An encoding method, playing method and apparatus for image stabilization of panoramic video, and a method for evaluating image stabilization algorithm are provided. The image stabilization method for the panoramic video is applicable to an electronic apparatus including a processor. In the method, a plurality of image frames of a panoramic video is captured, and each image frame is transformed into a plurality of projection frames on a plurality of faces of a cubemap. Then, variations of triaxial displacements and attitude angles between the projection frames transformed onto each of the faces and adjacent in time are calculated. The variations of triaxial displacements and attitude angles are smoothed and recorded as movement information. While playing the panoramic video, the panoramic video is corrected by the movement information and played. Thus, it is possible to reduce the amount of calculation required for the stabilization calculations on the captured video.

Apparatus and methods for the pre-processing of image data so as to enhance quality of subsequent encoding and rendering. In one embodiment, a capture device is disclosed that includes a processing apparatus and a non-transitory computer readable apparatus comprising a storage medium have one or more instructions stored thereon. The one or more instructions, when executed by the processing apparatus, are configured to: receive captured image data (such as that sourced from two or more separate image sensors) and pre-process the data to enable stabilization of the corresponding images prior to encoding. In some implementations, the pre-processing includes combination (e.g., stitching) of the captured image data associated with the two or more sensors to facilitates the stabilization. Advantageously, undesirable artifacts such as object “jitter” can be reduced or eliminated. Methods and non-transitory computer readable apparatus are also disclosed.

An image processing method for improving image quality selects one of a plurality of two-dimensional pixel matrix source images of an imaged target as a reference image. Movement of the target is detected in the source images. The detected movement between the reference image and at least one other image of the source images is compensated differently in at least two different sections of the at least one other source image. The reference image and the movement compensated at least one other image are combined for forming an improved image.

An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging sensor; and at least one processor. The processor is configured to execute: imaging processing of acquiring a plurality of first frames, which are imaged at a first frame rate in a first exposure mode, through the imaging sensor; correction processing of performing electronic shake correction on the plurality of first frames on the basis of an amount of shake delivered to the imaging apparatus; and generation processing of generating motion picture data, which has a second frame having a second frame rate lower than the first frame rate, by synthesizing the plurality of first frames. In the first exposure mode, the processor sets m as a positive integer, and makes an exposure time for an mth first frame constituting the second frame shorter than an exposure time for an (m+1)th first frame.

Systems and methods for tracking moving objects in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, an object tracking system comprises a processor, a communications interface, and a memory configured to store an object tracking application. The object tracking application configures the processor to receive a sequence of images; estimate and subtract background pixel values from pixels in a sequence of images; compute sets of summed intensity values for different per frame pixel offsets from a sequence of images; identify summed intensity values from a set of summed intensity values exceeding a threshold; cluster identified summed intensity values exceeding the threshold corresponding to single moving objects; and identify a location of at least one moving object in an image based on at least one summed intensity value cluster.

In an embodiment, a system includes an immersive camera module including a camera mounting block having a plurality of camera mounting sites and a plurality of cameras mounted to the plurality of camera mounting sites. Each of the plurality of cameras includes a partially-overlapping field of view, and the camera module is configured to comprehensively capture a target space. The system further includes a chassis operatively coupled with the immersive camera module, the chassis configured to smoothly maneuver the camera module comprehensively through the target space. Aspects herein can also relate to methods for capturing immersions, systems and methods for providing immersions, and systems and methods for viewing and controlling immersions.

The method includes for each current pair of first and second successive video images determining movement between the two images. The determining includes a phase of testing homography model hypotheses on the movement by a RANSAC type algorithm operating on a set of points in the first image and first assumed corresponding points in the second image so as to deliver one of the homography model hypothesis that defines the movement. The test phase includes a test of first homography model hypotheses of the movement obtained from a set of second points in the first image and second assumed corresponding points in the second image. At least one second homography model hypothesis is obtained from auxiliary information supplied by an inertial sensor and representative of a movement of the image sensor between the captures of the two successive images of the pair.

An endoscope apparatus including: an image pickup device; a detection device that detects whether or not an image region at which a part of an object region is edged along a direction parallel to the scan lines in a state that is different to a case where a plurality of the scan lines are simultaneously exposed exists in a frame image due to differences of exposure timings for each of the scan lines of the image pickup device based on an image feature amount in the frame image that is obtained from the image data for each of the scan lines that is outputted from the image pickup device; and an exposure control device that changes an exposure time of each of the scan lines by the image pickup device simultaneously for all of the scan lines if the detection device detects the image region.

Systems and techniques are described herein for capturing images. For instance, a process can include obtaining a first image associated with a first exposure setting and obtaining a second image associated with a second exposure setting that is different from the first exposure setting. The process can include obtaining motion information associated with at least one of the first image and the second image and determining, based on the motion information, that motion associated with a first pixel of the first image exceeds a threshold. The process can include generating, based on the motion information, a fused image including a first set of pixels from the first image and a second set of pixels from the second image. The first set of pixels from the first image includes the first pixel based on the determination that the motion associated with the first pixel exceeds the threshold.

An endoscope apparatus, comprising: an image pickup device; a detection device that detects whether or not an image region at which a part of an object region is edged along a direction parallel to the scan lines in a state that is different to a case where a plurality of the scan lines are simultaneously exposed exists in a frame image due to differences of exposure timings for each of the scan lines based on an image feature amount in the frame image that is obtained from the image data for each of the scan lines that is outputted from the image pickup device; and an exposure control device that lengthens an exposure time of each of the scan lines by the image pickup device in comparison to a case where the detection device does not detect the image region, if the detection device detects the image region.