Projecting images onto a surface

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 , further comprising: projecting the reference image on the surface.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 further comprising: merging the projected reference image and the projected first image to form a panoramic image.

Claim 5

The method of claim 2 further comprising: projecting a three-dimensional object onto the surface; merging the projected three-dimensional object, the reference image and the first image to firm a panoramic image.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 wherein the surface is cylindrical.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 wherein the surface is spherical.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1 wherein the surface is planar.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving a second image, the second image having a perimeter having a second shape; determining a relative position of the second image and the reference image; using the second image, the reference image, and the relative position to generate a second corrected image having less perspective distortion relative to the reference image than the second image has, the second corrected image having a perimeter having a second corrected shape different from the second shape; using the second corrected shape to determine a focal length and rotation angles of a camera associated with the second image; and projecting the second image on the surface based on the focal length and rotation angles of the camera associated with the second image.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the focal length and rotation angles further comprises: selecting initial values for the rotation angles and the focal length; and improving the accuracy of the selected values of the rotation angles and the focal length by: estimating a shape of the perimeter of the corrected version of the first image based on the selected values of the rotation angles and the focal length; comparing the estimated shape and the actual shape of the perimeter of the corrected version of the first image; adjusting the selected values of the rotation angles and the focal length based on a difference between the estimated shape and the actual shape of the perimeter of the corrected version of the first image.

Claim 11

The method of claim 9 , wherein improving the accuracy of the selected values of the rotation angles and the focal length further comprises: computing a difference between the selected values of the rotation angles and the focal length with the adjusted values of the rotation angles and the focal length; if the computed difference is below a threshold value: determining that the adjusted values of the rotation angles and the adjusted value of the focal length are the actual rotation angles and the actual focal length; otherwise, if the computed difference is not below the threshold value: selecting the adjusted values of the rotation angles and the focal length as the values of the rotation angles and the focal length; and repeating the step of improving the accuracy of the selected values of the rotation angles and the focal length.

Claim 12

The method of claim 9 , wherein the initial value of the rotation angles is selected to be rotation angles of a camera associated with the reference image.

Claim 13

The method of claim 9 wherein the initial value of the focal length is selected based on a measurement of the first image.

Claim 14

The method of claim 12 wherein the selected initial value of the focal length is the sum of a length and a width of the image.

Claim 15

The method of claim 9 wherein a Newton's iteration is used to adjust the initial values of the rotation angle and the focal length.

Claim 16

The method of claim 1 , wherein the rotation angles of the camera associated with the first image is measured relative to rotation angles of a camera associated with the reference image.

Claim 17

The method of claim 1 wherein the reference image is an image of a reference segment of a view and the first image is an image of a first segment of the view that overlaps the reference segment of the view, the method further comprising: correcting for perspective distortion in the first image relative to the reference image to generate the corrected version of the first image.

Claim 18

The method of claim 16 further comprising: determining a position offset of the first segment of the view relative to the reference segment of the view, wherein correcting for perspective distortion is based on the determined position offset.

Claim 19

The method of claim 16 wherein the perimeter of the first image includes at least a first reference point and a second reference point and correcting for perspective distortion alters the shape of the perimeter of the first image by moving the first reference point relative to the second reference point.

Claim 20

The method of claim 18 wherein the first and second reference points are vertices defined by the shape of the perimeter of the first image.

Claim 21

The method of claim 19 wherein the shape of the perimeter of the first image is rectangular and correcting for perspective distortion alters the shape of the perimeter of the first image into a trapezoid.

Claim 22

The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the focal length and rotation angles is further based on the shape of the perimeter of the first image.

Claim 23

The method of claim 1 wherein the perimeter of the first image has the same shape as the perimeter of the reference image.

Claim 24

An article comprising a machine-readable medium on which are tangibly stored machine-executable instructions, the stored instructions being operable to cause a machine to: receive a reference image and a first image, the first image having a perimeter having a first shape; determine a relative position of the first image and the reference image; use the first image, the reference image, and the relative position to generate a first corrected image having less perspective distortion relative to the reference image than the first image has, the first corrected image having a perimeter having a first corrected shape different from the first shape; use the first corrected shape to determine a focal length and rotation angles of a camera associated with the first image; and project the first image on a surface based on the focal length and the rotation angles of the camera associated with the first image.

Claim 25

An article comprising a machine-readable medium on which are tangibly stored machine-executable instructions, the stored instructions being operable to cause a machine to: receive a reference image and a first image, the first image having a perimeter having a first shape; determine a relative position of the first image and the reference image; use the first image, the reference image, and the relative position to generate a first corrected image having less perspective distortion relative to the reference image than the first image has, the first corrected image having a perimeter having a first corrected shape different from the first shape; use the first corrected shape to determine a focal length and rotation angles of a camera associated with the first image; and project the first image on a surface based on the focal length and the rotation angles of the camera associated with the first image.

Claim 26

The article of claim 23 wherein the instructions further cause the machine to: project the reference image on the surface.

Claim 27

The article of claim 24 wherein the instructions further cause the machine to: merge the projected reference image and the projected first image to form a panoramic image.

Claim 28

The article of claim 24 wherein the instructions further cause the machine to: project a three-dimensional object onto the surface; merge the projected three-dimensional object, the reference image and the first image to form a panoramic image.

Claim 29

The article of claim 23 wherein the surface is cylindrical.

Claim 30

The article of claim 23 wherein the surface is spherical.

Claim 31

The article of claim 23 wherein the surface is planar.

Claim 32

The article of claim 23 , wherein the instructions further cause the machine to: receive a second image, the second image having a perimeter having a second shape; determine a relative position of the second image and the reference image; use the second image, the reference image, and the relative position to generate a second corrected image having less perspective distortion relative to the reference, image than the second image has, the second corrected image having a perimeter having a second corrected shape different from the second shape; use the second corrected shape to determine a focal length and rotation angles of a camera associated with the second image; and project the second image on the surface based on the focal length and rotation angles of the camera associated with the second image.

Claim 33

The article of claim 23 , wherein determining the focal length and rotation angles further comprises: selecting initial values for the rotation angles and the focal length; and improving the accuracy of the selected values of the rotation angles and the focal length by: estimating a shape of the perimeter of the corrected version of the first image based on the selected values of the rotation angles and the focal length; comparing the estimated shape and the actual shape of the perimeter of the corrected version of the first image; adjusting the selected values of the rotation angles and the focal length based on a difference between the estimated shape and the actual shape of the perimeter of the corrected version of the first image.

Claim 34

The article of claim 31 , wherein improving the accuracy of the selected values of the rotation angles and the focal length further comprises: computing a difference between the selected values of the rotation angles and the focal length with the adjusted valves of the rotation angles and the focal length; if the computed difference is below a threshold value: determining that the adjusted values of the rotation angles and the adjusted value of the focal length are the actual rotation angles and the actual focal length; otherwise, if the computed difference is not below the threshold value: selecting the adjusted values of the rotation angles and the focal length as the values of the rotation angles and the focal length; and repeating the step of improving the accuracy of the selected values of the rotation angles and the focal length.

Claim 35

The article of claim 31 , wherein the initial value of the rotation angles is selected to be rotation angles of a camera associated with the reference image.

Claim 36

The article of claim 31 wherein the initial value of the focal length is selected based on a measurement of the first image.

Claim 37

The article of claim 34 wherein the selected initial value of the focal length is the sum of a length and a width of the image.

Claim 38

The article of claim 31 wherein a Newton's iteration is used to adjust the initial values of the rotation angle and the focal length.

Claim 39

The article of claim 23 , wherein the rotation angles of the camera associated with the first image is measured relative to rotation angles of a camera associated with the reference image.

Claim 40

The article of claim 23 wherein the reference image is an image of a reference segment of a view and the first image is an image of a first segment of the view that overlaps the reference segment of the view, the instructions further causing the processor to: correct for perspective distortion in the first image relative to the reference image to generate the corrected version of the first image.

Claim 41

The article of claim 38 wherein the instructions further cause the machine to: determine a position offset of the first segment of the view relative to the reference segment of the view, wherein correcting for perspective distortion is based on the determined position offset.

Claim 42

The article of claim 38 wherein the perimeter of the first image includes at least a first reference point and a second reference point and correcting for perspective distortion alters the shape of the perimeter of the first image by moving the first reference point relative to the second reference point.

Claim 43

The article of claim 40 wherein the first and second reference points are vertices defined by the shape of the perimeter of the first image.

Claim 44

The article of claim 41 wherein the shape of the perimeter of the first image is rectangular and correcting for perspective distortion alters the shape of the perimeter of the first image into trapezoid.

Claim 45

The article of claim 23 , wherein determining the focal length and rotation angles is further based on the shape of the perimeter of the first image.

Claim 46

The article of claim 23 wherein the perimeter of the first image has the same shape as the perimeter of the reference image.