Patent Publication Number: US-2011069147-A1

Title: Panoramic camera, and system and method for monitoring target places using the panoramic camera

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to cameras and methods for monitoring target places, and more particularly to a panoramic camera, and a system and a method for monitoring target places using the panoramic camera. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Most cameras only provide a small viewing angle. Thus, a typical conventional camera only captures an image in the direction that the camera is aimed. Limited view cameras force viewers to look only at what the camera operator chooses to focus on. Some cameras use a specialized wide angle lens to capture a wider panoramic image, but such panoramic cameras still have a limited field of view. 
     At the present time, there are some known methods of creating 360 degree panoramic images. For example, a camera system would capture the scenes from all directions such that a full 360 degree panoramic image can be created. However, most current methods are subject to limitations due to mechanical complexity of the camera system. In one example with respect to  FIG. 1 , a full 360 degree panoramic image allows multiple cameras (e.g., four cameras  1  positioned at the intersection of a road  2 ) to simultaneously aim the same place. Then the camera system combines a series of individual photographs taken from different directions into a single panoramic image. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a panoramic camera, a system, and a method for monitoring target places using the panoramic camera, so as to overcome the above-mentioned problems. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a traditional camera system. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of interior structure of a panoramic camera. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of exterior structure of the panoramic camera of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of arrangement of image capturing units inside the panoramic camera of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a system for monitoring a target place using the panoramic camera of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 6  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for monitoring a target place using the panoramic camera of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram illustrating one example of the panoramic camera deployed in a road. 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of the panoramic camera deployed at an intersection of two roads. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The invention is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of interior structure of a panoramic camera  10 . In one embodiment, the panoramic camera  10  may include a plurality of image capturing units  101 , an image combining module  102 , a video encoder  103 , and a data transmission module  104 . It should be apparent that  FIG. 2  is only one example of an architecture for the panoramic camera  10  that can be included with more or fewer components than shown, or a different configuration of the various components. In general, the word “module,” as used herein, refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware, or to a collection of software instructions, written in a programming language, such as, for example, Java, C, or assembly. One or more software instructions in the modules may be embedded in firmware, such as an EPROM. The modules described herein may be implemented as either software and/or hardware modules and may be stored in any type of computer-readable medium or other storage device. 
     In one embodiment, two or more image capturing units  101  may be embedded in the panoramic camera  10 . For example, four image capturing units  101  are shown in  FIG. 1 , and each of which may be a digital camera, or a video camera. Each of the image capturing units  101  is operable to capture a digital image of a target place from different viewing angles, and send the digital image to the image combining module  102 . The target place may be a road, a room, a supermarket, a bank, or any other place to be monitored. The image combining module  102  is operable to combine all of the digital images to create a panoramic image. The video encoder  103  is operable to encode and compress the panoramic image to generate an encoded panoramic image. The data transmission module  104  is operable to transmit the encoded panoramic image to a network storage device through a network, such as 100 Mbyte/1000 Mbyte Ethernet, or any other suitable local area network (LAN). 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of exterior structure of the panoramic camera  10 . In one embodiment, the panoramic camera  10  may be presented in a hemispherical shape, a semi-ellipsoidal shape, or any other suitable shapes. Referring to  FIG. 3 , the panoramic camera  10  includes a hemispherical shell  110  with a plurality of holes  112  defined on the hemispherical shell  110 . The hemispherical shell  110  may be made of bright or semi-bright, and durable materials, such as plexiglass, or plastic materials. Each of the holes  112  corresponds to one of the image capturing units  101 , so that each of the image capturing units  101  can capture a digital image of the target place via the hole  112 . 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of arrangement of the image capturing units  101  inside the panoramic camera  10 . In one embodiment, each of the image capturing units  101  is arranged inside the hemispherical shell  110  in accordance with the equation: 
     
       
         
           
             
               
                 
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     here A i  represents a viewing angle of each of the image capturing units  101 , such as A 1 , A 2 , A 3  and A 4  as shown in  FIG. 4 , and N represents a number of the image capturing units  101 , e.g., four image capturing units  101  inside the panoramic camera  10  as shown in  FIG. 4 . According to the arrangement, each of the image capturing units  101  can capture a digital image of the target place from a viewing angle via a corresponding hole  112 . 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a monitoring system  100  for monitoring a target place using the panoramic camera  10 . In one embodiment, the monitoring system  100  includes the panoramic camera  10 , a network access server (NAS)  20 , a hub  30 , a personal computer (PC) workstation  40 , a video decoder  50 , and monitor screen  60 . The panoramic camera  10  connects to the NAS  20  through a network. The PC workstation  40  connects to the NAS  20  through the hub  30 . The monitor screen  60  connects to the PC workstation  40  through the video decoder  50 . The panoramic camera  10  may be located at a road, a room, a supermarket, a bank, or any place to be monitored. 
     The panoramic camera  10  is operable to capture a plurality of digital images of the target place from different viewing angles using each of the image capturing units  101 , and combine all of the digital images to create a panoramic image by the image combining module  102 . The panoramic camera  10  is further operable to encode and compress the panoramic image to generate an encoded panoramic image by the video encoder  103 , and transmit the encoded panoramic image to the NAS  20  for storing the encoded panoramic image through the network. 
     The NAS  20  is operable to receive the encoded panoramic image from the panoramic camera  10 , and store the encoded panoramic image. The PC workstation  40  is operable to obtain the encoded panoramic image from the NAS  20  through the hub  30  and send the encoded panoramic image to the video decoder  50  when the target place needs to be monitored. The video decoder  50  is operable to decode the encoded panoramic image to retrieve the panoramic image of the target place. The monitor screen  60  is operable to display the panoramic image to a user for viewing and monitoring the target place. 
       FIG. 6  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for monitoring an target place using the panoramic camera  10 . 
     In block S 61 , each of the image capturing units  101  captures a digital image of the target place from different viewing angles, and sends the digital image to the image combining module  102 . In one embodiment, four image capturing units  101  are embedded in the panoramic camera  10 , and each of which may be a digital camera, or a video camera, for example. The image capturing units  101  are arranged inside the panoramic camera  10  in accordance with the equation: 
     
       
         
           
             
               
                 
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     here A i  represents a viewing angle of each of the image capturing units  101 , such as A 1 , A 2 , A 3  and A 4  as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     In block S 62 , the image combining module  102  combines all of the digital images to generate a panoramic image. In block S 63 , the video encoder  103  encodes and compresses the panoramic image to generate an encoded panoramic image. In one embodiment, the video encoder  103  encodes the panoramic image by using a traditional encoding technique, such as an MPEG-4 encoder, or an H.264 encoder, for example. 
     In block S 64 , the data transmission module  104  transmits the encoded panoramic image to the NAS  20  through a network, such as 100 Mbyte/1000 Mbyte Ethernet, or any other suitable local area network (LAN). The NAS  20  stores the encoded panoramic image when the NAS  20  receives the encoded panoramic image from the panoramic camera  10  to retrieve a panoramic image of the target place when a user needs to view or monitor the target place. 
     In block S 65 , the PC workstation  40  obtains the encoded panoramic image from the NAS  20  through the hub  30  when the user needs to view or monitor the target place, and sends the encoded panoramic image to the video decoder  50 . In block S 66 , the video decoder  50  decodes the encoded panoramic image to retrieve the panoramic image of the target place. In block S 67 , the monitor screen  60  displays the panoramic image to the user for viewing and monitoring the target place. 
       FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram illustrating one example of two panoramic cameras  10  deployed at the center of a road  2 . Depending on the example, the two panoramic cameras  10  are located at the center of the road  2 , and create different panoramic image of the road  2 . Thereby, the user can monitor the traffic status of the road  2  by viewing the different panoramic images on the monitor screen  60 . 
       FIG. 8  is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of the panoramic camera  10  deployed at an intersection of two roads  2 . Depending on the example, the panoramic camera  10  is located at the intersection of the two roads  2 , and creates different panoramic images of the two roads  2 . Thereby, the user can monitor the traffic status of the intersection of the two roads  2  by viewing the different panoramic images on the monitor screen  60 . 
     Although certain inventive embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically described, the present disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.