Operating a computing device by detecting rounded objects in an image

• US 10,192,310 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2016
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sphero Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sphero Inc.
• Inventors: Polo, Fabrizio
• Primary Examiner(s): Seth, Manav
• Application Number:
  US15/010,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20160148367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes

Abstract

A method is disclosed for operating a computing device. One or more images of a scene captured by an image capturing device of the computing device is processed. The scene includes an object of interest that is in motion and that has a rounded shape. The one or more images are processed by detecting a rounded object that corresponds to the object of interest. Position information is determined based on a relative position of the rounded object in the one or more images. One or more processes are implemented that utilize the position information determined from the relative position of the rounded object.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

an image capturing device;

a display screen;

one or more processors; and

one or more memory resources storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to;

capture image data using the image capturing device;

process the image data to identify a brightness gradient indicating a spherical object, wherein the brightness gradient corresponds to a vector having a direction corresponding to an increased brightness level of a plurality of pixels; and

identify a center of the spherical object in the image data in part by marking a point with a highest brightness level along the brightness gradient.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the spherical object comprises a spherical self-propelled device under operational control of the computing device.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the executed instructions further cause the computing device to:

dynamically overlay a graphic element on the spherical object in the image data.

4. The computing device of claim 3, wherein the executed instructions further cause the computing device to:

perform dimensional analysis to dynamically determine a distance from the spherical object to the computing device; and

dynamically adjust a size of the graphic element based on the distance.

5. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the executed instructions further cause the computing device to:

receive a user input on the display screen corresponding to a target location in the image data; and

in response to receiving the user input, causing the self-propelled device to move to the target location.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the executed instructions cause the computing device to identify the brightness gradient by applying an image filter to the image data.

7. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the image filter comprises a grey-scale filter.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

capture image data using an image capturing device of the computing device;

process the image data to identify a brightness gradient indicating a spherical object wherein the brightness gradient corresponds to a vector having a direction corresponding to an increased brightness level of a plurality of pixels; and

identify a center of the spherical object in the image data in part by marking a point with a highest brightness level along the brightness gradient.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the spherical object comprises a spherical self-propelled device under operational control of the computing device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the executed instructions further cause the computing device to:

dynamically overlay a graphic element on the spherical object in the image data.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the executed instructions further cause the computing device to:

perform dimensional analysis to dynamically determine a distance from the spherical object to the computing device; and

dynamically adjust a size of the graphic element based on the distance.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the executed instructions further cause the computing device to:

receive a user input on a display screen of the computing device, the user input corresponding to a target location in the image data; and

in response to receiving the user input, causing the self-propelled device to move to the target location.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the executed instructions cause the computing device to identify the brightness gradient by applying an image filter to the image data.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the image filter comprises a grey-scale filter.

15. A computer-implemented method of detecting objects, the method being performed by one or more processors of a computing device and comprising:

capturing image data using an image capturing device of the computing device;

processing the image data to identify a brightness gradient indicating a spherical object wherein the brightness gradient corresponds to a vector having a direction corresponding to an increased brightness level of a plurality of pixels; and

identifying a center of the spherical object in the image data in part by marking a point with a highest brightness level along the brightness gradient to track movement of the spherical object in the image data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the spherical object comprises a spherical self-propelled device under operational control of the computing device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the executed instructions further comprising:

dynamically overlaying a graphic element on the spherical object in the image data.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

performing dimensional analysis to dynamically determine a distance from the spherical object to the computing device; and

dynamically adjusting a size of the graphic element based on the distance.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a user input on a display screen of the computing device, the user input corresponding to a target location in the image data; and

in response to receiving the user input, causing the self-propelled device to move to the target location.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors of the computing device identify the brightness gradient by applying an image filter to the image data.