Systems and methods for panoramic imaging

Abstract

Systems and methods for panoramic imaging are disclosed herein. An exemplary system of the disclosed subject matter for panoramic imaging includes a fisheye lens, a mirror optically coupled to the fisheye lens, and a detector for capturing light incident on the fisheye lens and reflected from the mirror. In some embodiments, the mirror is a spherical mirror.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A mirror assembly adapted for use in a panoramic imaging system including a fisheye lens having a direct field of view and a detector, comprising:
 a mirror having a mirror field of view and configured to reflect an image of the mirror field of view through the fisheye lens; and   a housing having a first end and a second end, the mirror being secured proximate to the first end, and the second end having an engagement portion for securing the panoramic imaging system thereto to position the mirror assembly relative to the fisheye lens and the detector such that a first portion of the panoramic image corresponding to the direct field of view and a second portion of the panoramic image corresponding to the mirror field of view are incident on the detector, the first portion of the panoramic image having a portion overlapping the second portion of the panoramic image;   
     
     
         2 . The mirror assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mirror comprises a spherical mirror. 
     
     
         3 . The mirror assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mirror comprises a mirror having a radius of curvature and a width predetermined as a function of a position of the mirror with respect to the fisheye lens. 
     
     
         4 . The mirror assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises a cylindrical transparent wall disposed between the first end and the second end. 
     
     
         5 . The mirror assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the engagement portion comprises a screw thread. 
     
     
         6 . The mirror assembly of  claim 1 , wherein, when the engagement portion is adapted to position the mirror coaxially with regard to the fisheye lens. 
     
     
         7 . The mirror assembly of  claim 1 , wherein, when the engagement portion is adapted to position the mirror assembly such that a lower angle of a panoramic field of view of the panoramic imaging system is less than or equal to a lower angle of the mirror field of view. 
     
     
         8 . The mirror assembly of  claim 1 , wherein, when the engagement portion is adapted to position the mirror assembly such that an angle of overlap between the direct field of view and the mirror field of view is equal to the difference between a lower angle of the direct field of view and an upper angle of the mirror field of view. 
     
     
         9 . The mirror assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a processor for operatively coupling to the detector; and   a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing program instructions, and wherein, when the mirror assembly is secured to the panoramic imaging system, the program instructions being executed by the processor cause the processor to:
 capture the first portion of the panoramic image corresponding to the direct field of view transmitted directly through the fisheye lens, and 
 capture the second portion of the panoramic image corresponding to the mirror field of view reflected from the mirror through the fisheye lens. 
   
     
     
         10 . The mirror assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the program instructions being executed by the processor cause the processor to:
 receive the captured first and second portions of the panoramic image from the detector, and   combine the first and second portions of the panoramic image to form the panoramic image.   
     
     
         11 . The mirror assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the combining of the first portion of the panoramic image and the second portion of the panoramic image is performed utilizing a feature matching algorithm. 
     
     
         12 . The mirror assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the program instructions being executed by the processor cause the processor to smooth the overlapping portion of the first and second portions of the panoramic image. 
     
     
         13 . The mirror assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the memory stores program instructions that when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to calibrate the system. 
     
     
         14 . The mirror assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the calibrating the system comprises calibrating the mirror by determining the center of curvature and orientation of the mirror. 
     
     
         15 . The mirror assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the program instructions being executed by the processor cause the processor to generate a table of correspondence between pixel locations on the first portion of the panoramic image and pixel locations on the second portion of the panoramic image.