Abstract: Systems and methods in accordance with the invention allow automatic recording, sharing, and communicating of different parameters associated with images and their imager to define a specific system behavior of a display device or an algorithm unit. Examples of information include imager parameters, environment parameters, image processing and enhancement parameters, coordinates of a section of wide-angle scene image content, display parameters, defined user experience, defined system behavior or any information to be recorded, shared, and communicated. To avoid loss of information, the information is encoded directly in the picture using a marker. This way, the information is robustly transferred from the imager to the display unit. According to the information, the final image can be automatically corrected and enhanced before display, different associated parameters can be displayed on final image or be used with another output.

Abstract: Systems and methods in accordance with the invention allow automatic recording, sharing, and communicating of different parameters associated with images and their imager to define a specific system behavior of a display device or an algorithm unit. Examples of information include imager parameters, environment parameters, image processing and enhancement parameters, coordinates of a section of wide-angle scene image content, display parameters, defined user experience, defined system behavior or any information to be recorded, shared, and communicated. To avoid loss of information, the information is encoded directly in the picture using a marker. This way, the information is robustly transferred from the imager to the display unit. According to the information, the final image can be automatically corrected and enhanced before display, different associated parameters can be displayed on final image or be used with another output.

Abstract: A miniature wide-angle imaging lens has a miniaturization ratio, of a total track length from the center of a first surface to a focal plane by an image circle diameter, with a value less than 3.0. The imaging lens includes, starting from an object side of the lens, a first group of at least three optical elements, a second group including an aperture stop and an optical element immediately in front of or behind the aperture stop, and a third group of at least two optical elements.

Abstract: An optimization apparatus for a camera system having lenses with at least one non-uniform parameter and a method to design them is disclosed. When the non-uniform parameter of the lenses is the presence of optical distortion, the image of the objects inside the optimization apparatus are deformed. Embodiments of the invention allow designing of optimization apparatuses using 2D or 3D objects pre-distorted according to the exact distortion profile of the lens. When viewed by a camera system with a lens having optical distortion, the image of the pre-distorted apparatus appears undistorted, and can be automatically analyzed with existing software programs or be compared to existing images by human observers.

Abstract: A miniature wide-angle imaging lens has a miniaturization ratio, of a total track length from the center of a first surface to a focal plane by an image circle diameter, with a value less than 3.0. The imaging lens includes, starting from an object side of the lens, a first group of at least three optical elements, a second group including an aperture stop and an optical element immediately in front of or behind the aperture stop, and a third group of at least two optical elements.

Abstract: The present invention relate to an optical apparatus to capture images of a wide-angle scene with a single camera having a continuous panomorph zoom distortion profile. When combined with a processing unit, the hybrid zoom system creates an output image with constant resolution while allowing continuous adjustment in the magnification and field of view of the image without interpolation like a digital zoom system or without any moving parts like an optical zoom system.

Abstract: An image distortion transformation method for transforming an original image by an imager having an original distortion profile to a transformed image optimized for a distortion processing unit includes inputting the original image from the imager into the transformation unit, inputting an original image distortion profile into the original distortion profile memory of the transformation unit, and inputting a target distortion profile into the target distortion profile memory of the transformation unit. The target distortion profile is different from the original distortion profile. The method further includes transforming the original image into a transformed image by transforming the distortion profile of the original image from the original image distortion profile to the target image distortion profile, and outputting the transformed image from the transformation unit.

Abstract: An image distortion transformation method for transforming an original image by an imager having an original distortion profile to a transformed image optimized for a distortion processing unit includes inputting the original image from the imager into the transformation unit, inputting an original image distortion profile into the original distortion profile memory of the transformation unit, and inputting a target distortion profile into the target distortion profile memory of the transformation unit. The target distortion profile is different from the original distortion profile. The method further includes transforming the original image into a transformed image by transforming the distortion profile of the original image from the original image distortion profile to the target image distortion profile, and outputting the transformed image from the transformation unit.

Abstract: A stereoscopic vision system uses at least two cameras having different parameters to image a scene and create stereoscopic views. The different parameters of the two cameras can be intrinsic or extrinsic, including, for example, the distortion profile of the lens in the cameras, the field of view of the lens, the orientation of the cameras, the positions of the cameras, the color spectrum of the cameras, the frame rate of the cameras, the exposure time of the cameras, the gain of the cameras, the aperture size of the lenses, or the like. An image processing apparatus is then used to process the images from the at least two different cameras to provide optimal stereoscopic vision to a display.

Abstract: An optimization apparatus for a camera system having lenses with at least one non-uniform parameter and a method to design them is disclosed. When the non-uniform parameter of the lenses is the presence of optical distortion, the image of the objects inside the optimization apparatus are deformed. Embodiments of the invention allow designing of optimization apparatuses using 2D or 3D objects pre-distorted according to the exact distortion profile of the lens. When viewed by a camera system with a lens having optical distortion, the image of the pre-distorted apparatus appears undistorted, and can be automatically analyzed with existing software programs or be compared to existing images by human observers.

Abstract: The present invention is a system for assembling panoramic images of a scene captured by a panoramic image capture device having a decoding unit configured to read image content data from the image capture device, an information reading unit configured to extract device parameters about the capture device, and an image processing unit configured to assemble an output image using the image content data and the device parameters.

Abstract: An optimization apparatus for a camera system having lenses with at least one non-uniform parameter and a method to design them is disclosed. When the non-uniform parameter of the lenses is the presence of optical distortion, the image of the objects inside the optimization apparatus are deformed. Embodiments of the invention allow designing of optimization apparatuses using 2D or 3D objects pre-distorted according to the exact distortion profile of the lens. When viewed by a camera system with a lens having optical distortion, the image of the pre-distorted apparatus appears undistorted, and can be automatically analyzed with existing software programs or be compared to existing images by human observers.

Abstract: The present invention is a system for capturing and assembling panoramic image data having a panoramic image capture device with image assembly parameters and configured to capture image content data, an encoding device coupled to the panoramic image capture device and configured to combine the image content data and the image assembly parameters into a panoramic image file, and a decoding device configured to receive the panoramic image file and assemble, based on the image assembly parameters, at least a portion of the image content data into an output image.

Abstract: There is provided an imaging system for producing an image of a scene, the image having at least one distorted zone, the imaging system comprising image producing means for producing an image of the scene; optical means for orienting light from the scene towards the image producing means, the optical means having a base optical power, the optical means being configurable to form at least one modified portion, each one of the at least one modified portion having a modified optical power different from the base optical power to thereby create at least one distorted zone on the image; and control means operatively connected to the optical means for changing the configuration of the optical means for forming the at least one modified portion. The imaging system may be reversible and provided instead as a scanning system.

Abstract: An image distortion transformation method for transforming an original image by an imager having an original distortion profile to a transformed image optimized for a distortion processing unit includes inputting the original image from the imager into the transformation unit, inputting an original image distortion profile into the original distortion profile memory of the transformation unit, and inputting a target distortion profile into the target distortion profile memory of the transformation unit. The target distortion profile is different from the original distortion profile. The method further includes transforming the original image into a transformed image by transforming the distortion profile of the original image from the original image distortion profile to the target image distortion profile, and outputting the transformed image from the transformation unit.

Abstract: A miniature wide-angle imaging lens has a miniaturization ratio, of a total track length from the center of a first surface to a focal plane by an image circle diameter, with a value less than 3.0. The imaging lens includes, starting from an object side of the lens, a first group of at least three optical elements, a second group including an aperture stop and an optical element immediately in front of or behind the aperture stop, and a third group of at least two optical elements.

Abstract: An optimization apparatus for a camera system having lenses with at least one non-uniform parameter and a method to design them is disclosed. When the non-uniform parameter of the lenses is the presence of optical distortion, the image of the objects inside the optimization apparatus are deformed. Embodiments of the invention allow designing of optimization apparatuses using 2D or 3D objects pre-distorted according to the exact distortion profile of the lens. When viewed by a camera system with a lens having optical distortion, the image of the pre-distorted apparatus appears undistorted, and can be automatically analyzed with existing software programs or be compared to existing images by human observers.

Abstract: Systems and methods in accordance with the invention allow automatic recording, sharing, and communicating of different parameters associated with images and their imager to define a specific system behavior of a display device or an algorithm unit. Examples of information include imager parameters, environment parameters, image processing and enhancement parameters, coordinates of a section of wide-angle scene image content, display parameters, defined user experience, defined system behavior or any information to be recorded, shared, and communicated. To avoid loss of information, the information is encoded directly in the picture using a marker. This way, the information is robustly transferred from the imager to the display unit. According to the information, the final image can be automatically corrected and enhanced before display, different associated parameters can be displayed on final image or be used with another output.

Abstract: There is provided an imaging system for producing an image of a scene, the image having at least one distorted zone, the imaging system comprising image producing means for producing an image of the scene; optical means for orienting light from the scene towards the image producing means, the optical means having a base optical power, the optical means being configurable to form at least one modified portion, each one of the at least one modified portion having a modified optical power different from the base optical power to thereby create at least one distorted zone on the image; and control means operatively connected to the optical means for changing the configuration of the optical means for forming the at least one modified portion. The imaging system may be reversible and provided instead as a scanning system.