Abstract: A vehicular imaging system suitable for use in a vehicle includes at least one imaging array sensor and a control. The imaging array sensor has a field of view directed outwardly from the vehicle and is operable to sense at least one object or light source of interest external to the vehicle. The control is responsive to an output of the imaging array sensor to determine a distance between the imaging array sensor and the object or light source of interest external to the vehicle sensed by the imaging array sensor. The control is operable to control at least one accessory of the vehicle in response to a closest one of the objects or light sources of interest external to the vehicle sensed by the imaging array sensor. The control may be operable to control a headlamp of the vehicle in response to the determined distance.

Abstract: A scanning device optically scans picture information and further information provided on an original film and makes the information available as digitized data, the scanned information not being converted into the original information contents. A storage device stores the data obtained from the film scanner as digital data, and a display device separates data reproduced by the storage device in accordance with their original location on the original film and makes them available as separate data signals.

Abstract: Each of the CCD cameras 10A, 10B for making a film of a vehicle forward road environment is mounted on the both ends of a chassis 16 with a high stiffness. A mounting seat member 17 is formed at a center of the chassis 16. The CCD cameras 10A, 10B are mounted onto a vehicle body through fixing the mounting seat member 17 onto the vehicle body. Portions other than the mounting seat member 17 of the chassis 16 are disposed apart from the vehicle body.

Abstract: A system and process for generating a panoramic video. Essentially, the panoramic video is created by first acquiring multiple videos of the scene being depicted. Preferably, these videos collectively depict a full 360 degree view of the surrounding scene and are captured using a multiple camera rig. The acquisition phase also includes a calibration procedure that provides information about the camera rig used to capture the videos that is used in the next phase for creating the panoramic video. This next phase, which is referred to as the authoring phase, involves mosaicing or stitching individual frames of the videos, which were captured at approximately the same moment in time, to form each frame of the panoramic video. A series of texture maps are then constructed for each frame of the panoramic video. Each texture map coincides with a portion of a prescribed environment model of the scene.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for precisely locating radioactive sources. A pair of visual cameras are oriented in directions so that they have all or part of their field of vision in common. The apparatus also includes an intermediate camera which is sensitive to the radiation to be measured. The visual cameras make it possible to define the position of the details of the environment by a triangulation method and another triangulation is carried out in order to know the position of the sources after having moved the apparatus. Photogrammetry software is used to accomplish these tasks easily.

Abstract: A virtual PTZ camera is described which forms a virtual image using multiple cameras whose fields of view overlap. Images from the cameras are merged by transforming to a common surface and property-blending overlapping regions to smooth transitions due to differences in image formation of common portions of a scene. To achieve high speed, the images may be merged to a common planar surface or set of surfaces so that transforms can be linear. Image information alone may be used to calculate the transforms from common feature points located in the images so that there is no need for three-dimensional geometric information about the cameras.

Abstract: An image pick-up apparatus for capturing parallax images for the left eye and right eye which meet a fusion condition. A stereo camera image-captures a subject and displays captured parallax images on a stereoscopic display. An observer looks at the screen of the display. The lines of sight of both eyes of the observer are then detected, and a distance from the view point of the observer to the subject is measured based on the line-of-sight data. Instead of the observer, the apparatus determines whether the subject distance satisfies the fusion condition. The apparatus thus determines an image-fusible range, based on a (known) convergence angle, a (known) base line distance, a (known) size of the display, and the distance of distinct vision of the observer.

Abstract: The image data generator 1 produces image data for recording into a holographic stereogram. The image data generator 1 combines a stereo image model being at least a part of a three-dimensional object image prepared in advance with a separately captured image to provide a synthetic image and produces a parallax image train from the synthetic image. The three-dimensional object image prepared in advance and stereo image model being the part of the three-dimensional object are supplied from the 3D image source 4 to the image data generator 1. The image data generator 1 is also supplied with a two-dimensional image separately captured from the photographic unit 5 such as a digital still camera for example.

Abstract: A camera system including a plurality of image capture devices and supporting output of data from data storage arrays of each image capture device in a segment-by-segment manner, with output lines arranged in an interleaved manner so that interleaving is automatically achieved without complex image processing. The interleaved image or video output of such a camera system will appear as a three dimensional image when viewed through a screen of lenticular lenses.

Abstract: An electronic stereoscopic imaging system having right and left image pick-up devices and right and left image data memories has a memory control module that is adapted to shift read start addresses of the right and left memories for horizontal pixel lines of right and left solid state image sensors to lower and higher addresses, respectively, according to object distances detected or visually determined so as thereby to vary a convergence angle of the right and left image pick-up devices with respect to the object according to the object distances apparently similar to a specified convergence angle suitable for natural stereoscopic vision.

Abstract: Stereoscopic device including a lenticular lens layer and light sensor array, the lenticular lens layer includes a plurality of lenticular elements, the sight sensor array includes a plurality of light sensors, wherein selected ones of the light sensors detect light at a predetermined range of wavelengths and wherein at least selected others of the light sensors detect light at at least another predetermined range of wavelengths and wherein each of the lenticular elements is located in front of a selected group of the light sensors, thereby directing light from different directions to different light sensors within the selected group of the light sensors.

Abstract: When stereoscopic video data is distributed through a network, some terminal cannot process the distributed stereoscopic video data because the format of the data does not correspond to the terminal. Likewise, when video data are input from a plurality of types of cameras with different stereoscopic video data formats, data of an incompatible format cannot be processed. In order to prevent this problem, there is provided a stereoscopic video apparatus which inputs stereoscopic video data, converts the format of the input stereoscopic video data into a format suitable to output operation, and outputs the converted stereoscopic video data to a network.

Abstract: Just after starting, right and left images, each of which includes a fixed object and does not include an intruding object, are read as background images. Background parallaxes are obtained from the background images. Subsequently, when an intruding object exists in the background images, motion pictures of the intruding object which is moving are read. The brightness of an arbitrary pixel in the right image is compared to the brightness of a pixel, deviated from the pixel by the background parallax, in the left image. As the result of the comparison, the image corresponding to the intruding object is cut from the right image. Consequently, the influences of a three-dimensional object existing in the background and an environmental condition are eliminated. The intruding object can be detected with high accuracy and high reliability.

Abstract: Left and right video cameras 18L and 18R are disposed on both sides of a front video camera 18M. Solid-pictorial video signals used upon signal transmission are generated by using video signals outputted from the left and right video cameras with respect to a video signal outputted from the front video camera. The left and right video cameras make use of simplified video cameras and are cameras with no zoom functions or the like. The video signals obtained from the left and right video cameras are used as signals for forming a solid picture. In the present example, only solid information with respect to a main picture is transmitted as a video signal to reduce the amount of transmission. Since a motion-compensated DCT encode process using the front video signal as a reference picture is performed to extract only the video signal having the solid information from the left and right video signals. Since the simplified video cameras can be utilized, solid-pictorial video signals can be generated at low cost.

Abstract: A client-server arrangement for camera viewing using digital cameras across a computer network. A camera server controls a motorized gimbal which determines the viewing angle of a camera, according to signals from a client computer which is equipped with an eye movement tracking system. Movements of the viewer's eyes result in changes in viewing angle of the remote cameras. The original full-resolution image is divided into a foveal area and a peripheral area. Subsequently, if a change in the peripheral area of a field of view is detected relative to the most recently displayed image, the viewing angle of the cameras is changed to center on the detected change, and an image is captured of this anticipated future field of view. When the viewer eventually changes his or her point of interest to the area of detected change, the pre-captured image is transmitted immediately for viewing.

Abstract: A combined binocular viewing and digital recording device includes a binocular telescope wherein the binocular telescope includes a pair of monocular components (12a, b). Each monocular component (12a, b) has an image viewing end and an image receiving end. The monocular components (12a, b) include a focusing mechanism (18) to adjust images viewed through the image viewing end of the monocular components. Also, the device includes a digital video camera (15) mounted to and displaced between each monocular component. The camera includes a receiving lens (21) for receiving images with the camera lens' line-of-sight approximately parallel to the line-of-sight of the monocular components. The camera further includes random access memory (RAM) (56) and a display device (16).

Abstract: A stereoscopic-image display apparatus displays a stereoscopic image by inputting a character string of a portion common to two image-file names corresponding to an arbitrary pair of stereoscopic images when selecting the pair of stereoscopic images from a plurality of image files, each corresponding to a pair of images for the left eye and the right eye, adding an identifier for a left eye or a right eye to the input character string, reading two image files having the identifier as a pair of stereoscopic images for the left eye and the right eye, and displaying the pair of stereoscopic images.

Abstract: An image of an object outside a vehicle is picked up by a left camera and a right camera under the control of a CPU based on current position information of the vehicle whose position is measured, vehicle state information of slow speed, running, etc., and road information concerning the road where the vehicle is positioned, such as a narrow street, and is supplied through a selector to a display, so that the need for the user to perform burdensome work is eliminated and the user can check the circumstances outside the vehicle.

Abstract: The image pickup device includes a plurality of plane mirrors arranged in the form of a polygonal pyramid, and a plurality of cameras disposed opposite the plane mirrors, respectively. The angle of incidence of a ray passing along the optical axis of a lens of the camera on the plane mirror is set to be less than 45 degrees.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for three-dimensionally modeling and restitution a subject, the system comprising a housing suitable for being carried in the hand by an operator, the housing having an optical unit with stereoscopic digital video cameras co-operating with an inertial navigation unit having a trihedron of optical fiber gyros and a trihedron of accelerometers for generating position and displacement signals in a frame of reference. The housing may also include, in particular, a telemeter laser, an infrared video camera, a GPS unit, inclinometers, and tri-flux magnetometers. A second subassembly connected to the housing by an optical and/or electrical connection cable contains an electrical power supply, electronic circuits, and a microcomputer for processing signals delivered by the housing and for generating a three-dimensional model of the subject, implementing a photogrammetric technique.

Abstract: Images sensed through object lenses 100R and 100L, having zoom lenses, with image sensors 102R and 102L are processed by image signal processors 104R and 104L, and an image of an object in each of the sensed images is separated from a background image on the basis of the processed image signals. The separated image signals representing the image of the object enter the image processor 220, where a three-dimensional shape of the object is extracted on the basis of parameters used upon sensing the images. The parameters are automatically adjusted so that images of the object fall within the both image sensing areas of the image sensors 102R and 102L and that they fall within the both focal depths of the image sensors 102R and 102L.

Abstract: Three-dimensional color images are produced by combining the red image plane from a left color camera and the blue and green image planes from a right color camera. Techniques for compensating for over or underexposure in a particular image plane are deployed as well as techniques for minimizing subjective disturbance when viewing relatively pure color regions of a 3-dimensional image and for transmission of 3-dimensional color television images to users.

Abstract: An encoder receives a video input that includes initial video data and encodes the initial video data as encoded video data, such that the encoded video data comprises fewer bytes than the initial video data. The encoded video data is transmitted through a computer network to a decoder that receives the encoded video data and reconstructs an image representative of the video input for viewing on a display. A sensor senses at least one of viewer information representative of at least one of a location and movement of a viewer, and display information identifying the display. Viewer data representative of the at least one of the viewer information and the display information is transmitted to the encoder to modify the method of encoding the initial video data.

Abstract: This device consists of image sending converter C which converts the image data obtained from at least two video cameras L and R, and image display converter D. C compresses the frame data which are simultaneously obtained from at least two video cameras L and R in parallel by using separate image compressing devices c1 which are synchronized mutually, concatenates the compressed image data, and sequentially converts concatenated data into computer's data stream called frame sequential. D is the device which reconfigures above converted data in the top-down split frame sequential format by using image separating device Q and image reconstructing device for stereoscopic image viewing.

Abstract: A visual image system is constructed as including: a three-dimensional visual image reproducer for transmitting a three-dimensional video signal; a parallax quantity detecting section for detecting a parallax quantity in the three-dimensional video signal from the three-dimensional visual image reproducer; a fatigue measure estimating section for estimating the degree of fatigue based on the detected parallax quantity and outputting an image switching signal correspondingly to a fatigue measure estimating quantity; a 3D/2D image switching section for providing an output by switching between three-dimensional and two-dimensional images based on the image switching signal; and an image display section for displaying a three-dimensional image or a two-dimensional image. The visual image system thereby fulfills the capability of suitably controlling the degree of three-dimensionality of stereoscopic images by inferring from the inputted video signal the degree of effects likely to be produced on the observer.

Abstract: Red-Green-Blue color-coding of overlaid registered stereo pair imagery from different spectral regions (for example, near-, mid-, and far-infrared) can be used to derive depth perception information. The human preattentive vision process uses coarse spatial structure in the scene to fuse the images for the detection of depth and motion cues. Optimization is accomplished by assigning green to the lowest spatial frequency content image, then red to the next lowest, and finally blue. If the fusion of one of the colored imagery layers produces depth perception information in one portion of the scene whereas the other two colored layers do not, the human mind can retain the information from this color and discard the inputs from the other two colors as noise. The same is true for the other two colors. Human color discrimination and depth perception are combined to greatly enhance preattentive object recognition in the fused stereo pair imagery.

Abstract: A user wearable apparatus for forming digital images of selected scenes which are adapted to form panoramic images, including a plurality of digital cameras supported on the user and positioned to have overlapping fields of view. The user wearable apparatus actives selected digital cameras to cause such digital cameras to simultaneously capture digital images which are adapted to be used in producing the panoramic image. The captured digital images are stored in selected locations so that they can be retrieved to form the panoramic image.

Abstract: A method of automatically recognizing a human face includes developing a three-dimensional model of a face; and generating a number of two-dimensional images based on the three-dimensional model. The generated two-dimensional images are then enrolled in a database and searched against an input image to identifying the face of the input image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and system of displaying stereoscopic images. The method comprises providing a pair of stereoscopic cameras and producing at least one stereoscopic image, the stereoscopic image comprising a pair of two-dimensional plane images produced by the pair of stereoscopic cameras, respectively. The method also comprises detecting the motions of each of the stereoscopic cameras and transmitting the produced stereoscopic mage and detection data. The method also comprises receiving the stereoscopic mage and detection data, and displaying the received two-dimensional images on a set of display devices, respectively. The method comprises providing a guide signal indicative of the direction of motion of the stereoscopic cameras based on the detection data.

Abstract: When compositing a plurality of acquired partial images, the effects of differences in viewpoint contained in the partial images can be reduced, and a high quality wide-viewfield image is inputted.

Abstract: A camera information coding/decoding method for synthesizing stereoscopic real video and a computer graphic image is disclosed. The method stores the camera information generated when picturing, which is not contained in the existing multimedia contents coding standard, that is, the location motion information of the camera and the camera viewpoint displacement information, together with contents as the camera motion information stream. The camera information obtained through the camera position sensor and the camera viewpoint displacement sensor when picturing image is coded and stored together with the contents, thereby easily and precisely synthesizing with the computer graphic image. In addition, since the information may be easily transformed to the descriptor of the camera motion information of MPEG-7 format, there is another advantage of easily carrying out camera motion information indexing operation among searching methods of the multimedia contents.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and system of controlling the motions of a set of stereoscopic cameras based on a viewer's eye motion. The method comprises displaying at least one stereoscopic image, detecting motion of at least one of a viewer's eyes while the viewer is watching the at least one stereoscopic image, and transmitting data indicative of the detected viewer eye motion to a set of stereoscopic cameras located at a remote site. The method also comprises receiving the eye motion data at the remote site, determining camera adjustment values based on the received eye motion data, and controlling the motion of the set of stereoscopic cameras based on the camera adjustment values such that the cameras follow the viewer's eye motion.

Abstract: An image displaying configuration is arranged so that objects and scenes at the distance of the fixation point are images in focus, and objects and scenes at distances other than the distance of the fixation point are subjected to out-of-focus processing according to the distance from the fixation point, based on the fixation point position information for both right and left eyes, and based on the distance information of the shown image, whereby an image is shown. This configuration allows three-dimensional images with a sensation closer to real space to be shown, thus providing for an image processing apparatus and image processing method capable of three-dimensional images with increased sensations of reality.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing immersive surveillance wherein a remote security guard may monitor a scene using a variety of imagery sources that are rendered upon a model to provide a three-dimensional conceptual view of the scene. Using a view selector, the security guard may dynamically select a camera view to be displayed on his conceptual model, perform a walk through of the scene, identify moving objects and select the best view of those moving objects and so on.

Abstract: A system and method for capturing contours of a three-dimensional subject, and/or acquiring data correlated with three-dimensional geometric features or location of the subject, involves capture of a pattern or signature emitted or reflected by the subject under natural illumination, illumination by one or more projected grids, and/or patternless projected illumination, and in which the grids, patterns, or signatures are optically separated from a composite image of the subject using one or more receivers, each including one or more beam splitters, for direct viewing or further processing.

Abstract: At least one two-dimensional grid is projected onto a three-dimensional subject in order to determine or represent contours of the subject based on distortion of the grid. Each grid has a wavelength or range of wavelengths that is different than those of every other grid, and different than a wavelength or range of wavelengths of light used to illuminate the subject, permitting optical separation of the grids during capture of the image of the subject. Range finding and/or scaling may be accomplished by alignment of multiple grids, or by using a ladar (laser radar) or similar range finder to determine the distance to a predetermined point or feature on at least one of the grids.

Abstract: A method for synchronizing the recordings of two video cameras which are operated in parallel for the three-dimensional representation of an image sequence, in particular, of two digitally recording video recorders, a light signal being faded into the image area of the two cameras and simultaneously recorded by both cameras; and the playback of the recordings being synchronized using the recorded signals.

Abstract: There is provided an image combining apparatus comprising an image input unit for entering photographed images, an image memory for temporarily storing the entered images, a corresponding point extracting unit for extracting the corresponding point information between the images stored in the image memory, a photographing method discriminating unit for discriminating the photographing method at the photographing operation based on the extracted corresponding point information, a combination process unit for appropriately combining the images according to the discriminated photographing method, and a combined image memory for storing the combined image. The corresponding point extraction unit extracts the corresponding points between two images, and the photographing method discrimination unit discriminates whether the translational photographing method or the panning photographing method is used. The combination process unit executes combination of the images, based on the discriminated photographing method.

Abstract: The invention illustrates a system and method of blending a virtual scene and a real scene comprising: capturing a real image of a real event from a real camera; receiving an instrumentation data based on the real event; and rendering a virtual image wherein the virtual image is based on the instrumentation data and the real image.

Abstract: A 3D model of a scene is constructed by acquiring first images of a scene having unknown characteristics with a first camera. Corresponding second images of a another scene having known characteristics are acquired by a second camera. The first and second cameras have a fixed physical relationship to each other. Only the second images are analyzed to determine corresponding positions of the second camera while acquiring the first images. Then, the first images are assembled into the 3D model using the corresponding positions and the fixed physical relationship of the first and second camera.

Abstract: A monitoring system using two or more cameras to monitor a space in 3 dimensions is disclosed. One or more virtual 3-D monitored volumes relating to dangerous or restricted areas, are constructed, preferably as CSG objects, within this space. By detecting an object moving within the view of the cameras, the system can determine if a moving object intersects any monitored volumes and take appropriate action.

Abstract: An improved stereoscopic imaging system that includes a pair of image capturing components and a pair of eyepieces, wherein the distance between the image capturing components may be varied substantially independently of the distance between the eyepieces. In a preferred embodiment, the stereoscopic imaging system comprises a housing having two telescope chambers, each telescope chamber containing an objective lens and an image capturing component. The telescope chambers are preferably attached to an adjustment assembly that allows a user to adjust the distance between the chambers and thus the distance between the imaging capturing components contained therein to enhance and vary the 3-D effect of the images captured by the image capturing components. The stereoscopic imaging device also preferably includes internal circuitry that can communicate with a remote system by wire hook-up or by wireless communication.

Abstract: There is disclosed a multi-lens image pickup apparatus provided with plural image pickup systems and an image display means and adapted to synthesize the plural images picked up respectively with the plural image pickup systems, into one, to store the synthesized image in image memory means and to display the stored image on the image display means. The camera further comprises horizontal compression means for comprising the plural picked-up images in the horizontal directions, selection means for compressing the plural images in the vertical direction by selecting the input of the plural image signals and outputting thus selected image signal to the image display means, and memory control means for storing the compressed plural images in said image memory means in such a manner that the plural images compressed in the horizontal and vertical directions are displayed in an arranged manner.

Abstract: Convergence angle information and image information of video cameras is transmitted from a multi-eye image-taking apparatus having two video cameras through a recording medium to a displaying apparatus. A convergence angle of display units in the displaying apparatus is controlled in accordance with the convergence angle information of the video cameras, permitting an observer to observe natural images. Since the convergence angle information is made ahead of the image information, the convergence angle of the display units can be changed with a natural feeling.

Abstract: An apparatus for merging real and virtual images in which points in three dimensions of an actual scene are obtained and selected in a random fashion and in a number sufficient to track the movement of the three dimensional scene relative to an observer wearing the apparatus. Updating of selected points occurs responsive to movement of a video camera pair observing the actual scene. The position and orientation of the unit housing the video camera pair is utilized to properly merge a generated virtual image with the real image. Selection of points and orientation of the unit relative to a three dimensional real image are obtained in real time. Microprocessor-based apparatus is utilized to perform the method of the invention.

Abstract: Left and right video cameras 18L and 18R are disposed on both sides of a front video camera 18M. Solid-pictorial video signals used upon signal transmission are generated by using video signals outputted from the left and right video cameras with respect to a video signal outputted from the front video camera. The left and right video cameras make use of simplified video cameras and are cameras with no zoom functions or the like. The video signals obtained from the left and right video cameras are used as signals for forming a solid picture. In the present example, only solid information with respect to a main picture is transmitted as a video signal to reduce the amount of transmission. Since a motion-compensated DCT encode process using the front video signal as a reference picture is performed to extract only the video signal having the solid information from the left and right video signals. Since the simplified video cameras can be utilized, solid-pictorial video signals can be generated at low cost.

Abstract: A method of 3-dimensional structure estimation of the invention, making use of a plurality of stereo-pictures, repeats, for each pixel of a first picture, a step of extracting corresponding small regions (4) corresponding to the concerning pixel according to a depth estimation (68); a step of calculating a neighboring correspondence value for each of the corresponding small regions representing correspondence among neighboring corresponding small regions of picures taken by neighboring cameras; a step of obtaining a sum (61) of the neighboring correspondence values; and selecting a value of the depth estimation (68) which gives a singular value of the sum (61) representing correspondence among the corresponding small regions.

Abstract: An image recording medium (101) and a position-time recording medium (102) are provided in an image collecting device (10). In an image retrieving device (20), a matching section (24) allows image data read from the image recording medium (101) and position-time data read by a data reading section (21) to be matched with each other based upon time so as to generate an image database. An image pickup locus display processing section (32) retrieves for image data having its image-pickup position on a map within a map display section (28), and displays the image-pickup position as a locus. When a position on the map is specified by a map input section (29) by reference to the locus, image data in the vicinity of this position is reproduced by an image display processing section (33).

Abstract: A navigation apparatus comprises a navigation-related information generating section and a display section. The navigation-related information generating section measures the position and orientation of an object and a target in a three-dimensional space and generate navigation-related information to be used for navigating the object toward the target. The display section displays the navigation-related information generated by the navigation-related information generating section in any of different modes depending on the relationship of the position and orientation of the object and that of the target. A surgical operation image acquisition/display apparatus comprises an observation section, an image display section and a specifying section. The observation section includes a plurality of observation sections whose position and orientation is modifiable.

Abstract: A powerful, scaleable, and reconfigurable image processing system and method of processing data therein is described. This general purpose, reconfigurable engine with toroidal topology, distributed memory, and wide bandwidth I/O are capable of solving real applications at real-time speeds. The reconfigurable image processing system can be optimized to efficiently perform specialized computations, such as real-time video and audio processing. This reconfigurable image processing system provides high performance via high computational density, high memory bandwidth, and high I/O bandwidth. Generally, the reconfigurable image processing system and its control structure include a homogeneous array of 16 field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) and 16 static random access memories (SRAM) arranged in a partial torus configuration. The reconfigurable image processing system also includes a PCI bus interface chip, a clock control chip, and a datapath chip. It can be implemented in a single board.