# US 10,375,355 B2 · Distributed video sensor panoramic imaging system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,375,355 B2 - Document ID: US10375355B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/309,414 - Filed: 2011-12-01 - Published: 2012-03-29 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2006-11-16 - Assignees: Immersive Licensing, Inc. - Applicants: Michael C. Park; Patrick W. White; Steven C. Sandven - Inventors: Michael C. Park; Patrick W. White; Steven C. Sandven - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10375355B2 ## CPC - H04N 7/18: Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast - G06T 7/30: Determination of transform parameters for the alignment of images, i.e. image registration - G06T 7/80: Analysis of captured images to determine intrinsic or extrinsic camera parameters, i.e. camera calibration - H04N 7/181: {for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources} - G06T 2200/24: involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs] - G06T 2207/20092: Interactive image processing based on input by user - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A panoramic imaging system, comprising: a plurality of video cameras, each of the plurality of video cameras captures images, wherein the plurality of video cameras is separately and unevenly distributed on an object to have an unobstructed view of a region exterior to the object; and a capture module: converts the captured images from each of the plurality of video cameras into one or more image frames, each converted image frame comprising: image data comprising at least portions of the captured images from each of the plurality of video cameras; and calibration data based at least in part on the uneven distribution of the video cameras on the object, and corresponding to the image data, the calibration data specifying how to display a panoramic image based on the image data comprising at least portions of the captured images from each of the plurality of video cameras; transmits the one or more converted image frames to a viewer module, the viewer module configured to display the panoramic image based on the calibration data and the image data comprising at least portions of the captured images from each of the plurality of video cameras; wherein the plurality of video cameras is unevenly distributed on the object to exclude an obstruction of the object from the field of view of the plurality of video cameras. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The panoramic imaging system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of video cameras comprises a first set of cameras containing at least one of a first type of camera and a second set of cameras containing at least one of a second type of camera. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The panoramic imaging system of claim 2, wherein the first type of camera captures a different portion of the electromagnetic spectrum than the second type of camera. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The panoramic imaging system of claim 2, wherein a region viewed by the first set of cameras overlaps at least in part with a region viewed by the second set of cameras. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The panoramic imaging system of claim 1, further comprising, a calibration module modifies the calibration data contained in the image frames. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The panoramic imaging system of claim 5, wherein the calibration module is configured to modify the calibration data to generate second calibration data in response to a command provided by a user. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The panoramic imaging system of claim 1, wherein the one or more image frames further comprise data indicative of a location where the image data was captured. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The panoramic imaging system of claim 1, wherein the capture module is operatively connected to the plurality of video cameras via at least a wireless connection. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The panoramic imaging system of claim 1, wherein the capture module transmits the one or more image frames to the viewer module via at least a wireless connection. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The panoramic imaging system of claim 1, further comprising a data store stores the one or more image frames on a non-transitory storage medium, the data store operatively connected to the capture module. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The panoramic imaging system of claim 1, wherein, the calibration data comprise information associated with the image data, the information may be one or more of image alignment data, color balance data, location data, time data, identification data, and user metadata. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The panoramic imaging system of claim 1, wherein the calibration data comprise one or more of a height of one or more of the captured images, a field of view of one or more of the captured images, a horizontal axis of one or more of the captured images, a vertical axis of one or more of the captured images, and an optical parameter of one or more of the captured images. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The panoramic imaging system of claim 1, wherein the object is a vehicle. ### Claim 14 A method of capturing panoramic images, comprising: capturing images with each of a plurality of video cameras, wherein the plurality of video cameras is separately and unevenly distributed on an object to have an unobstructed view of a region exterior to the object; at a capture module, receiving the captured images; at the capture module, generating an image frame comprising: image data comprising at least portions of the captured images from each of the plurality of video cameras; and calibration data based at least in part on the uneven distribution of the video cameras on the object, and corresponding to the image data, the calibration data specifying how to display a panoramic image based on the image data comprising at least portions of the captured images from each of the plurality of video cameras; and transmitting the image frame to a viewer module, the viewer module configured to display the panoramic image based on the calibration data and the image data comprising at least portions of the captured images from each of the plurality of video cameras; wherein the plurality of video cameras is unevenly distributed on the object to exclude an obstruction of the object from the field of view of the plurality of video cameras. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein capturing images with a plurality of video cameras comprises capturing at least one image with at least one of a first type of camera and capturing at least one image with at least one of a second type of camera. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the first type of camera captures a different portion of the electromagnetic spectrum than the second type of camera. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein capturing images with the plurality of cameras comprises capturing one image at a higher resolution than at least one other image. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein generating the image frame comprises integrating the higher resolution image into the image frame. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: at the capture module, receiving location data associated with at least one of the captured images, wherein the image frame further comprises the received location data. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: responsive to generating the image frame, transmitting the image frame to a data store for storing image frames; and storing the image frame in the non-transitory storage medium. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting the image frame to the viewer module comprises wirelessly transmitting the image frame to a remote location. ### Claim 22 A method of visually rendering a panoramic image, comprising: receiving one or more image frames, each image frame comprising: image data representing at least portions of a plurality of images, each image from among the plurality of images captured by a corresponding one of a plurality of video cameras, the plurality of video cameras separately and unevenly distributed on an object to have an unobstructed view of a region exterior to the object, and calibration data based at least in part on the uneven distribution of the video cameras on the object, and corresponding to the image data, the calibration data specifying how to display a panoramic image based on the image data representing at least portions of the plurality of images captured by the corresponding plurality of video cameras; displaying the panoramic image based on the calibration data and the image data representing at least portions of the plurality of images captured by the corresponding plurality of video cameras; wherein the plurality of video cameras is unevenly distributed on the object to exclude an obstruction of the object from the field of view of the plurality of video cameras. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the image frame comprises image data representing a first captured image and a second captured image, the second image having a higher resolution than the first image and depicting part of a region covered by the first image. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein visually rendering the image data comprises rendering the second image at a position within the first image corresponding to the region depicted by the second image. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one image frame is received from a data store. ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one image frame is received from a module configured to generate the at least one image frame. ### Claim 27 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein displaying the image data is performed in real-time with capturing of the one or more images by the plurality of video cameras. ### Claim 28 A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored therein, the instructions when executable by a processor cause the processor to: receive one or more image frames, each image frame comprising: image data representing at least portions of a plurality of images, each image from among the plurality of images captured by a corresponding one of a plurality of video cameras, the plurality of video cameras separately and unevenly distributed on an object to have an unobstructed view of a region exterior to the object; and calibration data based at least in part on the uneven distribution of the video cameras on the object, and corresponding to the image data, the calibration data specifying how to display a panoramic image based on the image data representing at least portions of the plurality of images captured by the corresponding plurality of video cameras; and display the panoramic image based on the calibration data and the image data representing at least portions of the plurality of images captured by the corresponding plurality of video cameras; wherein the plurality of video cameras is unevenly distributed on the object to exclude an obstruction of the object from the field of view of the plurality of video cameras. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The medium of claim 28, wherein the image frame comprises image data representing a first captured image and a second captured image, the second image having a higher resolution than the first image and depicting part of a region covered by the first image. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The medium of claim 29, wherein visually rendering the image data comprises rendering the second image at a position within the first image corresponding to the region depicted by the second image. ### Claim 31 (depends on 28) The medium of claim 28, wherein visually rendering the image data is performed in real-time with capturing of the one or more images by the plurality of cameras. ### Claim 32 A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored therein, the instructions when executable by a processor cause the processor to: receive images captured by each of a plurality of cameras, wherein the plurality of cameras is separately and unevenly distributed on an object to have an unobstructed view of a region exterior to the object; generate an image frame comprising: image data comprising at least portions of the captured images from each of the plurality of video cameras; and calibration data based at least in part on the uneven distribution of the video cameras on the object, and corresponding to the image data, the calibration data specifying how to display a panoramic image based on the image data comprising at least portions of the captured images from each of the plurality of video cameras; and transmit the image frame to a viewer module, the viewer module configured to display the panoramic image based on the calibration data and the image data comprising at least portions of the captured images from each of the plurality of video cameras; wherein the plurality of video cameras is unevenly distributed on the object to exclude an obstruction of the object from the field of view of the plurality of video cameras. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The medium of claim 32, further comprising instructions causing the processor to receive location data associated with at least one of the captured images, wherein the image frame further comprises the received location data. ### Claim 34 (depends on 32) The medium of claim 32, wherein transmitting the image frame to the viewer module comprises transmitting the image frame to a remote location.