Device control utilizing optical flow

• US 10,032,429 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2016
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Starner, Thad E., Johnson, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Awad, Amr
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUI, DONNA V
• Application Number:
  US14/987,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20160118015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/10 Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 Automotive applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A computing device includes an interface configured to receive image data that is indicative of a field-of-view (FOV) that is associated with a head-mountable display (HMD). The computing device also includes a computing system configured to determine optical flow from the image data and to determine, based on the optical flow, whether or not the HMD is associated with operation of a vehicle. Further, the computing device is configured to control the HMD to display information in a first mode, if the HMD is associated with the operation of the vehicle, and to control the HMD to display information in a second mode, if the HMD is not associated with the operation of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a camera configured to capture image data indicative of a wearer field-of-view associated with a wearable computing device when worn; and

a computing system configured to;

determine optical flow from the image data;

determine, based on the optical flow, that the wearable computing device is associated with movement of a vehicle;

responsive to the determination that the wearable computing device is associated with movement of the vehicle;

detect, from the image data, one or more objects in the wearer field-of-view that are indicative of an operator location in the vehicle;

detect gaze data from a gaze tracking sensor that is indicative of focus on a side-view mirror, a rear-view mirror, a speedometer, or other operator-side instrument of the vehicle;

determine, based at least in part on the detection of the one or more objects in the wearer field-of-view and the detection of gaze data indicative of focus on the side-view mirror, the rear-view mirror, the speedometer, or the other operator-side instrument of the vehicle, that the wearable computing device is positioned at the operator location in the vehicle;

control a display to display information in a first mode, when the wearable computing device is associated with the operation of the vehicle; and

control the display to display information in a second mode different from the first mode, when the wearable computing device is not associated with the operation of the vehicle.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing system is configured to determine from the optical flow that the wearable computing device is associated with operation of the vehicle by determining that one or more of foreground pixels or background pixels of the image data are moving toward the camera at a rate of speed consistent with being inside a moving vehicle.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the first mode provides a less obstructed display of information than the second mode.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the first mode provides navigational information.

5. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising the one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a compass, or a global positioning system sensor, and wherein the computing system is configured to determine, based on an output from one or more sensors, that the wearable computing device is positioned at the operator location in the vehicle as opposed to the passenger location in the vehicle.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing system is configured to control the wearable computing device in response to the determination that the wearable computing device is associated with operation of the vehicle by modifying communication settings of the wearable computing device, wherein the communication settings include one or more of text messaging settings, phone call settings, or internet settings.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing system is configured to determine optical flow from the image data by compensating for optical flow contributions caused by rotation of the camera.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving image data that is associated with a wearable computing device, wherein the wearable computing device is operatively coupled to a camera, and wherein the camera captures the image data;

processing the image data to determine optical flow;

determining, based on the optical flow, that the wearable computing device is associated with movement of a vehicle; and

responsive to the determination that the wearable computing device is associated with movement of the vehicle;

detecting, in the image data, one or more objects in a wearer field-of-view that are indicative of an operator location in the vehicle;

detecting gaze data from a gaze tracking sensor that is indicative of focus on a side-view mirror, a rear-view mirror, a speedometer, or another operator-oriented instrument of the vehicle; and

determining, based at least in part on the detection of the one or more objects in the wearer field-of-view and the detection of gaze data indicative of periodic focus on the side-view mirror, the rear-view mirror, the speedometer, or the other operator-side instrument of the vehicle, that the wearable computing device is positioned at the operator location in the vehicle as opposed to a passenger location in the vehicle;

identifying an activity based on the optical flow and the position of the wearable computing device in the vehicle, wherein the activity is associated with operation of the vehicle; and

controlling the wearable computing device in response to the identified activity, wherein controlling the wearable computing device includes adjusting information displayed by the wearable computing device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying, using the optical flow, a sub-state of the activity; and

controlling the wearable computing device in response to the identified sub-state,

and wherein the identified sub-state includes a sub-state of the operation of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the determination that the wearable computing device is associated with movement of the vehicle is further based on sensor data captured by one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a compass, or a global positioning system sensor.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein processing the image data to determine the optical flow includes compensating for optical flow contributions caused by rotation of the camera.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising controlling the wearable computing device in response to the identified activity by modifying communication settings of the wearable computing device, wherein the communication settings include one or more of text messaging settings, phone call settings, or internet settings.

13. A wearable computing device comprising:

a display;

an imaging device; and

a computing system coupled to the display and the imaging device, wherein the computing system is configured to;

determine optical flow by processing image data captured by the imaging device,

determine, based on the optical flow, that the wearable computing device is associated with movement of a vehicle; and

responsive to the determination that the wearable computing device is associated with movement of the vehicle;

detect, from the image data, one or more objects in a wearer field-of-view that are indicative of an operator location in the vehicle;

detect gaze data from a gaze tracking sensor that is indicative of periodic focus on a side-view mirror, a rear-view mirror, a speedometer, or other operator-side instrument of the vehicle;

determine, based at least in part on the detection of the one or more objects in the wearer field-of-view and the detection of gaze data indicative of periodic focus on the side-view mirror, the rear-view mirror, the speedometer, or the other operator-side instrument of the vehicle, that the imaging device is positioned at the operator location in the vehicle as opposed to a passenger location in the vehicle,

identify an activity based on the optical flow and the position of the imaging device in the vehicle, wherein the activity is associated with operation of the vehicle, and

control the display to display information in response to the identified activity.

14. The wearable computing device of claim 13, wherein the computing system is further configured to measure rotation of the imaging device, and to determine the optical flow by processing the image data and by compensating for optical flow contributions caused by the measured rotation of the imaging device.

15. The wearable computing device of claim 14, wherein the computing system being configured to determine optical flow by compensating for optical flow contributions caused by the measured rotation of the imaging device further includes the computing system being configured to:

measure a rotational angular velocity of the imaging device,

model a predicted optical flow contribution based on the measured rotational angular velocity, and

removing the predicted optical flow contribution from an optical flow field using a vector sum of a calculated optical flow field and an anticipated optical flow field.

16. The wearable computing device of claim 14, wherein the computing system being configured to determine optical flow by compensating for optical flow contributions caused by the measured rotation of the imaging device further includes the computing system being configured to:

determine if the measured rotation of the imaging device exceeds a given threshold, and

based on the measured rotation of the imaging device exceeding the given threshold, suspending the processing of the image data to determine the optical flow.

17. The wearable computing device of claim 13, further comprising one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a compass, a gaze tracking sensor, or a global positioning system sensor, and wherein the computing system is configured to identify, based on an output from one or more of the accelerometer, the gyroscope, the compass, the gaze tracking sensor, or the global positioning system sensor, that the imaging device is positioned at the operator location in the vehicle as opposed to the passenger location in the vehicle.