Patent ID: 6778207
Filing Date: 2004-08-17
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A method for generating an image from an arbitrary direction and with an arbitrary zoom from a scene by combining the images of first and second cameras, said method comprising the steps of:computing a transform that maps corresponding pairs of image subregions lying in overlapping portions of first and second images derivable from said first and second cameras, respectively, to a substantially identical subregion of a composite image; acquiring a first image from said first camera and a second image from said second camera; transforming and merging at least one of said first and second images to form composite image combining data from said first and second images; spatially blending at least one of intensity and color properties of said images to reduce abrupt transitions due to differences in said properties in said first and second images; and forming an image from a selected portion of said composite image, wherein said image forming step comprises:linearly transforming the selected portion of said composite image to a new plane coinciding with neither a plane of said first image and a plane of said second image.