Patent ID: 8294748

Claim:
A method of generating a panorama image using a portable imaging device, said method comprising: fixing an exposure level for acquiring the panorama image using the portable imaging device; panning the imaging device across a panoramic scene, acquiring a set of at least two image frames of overlapping portions of said panorama image and processing said set, said acquiring comprising using an optic and imaging sensor of the portable imaging device, said processing including: sorting and retaining a set of image frames including one or more overlapping pairs of image frames, determining a relative displacement between each of said set of overlapping image frames, including determining the overlapped region for each image pair, registering or aligning, or both, said set of images based on the relative displacements; determining an alpha blending map or an optimal stitch line or both for each pair of overlapping image frames; joining said one or more pairs of image frames to form a panorama image; and storing, transmitting or displaying said panorama image, or combinations thereof, wherein the determining of relative displacement comprises determining relative horizontal displacement between a pair of images of a set of overlapping image frames, and further includes summing pixel values in image columns across each of first and second images to determine a horizontal image profile for each image, and then determining a column difference profile across each of said images, and then determining a relative error function between said pair of images that is determined from said image column difference profiles, and wherein a minimum of said relative error function indicates a relative number of pixel columns of horizontal displacement are between said pair of images.