Patent ID: 8244017

Claim:
A computer implemented method of constructing a three dimensional tomographic image from a two dimensional panoramic image of an object, comprising: assigning a set of first geometrical attributes in a first coordinate system to one or more focal troughs, said focal troughs defining curved multidimensional zones relating to predefined focal planes associated with one or more panoramic imaging machines, wherein said set of said first geometrical attributes represents a vertical dimension, a rotational dimension, and a transverse dimension in said first coordinate system; assigning a set of second geometrical attributes in a second coordinate system to said two dimensional panoramic image of said object, wherein said set of said second geometrical attributes represents a vertical dimension and a horizontal dimension in said second coordinate system; reconstructing said two dimensional panoramic image in multiple dimensions, wherein said multiple dimensions of said reconstructed panoramic image comprise said vertical dimension of said set of said first geometrical attributes, said rotational dimension of said set of said first geometrical attributes, and a transverse dimension, wherein said reconstruction comprises: correlating one or more of said second geometrical attributes with one or more of said first geometrical attributes, wherein said vertical dimension of said set of said second geometrical attributes corresponds to said vertical dimension of said set of said first geometrical attributes, and wherein said horizontal dimension of said set of said second geometrical attributes corresponds to said rotational dimension of said set of said first geometrical attributes; determining, for each of one or more discrete points on said two dimensional panoramic image, a plurality of defocused elements of said object along said horizontal dimension of said two dimensional panoramic image; and determining said transverse dimension for said reconstructed panoramic image by mapping said defocused elements along said horizontal dimension of said two dimensional panoramic image to a translation along said transverse dimension in said first coordinate system on either side of center of said focal troughs; and transforming said multiple dimensions of said reconstructed panoramic image into an orthogonal coordinate system to generate said three dimensional tomographic image of said object.