the images.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method of claim 3 , wherein the fundamental matrix embodies epipolar geometrical relationships between the images.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 28 words
The method of claim 4 , further comprising sending epipoles of the epipolar geometrical relationships to infinity so that epipolar lines become parallel by respective first homography transforms.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 20 words
The method of claim 5 , further comprising capturing image distortion due to projective transformation by respective first homography transforms.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 36 words
The method of claim 6 , further comprising assigning weights to pixel elements defining the images and minimizing variations of the assigned weights over all pixels to make the transformation affine by respective first homography transforms.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 21 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein respective first homography transforms are computed to characterize projective components of the rectifying homography.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 5 , further comprising mapping the epipoles to points with coordinates of a predetermined coordinate axis equal to zero.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 59 words
A rectification system for processing two-dimensional images of a three-dimensional object comprising: a homographical processor that computes a first homography transform of the images comprised of isolated projective characteristics and a second homography of the images comprised of at least one an affine component; and a geometrical processor that combines the first and second homographies into a rectifying homography.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 59 words
A rectification system for processing two-dimensional images of a three-dimensional object comprising: a homographical processor that computes a first homography transform of the images comprised of isolated projective characteristics and a second homography of the images comprised of at least one an affine component; and a geometrical processor that combines the first and second homographies into a rectifying homography.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 23 words
The rectification system of claim 10 , wherein the first homography transform is comprised of components that minimize a predefined projective distortion criteria.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 18 words
The rectification system of claim 10 , wherein the homographical processor obtains a fundamental matrix between the images.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 18 words
The rectification system of claim 12 , wherein the fundamental matrix embodies epipolar geometrical relationships between the images.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 31 words
The rectification system of claim 13 , wherein the homographical processor sends epipoles of the epipolar geometrical relationships to infinity so that epipolar lines become parallel by respective first homography transforms.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 18 words
The rectification system of claim 14 , wherein the homographical processor captures image distortion due to projective transformation.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 23 words
The rectification system of claim 14 , wherein all of the image distortion due to projective transformation is captured by the homographical processor.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 36 words
The rectification system of claim 15 , wherein the homographical processor assigns weights to pixel elements defining the images and minimizes variations of the assigned weights over all pixels such that the transformation is near affine.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 22 words
The rectification system of claim 10 , wherein respective first homography transforms are computed to characterize projective components of the rectifying homography.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 26 words
The rectification system of claim 14 , wherein the homographical processor maps the epipoles to points with coordinates of a predetermined coordinate axis equal to zero.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 54 words
A computer-readable storage device encoded with a set of instructions for rectifying images, the set of instructions comprising: isolating projective characteristics of the images defined by a first homography transform; obtaining at least one an affine component defined by a second homography transform of the images; and combining the homographies into a rectifying homography.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 54 words
A computer-readable storage device encoded with a set of instructions for rectifying images, the set of instructions comprising: isolating projective characteristics of the images defined by a first homography transform; obtaining at least one an affine component defined by a second homography transform of the images; and combining the homographies into a rectifying homography.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 23 words
The set of instructions of claim 20 , wherein the first homography is comprised of components that minimize a predefined projective distortion criteria.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 17 words
The set of instructions of claim 20 , further comprising obtaining a fundamental matrix between the images.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 19 words
The set of instructions of claim 22 , wherein the fundamental matrix embodies epipolar geometrical relationships between the images.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 30 words
The set of instructions of claim 23 , further comprising sending epipoles of the epipolar geometrical relationships to infinity so that epipolar lines become parallel by respective first homography transforms.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 22 words
The set of instructions of claim 24 , further comprising capturing image distortion due to projective transformation by respective first homography transforms.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 38 words
The set of instructions of claim 25 , further comprising assigning weights to pixel elements defining the images and minimizing variations of the assigned weights over predetermined pixels to make the transformation affine by respective first homography transforms.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 25 words
The set of instructions of claim 20 , wherein respective first homography transforms are obtained so that they characterize projective components of the rectifying homography.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 25 words
The set of instructions of claim 24 , further comprising mapping the epipoles to points with coordinates of a predetermined coordinate axis equal to zero.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US5917937A Cited
US6078701A Cited

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