3-dimensional image rotation method and apparatus for producing image mosaics

A method for aligning a set of plural images to construct a mosaic image, comprising carrying out the following steps for each one of said set of plural images:

• determining a difference error between said one image and an other one of said images of said set;
• computing an incremental rotation of said one image relative to a 3-dimensional coordinate system tending to reduce said difference error;
• rotating said one image in accordance with said incremental rotation to produce an incrementally warped version of said one image;
• and
• repeating said determining, computing and rotating steps with said incrementally warped version.

Apparatus for use in aligning a set of plural images from which a mosaic image can be produced, said apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• memory having executable instructions stored therein;
• and
• wherein the processor, in response to the instructions stored in the memory performs successive iterations in that for each iteration the processor:
• for at least first and second images of said set of images, determines an incremental rotation of said second image relative to a 3-dimensional coordinate system which reduces registration error between overlapping portions of said first and second images;
• and
• rotates said second image in accordance with said incremental rotation.

Apparatus for use in aligning a set of plural images from which a mosaic image can be produced, said apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• memory having executable instructions stored therein;
• and
• wherein the processor, in response to the instructions stored in the memory performs successive iterations in that the processor:
• determines a difference error between said one image and an other one of said images of said set;
• computes an incremental rotation of said one image relative to a 3-dimensional coordinate system tending to reduce said difference error;
• and
• rotates said one image in accordance with said incremental rotation to produce an incrementally warped version of said one image.