US 6,009,190 A · Texture map construction method and apparatus for displaying panoramic image mosaics

Abstract

The texture map construction method and apparatus of the invention constructs, from a set of overlapping images, a texture map divisible into plural faces. This is accomplished for each one of the plural faces by computing a texture mapping transform which maps between pixel locations in the texture map and a three-dimensional coordinate system. For each image of the set, an image transform is computed which maps between pixel locations in the image and the three-dimensional coordinate system. For each image of the set, the texture mapping transform and the image transform are combined to produce a texture map-to-image space transform mapping between pixel locations in the image and pixel locations in the texture map. For each one of the pixel locations in the one face of the texture map, the system computes from the texture map-to-image space transform a pixel value of a pixel location in the image corresponding to the one pixel location in the one face of the texture map. This produces a set of image pixel values from the set of overlapping images for the one pixel location in the texture space. Finally, the set of image pixel values are blended to produce a composite pixel value for the one pixel location in the one face of the texture map.

Claims65

Dependent claims

A method for constructing, from a set of overlapping images, a texture map divisible into plural faces, comprising:

for each one of said plural faces, computing a texture mapping transform which maps between pixel locations in said texture map and a three-dimensional coordinate system;
for each image of said set, computing an image transform which maps between pixel locations in said image and said three-dimensional coordinate system;
for each image of said set, combining said texture mapping transform and said image transform to produce a texture map-to-image space transform mapping between pixel locations in said image and pixel locations in said texture map;
for each image of said set and for each one of the pixel locations in said one face of said texture map, computing from said texture map-to-image space transform a pixel value of a pixel location in said image corresponding to said one pixel location in said one face of said texture map, to produce a set of image pixel values from said set of overlapping images for said one pixel location in said texture space;
and
blending said set of image pixel values to produce a composite pixel value for said one pixel location in said one face of said texture map.

3 more elements

A method for constructing, from a set of overlapping images, a texture map divisible into plural faces, comprising:

associating each one of said overlapping images with a first transform between said one image and three-dimensional space;
computing a second transform which maps between said texture map and said three-dimensional space;
determining, from said first and second transforms, image pixel values in each image corresponding to pixel locations in one of said plural faces of said texture space;
and
blending said image pixel values to produce a composite pixel value for each pixel location in said texture space.

2 more elements

Apparatus for use in constructing, from a set of overlapping images, a texture map divisible into plural faces, said apparatus comprising:

a processor;
memory having executable instructions stored therein;
and
wherein the processor, in response to the instructions stored in the memory:
for each one of said plural faces, computes a texture mapping transform which maps between pixel locations in said texture map and a three-dimensional coordinate system;
for each image of said set, computes an image transform which maps between pixel locations in said image and said three-dimensional coordinate system;
for each image of said set, combines said texture mapping transform and said image transform to produce a texture map-to-image space transform mapping between pixel locations in said image and pixel locations in said texture map;
for each image of said set and for each one of the pixel locations in said one face of said texture map, computes from said texture map-to-image space transform a pixel value of a pixel location in said image corresponding to said one pixel location in said one face of said texture map, to produce a set of image pixel values from said set of overlapping images for said one pixel location in said texture space;
and
blends said set of image pixel values to produce a composite pixel value for said one pixel location in said one face of said texture map.

7 more elements

Apparatus for use in constructing, from a set of overlapping images, a texture map divisible into plural faces, said apparatus comprising:

a processor;
memory having executable instructions stored therein;
and
wherein the processor, in response to the instructions stored in the memory:
associates each one of said overlapping images with a first transform between said one image and three-dimensional space;
computes a second transform which maps between said texture map and said three-dimensional space;
determines, from said first and second transforms, image pixel values in each image corresponding to pixel locations in one of said plural faces of said texture space;
and
blends said image pixel values to produce a composite pixel value for each pixel location in said texture space.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Texture map construction method and apparatus for displaying panoramic image mosaics

Life of this patent

Texture map construction method and apparatus for displaying panoramic image mosaics

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims65