Patent ID: 7676112

Claim:
An imaging system for use in transforming images of a spherical body during image collection, comprising: an image collector collecting an image of the body from a distance above the body, wherein the collected image is substantially disk shaped and includes distortion in portions that are radially spaced apart from a center of the disk-shaped image, wherein at least some of the radially-spaced, distorted portions extend along a line of longitude and at least some of the radially-spaced, distorted portions extend along a line of latitude that is generally perpendicular to the line of longitude; and wherein the distortion is due to curvature of the spherical body or due to oblique viewing angles; an optical adapter receiving the collected image and transmitting a corrected image comprising the collected image with a correction to enhance resolution in the distorted portions; and an image sensor with a receiving surface for sensing the corrected image.