Method and system for controlling the motion of stereoscopic cameras based on a viewer's eye motion

• US 20030107643A1
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Geo-Rae Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Geo-Rae Company Limited
• Inventors: Yoon, Byoungyi
• Application Number:
  US10/280,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20030107643A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/47
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/20 using two or more projectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/139 Format conversion, e.g. of frame-rate or size
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/246 Calibration of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/383 for tracking with gaze detection, i.e. detecting the lines of sight of the viewer's eyes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and system of controlling the motions of a set of stereoscopic cameras based on a viewer'"'"'s eye motion. The method comprises displaying at least one stereoscopic image, detecting motion of at least one of a viewer'"'"'s eyes while the viewer is watching the at least one stereoscopic image, and transmitting data indicative of the detected viewer eye motion to a set of stereoscopic cameras located at a remote site. The method also comprises receiving the eye motion data at the remote site, determining camera adjustment values based on the received eye motion data, and controlling the motion of the set of stereoscopic cameras based on the camera adjustment values such that the cameras follow the viewer'"'"'s eye motion.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the motions of a set of stereoscopic cameras based on a viewer'"'"'s eye motion, comprising:

displaying at least one stereoscopic image;

detecting motion of at least one of a viewer'"'"'s eyes while the viewer is watching the at least one stereoscopic image;

transmitting data indicative of the detected viewer eye motion to a set of stereoscopic cameras located at a remote site;

receiving the eye motion data at the remote site;

determining camera adjustment values based on the received eye motion data; and

controlling the motion of the set of stereoscopic cameras based on the camera adjustment values such that the cameras follow the viewer'"'"'s eye motion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the motion comprises detecting current locations of the viewer'"'"'s eye lenses

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling of the motion of the stereoscopic cameras comprises moving each of the cameras in longitudinal and latitudinal directions.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the controlling of the motion of the stereoscopic cameras comprises moving each of the cameras spherically such that the camera movement keeps track of a spherical movement of the viewer eye.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the controlling of the motion of the cameras comprises moving the set of stereoscopic cameras in parallel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the eye motion comprises eye lens motion or eye pupil motion.

7. A method of controlling the motions of a pair of projection portions based on a viewer'"'"'s eye motion, comprising:

providing a pair of projection portions configured to project three-dimensional structural data of a scene into a pair of two-dimensional planes;

producing at least one stereoscopic image from the three-dimensional structural data by the pair of projection portions, the stereoscopic image comprising a pair of two-dimensional plane images;

displaying the stereoscopic image;

detecting motion of at least one of a viewer'"'"'s eyes while the viewer is watching the stereoscopic image;

determining camera adjusting values based on the detected eye motion data; and

controlling the motion of the projection portions based on the camera adjusting values such that the projection portions follow the viewer'"'"'s eye motion.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the eye motion comprises eye lens motion or eye pupil motion.

9. A system for controlling the motions of stereoscopic cameras based on a viewer'"'"'s eye motion, comprising:

a set of display device configured to display at least one stereoscopic image, the stereoscopic image comprising a pair of two-dimensional plane images;

an eye motion detector configured to detect motion of at least one of a viewer'"'"'s eyes that are directed toward to the set of display device;

a transmitter configured to transmit data indicative of the detected viewer eye motion to a set of stereoscopic cameras;

a receiver configured to receive the eye motion data; and

a camera controller configured to control the motion of the stereoscopic cameras based on the received eye motion data.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the camera controller comprises first and second motors each being configured to move each of the stereoscopic cameras in longitudinal and latitudinal directions, respectively.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the set of display device comprises a unitary display device adapted to sequentially the two-dimensional plane images.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the set of display device comprises a pair of display devices configured to display simultaneously the two-dimensional plane images, respectively.

13. A camera system for tracking a viewer'"'"'s eye lens motion, comprising:

a set of stereoscopic cameras;

a receiver configured to receive motion data indicative of motion of a viewer'"'"'s eye lenses; and

a camera controller configured to control movement of the cameras based on the eye lens motion data such that the cameras move in the direction of the viewer'"'"'s eye lens motion..

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the camera controller comprises first and second motors each being configured to move each of the stereoscopic cameras in longitudinal and latitudinal directions, respectively.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the camera controller further comprises first and second guiding members, each guiding member being connected to a respective motor and rotated by the rotation of the respective motor, and configured to move each of the cameras spherically such that the camera movement is directly related to the spherical movement of the viewer'"'"'s eyes.

16. A method of controlling the motions of stereoscopic cameras based on a viewer'"'"'s eye motion, comprising:

receiving motion data indicative of motion of a viewer'"'"'s eye lenses;

calculating camera position adjustment values based on the eye lens motion data; and

controlling the motion of the stereoscopic cameras based on the camera position adjustment values such that the cameras move in the direction of the eye lens motion.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the controlling of the motion of the stereoscopic cameras comprises moving each of the cameras in longitudinal and latitudinal directions.

18. A camera system for tracking a viewer'"'"'s eye motion, comprising:

plural sets of stereoscopic cameras;

a receiver configured to receive motion data indicative of motion of a viewer'"'"'s eye lenses;

a computing device configured to generate a camera selecting signal based on the eye lens motion data; and

at least one camera selector configured to select one set of stereoscopic cameras from the plural sets of the cameras based on the camera selecting signal.

19. The camera system of claim 18, wherein the plural sets of stereoscopic cameras comprises object lenses, respectively, and wherein a contour line made by connecting all the object lenses of the cameras is similar to a contour line of a viewer'"'"'s eyes.

20. The camera system of claim 19, wherein the computing device comprises:

a memory storing a table containing the relationships between the eye lens position and the camera position; and

a microcomputer configured to determine a camera selection signal based on at least one of the relationships in the table.

21. A method of controlling the motions of stereoscopic cameras based on a viewer'"'"'s eye lens motion, comprising:

providing plural sets of stereoscopic cameras;

receiving motion data indicative of motion of a viewer'"'"'s eye lenses;

determining a camera selecting signal based on the eye lens motion data;

selecting one set of stereoscopic cameras from the plural sets of the cameras based on the camera selecting signal; and

imaging a scene having one or more objects using the selected set of stereoscopic cameras.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

imaging a scene having one or more objects using a base set of stereoscopic cameras; and

turning off the base camera set based on the camera selection signal.

23. A system for controlling the motions of stereoscopic cameras based on a viewer'"'"'s eye motion, comprising:

means for receiving motion data indicative of motion of a viewer'"'"'s eye lenses;

means for calculating camera position adjustment values based on the eye lens motion data; and

means for controlling the motion of the stereoscopic cameras based on the camera position adjustment values such that the cameras move in the direction of the eye lens motion.