System And Method For Creating Composite Images By Utilizing An Imaging Device

Abstract

A system and method for creating composite images by utilizing a camera comprises a cradle device that transports the camera across a target area during a scanning procedure that captures and stores image data. During the scanning procedure, a motion detector captures and provides scan motion data to a scanning manager from the camera. The scanning manager may then responsively utilize the scan motion data to accurately extract still frames corresponding to the target area from the captured image data at pre-determined time intervals. A stitching software program may then access and combine the still frames generated by the scanning manager to thereby create composite images.

1 . A system for creating a composite image of a target area by utilizing
 an imaging device, comprising:
 a scanning manager coupled to said imaging device for analyzing scan motion data from a scanning procedure that captures a frame sequence corresponding to said target area, said scanning manager extracting still frames from said frame sequence at a selectable time interval entered by a system user, said scanning manager responsively generating said composite image corresponding to said target area by utilizing image data and said scan motion data. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein a stitching software program processes said composite image, said stitching software program residing on said imaging device. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said target area includes one of a document, a photographic image, a physical object, a graphics image, and a geographic location. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein a motion detector generates said scan motion data by monitoring movements of said imaging device during said scanning procedure, said scan motion data including a scan speed and a scan direction. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said imaging device is initially positioned at a starting index of a scan path to allow said imaging device to frame said target area using a focus mechanism and a zoom mechanism. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein said system user enters scan parameters into said imaging device for performing said scanning procedure, said scan parameters including a scan speed control, a scan direction control, a still frame time interval control, a scan overlap control, and a scan resolution control. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein said imaging device generates an error warning on a user interface when said system user enters an invalid scan parameter, said invalid scan parameter including a negative overlap setting which would cause still images from said image data to be aligned in excess of a minimum adjacent still image overlap value. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5  wherein said imaging device moves along said scan path during said scanning procedure, said imaging device responsively beginning to capture and store image data that corresponds to said target area. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein a display manager in said imaging device displays an active scan mode indicator on a user interface of said imaging device during said scanning procedure, said active scan mode indicator displaying user settings for scan parameters including a scan speed, a scan direction, and said selectable time interval. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8  wherein said imaging device captures said image data, said imaging device storing said image data using a keyframe format in which a series of keyframes that contain said complete pixel set are separated by a series of difference frames which contain only altered pixels which are different from a corresponding one of said keyframes, each of said keyframes being generated when an altered pixel total exceeds a pre-determined threshold value. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8  wherein a motion detector captures scan motion data corresponding to movements of said imaging device, said motion detector providing said scan motion data to said scanning manager of said imaging device, said scan motion data including a scan speed and a scan direction. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said motion detector generates said scan speed by monitoring a velocity sensor of said imaging device during said scanning procedure. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said scan speed is expressed by a formula:
   Scan Speed=Non-Overlapped Scan Distance/Time Interval 
 
       where said Non-Overlapped Scan Distance is a length of a non-overlapped region of an immediately-preceding still frame prior to a start of a current still frame, and said Time Interval is a length of time required to transport said imaging device across said Non-Overlapped Scan Distance to said start of said current still frame. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said scanning manager extracts an initial still frame of said target area from said image data that is captured by said imaging device during said scanning procedure. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein said scanning manager extracts a current still frame of said target area from said image data at a pre-determined time interval during said scanning procedure. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein said scanning manager determines an overlap region between said initial still frame and said current still frame by referencing said scan motion data. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein said scanning manager calculates an overlap length for said overlap region according to a formula:
   Overlap Length=Still Frame Length−Non-Overlapped Scan Distance
 
 
       where said Overlap Length is a distance from a start of said overlap region to an end of said overlap region, said Non-Overlapped Scan Distance is a length of a non-overlapped region of said initial still frame prior to a start of said current still frame, and Still Frame Length is a constant length of one of said still frames. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16  wherein a stitching software program combines said image data in said overlap region between said initial still frame and said current still frame to provide greater image detail and increased image resolution, said stitching software program thereby generating said composite image of said target area from said initial still frame and said current still frame. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said imaging device performs a concurrent combination procedure for concurrently combining a series of said still frames to generate said composite image. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said scanning procedure is performed by a moving target area process in which said imaging device is stationary.