GB2332531A - Creating an image of a camera's entire surroundings by taking and compiling several photographs - Google Patents

Abstract

The image capture device to record visual information for the construction of a global photographic format is a rotary camera 8, held on the horizontal plane in opposition to conventional settings. A specific camera holder is needed 18 and includes a turntable 20 the camera being on a shaft driven by motor 9. The camera lens has its optical axis at the centre of the turntable 11. When the camera 8 has rotated vertically over 360 degrees the cradle orientation 20 moves and the operation is repeated four times. For a five-rotation process, the orientation increment will be of 72 degrees (fig 2). The number of rotations depends on film format and focal lens. Each rotation will provide two film sectors (10 fig 3) and part of the image is deleted to obtain a precise shape for a coherent assembly (fig 4). Several photos are taken so as to capture the entire surroundings of the camera. The global compilation process is made with a computer programme and is viewed with a picture browser.

Description

2332531 PANORAMA CAMERA AND METHOD This invention relates to a panorama

camera and method. It relates particularly to a panorama camera for taking wide angle images where the camera objective lens rotates or swivels through a desired angle in such a manner that the nodal point of the objective lens is situated in the axis of rotation.

Such a camera is termed a scanning panorama camera since the lens acts to focus the image to be recorded into a narrow slit. The slit is then scanned along the length of a film that is held against the inner surface of a cylindrical film support which is coaxial with the lens rotational axis. This kind of camera has been commercially available for several decades, one.example being disclosed in Patent No. GB913104 (Meopta Prerov).

It will be clear with the Meopta camera, for example, that an angle of view of 120' can be photographed. This is achieved because the film remains stationary with respect to the surface of a rotatable cylinder which supports the objective lens. However, if the film transport mechanism is motor driven, this will enable a given length of film to be moved past the image slit in the rotatable cylinder at a rate close to that at which the cylinder surface rotates. The film can thus be given an adequate photographic exposure but the effective angle of view will be increased from 120' to perhaps 180. With a suitable support means for the camera body, the rotatable cylinder can be caused to rotate about its axis for 360' and the camera body carrying the film can be moved past the image slit so that a 360' panorama photORraph can be obtained. With a longer length of film, there is no problem in taking a panorama photoRraph having an angle of view that exceeds 36T.

With a panorama camera, it is particularly important that the camera body is supported in a horizontal plane so that the major axis of the wide angle photoRraphic image will remain parallel to the horizon of the scene being photoRraphed. If there is any deviation from the horizontal plane in which the camera body is supported then obviously the photographic image will appear unreal and vertical lines in the image will appear tilted to one side. In order to facilitate any checking of the required horizontal attitude of the camera body, the body is frequently provided with its own spirit level so that the camera user may ensure that the correct camera attitude is always present.

The invention will be further explained with reference to the well-known drawing (Figure 1) of the Terrestrial Globe 1 where the Equator 2 is located horizontally in the middle of the Globe. Circles of Longitude 3 then extend at right angles from the Equator and cross each other at the North Pole 4 and South Pole 6. The Circles of Longitude 3 are crossed by 1 Parallels of Lattitude.

If a camera is imagined located at the centre of the Globe, then a conventional photograph with a scanning panorama camera will subtend an angle of 120' horizontally with a vertical height up to 72' between two Parallels of Lattitude. A panoramic camera having a motorised film drive 0 will be able to take a photograph of 180' horizontally or even 360. One commercially available motorised camera that has been found to be suitable is the 'Roundshot' panorama camera manufactured by Seitz Phototechnik AC, Hauptstrasse 23, CA-8513 Lustdorf, Switzerland. This camera is also provided with a spirit level on the camera body to ensure that the body can be supported in a horizontal attitude for making the panoramic exposure, such that the scannino axis of the body will be held accurately vertical.

1 have now found a way of using a panorama camera which can enable photographs of greater width and height to be produced even to the extent of making an image of the internal wall surface of a hollow terrestrial globe.

According to the invention, there is provided a method of taking a panorama photograph which comprises supporting a scanning panorama camera with its scanning axis lying in a horizontal plane such that a scanned photoRraphic image having an elongated shape with a major axis extending in a generally vertical direction is obtained. The image major axis may be 0 arranged to subtend an angle of 180 about the camera scanning axis.

The image minor axis may be of such a width that it will enclose an angle which is a convenient fraction of 360 such as 30, 3C, 45' or 72'. The effect of this will be that a comparatively small number of adjacent images will be required to allow the whole 360' circumference of a panoramic scene to be photographed. The 360 circumference around the horizon of a panoramic scene may thus be made up of twelve images of 0 in width, ten images of 36' in width, eight images of 45' in width or five ima-es of 72 in width.

The camera may be supported on a turntable arranged to allow rotation of the camera in steps in a horizontal plane. The turntable may support a camera cradle for holding the camera such that the camera scanning axis will be maintained in a horizontal plane. Preferably, the turntable is arranged to rotate the camera through five steps of 3C. The turntable may include its own motor for effecting the rotation by remote control or automatically. The turntable may be provided with indexing means to ensure an accurate positioning for each of the rotational steps.

The rotational centre of the turntable will be arranged to to be coaxial with the optic axis of the camera when the camera lens is in its rest position.

The invention additionally comprises means for combining the vertically extended photographic images from the camera, the combining means includin,, the steps of: 1 processing the exposed film, 2 scanning the developed images into a computer memory, using a software programme to arrange the resulting electronic images on the internal surface of a virtual sphere within the memory, the software acting to combine the separate images without any potentially visible optical distortions, 4 providing visual access to the stored image in sections such as on a monitor screen or computer printer, as required by a user.

In one embodiment, the output from a computer printer may be in the form of printed paper sheets intended for attachment to the walls of a room having in plan view the shape of a decagon, for example. The computer software programme will be arranged to print the sheets so that visible optical distortions in the scene observed within the room, will be eliminated. The view to an observer standing in the centre of the roorti will then correspond to that photographed by the panorama camera of the original scene.

By way of example, some particular embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure I shows a terrestrial alobe with the usual lattitude and longitude markings, 3 Figure 2 shows fixed camera positions on a tripod head for taking a complete 360 panorama potograph in 5 x 72' steps, Figure 3 shows one of the two filmlsectores contain in one revolution of the camera. One sector Is 1800 by 36'5 and ten sectors compose the global view.

Figure 4 shows an array of image sectors derived from areas of film that have been assembled in the computer memory, Figure 5 depicts in side view a camera support cradle, Figure 6 is a representation of a viewing window for examining part of the computer stored global photograph Figure 7 shows part of the stored photo; assembled on a display screen having plane surfaces.

Figure 1 depicts the usual terrestrial globe 1 in order to explain that a camera located at the globe centre will be capable of photographing the globe interior surface if a photograph 180' in length can be obtained. Thus, a scanning panorama camera will be able to start its scan with the lens pointed at the North Pole 4 and complete the scan with the lens pointed at the South Pole 6. According to the lens focal length and film width, the sector be 3rou f or example in width, in which case five scans..of 360" 'will cover the whole interior surface of the glo.be. If the photograph is 36 in width, then ten scans will be necessary to cover the whole globe interior.

If the panorama camera is one which is capable of taking a photograph of 360' in length, then the first scan may be from the South Pole 6 to the North Pole 4 and then back to South Pole 6. This will have achieved two 36' sectonwith the camera in one fixed position on its support. The camera body may then be moved through 36' about its optic axis and a further 360' photograph taken. Therefore, only five movements of the camera through 36' each time can still result in the whole globe interior of 360' being photographed. Ten sectors photographic images will be obtained, each one depicting part of the globe interior between a Circle of Longitude 3 at 0' and one at 36' and at 36' steps from these values.

Figure 2 shows a tripod head 7 which indicates the positions for mounting a camera 8 which is intended to be rotated in five stages of 72' about the optic axis. Thus, from a starting position A, the camera which in this example is capable of taking a picture 360 wide and 3600 long, is actuated to make its scan. The camera with an associated motor is then moved to position B which is at a rotation of 72 from position A whilst keeping the camera optic axis in the same place. A second scan is then made. The camera is next moved to position C which is further spaced by 72' from the earlier position and another scan is made. The camera is then moved to position D, an additional increment of 72', and a further scan is made. The camera is further moved to position E, another increnent of 72' and another scan made. Finally, the camera is returned to the starting position A. The five scans have thus resulted in the production of ten 36c'wide! photographs which give the complete interior view of a sphere, a total of 360.

In the Figure, the canera 8 is supported on a-shaft driven by a motor 9 and this combination could conveniently be the 'Roundshot' ca-nera already mentioned. The camera has an optic axis 11 passing through the camera lens and the 0 4.7 attitude of this axis is kept unchanged when the camera is 0 moved throughout the positions A,B,C,D and E. When the motor is actuated, the camera is driven to rotate so that a.panorama photograph in a vertical plane 12 will be taken. The conventional way of using a panoraima camera, of course, is to take the photograph in a horizontal plane.

0 The five rotations creating 10 sectors will together make up. the full 360' panorama and they imay be combined by computer processing as will be described later.

An alternative way of using a panorama camera such as the Roundshot' that is capable of taking a full 3600 DhOtOgraph, is to move the camera through five increinents of 36 about its optic axis. 'It will achieve the sane result as moving the camera throughfive increnents of 72.

-g- Figure 3 shows a film frame 10 carrying a single 36' exposure 13 where the major axis 14 of the exposure represents 180', that is the length of the camera scan from the South Pole to the North Pole. The minor axis 16 of the exposure represents 36' being the spacing between two Circles of Longitude 3. The ogival shape between the major and minor axes thus defines the area of the image which will be usable when the image is processed by the computer. There is also some portion of image on the film base which is outside this area and this overlapping image material is arranged to be deleted during the processing stage. For example, when two exposures of 180' in height and 36' in width are printed and the prints laid alongside one another, it will be apparent that a composite picture subtending a width of 72' in the Equator 2 region has been obtained but the vertically extended parts of the exposures will taper off and they will show distortions of the object photoRraphed. The vertical parts will only be able to give a true representation of the scene photoRraphed if they are viewed when pppported,in contact with a concave interior surface of a sphere.

Figure 4 depicts the assembly of ten 36' by 180 sector/ images when these images have been scanned into the computer memory and reassembled side-byside to give the complete internal view of a sphere. Each image is made with two reference points 17 that are printed photographically at each end of the major axis 14 during the recording process. These points 17 assist the alignment operation. It will be seen that the ten images have a total length of 360' and a height of 180' so that the view of the entire internal surface of the sphere is captured by the resulting composite image.

Figure 5 shows a camera support cradle 18 which was constructed to enable the camera 8 and motor 9 combination to lie in a horizontal attitude for scanning in a vertical plane. The cradle 18 has a support platform 19 upon which the camera motor 9 may be placed and the camera is then fixed in this position by use of a securing screw 21. The cradle 18 also includes a turntable 20 and mounting means by which it may be fastened to a head of a tripod 22 for giving a stable support to the camera when it is in use. The cradle 18 is made rotatable about the tripod mounting means and the centre of this rotation is arranged to be coincident with the optic axis passing through the camera lens.

The step of assembling the individual photographic images into a coherent whole is effected by a digital editing process in a computer. The film base carrying the images is processed and the resulting ten sectors are converted into digital form by electronic scanning. A computer programme is used to align 0 the ten segments on a conputer screen in the correct photographic order as shown in the assembly view of Figure 4. The computer then effects a spherical wrapping of the full image with the segments radiating from pole to pole. This operation is facilitated by use of the reference points 17 that were photographically printed during the recording process close to the ma or axes 14 of the segments.

The photographic segments are then mapped onto the shape of a spherical mesh environment, this allows an immersive dimensioning from the central axis of the sphere. The computer software acts to assemble and 'stitch' the segments together.

To provide visual access to the stored image, the programme includes a viewing means offering a portion of the full image on a monitor screen. To simulate the viewing angles for a human field of vision, the standard mode shows a window of view of about 120' by 75'. This is depicted in Figure 6 where it will be observed that the window 23 is movable in every direction over the whole surface of the sphere 24. To avoid any optical distortion, the image is seen as viewed from the centre of the sphere. The interaction is controlled by means of a keyboard, mouse or joystick etc., allowing the user to browse over the entire surface of the globe without any restriction and pernitLing the facility of zooming in and out, as may be necessary.

The computer additionally gives the possibility of printing out on a plane sheet of paper, an image that if was mounted on an internal wall of a room in the shape of a decagon:, for example, would give the impression to an observer at the room centre that they were standing within a sphere. The plane paper image can thus take into account optical distortions so that these will be eliminated in the scene as it is observed by the eye. This effect has been demonstrated in an exhibition display as shown in Figure 7. A Wall 26 composed of four plane surfaces 27, 28, 29, 30 is provided with computer generated images printed on paper so that a viewing area measuring two metres by three metres is constructed. When the photographic scene reproduced on the plane surfaces of the wall is viewed from the centre of the decagon.. of which the wall forms a surface part, the eye of the observer will not be able to detect any optical distortion. The scene therefore will appear as though one is standing at the centre of a sphere.

When taking a photograph of ten x 36' segments, a camera lens having a focal length of 75mm has been used and this gives an image having a minor axis of 48mm and a major axis of 240mm. (Mathenatics representing this option are following) For this example, a camera using 70mm film is suitable but a similar result could also be obtained with different cameras using a 35mm, 60mm or four inch width of film. In normal outdoor lighting conditions, one revolution of the camera takes one second and a full view with ten exposures can be achieved in approximately ten seconds. The camera can be fully remote controlled.

The panorama camera and display method of the invention has been found to be particularly suitable for subjects such as historical buildings, architectural structures, 0 archaeological sites, and engineering construction when realism is needed in both the representation and its point of view. Indoor situations such as the interiors of castles or cathedrals are also very suitable for being recorded in this way.

When the camera Is remote controlled it will also be very suitable to capture full views In hostile environments.

Naturally, as the technique of capturing visual Information improves In speed, It will lead to real time inages but the principle of compiling a global view remains the same.

There are nany circumstances when credible visual evidences are needed, for testimony in the judicial court, for example, and the non distorted photography covering 100% of the visual environment will reflect a close human Impression of realism.

The foregoing description of embodiments of the invention has been given by way of example only, and a number of modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For instance, whilst still photography is able to give a very hi3h definition image, the replacement of the still camera by an electronic camera for analogue of diRital operation is a possible alternative. Should video imaging be used to scan the scene, one frame of video information will be stored for each predetermined increment of rotation. The middle raster line or the middle region of raster line will comprise one slice of the segment and the sum total will produce a twodimensional still image including the image formation needed for the compilation of the olobal view. The same ratio lens/recording plate must be applied. Other means of recording information, digital or analogue, which can scan and store information by a device in motion around an axis, and capable of capturing a narrow field of energy or energy indicator light through a fine central slit of a lens will achieve the same result. It can be realised within a mathematical world of an undefined space and transformed to a global pictural form.

is Yhen the cameras are digital and can achieve a view in a fraction of time of their analogue conterparts, it will be a practical way to visually communicate between two locations by the means of transmitters and telephony. The Internet provides an excellent platform to exchange remote global views In near real time.

A digital camera could also have more than one lens, for example a dual polarity lenses camera will reduce the time of the Image captured by half and this tine will be reduced even more with the addition of lenses and Image sensors.

Vith the coming of nanotechnologies, the camera will access restricted areas and can be used for example in surgical operations.

The following nathematics define the only possible shape of the Image sectors In a ten sectors solution. This sector shape, encapsulating the visuals, is needed for the assembly and recreates a correct global structure, with no photographic distortion. This example uses a 70 mm film and one revolution of the camera creates two Image sectors with a total length of 480 mm. The focal of the camera lens will be 76.3 mm.

16 1 have explained before that a 10 sided solution is a practical way to achieve the photo reproduction of a full environment. Although there Is no distortion, the depth of view in this solution is comparable to,a semiwide angle lens of conventional photography. For the example of an application in photogra try, where the depth of view needs to be real, 1 can use a 50 mn lens with a 35 ta film. Six revolutions of the camera will provide 12 sectors of 30 0 wide by 1806. It will also recreate a global environment, 3600 in all dimensions.

In the case of a digital image capture, where limited film stock In the camera Is not any more a restriction, the global solution can be made of an unlimited number of Image sectors. But for any possibility, the formula included In the mathematics must be applied to define the sector shape for spherical assembly, with the Introduclon of new parameters.

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1,43 109.2434 24.57492 1 1.441 110.0074 24.60852 1.451 110.7713 24.63966 1.461 111.5352 24.66834 1.471 11229921 24.69455 1.481 113.06311 24.71829 1.49) 113.827l! 24.73956 1.51 114.591 24.75835 1.51 115.3549 24.77467 1.52 1 116.1189 24.78852 1.531 116.8828 24.795)88 1.541 117.6468 i: 24.80876 1.551 118.41071 24.81516 1.56i 119.17461 24.81908 1.571 119.93861 24.62052 1.58 120.70251 24.81948 1.51) 121.4665 24.815iF5- 1.6 122.2304 24.80995 1.611 122.9943 24.80146 1.62! 123.7583, 24:79049 1.63 i 124.5222i 24.7704 1.64 125.2862 24.76112 1.65 126.0501 24.74272 1.661 126.814 24.72184 1.67 127.5781 24.8985 1.68 128.3419 24.67268 1.691 129.1059! 24.64439 1.71 129.86981 24.61365 1.71, 130.63371 24.58044 1.72 j 131.3977.' 24.54477 1.731 132.1616: 24.50665 1.74 132.92561, 24.4660 1.7S! 133.6895 24.42305 1.76 i 134.4534! 24.37759 1.77'i 135.2174: 24.32959 1.78. 135.9813. 24.27936 1.79 136.7453 24.2266 1.8 137.50921 24.17141 1.81 138.27311 24.1138t 1.82 139.03711, 24.0538 1.83 139.8011 3.99139 1.841 140.5651 23.92657 1.85 141.3289! 23.8593 1.86 142.09281 23.78977 1.87 142.8568 23.71779 1.88 143.6207 23.64345 1.89) 144.3M7 23.56674 1.91 145.1486 i 23.48767 1.911 145.91291 23.40625 1.92 146.6765 23.3225 1.93 147.4404 i 23.23641 1.94 148.2044 23.148 1.95 148.96831 23.0572j7 1.96 14 73221 22.9644 4 1.97 150.49621 22.86891 l-" 1.2601 22.7713 1.!t 152.02411; 22.6714 2 152.788) 22.56924 2.01 153.55191 22.46483 2.02 154.3159( 22.35816 2.031 155.07981 22.24927 2.041 155.84381 22.02481 22.13814 2.051 156.W771 2-M 157.37161 21.90926 2.07 i -1 58.135W 21.79153 2.08 i 158.8995; 21.67162 2.091 159.6635i 21.54955 2.11 160.4274 21.42531 2.1 l:i 161.1913'! 21.29894 2.12 i 181.95531 21.17043 2.13: 152.7192 21.03981 2.14 '. 163.4832 20.90709 2.15 164.2471 20.7 777 i 2.161 165.011 j 20.63538 2.171 165.775 j 20.49642 2.18 166.5389 20.35541 2.19 167.3029 20.21237 2.2 168.0668 20.06731 2.21 168.8307 19.92024 2.22 169.5947 19.77118 2.23 170.3586 19.62014 2.24 171.1226 19.46714 2.25 171.8865 19.31Z19 2.26 172.6504 19.15531 2.27 173.4144 18.99652 2.281 174.17831 18.83582 2.29 174.94231 18.67324 2.3 175.70621 18.5088 2.31 176.4701 18.3425 2.32 177.2341 18.17437 2.33 177.998 18.00442 2.34 178.762: 17.83268 2,35 179.5259 17.65915 2.36 180.28981 17.48385 2.371 181.05381 17.3068 2.38 181.81771 17.12803 2.39 182.58171 16.94754 2A! 183.3456 16.76535 2.411 184.10951 16.58149 2.421 184.8735 16.39598 2.43 Ii 185.6374 16.20882 2.441 186.4014 16.02004 2.45 187.1653!; 15.82966 2.46: 187.9292! 15.63769 2.47' 188.6932' 15.44417 2.48. 189.4571 15.24909 2.49 190.22111 15.0525 2.5' 190.9BS! 14.8544 2.51 191.7489 14.65481 2.52 192.5129 14.45376 193.27681 2.53 14.25126 2.54 194.0408 14.04733 2.55 94.8047 13.84201 2.561 195.56861 13.63529 2.571 196.3326 j 13.42722 2.58 197.09651 13.2178 2.59 197.860 3.00706 2.611) 2.6 198.6 12.79502 199.3883 12.5817 2.621 200.1523 12.36712 2.63 200.9162 12.1513 2.64 201.6802 11.93427 2.65 202.44411 11.71605 2.661 203.208 11.49665 2.67 203.972 11.27611 2.88 2D4.7359 11.05443 269 205 ^ 4999 10.83166 2.7 206.2638 10.6078 2.71; -0-T7C2-711 10.3U87 2.721 207.79171 10.15691 2.73 208.5556.929936 2.741 209.31961 9.701967 2.75 i 210.08351 9.473028 2.76 210.84741 9.243142 2.771 2.787 212.37531 8.780619 2.791 213.1393; 8.548028 2.8: 213.9032; 8.314583 2.81 i 214.667l! 8.080307 2.82! 215.4311 7.845223 2.83 216.1W 7.609354 2.84: 216.959: 7.372724 2.851. 217.7229; 7.135357 2.86 218.4868: 6,897276 2.87' 219.2508 6.658506 2.881 220.0147 6.419069 2.89i 220.77871 6.178991 f91 221.54261 5.938295 2. 911 222.3065 5.697005 2.92 1 223.0705 b.455146 2.931 223.8344 5.212741 2.94 224.5984 4.969814 2.95. 23 4.726391 2.961 226.12G2.482495 2.971 21 4.238151 226.89G2 1 2i; T. 6 5 4 1; 3.993383 2991 228.4181.i 3.748216 31 7.29.182 1 3.5U25 f;5 3.01 591 3.256781 3.02 230.7099 j 3.010563 3.03 231.47r38 2.76.4044 3.04 232.23781 2.517248 3.05 233 0017 2.270201 3.061 233.7656; 2.022927 3.07; 234.2--961 1.77545 1,5 7 6 3.08 5.2935i 1.52 1 235. 3 27796 3 ogi, 236.0575 1.279989 3.1)3 OS 1 236.8214! 1.UC;52uto4 -237.5853 0.784016 i 3.111 3.12 i 238.3493! 0.535899 3.13; 239-1132; 0.287729 3.14 239.8772: 0.03953 3.141593 239.9981 3.04E:-_15 j o

Claims (6)

1. The horizontal position of a rotary camera and the vertical scanning of successive sectors of an environment will capture visual inform in all dimensions from a given point, so 100% of the surround is photographed minus the space of the camera holder.

2. When the image sectors have been assembled and formatted for the computer the user can open within a global photographic image a window of vision which represents "jectively the field of awareness vision of a human.

3. The window of vision might be of a mum of 90 degrees on the horizontal plane and the users can zoomin to read details of the photographic environment.

4. From any selection of field of view the user can browse the seamless photographic environment in all dimensions without restrictions.

0 0

5. The global image as claimed in arry preceding claims reproduces visual information without linear distortions at any selected field of vision.

6. When the camera has a standard focal lens with the corresponding capture process the image will hold true perspectives throughout the global image as well as being free of distortions.