US 5,359,363 A · Omniview motionless camera surveillance system

Abstract

A device for omnidirectional image viewing providing pan-and-tilt orientation, rotation, and magnification within a selected field-of-view for use in any application including inspection, monitoring, surveillance, and target acquisition. The imaging device (using optical or infrared images) is based on the effect that the image from a wide angle lens, which produces a circular image of an entire field-of-view, can be mathematically corrected using high speed electronic circuitry. More specifically, an incoming image from any image acquisition source is captured in memory of the device, a transformation is performed for the viewing region of interest and viewing direction, and a corrected image is output as a video image signal for viewing, recording, or analysis. Multiple simultaneous images can be output from a single input image. As a result, this device can accomplish the functions of pan, tilt, rotation, and zoom throughout the selected field-of-view without the need for any mechanical mechanisms to move a camera.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A device for providing perspective and distortion corrected views of a selected portion of a field of view in a desired format, said device comprising:

an imaging system for receiving selected optical and infrared images of said selected portion of a field of view and for producing output signals corresponding to said selected optical and infrared images;
a lens attached to said imaging system for conveyance of said selected optical and infrared images to said imaging system;
image capture circuitry for receiving and providing digitized signals from said output signals from said imaging system;
input image memory circuitry for receiving said digitized signals from said image capture circuitry;
image transform circuitry for processing said digitized signals from said input image memory circuitry according to selected viewing pan, tilt, rotation and magnification degrees and for producing output signals according to a combination of said digitized signals and said selected viewing pan, tilt, rotation and magnification degrees;
output image memory circuitry for receiving said output signals from said image transform circuitry;
an input for selected user and external computer input to select said pan, tilt, rotation and magnification degrees, and for converting said selected viewing pan, tilt, rotation and magnification degrees for input to said image transform circuitry to control said processing of said image transform circuitry;
and
an output connected to said output image circuitry for recording said perspective and distortion corrected views according to said selected viewing pan, tilt, rotation and magnification degrees.

6 more elements

A surveillance device for providing perspective corrected views of a selected portion of perspective distorted optical images from an environment into a desired format, said device comprising:

an imaging system for receiving optical images from the environment and for producing output signals corresponding to said perspective distorted optical images, said imaging system including a wide angle lens for optical conveyance of said optical images to a video camera within said imaging system and positioned within the environment, said optical images to said video camera being perspective distorted by said wide angle lens;
image capture circuitry for receiving, and producing digitized signals from, said output signals from said imaging system;
input image memory circuitry for receiving said digitized signals from said image capture circuitry;
image transform circuitry for processing said digitized signals in said input memory circuitry according to selected viewing angles of pan, tilt, rotation and magnification degrees for producing output signals of perspective corrected images according to a combination of said digitized signals and said selected viewing angles of pan, tilt, rotation and magnification degrees;
output image memory circuitry for receiving said output signals from said image transform circuitry;
an input for selecting said viewing pan, tilt, rotation and magnification degrees, and for producing signals to control said processing of said image transform circuitry as to said viewing pan, tilt, rotation and magnification degrees;
and
an output connected to said output image circuitry for recording said perspective corrected views according to said selected viewing pan, tilt, rotation and magnification degrees.

5 more elements

A surveillance device for providing perspective corrected views of a selected portion of perspective distorted optical images from an environment into a desired format, said device comprising:

an imaging system for receiving optical images from the environment and for producing output signals corresponding to said perspective distorted optical images, said imaging system including a wide angle lens for optical conveyance of said optical images to a video camera within said imaging system and positioned within the environment, said optical images to said video camera being perspective distorted by said wide angle lens;
image capture circuitry for receiving, and producing digitized signals from, said output signals from said imaging system;
input image memory circuitry for receiving said digitized signals from said image capture circuitry;
image transform circuitry for processing said digitized signals in said input memory circuitry according to selected viewing angles of pan, tilt, rotation and magnification degrees for producing output signals of perspective corrected images according to a combination of said digitized signals and said selected viewing angles of pan, tilt, rotation and magnification degrees;
output image memory circuitry for receiving said output signals from said image transform processor circuitry;
an input for selecting said viewing pan, tilt, rotation and magnification degrees, and for producing signals to control said processing of said image transform circuitry as to said viewing pan, tilt, rotation and magnification degrees;
and
a further input for inputting control signals to said image transform circuitry to achieve multiple perspective corrected views in said output means and selected scanning of said video camera;
and
an output connected to said output image circuitry for recording said perspective corrected views according to said selected viewing pan, tilt, rotation and magnification degrees;
wherein said image transform circuitry is programmed to implement the following two equations:
##EQU9## where:
A=(cos.phi.cos.differential.-sin.phi.sin.differential.cos.beta.)
B=(sin.phi.cos.differential.+cos.phi.sin.differential.cos.beta.)
C=(cos.phi.sin.differential.+sin.phi.cos.differential.cos.beta.)
D=(sin.phi.sin.differential.-cos.phi.cos.differential.cos.beta.)
and where:
R=radius of the image circle
.beta.=zenith angle
.differential.=Azimuth angle in image plane
.phi.=Object plane rotation angle
m=Magnification
u,v=object plane coordinates
x,y=image plane coordinates.

21 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Omniview motionless camera surveillance system

Life of this patent

Omniview motionless camera surveillance system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18