Imove, Inc.

Seiko Communications Holding N.v.

Other

At&e Corporation

Aquametrics, Inc.

Immersive Licensing, Inc.

Seiko Instruments Inc

Seiko Communication Systems

Seiko Corp. and Seiko Epson Corp.

Michael C Park

G David Ripley

Scott Gilbert

David J Kaiman

Bruce C Nepple

Patrick W White

Steven C Sandven

Thomas D Klarquist

Dennis J O'Brien

Garold B Gaskill

Jeffrey K Aldred

Gwendolyn Meredith Hunt

Alexis Stuart Foreman

Dimitri Dimitriadis

Daniel C Olin

Joseph Tanous

Scott Wilson

Kenneth J Park

Trevor Mendelow

Lawrence B Park

Kai-Dick Lee

William G Hood

Henry A Macchio

Paul G Hanson

Robin R Rosas

Dennis J O'brien

A panoramic imaging system includes a plurality of separated video cameras that may be distributed around an object. A series of images captured by at least one of the separated video cameras is stored in a predetermined file format. The panoramic system further includes a viewer module that may render the series of images using the first file format. Moreover, the panoramic system includes a calibration module capable of modifying information associated with at least one of the series of images, where the modification results in calibration data stored in a configuration file and/or in the predetermined file format. The viewer module may also be capable of rendering the series of images in accordance with the predetermined file format.

Distributed video sensor panoramic imaging system

In a submersible camera housed within a spherical, transparent enclosure with instrumentation for driving the camera to different positions in photographing underwater activity, a cleaning arm is mounted on the external surface of the enclosure and is magnetically driven either by single or multiple drive magnets driven around an interior circular wall of the enclosure; and in the case of multiple drive magnets the cleaning arm has slave magnets in alignment with one or more drive magnets of opposite polarity to cause the cleaning arm to traverse the external surface of the enclosure at periodic intervals one or more cycles each time that the drive magnets are activated.

Method and apparatus for cleaning transparent enclosure for submersible camera

An interactive computer program for seaming a number of images into a panorama. Various parameters which affect how the images are seamed can be changed interactively. Parameters such as position, orientation, focal length, which image will be visible where images overlap, and the opacity curve can be changed. The result of any change is immediately visible. A user can move the control points, thereby 'morphing' or distorting the contribution to the panorama of an image. Each pixel is assigned an 'alpha' value which indicates the opacity value of that pixel in an area where images overlap. Alpha values can be changed according to a pre-established curve. The original images are not changed. Instead, only the transform between the original images and the final panorama is changed.

Interactive image seamer for panoramic images

A system and method for determining the adjustments that must be made to the individual images recorded by a multi-lens camera so that the images will fit together into a panorama. The camera is placed in the center of a structure, the edges of which have at least one row on indicia. Each camera records an image which includes the indicia along each edge that will be seamed with an edge of another image in order to form a panorama. Each edge of the structure which is along a seam that will be seamed with an edge of another image is recorded by two lenses on the camera. The amount of adjustment required to make the indicia in the two images fit together is then determined. The values of these adjustments are recorded along with an identification of the camera which recorded the images. Subsequent sets of images recorded by this same camera can then be seamed using the same adjustments.

System and method for camera calibration

An improved surveillance system which includes a multi-lens camera system and a viewer. The camera system includes a plurality of single lens cameras each of which have a relatively wide angle lens. These single lens cameras simultaneously capture images that can be seamed into a panorama. The camera system also includes a high resolution camera (i.e. a camera with a telephoto lens) that can be pointed in a selected direction that is within the field of view of the other cameras. The system displays a view window into the panorama that is created from images captured by the wide angle lenses. The image from the high resolution camera is either superimposed on top of the panoramic image or it is displayed on a separate monitor. If it is displayed in the panorama, the higher solution image is positioned at the point in the panorama which is displaying the same area in space at a lower resolution. Thus an operator sees a relatively low resolution panorama; however, a selected portion of the panorama is displayed at a high resolution. An operator can point the high resolution camera toward any desired location, thereby providing an output which shows more detail in a selected area of the panorama.

Camera system with both a wide angle view and a high resolution view

A camera which has a plurality of subsystems which simultaneously capture a plurality of single view images which together form a panorama. An identification of the particular camera that produced a set of images is recorded in a file along with the images produced by the camera. The characteristics of each particular camera are also recorded either in the camera or in a separate file. The program used to seam a set of single view image then has available information concerning the camera that produced the images and the parameters of that particular camera. Using the available information the seaming program can compensate for the characteristics of the particular image capture device that produced a particular set of images.

Camera system which records camera identification in image file

A surveillance system that includes a number of camera subsystems. Each camera subsystem includes a number of single lens cameras pointing in different directions which simultaneously capture images. Each camera subsystem covers a particular theater of interest. Each single lens camera captures an image of a particular region in a particular theater. When an object of interest is identified, the system can follow the object as it moves between regions and theaters in a facility. When an object is being followed, the system can provide a view of the object as it transitions between regions covered different single lens cameras in a particular camera subsystem and as it transitions between theaters covered by different camera subsystems.

Security camera system for tracking moving objects in both forward and reverse directions

A travel information system broadcasts a stream of traffic event information relative to a given road network and a information collecting devices carried in vehicles travelling within the road network each filter among the stream of traffic event information to display only those traffic events relative to a selected travel route of the host vehicle. Each stored travel route is defined by placing the information device in a learn mode to collect a sequence of current vehicle position values during travel along the route. The information device need not include a costly and difficult to maintain large scale database representing the road network. The device thereby constructs and maintains a collection of frequent travel routes specific to the vehicle carrying the device and need not be updated to reflect changes in the road network, but rather allows the user to simply redefine the stored travel routes in light of current road usage and route selection.

Adaptive geographic mapping in vehicle information systems

Panoramic movie which utilizes a series of captured panoramic images to display movement as observed by a viewer looking in a selected direction

Movement through multi-dimensional space is simulated using a series of panoramic images which are projected or displayed in sequence. The user's direction of view, that is the selected view window, is maintained as the series of images is projected or displayed. Motion in directions other than forward or reverse is simulated by utilizing &ldquo;branch&rdquo; points in the sequence. Each path from a branch point simulates motion in a different direction. Branch points are generally indicated to a viewer by visual indicators called &ldquo;hot spots&rdquo;; however, branch points may also be hidden and activated in response to the viewer's selected direction of view. If a branch point is indicated by a visual indicator, a user can select motion in a desired direction by clicking on a &ldquo;hot spot&rdquo;. In order to conserve storage space, the image representing each panorama can be stored in a compressed format. Only the portion of the panorama necessary to create a &ldquo;view window&rdquo; that is, the portion of the image displayed in response to the user's direction of view, is decompressed at view time. An index methodology is used to store the panoramic images. Use of the indexing methodology allows the images to be retrieved in both the forward and backward direction to simulate movement in either direction. Sound is provided in a special format, so that special effects can be provided based on the user's point of view and dependent upon the direction of motion selected by the user.

Panoramic movies which simulate movement through multidimensional space

The present invention provides a very flexible, digital system for capturing and storing panoramic images using progressive scan (that is, non interlaced) technology. The system includes a digital image input device and an associated control computer. Since the image capture device is digital it can be easily and flexibly controlled by software in the control computer. The image input device has six lenses positioned on the six faces of a cube. While the image input system can have other lens configurations, the use of six lenses in a cubic configuration is optimal for a system that is used to capture a spherical panorama. The six lenses simultaneously focuses different images on six CCDs (Charge Coupled Devices). The image input device also includes an embedded controller, and data compression circuitry. The embedded controller controls the exposure time of the CCDs (i.e. the effective aperture and effective shutter speed) and reads image data from the CCDs. The image data read from the CCDs is compressed, multiplexed, and sent to the control computer. The control computer stores the images in frames, each of which have one image from each of the six lenses. Each frame includes six images that were simultaneously recorded and any associated information, such as audio tracks, textual information, or environmental information such as GPS (Global Position System) data or artificial horizon data. The control computer includes a user interface which allows a user to specify control information such as frame rate, compression ratio, gain, etc. The control computer sends control information to the embedded controller which in turn controls the CCDs and the compression circuitry. The images can be sent from the control computer to a real time viewer so that a user can determine if the correct images are being captured. The images stored at the control computer are later seamed into panoramas and made into panoramic movies.

System for digitally capturing and recording panoramic movies

Backlash in a fishing reel is eliminated by automatically matching the reel discharge speed to the line speed. The drag on the reel is automatically adjusted so that the reel discharge speed does not exceed the line speed. The invention includes a reel, a mechanism for measuring the relationship between the line speed and the reel discharge speed, an electronically controlled braking device and a microprocessor for controlling the braking device in response to the relationship between the line speed and the reel discharge speed. When the reel discharge speed exceeds the line speed additional braking is applied. One alternative embodiment of the invention intermittently applies a very short pulse of braking action to the reel. The response to this pulse of braking action is detected and used to determine if the reel discharge speed exceeds the line speed.

Fishing reel with automatic backlash control

A paging device references current ambient sound energy in selecting alarm presentation. In the illustrated embodiment, a low volume alarm presentation occurs in relatively quiet ambient sound conditions and a high volume alarm presentation occurs in relatively loud ambient sound conditions. Multiple levels of ambient sound energy cause a selected one of multiple potential alarm volumes. By making alarm volume presentation a function of ambient sound conditions, the paging alarm of the present invention better matches current conditions to improve the user's ability to hear the alarm and to reduce the risk of annoying others.

Pager with adaptable alarm

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

Michael C Park