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

摘要

An imaging system for the production of panoramic or panospheric output images in still or video formats, by seamlessly merging an arbitrary number of simultaneous, overlapping input images which collectively encompass an entire field of view. The system includes a plurality of cameras which direct multiple simultaneous streams of analog or digital input into an image transformation engine, to process those streams to remove distortion and redundant information, creating a single output image in a cylindrical or spherical perspective. The output image signal is directed through an image clipping system, which acts under the control of a pan-flit-rotation-zoom controller to select a portion of the panoramic or panospheric image for display on a monitor, screen or headset.