JPH1118007A - Omnidirectional image display system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily display an object in all the spherical fields of vision having an image angle of 360 deg. in horizontal and vertical directions by preparing a composite image, based on the one circular image and the other circular image provided by a camera with a fisheye lens and displaying the composite image, while partially transforming it to a planar image. SOLUTION: A camera 1 with a fisheye lens photographs an object in a semispherical field of view and forms it as a circular image on a film 2. An image scanner 3 electronically reads the circular images in two directions on the film 2 provided by photographing the object, while sequentially turning the camera 1 with the fisheye lens in symmetrical directions at 180 deg.. An image buffer 4 preserves image data read by the image scanner 3. An image compositer 5 prepares the composite image based on the circular images in two directions included in the image data preserved in the image buffer 4. An image display device 8 displays the composite image prepared by the image compositer 5 on a display 11, while partially transforming into the planar image.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an omnidirectional image display system for displaying on a computer all subjects in a global field of view based on a circular image captured by a camera with a fisheye lens.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, as a system for displaying a still image taken by a camera or the like on a computer, a large number of panoramic images spread in the left-right direction have been joined together, and the combined images thus joined have been combined. 2. Description of the Related Art A system for displaying an image by an image viewer on a computer (first conventional system) is known.

As a camera observation system used for monitoring and inspection, a system for realizing camera operations such as panning, tilting, zooming, and rotating with respect to a moving image captured by a camera with a fish-eye lens as software (second system). Is known (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-501).
585).

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As described above, the first
In the conventional system, a large angle of view in the left-right direction is obtained by connecting a large number of panoramic photograph images spread in the left-right direction. However,
In the first conventional system, the angle of view in the horizontal direction can be widened, but there is a problem that the angle of view in the vertical direction cannot be widened. Further, even when trying to obtain an angle of view of 360 degrees in the left-right direction, a large number of panoramic photo images are required. Requires a lot of time.

On the other hand, in the second conventional system, since an image taken by a camera with a fish-eye lens is used, the angle of view in the vertical direction can be widened in addition to the horizontal direction. However, the second conventional system is originally aimed at realizing camera operation such as panning and tilting of a moving image by software by omitting a movable part of a camera. The camera body is used in a fixed manner, and the visual field secured is limited to a hemispherical visual field. In order to secure a global field of view using the second conventional system, two cameras must be used. However, due to the characteristics of the fisheye lens, the cameras must be installed so that the other cameras are not reflected in each other. Is impossible, and after all, the second conventional system cannot secure a complete global field of view.

The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and has an omnidirectional image which can easily display a subject in a global field of view having an angle of view of 360 degrees in the horizontal and vertical directions. It is an object to provide a display system.

[0007]

According to the present invention, one circular image is obtained by capturing the periphery as one of the spherical surfaces, and the other circular image is captured by capturing the peripheral as the other of the spherical surfaces. A camera with a fish-eye lens to be obtained, an image synthesizing device for creating a synthetic image based on one circular image and the other circular image obtained by the camera with a fish-eye lens, and a partial image obtained by the image synthesizing device. And an image display device for converting the image into a planar image and displaying the image.

The present invention also provides the omnidirectional image display system described above, further comprising a rotary mounting table for mounting the camera with a fish-eye lens, wherein the camera with a fish-eye lens is provided with a lens barrel and an end portion of the lens barrel. A fish-eye lens attached thereto, wherein a rotation axis of the rotary mounting table is arranged at a position corresponding to a front surface of the lens barrel.

According to the present invention, one circular image obtained by capturing and capturing the periphery as one of spherical surfaces by a camera with a fish-eye lens, and the other circular image obtained by capturing and capturing the periphery as the other surface of a spherical surface. Since a combined image is created by the image combining device based on the circular image and the created combined image is partially converted into a planar image by the image display device and displayed.
A subject in a global field of view having an angle of view of 360 degrees in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction can be easily displayed on a computer.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 9 are views showing an embodiment of an omnidirectional image display system according to the present invention.

First, the overall configuration of the omnidirectional image display system will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG.
The omnidirectional image display system includes a camera 1 with a fish-eye lens and a camera 1 with a fish-eye lens that photograph a subject in a hemispherical field of view and form an image on a film 2 as a circular image.
An image scanner 3 for electronically reading a circular image in two directions on the film 2 obtained by shooting in a symmetrical direction of 80 degrees, and an image buffer 4 for holding image data read by the image scanner 3 An image synthesizing device 5 for generating a synthetic image based on circular images for two directions included in the image data held in the image buffer 4, and a partial image formed by the image synthesizing device 5. And an image display device 8 for converting the data to a display on the display 11.

The image synthesizing device 5 has a parameter input section 6 for inputting various parameters for image synthesizing.
And a synthesizing processing unit that corrects a displacement of a joint portion of a circular image in two directions included in the image data held in the image buffer 4 based on a parameter input by the parameter input unit 6 to generate a synthetic image. 7 are provided. As the parameter input unit 6, for example, a keyboard or the like can be used.

The image display device 8 includes a display operation unit 9 for selecting an area to be displayed from the composite image created by the image composition device 5, and an image display unit 8 corresponding to the area selected by the display operation unit 9. Processing unit 10 for partially converting a composite image to be converted into a two-dimensional image and displaying it on display 11
And In addition, as the display operation unit 9, various existing input devices such as a mouse and a joystick can be used.

Next, the camera 1 with the fish-eye lens shown in FIG. 1 and the rotary mounting table on which the camera 1 with the fish-eye lens is mounted will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a camera 1 with a fisheye lens has a camera body 1a and a camera body 1a.
, And a fisheye lens 1c having an angle of view of 180 degrees or more attached to an end of the lens barrel 1b, and an image captured through the fisheye lens 1c is built in the camera body 1a. The image is formed on the film 2. As the fisheye lens 1c, for example, “Fisheye Nikkor 8mmF” manufactured by Nikon Corporation
2.8S "can be used.

When an equidistant projection type such as "fish eye Nikkor 8 mm F2.8S" is used as the fisheye lens 1c, the subject (zenith angle α) in the hemispherical field of view photographed by the camera 1 with the fisheye lens is used. And the position of the image point on the film 2 (distance γ from the center) has the relationship shown in the following equation (1) (FIG. 3A)
(B)). In the following equation (1), k is a constant. γ = k · α (1)

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the camera 1 with a fisheye lens is rotatably mounted on a rotating camera platform (rotary mounting table) 15. Here, the rotating head 15
It has a tripod 14, an L-shaped connecting member 13 whose one end is rotatably connected to the tripod 14 via a screw 14a, and a fixing table 12 fixed to the other end of the connecting member 13. The camera body 1a of the camera 1 with the fisheye lens is mounted on the table 12.
Is fixed via screws 12a. The rotation axis A of the camera 1 with the fish-eye lens on the rotary camera platform 15 is arranged at a position corresponding to the center of the front surface of the lens barrel 1b of the camera 1 with the fish-eye lens. Rotates.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment having such a configuration will be described.

First, the rotating head 15 on which the camera 1 with the fish-eye lens is mounted is set at the center of the global field of view to be photographed. Thereafter, the camera 1 with the fish-eye lens is rotated about the rotation axis A on the rotary camera platform 15, and the rotation is stopped and fixed when the fish-eye lens 1c is oriented in the first shooting direction. Then, one circular image is formed on the film 2 by capturing the surroundings as one of the spherical surfaces by the camera 1 with the fish-eye lens and photographing. Then, the rotating head 15
The fish-eye lens-equipped camera 1 is rotated again around the rotation axis A, and the fish-eye lens 1c
The rotation is stopped and fixed at a point in time when the lens is directed to the second imaging direction having a symmetrical relationship of 0 degrees. Then, the camera 1 with the fish-eye lens captures and captures the periphery as the other spherical surface, thereby forming the other circular image on the film 2.

The one circular image corresponding to the first photographing direction and the second circular image corresponding to the second photographing direction formed on the film 2 in this manner are image scanner 3
, And the read image data is stored in the image buffer 4.

Next, the image synthesizing device 5 uses the circular images for the two directions corresponding to the first photographing direction and the second photographing direction included in the image data stored in the image buffer 4 as described above. A composite image is created. Here, in the image synthesizing device 5, various parameters for image synthesizing can be input by the parameter input unit 6,
Based on the parameters input by the parameter input unit 6, the synthesizing unit 7 corrects the displacement of the joint portion of the circular image in two directions included in the image data held in the image buffer 4.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining a method of creating a composite image using the image compositing device 5. FIG.
Here, FIG. 4A is a diagram conceptually showing joining of circular images in two directions as joining between corresponding hemispherical visual fields 20 and 30, and FIG. 4B is an image displayed on a display. It is a figure which shows the window for composition typically.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the hemispherical visual fields 20, 30 corresponding to each of the circular images in two directions are 18
The angle of view slightly exceeds 0 °, and the portions 20a and 30a having an angle of view exceeding 180 ° correspond to the hemispherical visual fields 20 and 3.
This is a glue margin portion for joining the 0s to each other. Here, when the hemispheric visual fields 20 and 30 are joined to each other to create a composite image, the vicinity of the junction of the hemispheric visual fields 20 and 30 on the image synthesizing window 40 (reference numerals 21 and 3 in FIG.
1), the parameters for image synthesis are appropriately adjusted by the parameter input unit 6 while checking the displacement of the margin portions 20a and 30a. As shown in FIG. 4B, images 21 and 31 that have been converted into planar images by an image conversion method described later are displayed on the window 40 for image synthesis.
Is displayed.

Here, there are three types of parameters for correcting the displacement at the junction between the hemispherical visual fields 20, 30, "diameter", "center X, Y" and "axial rotation". By appropriately adjusting the parameters, the displacement of the joint between the hemispherical visual fields 20 and 30 can be corrected.

The "diameter" refers to the effective diameter of the circular image, and a value slightly smaller than the diameter of the circular image on the film 2 is set as an initial value. By appropriately changing the value of the "diameter", the width of the margin portions 20a and 30a of the hemispherical visual fields 20 and 30 can be changed (see symbols A and A 'in FIGS. 4A and 4B). .

The "center X, Y" refers to the hemispherical field of view 20,
It is the coordinate value of the center point of the circular image corresponding to the 30 zenith. Note that the coordinate value of the center point changes depending on the holding accuracy of the film 2 in the camera body 1a, the mechanical accuracy at the time of reading by the image scanner 3, and the like. In each case, the coordinate value of the center point is obtained, and the obtained coordinate value of the center point is set as an initial value. And this "center X,
By appropriately changing the value of “Y”, for example, as shown in FIG. 3B, the area of the circular image extracted from the entire circular image formed on the film 2 can be shifted (FIG. b) Reference symbol b)).

Further, the "axis rotation" is a value indicating the rotation state of the circular image. By appropriately changing the value of the "axis rotation", the circumferential direction at the junction of the hemispherical visual fields 20 and 30 (image synthesis) (In the vertical direction on the window 40) can be corrected (see reference numerals C and C 'in FIGS. 4A and 4B).

Here, referring to FIG. 5 to FIG.
A center point calculating method for geometrically obtaining the coordinate value of the center point of the circular image formed above will be described. Note that such a process of calculating the center point may be executed by, for example, the synthesis processing unit 7 of the image synthesis device 5.

As shown in FIG. 5, first, the image scanner 3
Image data (grayscale image) read by
Is subjected to a median filter to remove noise contained in the image data (step 10).
1).

Next, the edge of the circular image formed on the film 2 is extracted by using the local brightness difference based on the gray scale image from which noise has been removed (step 1).
02), the grayscale image from which the edge has been extracted is converted into a binary image (step 103). Here, an example of the image data after the conversion into the binarized image is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, in the image data after the conversion into the binarized image, the read (0,0)-(99,5)
Within the range of 9), “1” is set in the area inside the circular image,
“0” is set in an area outside the circular image.

After the conversion into the binarized image in this way, the center point of the circular image in two directions is obtained (step 104). Hereinafter, the center point calculation process of step 104 shown in FIG. 5 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, since the edge of the circular image is expressed in dot units, the position of the contact point is not essentially accurate in the tangential direction. However, it is expected that the center line (see FIG. 8) passing through the midpoint of the pair of contact points corresponding to each of the pair of tangent lines having the same inclination is expected to substantially pass through the center point. The center point of the circular image can be determined as the intersection of at least two center lines having different inclinations.

As shown in FIG. 7, first, N (for example, 18) inclinations are set in a predetermined angle range (step 201), and tangent inclinations and initial values of coordinates of contact points are set (step 201). Step 202). Note that the initial value of the coordinates of the contact point is an initial value of the first contact point candidate and the second contact point candidate that are sequentially updated in the process of step 204 described later, and is always updated at the first time in the process of step 204. Extremely large or small values are set.

Next, n = 1 (step 203), and n
For the tangents having the (n = 1) th slope, the contact points Q ₁ ,
After determining the Q ₂ (step 204), the contact Q ₁ obtained, the distance between Q ₂ d, and the contacts Q _1, obtaining a center line passing through the middle point M of Q ₂ (step 205).

The method for obtaining the contacts Q ₁ and Q ₂ is as follows. That is, as shown in FIG.
0) in order from the horizontal direction, that is, (0, 0), (0,
1) ... (0,99), (1,0), (1,1) ... (1,
99) and a point having a value of “1” (hereinafter “bright point”).
When a bright point is found (point P in FIG. 8), a y-intercept a of a straight line having a designated inclination and passing through this point P is obtained. Here, the point corresponding to the minimum y-intercept a _min and the maximum y-intercept a _max becomes a contact point, so that every time a bright spot is found, the Y-intercept a is obtained in the same manner, and the point corresponding to the minimum y-intercept Is held as a first contact candidate, and a point corresponding to the largest y-intercept is held as a second contact candidate. Thus, for example, at the time when the search of one horizontal row where the point P exists is completed, the points P and T become the first contact candidate and the second contact candidate, respectively, and when all the search is completed, the points Q ₁ and Q _{1 Two}
Is required as a contact point. If the inclination is infinite and there is no y-intercept, the light point having the smallest x coordinate is determined as the first contact point, and the light point having the largest x coordinate is determined as the second contact point.

Thereafter, n = n + 1 is set (step 20).
6) If n ≦ N (step 207), the processing of steps 204 to 206 described above is repeated.

On the other hand, n> N and the distance d between the contacts Q ₁ and Q ₂ corresponding to all of the N inclinations, and the contacts Q ₁ and Q ₁
When the center line passing through the middle point M Q ₂ 'has been determined (step 207), the N number calculated median distance d, the contacts Q ₁ in this order close to that of the central value, Q ₂ of the distance d, And contact Q
_1, to align the center line passing through the middle point M of Q ₂ (step 20
8).

Then, center lines having different inclinations are appropriately combined in ascending order of the median value of the distance d between the contact points Q ₁ and Q _2. A center point candidate is obtained as an intersection of the center lines related to the combination (step 209).

Thereafter, the x-coordinate and the y-coordinate of the center point are obtained based on the obtained center point candidates (step 21).
0). Here, these x-coordinates and y-coordinates are obtained, for example, by taking the median of the candidates for the center point. It should be noted that the center point x, x, of the thus obtained circular image
The y-coordinate is set as an initial value of “center X, Y” which is one of the above-described parameters for image composition.

As described above, the three parameters of "diameter", "center X, Y" and "axis rotation" are adjusted by the image synthesizing device 5 so that there is no deviation on the image synthesizing window 40. When a synthesized image is obtained, the values of “diameter”, “center X, Y”, and “axis rotation” at that time are input to the display processing unit 10 of the image display device 8 as synthesis parameters.

The display processing unit 10 of the image display device 8
Reflects the synthesis parameters in a conversion formula for converting a circular image obtained by the fisheye lens 1c into a flat image without distortion, so that one circular image and the other circular image included in the image data held in the image buffer 4 The area selected by the display operation unit 9 based on the circular image is partially converted into a planar image and displayed on the display 11 in a window format (a format similar to FIG. 4B). The selection by the display operation unit 9 is performed by moving the viewpoint based on the plane image currently displayed in the window on the display 11,
That is, the viewpoint moves horizontally, vertically,
This is done in the form of rotation and scaling.

Here, a conversion formula for converting a circular image obtained by the fisheye lens 1c into a flat image without distortion will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 (a) and 9 (b). Note that FIG.
FIG. 9A is a diagram showing a positional relationship between an image plane corresponding to a circular image formed on a film and a target plane to be converted into a plane image, and FIG. 9B is a view showing FIG. 9A. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a positional relationship when the visual field vector V shown in FIG.

In FIG. 9A, the target surface corresponds to an area displayed in a window on the display 11, and a circular image is obtained by obtaining an expression for mapping such a target surface on an image surface. The conversion formula for converting into a plane image is obtained.

First, an image plane coordinate system X in which an image plane is defined
The position of the origin O ₂ of the target plane in YZ is given by the following equation (2)
(3) Determined by (4). Note that the following equations (2) and (3)
(4) In, D is the target plane origin O ₂ from the image plane origin O ₁
Is the zenith angle when the Y axis is directed to the zenith, and δ is the azimuth in the image plane coordinate system XYZ.

(Equation 1)

From the above equations (2), (3), and (4), the view vector V from the image plane origin O ₁ to the target plane origin O ₂ is obtained.
[X, y, z] is represented by the following equation (5).

(Equation 2)

Here, in order to simplify the above equation (5), the visual field vector V [x, y, z] is arranged on the YZ plane and δ
= 0, a new image plane coordinate system X ′
View vector V [x ', y', z '] at Y'Z'
Is represented by the following equation (6).

(Equation 3)

Such a new image plane coordinate system X'Y '
In Z ′, the position vector P ₂ [x ′, y ′, z ′] of the point P (u, v) on the target surface defined by the target surface coordinate system UV with respect to the target surface origin O ₂ is given by the following equation ( It is represented as 7).

(Equation 4)

The position vector P ₁ [x ′, y ′, z ′] of the point P with respect to the image plane origin O ₁ is represented by the visual field vector V [x ′, y ′, z] expressed by the above equation (6). '] And is expressed as in the following equation (8).

(Equation 5)

Here, the position vector P expressed by the above equation (8) with reference to a hemisphere having a radius R corresponding to the image plane.
_When the scale of ₁ [x ', y', z '] is changed, the scale-changed position vector S [x', y ', z'] is expressed by the following equation (9).

(Equation 6)

The relationship between the length D and the radius R from the image plane origin O ₁ to the object plane origin O ₂ is expressed by the following equation (10) using the magnification coefficient m. D = m · R (10)

For this reason, the position of the point P (u, v) on the target plane arranged on the hemisphere having the radius R corresponding to the image plane is expressed by the following equation (11) in the image plane coordinate system X'Y'Z '. (12)
It is obtained as shown in (13).

(Equation 7)

Since the above equations (11), (12), and (13) are positions in the image plane coordinate system X'Y'Z ', the original screen coordinates are calculated according to the following equations (14), (15), and (16). System X
Find the position in YZ.

(Equation 8)

The above equations (11), (12) and (13) are converted into the above equation (1).
4) By substituting into (15) and (16), the position of the point P (u, v) on the target plane in the image plane coordinate system XYZ is obtained as in the following equations (17), (18), and (19). .

(Equation 9)

Since the equidistant projection type fisheye lens 1c used in the present embodiment has the relationship shown in the above equation (1), the points expressed by the above equations (17), (18) and (19) are obtained. P
(X, y, z) is the image point K on the image plane,
It is mapped according to (21).

[0054]

(Equation 10) In the above equations (20) and (21), α is the fisheye lens 1
The zenith angle is based on the optical axis of c (the Z axis in FIG. 9A), and the inner product of the vector expressed by the above equations (17), (18), and (19) and the Z axis is It is obtained as in equation (22).

[Equation 11]

In the above equations (20) and (21), θ is the rotation angle of the image point K on the image plane, and the above equation (17) (1)
8) is obtained as in the following equation (23).

(Equation 12)

Thus, between the point P (u, v) on the object plane and the image point K (X, Y) on the image plane, the above equation (20) is obtained.
Since there is a relationship represented by (21), (22), and (23),
For a point P (u, v) on the target plane corresponding to the window on the display 11, an image point K (X, Y) on the image plane corresponding to this point P (u, v) is extracted and displayed. Thus, a flat image without distortion can be displayed in the window on the display 11.

Here, the above equations (20), (21), and (22)
The variables related to (23) can be summarized as follows: R: effective radius of a circular image m: magnification β: zenith angle (when the Y-axis direction is the zenith) δ: azimuth angle of the view vector θ: on the image plane Rotation angle (u, v): coordinates on target plane (X, Y): coordinates on image plane

In the above description, only the conversion based on one circular image for the hemispheric visual field shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B has been described, but the hemispheric visual field corresponding to z ≦ 0 is also described. Similar conversion can be performed based on the other circular image taken in the 180-degree symmetric direction. However, since there is a shift between the joints of the hemispherical fields of view obtained from the two circular images, the shift needs to be corrected by the image synthesizing device 5 described above.

The above equations (20), (21), (22) and (2)
According to 3), the parameters “diameter”, “center X, Y”, and “axis rotation” obtained by the above-described image synthesizing device 5 are respectively expressed by the above equations (20), (21), and (2).
2) Among the variables in (23), the effective radius R of the circular image, the coordinates (X, Y) on the image plane, and the rotation angle θ on the image plane are related. The adjustment corrects the displacement of the joint between the one circular image and the other circular image.

Similarly, the movement of the viewpoint input by the display operation unit 9 of the image display device 8, that is, the movement of the viewpoint in the horizontal direction, the movement in the vertical direction, rotation, and enlargement / reduction are respectively represented by the above equations. (20) (21) (22) (23)
Correspond to the azimuth angle δ, the zenith angle β, the rotation angle θ on the image plane, and the magnification m of the visual field vector, and these variables are changed on the image display device 8 on the display 11. The area to be displayed in the window is changed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, one circular image obtained by capturing and capturing the periphery as one of the spherical surfaces by the camera 1 with the fisheye lens, and capturing the peripheral as the other of the spherical surfaces. A composite image is created by the image synthesizing device 5 based on the other circular image obtained as described above, and the created synthetic image is partially converted into a planar image by the image display device 8 and displayed on the display 11. Since the image is displayed in the window format, the area displayed on the display 11 is changed in accordance with the direction of the viewpoint, so that the subject in the global field of view having a 360-degree angle of view in the horizontal and vertical directions can be easily displayed. Can be displayed.

In addition, photographing of the surroundings by the camera 1 with a fish-eye lens only requires photographing for two cuts in the 180-degree symmetric direction, so that the time required for photographing can be reduced.

Further, since only two circular images are synthesized by the image synthesizing device 5, these images can be easily synthesized in a short time.

Furthermore, since the fisheye lens 1c can be accurately oriented in the symmetrical direction of 180 degrees by the rotating pan head 15 shown in FIG. 2, the displacement of the joint of the synthesized image created by the image synthesizing device 5 can be reduced. Can be minimized.

In the above-described embodiment, each of the image synthesizing device 5 and the image display device 8 can be realized as a program module operating on a computer. Here, the program including such a program module is stored in various machine-readable recording media such as an internal storage device such as a memory and a hard disk on a computer, and an external storage device such as a flexible disk and a CD-ROM. Then, the functions described above are realized by being sequentially read and executed from a CPU (Central Processing Unit) on a computer.

In the above-described embodiment, the camera body 1a of the camera 1 with a fisheye lens is of an analog type in which the film 2 is incorporated, but the camera body 1a is not limited to such. Instead, a digital type such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera that captures an image formed through the fisheye lens 1c as digital data can be used. When a digital camera is used as the camera body 1a, the configuration of the image scanner 3 shown in FIG. 1 can be omitted.

[0067]

As described above, according to the present invention, one circular image obtained by capturing and photographing the periphery as one of the spherical surfaces by a camera with a fish-eye lens and photographing by capturing the periphery as the other of the spherical surface. A composite image is created by the image synthesizing device based on the other circular image obtained by performing the process, and the created synthetic image is partially converted into a planar image by the image display device and displayed. 3
It is possible to easily display a subject in a global field of view having an angle of view of 60 degrees.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an omnidirectional image display system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a camera with a fish-eye lens shown in FIG. 1 and a rotary head on which the camera with a fish-eye lens is mounted.

FIG. 3 is a view for explaining a circular image on film taken by the camera with a fisheye lens shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining how to create a composite image.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of calculating a center point of a circular image on a film.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an image image of a film that has been subjected to a binarization process.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining a center point calculating step shown in FIG. 5 in detail;

FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing processing for calculating a center point of a circular image.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining conversion from a circular image to a planar image.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 camera with fisheye lens 2 film 3 image scanner 4 image buffer 5 image synthesis device 6 parameter input unit 7 synthesis processing unit 8 image display device 9 display operation unit 10 display processing unit 11 display 15 rotating head

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A camera with a fish-eye lens that obtains one circular image by capturing the periphery as one of the spherical surfaces and captures the image and captures the periphery as the other of the spherical surface to capture the other circular image. An image synthesizing device that creates a composite image based on one circular image and the other circular image obtained by the camera with the image, and partially converting the composite image created by the image compositing device into a planar image and displaying the image. An omnidirectional image display system comprising: an image display device. 2. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising a rotary mounting table on which the camera with a fish-eye lens is mounted, wherein the camera with a fish-eye lens has a lens barrel and a fish-eye lens attached to an end of the lens barrel. 2. The omnidirectional image display system according to claim 1, wherein the rotation axis is disposed at a position corresponding to the front surface of the lens barrel. 3. The image synthesizing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a synthesizing processing unit for generating the synthetic image by correcting a displacement of a joint between the one circular image and the other circular image. Item 3. The omnidirectional image display system according to item 1 or 2. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the synthesizing unit obtains centers of the one circular image and the other circular image, and calculates the one circular image and the other circular image based on the obtained centers of the circular images. 4. The omnidirectional image display system according to claim 3, wherein the displacement of the joint is corrected. 5. The synthesizing processing unit determines a midpoint of a pair of contact points corresponding to each of the pair of tangents based on a pair of tangents having the same inclination in the one circular image or the other circular image. The center line of the one circular image or the other circular image is determined as an intersection of at least two center lines having different inclinations determined in this way. Omnidirectional image display system. 6. An image display device, comprising: a display operation unit for selecting an area to be displayed; and a partly converting a composite image corresponding to the area selected by the display operation unit into a planar image. The omnidirectional image display system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a display processing unit for displaying.