Patent ID: 7436438
Filing Date: 2008-10-14
Classification: G06T,H04N

Abstract:
1. A digital still camera for taking still images and having a panoramic mode for creating a panoramic image, the camera comprising: (a) a photographic imaging system for capturing a plurality of still photographic images used to form the panoramic image; (b) a transfer module for receiving the plurality of still photographic images to be automatically stitched together to automatically form the panoramic image; (c) a processor for processing the plurality of still photographic images to automatically form the panoramic image, the formation of the panoramic image depending on the processor determining camera orientation and pan direction; and (d) a memory for storing at least one of: the panoramic image and the plurality of still photographic images, wherein the camera orientation and pan direction are determined by the processor for selecting a plurality of suitable features in two adjacent images of the plurality of still photographic images, the adjacent images having an overlap region, the processor determining the extent of movement of the plurality of suitable features from a first of the adjacent images to a second of the adjacent images, and summing the movements in two different directions.