Method, apparatus and computer program product for generating perspective corrected data from warped information

Abstract

Apparatus, methods, and computer program products that provide fast and accurate means of mapping one data space into another by precisely mapping grid points between the data spaces and then by performing a bilateral-bilinear interpolation to map the points bounded by the precisely mapped grid points. The precisely mapped grid points define boundary lines that bound a data region in a source space. Each scan line mapped to the source space is dependent on the slopes of the bounding lines of the data region.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A computer controlled method including steps of: 
 determining a region in a destination data space, said region bounded by a plurality of grid points and said region defining a first plurality of data points in said destination data space;    precisely mapping said plurality of grid points to a plurality of mapped grid points in a source data space associating a second plurality of data points, wherein said plurality of mapped grid points define a plurality of boundary lines that represent the boundary of said region as mapped into said source data space; and    applying a bilateral-bilinear interpolation algorithm to map said first plurality of data points to said second plurality of data points.    
     
     
         2 . The computer controlled method of  claim 1  further including presenting said first plurality of data points using a presentation device.  
     
     
         3 . The computer controlled method of  claim 1  wherein said second plurality of data points represents a warped image and said first plurality of data points represents a perspective corrected image.  
     
     
         4 . The computer controlled method of  claim 3  wherein said warped image represents a true image warped by a lens, said perspective corrected image substantially representing said true image.  
     
     
         5 . The computer controlled method of  claim 4  wherein said lens is a catadioptric lens.  
     
     
         6 . An apparatus having a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory coupled to said CPU, said apparatus including: 
 a region determination mechanism configured to determine a region in a destination data space, said region bounded by a plurality of grid points and said region defining a first plurality of data points in said destination data space;    a precise mapping mechanism configured to precisely map said plurality of grid points determined by the region determination mechanism to a plurality of mapped grid points in a source data space associating a second plurality of data points, wherein said plurality of mapped grid points define a plurality of boundary lines that represent the boundary of said region as mapped into said source data space; and    a bilateral-bilinear interpolation mechanism configured to map said first plurality of data points in said region to said second plurality of data points using said plurality of mapped grid points.    
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  further including a presentation device configured to present said first plurality of data points.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein said second plurality of data points represents a warped image and said first plurality of data points represents a perspective corrected image.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein said warped image represents a true image warped by a lens, said perspective corrected image substantially representing said true image.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein said lens is a catadioptric lens.  
     
     
         11 . A computer program product including: 
 a computer usable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein for causing a computer to map a destination data space to a source data space, said computer readable code including:    computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a region determination mechanism configured to determine a region in said destination data space, said region bounded by a plurality of grid points and said region defining a first plurality of data points in said destination data space;    computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a precise mapping mechanism configured to precisely map said plurality of grid points determined by the region determination mechanism to a plurality of mapped grid points in said source data space associating a second plurality of data points, wherein said plurality of mapped grid points define a plurality of boundary lines that represent the boundary of said region as mapped into said source data space; and    computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a bilateral-bilinear interpolation mechanism configured to map said first plurality of data points in said region to said second plurality of data points using said plurality of mapped grid points.    
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 11  further including computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to drive a presentation device configured to present said first plurality of data points.  
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 11  wherein said second plurality of data points represents a warped image and said first plurality of data points represents a perspective corrected image.  
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 13  wherein said warped image represents a true image warped by a lens, said perspective corrected image substantially representing said true image.  
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 14  wherein said lens is a catadioptric lens.  
     
     
         16 . A computer program product including: 
 a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave having computer readable code embodied therein for causing a computer to map a destination data space to a source data space, said computer readable code including:    computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a region determination mechanism configured to determine a region in said destination data space, said region bounded by a plurality of grid points and said region defining a first plurality of data points in said destination data space;    computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a precise mapping mechanism configured to precisely map said plurality of grid points determined by the region determination mechanism to a plurality of mapped grid points in said source data space associating a second plurality of data points, wherein said plurality of mapped grid points define a plurality of boundary lines that represent the boundary of said region as mapped into said source data space; and    computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a bilateral-bilinear interpolation mechanism configured to map said first plurality of data points in said region to said second plurality of data points using said plurality of mapped grid points.