Motion sensor using dual camera inputs

• US 20050270368A1
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Kazuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,671,916 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/61
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/285 using a sequence of stereo image pairs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Motion sensing of a portable device using two cameras. A first camera is directed along a first viewing axis and a second camera is directed along a second viewing axis, different from the first viewing axis. The second viewing axis can be substantially opposite the first viewing axis. A motion processing module determines changes in images from the first camera and changes in images from the second camera. The motion processing module compares the direction of change determined from the first camera images relative to the direction of change determined from the second camera images. The motion processing module determines the motion of the portable device based in part on the comparison.

Claims

1. A motion sensing device, the device comprising:

a first camera configured to capture images along a first viewing axis;

a second camera configured to capture images along a second viewing axis different from the first viewing axis; and

a motion processing module configured to determine motion of the device based in part on the images from the first camera and the second camera.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a display configured to display an image based in part on the motion of the device.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a display configured to display at least a portion of the images from the second camera.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the motion processing module is further configured to communicate data based on motion of the device to a base unit, and to receive information from the base unit based in part on the communicated motion of the device.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the received information comprises display images.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the first viewing axis and the second viewing axis are in substantially opposite directions.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the first camera is positioned along a front of the device.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the second camera is positioned along a rear of the device.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the motion processing module is configured to determine an image translation of the first camera images and an image translation of the second camera images, and to determine the motion of the device based in part on the image translation of the first of the first camera images and the image translation of the second camera images.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first camera or second camera captured images includes an image of a user'"'"'s face.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the motion processing module is further configured to determine a distance from the user to the device based in part on a user'"'"'s eye distance determined from the image of the user'"'"'s face.

12. The device of claim 11, further comprising a display configured to display an image based in part on the distance from the user to the device.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the first camera, second camera, and motion processing module are contained within a portable device.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the first camera and second camera are contained within a portable device remote from the motion processing module.

15. A motion sensing device, the device comprising:

a first camera having a viewing axis directed away from a front of the device, and configured to capture images;

a second camera having a viewing axis directed away from a rear of the device, and configured to capture images;

a motion processing module configured to determine a motion of the device based in part on the images from the first camera and the second camera, and further configured to generate a display image based in part on the motion of the device; and

a display coupled to the motion processing module and configured to display the display image.

16. A motion sensing system, the system comprising:

a first camera positioned along a first viewing axis, and configured to capture first camera images;

a second camera positioned along a second viewing axis different from the first viewing axis, and configured to capture second camera images;

a motion processing module configured to determine a motion parameter based in part on at least two first camera images and at least two second camera images;

a base device configured to process the motion parameter and generate a display signal based in part on the motion parameter; and

a display configured to display the display signal generated by the base device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the base device comprises:

a storage device configured to store one or more stored images; and

a base device processor configured to receive the motion parameter from the processor and generate the display signal by modifying at least one stored image based in part on the motion parameter.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the motion processing module is further configured to communicate at least one of the second camera images to the base device, and wherein the base device generates as the display signal an augmented reality signal based on the at least one of the second camera images.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the motion parameter comprises at least one parameter selected from the group comprising a device translation, and a device rotation.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first camera images comprises an image of a user'"'"'s face;

wherein the motion processing module is further configured to estimate a distance to the user based in part on the image of the user'"'"'s face; and

wherein the base device is further configured to generate the display signal based in part on the distance to the user.

21. A motion sensing method, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of images from a first camera;

receiving a plurality of images from a second camera;

determining a first image translation based in part on the first camera images;

determining a second image translation based in part on the second camera images;

comparing the first image translation to the second image translation; and

determining the motion of the device based in part on the comparison.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising;

generating a display image based in part on the motion of the device; and

displaying the display image.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the plurality of images from the first camera includes an image of a user'"'"'s face, the method further comprising:

determining a distance from a user'"'"'s eyes from the image of the user'"'"'s face; and

estimating a distance from the user to the device based in part on the distance from the user'"'"'s eyes.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

generating a display image based in part on the motion of the device and the distance from the user to the device; and

displaying the display image.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein receiving the plurality of images from the second camera comprises receiving images from the second camera positioned substantially opposite the first camera.

26. A motion sensing method, the method comprising:

receiving a motion parameter determined from images captured along a first viewing axis and images captured along a second viewing axis substantially opposite the first viewing axis;

retrieving a display image from a plurality of stored images;

modifying the display image based at least in part on the motion parameter; and

communicating the modified display image to a portable device.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

receiving at least one image captured along the first viewing axis; and

modifying the display image based in part on the received image.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein modifying the display image based in part on the received image comprises generating an augmented reality image based in part on the received image.

29. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions configured to cause determination of a device motion, the instructions comprising:

program code for receiving a plurality of images from a first camera;

program code for receiving a plurality of images from a second camera;

program code for determining a first image translation based in part on the first camera images;

program code for determining a second image translation based in part on the second camera images;

program code for comparing the first image translation to the second image translation; and

program code for determining the motion of the device based in part on the comparison.

30. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions configured to cause communication of a modified display image, the instructions comprising:

program code for receiving a motion parameter determined from images captured along a first viewing axis and images captured along a second viewing axis substantially opposite the first viewing axis;

program code for retrieving a display image from a plurality of stored images;

program code for modifying the display image based at least in part on the motion parameter; and

program code for communicating the modified display image to a portable device.

31. A motion sensing system, the system comprising:

a first camera positioned on a first side of a game controller along a first viewing axis, and configured to capture first camera images;

a second camera positioned on the game controller along a second viewing axis substantially opposite the first viewing axis, and configured to capture second camera images;

a motion processing module in communication with the first and second cameras and configured to determine a motion parameter based in part on at least two first camera images and at least two second camera images;

a processor configured to retrieve a display signal from a storage device based in part on the motion parameter; and

a display positioned on the game controller and configured to display the display signal generated by the base device.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the processor and storage device are included in a game console that is external to the game controller.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the processor and storage device are included in the game controller.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the storage device comprises a storage medium having game images stored therein.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the game controller comprises at least one input device configured to receive user input.