259 results about "Distortion free" patented technology

The invention features an image reader and a corresponding method for capturing a sharp distortion free image of a target, such as a one or two-dimensional bar code. In one embodiment, the image reader comprises a two-dimensional CMOS based image sensor array, a timing module, an illumination module, and a control module. The time during which the target is illuminated is referred to as the illumination period. The capture of the image by the image sensor array is driven by the timing module that, in one embodiment, is able to simultaneously expose substantially all of the pixels in the array. The time during which the pixels are collectively activated to photo-convert incident light into charge defines the exposure period for the sensor array. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the exposure period occurs during the illumination period.

A panoramic annular lens system (PAL), a unitary video camera and a PC-based software system that unwraps a 360° video image into a seamless, distortion free horizontal image image in real time. The PAL system of the preferred embodiment has a 360° horizontal field of view and a 90° vertical field of view in a 40 mm diameter compact package. The invention is not limited to any particular type of lens system. In fact, there are numerous lens systems for providing a 360° panoramic view. The video camera may be a CCD or CMOS based device having a pixel resolution of either 1280×1024 (high resolution) or 720×480 (NTSC). The unwrapping system is a radiometric ray tracing program carried out using a computer's graphics card capabilities to produce highly efficient regional transformation while minimizing software overhead. The result is real time, high resolution 30 fps conversion from a spherical distorted image to a flat panoramic image in Cartesian coordinates.

A distortion corrected panoramic vision system and method provides a visually correct composite image acquired through wide angle optics and projected onto a viewing surface. The system uses image acquisition devices to capture a scene up to 360° or 4π steradians broad. An image processor corrects for luminance or chrominance non-uniformity and applies a spatial transform to each image frame. The spatial transform is convolved by concatenating the viewing transform, acquisition geometry and optical distortion transform, and display geometry and optical transform. The distortion corrections are applied separately for red, green, and blue components to eliminate lateral color aberrations of the optics. A display system is then used to display the resulting composite image on a display device which is then projected through the projection optics and onto a viewing surface. The resulting image is visibly distortion free and matches the characteristics of the viewing surface.

A multiple aperture array, wide angle imaging system incorporates compound refractive optics modeled after the eyes of insects. The system channels light through the apertures of a convex spatial filter and a pair of lenslet arrays hot press molded on a positive meniscus form. The lenslets act as afocal Keplerian telescopes to superpose light from hundreds of adjacent channels to a common point on the convex surface of a fiber optic imaging taper. The superposed light from all the channels form a curved, high intensity image that is transformed by the taper into a flat format for readout by a mosaic detector array. The image is upright and distortion free with an infinite depth of field. Ghost images are blocked by a honeycomb louver baffle positioned between the lenslets and the imaging taper. The system is conformable to the geometry of any convex mounting surface, whether spherical, aspherical, or cylindrical.

An image processing device for a projector including an image formation section that emits light of an image, and a projection system that projects the emitted light onto a projection surface. The image processing device includes: a target display area determination section that determines, in a display area serving as a reference on the projection surface, based on a current value of a parameter, any of target display areas set for values possibly taken by the parameter within an allowable range to be targeted on a distortion-free image for display on the projection surface; a reference formation area determination section that determines, corresponding to the reference display area, based on information about a projection angle of the projector with respect to the projection surface, a reference formation area to be formed with a virtual distorted image that is supposed to be formed in the image formation section when the distortion-free image is displayed in the reference display area; and a correction application section that generates corrected image data for supply to the image formation section by correcting any provided original image data to form a target distorted image in a target formation area, which corresponds to the target display area as is defined by a relationship between the reference display area and the reference formation area, and is formed with the target distorted image that is supposed to be formed in the image formation section when the distortion-free image is displayed in the reference display area.

A base sheet of transparent polycarbonate material has a formed shape including a center portion and a peripheral portion. The center portion is formed by a non-contact forming operation occurring at a temperature above the glass transition temperature and below the melt temperature of the transparent polycarbonate material, thereby resulting in the center portion of the base sheet being free of visual distortion. A top coat layer is disposed over the base sheet. The top coat layer has a greater resistance to abrasion than the polycarbonate material and provides UV protection to the base sheet. A primer coating is disposed between the base sheet and the top coat layer to facilitate bonding therebetween. The peripheral portion can have a shape created by a contact forming operation occurring at a temperature above the glass transition temperature and below the melt temperature of the polycarbonate material.