Detection method, display apparatus, and detection system

• US 10,388,027 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Tanaka, Nao
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhatnagar, Anand P
• Application Number:
  US15/608,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20170352160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images

Abstract

Provided is a position detection method using a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit that each capture an image of an object. The detection method may include: acquiring a first captured image with use of the first imaging unit; acquiring a second captured image with use of the second imaging unit; defining a position vector of the object based on the first captured image; calculating a first direction vector directed from the second imaging unit to the object with use of the defined position vector; calculating a second direction vector directed from the second imaging unit to the object based on the second captured image; and calculating a position of the object based on the first direction vector and the second direction vector.

Claims

1. A detection method performed by a system comprising a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit that each capture an image of an object, the detection method comprising:

acquiring a first captured image with use of the first imaging unit;

acquiring a second captured image with use of the second imaging unit;

defining a position vector of the object based on the first captured image;

calculating a first direction vector directed from the second imaging unit to the object with use of the defined position vector;

calculating a second direction vector directed from the second imaging unit to the object based on the second captured image; and

calculating a position of the object based on the first direction vector and the second direction vector.

2. The detection method according to claim 1, wherein the position of the object is calculated based on a value of a cross product between the first direction vector and the second direction vector.

3. The detection method according to claim 1, wherein the position of the object is calculated based on the position vector of the object that is calculated based on the first direction vector and the second direction vector and that is represented by the following formula (1):

4. The detection method according to claim 1, wherein the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit capture the images of the object from different directions.

5. The detection method according to claim 1, further comprising:

identifying positions of a first marker and a second marker, which serve as the object, based on the first captured image and the second captured image; and

identifying a direction of a detection target, which includes the first marker and the second marker, based on the positions of the first marker and the second marker.

6. The detection method according to claim 5, wherein the direction of the detection target encompasses a yaw angle of the detection target.

7. The detection method according to claim 5, further comprising:

identifying the direction of the detection target with use of a sensor disposed on the detection target; and

correcting the direction of the detection target identified with use of the sensor based on the direction of the detection target identified based on the positions of the first marker and the second marker.

8. The detection method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining, in a lost state in which the position of the object is unidentifiable, whether the lost state is caused by a mask state in which the object fails to appear on at least one of the first captured image and the second image or by a cascade state in which the object is provided in plurality and in which two or more of the plurality of objects are overlapped in a gaze direction of at least one of the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit, based on the first direction vector and the second direction vector.

9. The detection method according to claim 8, wherein the determination of whether or not the lost state is caused by the mask state is made based on a cross product between the first direction vector and the second direction vector.

10. The detection method according to claim 9, wherein the determination of whether or not the lost state is caused by the mask state is made by calculating n represented by the following formula (2) based on the first captured image and the second captured image and determining whether or not the following formula (3) is satisfied:

11. The detection method according to claim 1, further comprising:

calculating, for the object provided in plurality, the position of each of the plurality of objects based on the first captured image and the second captured image to distinguish the plurality of objects; and

performing redistinguishment processing for the plurality of objects when at least one of the plurality of objects falls into a lost state and becomes unidentifiable.

12. A detection system, comprising:

a first imaging unit that acquires a first captured image pertaining to an object;

a second imaging unit that acquires a second captured image pertaining to the object; and

a controller that calculates a position of the object based on the first captured image and the second captured image, wherein

the controller defines a position vector of the object based on the first captured image, calculates a first direction vector directed from the second captured image to the object with use of the defined position vector, calculates a second direction vector directed from the second imaging unit to the object based on the second captured image, and calculates the position of the object based on the first direction vector and the second direction vector.

13. The detection system according to claim 12, wherein

the controller

calculates, for the object provided in plurality, the position of each of the plurality of objects based on the first captured image and the second captured image to distinguish the plurality of objects, and

performs redistinguishment processing for the plurality of objects when at least one of the plurality of objects falls into a lost state and becomes unidentifiable.

14. The detection system according to claim 13, wherein the controller performs the redistinguishment processing once a count of objects whose positions are calculatable satisfies a predetermined condition when the at least one of the plurality of objects becomes unidentifiable.

15. The detection system according to claim 14, wherein the controller performs the redistinguishment processing once the positions of all the plurality of objects become calculatable.

16. The detection system according to claim 14, wherein the controller performs the redistinguishment processing once a percentage of the count of objects whose positions are calculatable with respect to a total count of the plurality of objects reaches a predetermined percentage or more.

17. The detection system according to claim 14, wherein the controller performs the redistinguishment processing once the position of the at least one of the plurality of objects in the lost state becomes calculatable.

18. The detection system according to claim 13, wherein the controller performs the redistinguishment processing upon a lapse of predetermined time after the at least one of the plurality of objects falls into the lost state.