Real-time wide-angle image correction system and method for computer image viewing

A method for correcting distortion of a wide-angle image captured by a wide-angle camera, comprising:

• inputting wide-angle pixel coordinates corresponding to pixel coordinates of the wide-angle image;
• using Spatially Varying Uniform (SVU) scaling functions having scaling factors to generate a warp table containing the corrected wide-angle pixel coordinates;
• and
• creating a corrected wide-angle image that is corrected for an exaggerated depth within the wide-angle image.

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for real-time correction and viewing of a wide-angle image, comprising:

• generating a warp table containing coordinates of pixels within the wide-angle image, further comprising:
• specifying source curves on the wide-angle image;
• specifying a warping factor corresponding to an amount of warping applied to the wide-angle image pixel coordinates;
• computing target curves using the source curves and the warping factor;
• computing a main scaling factor using the source curves and the target curves;
• using the main scaling factor to scale the wide-angle image pixel coordinates to generate the warp table;
• and
• applying the warp table to the wide-angle image to create a corrected wide-angle image.

A method for warping a wide-angle image, comprising:

• vertically scaling pixel coordinates of each vertical scanline of the wide-angle image using a parametric image warping function and a main scaling factor;
• horizontally scaling the pixel coordinates of the wide-angle image using the parametric image warping function and the main scaling factor;
• generating a preliminary warp table containing preliminary pixel coordinates;
• and
• correcting for horizontal distortion by applying the parametric image warping function and the main scaling factor to the preliminary warp table to generate a warp table.

A method for correcting distortion and perception problems in a wide-angle image, comprising:

• using Spatially Varying Uniform (SVU) scaling functions and a main scaling factor to vertically and horizontally scale pixel coordinates of the wide-angle image to produce a preliminary warp table containing preliminary pixel coordinates;
• dividing the preliminary warp table into a plurality of sections, each section containing at least some of the preliminary pixel coordinates;
• specifying a secondary scaling factor that is different from the main scaling factor;
• and
• vertically scaling each of the plurality of sections using the main scaling factor for preliminary pixel coordinates in a first set of sections of the plurality of sections and the secondary scaling factor for preliminary pixel coordinates in a second set of sections of the plurality of sections to correct for horizontal distortion.

A real-time wide-angle image correction system for correcting distortion and perception defects in a wide-angle image, comprising:

• a warp table specifying a location within the wide-angle image of each pixel therein;
• a warp table generation module that uses parametric image warping functions;
• a warp table generated from the warp table generation module that contains the wide-angle image pixel coordinates;
• and
• a real-time image warping system that applies the warp table to the wide-angle image to create a corrected wide-angle image.