DEPTH CAMERA COMPATIBILITY

• US 20110187819A1
• Filed: 02/02/2010
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gilboa, Guy, Katz, Sagi, Adler, Avishai
• Granted Patent: US 8,687,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/43
• 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

Abstract

Compatibility between a depth image consumer and a plurality of different depth image producers is provided by receiving a native depth image having unsupported depth camera parameters that are not compatible with a depth image consumer, and converting the native depth image to a virtual depth image having supported virtual depth camera parameters that are compatible with the depth image consumer. This virtual depth image is then output to the depth image consumer.

Claims

1. A depth camera interchangeability system, comprising:

an initialization module to acknowledge supported virtual depth camera parameters for a depth image consumer;

a capture module to receive a native depth image from a depth image producer;

a virtualization module to convert the native depth image to a virtual depth image having supported virtual depth camera parameters compatible with the depth image consumer; and

an output module to output the virtual depth image to the depth image consumer.

2. The depth camera interchangeability system of claim 1, where the initialization module is configured to receive an indication of the supported virtual depth camera parameters from the depth image consumer.

3. The depth camera interchangeability system of claim 2, where the indication of the supported virtual depth camera parameters specifies a view frustum of a virtual depth camera.

4. The depth camera interchangeability system of claim 2, where the indication of the supported virtual depth camera parameters specifies a resolution of a virtual depth camera.

5. The depth camera interchangeability system of claim 2, where the indication of the supported virtual depth camera parameters specifies a model of an actual depth camera on which a virtual depth camera is based.

6. The depth camera interchangeability system of claim 1, where the initialization module is configured to generate aiming instructions to facilitate aiming a depth camera for compatibility with the supported virtual depth camera parameters of the depth image consumer.

7. The depth camera interchangeability system of claim 6, where the initialization module is further configured to send the aiming instructions to the depth camera.

8. The depth camera interchangeability system of claim 1, where the virtualization module is configured to convert the native depth image to the virtual depth image by clipping a view frustum of the native depth image.

9. The depth camera interchangeability system of claim 1, where the virtualization module is configured to convert the native depth image to the virtual depth image by decreasing a resolution of the native depth image.

10. The depth camera interchangeability system of claim 1, where the depth image producer includes an on-camera processor that translates raw depth camera data into the native depth image, and where the capture module is configured to receive the native depth image via the on-camera processor.

11. The depth camera interchangeability system of claim 1, where the depth image producer includes an off-camera processor that translates raw depth camera data into the native depth image, and where the capture module is configured to receive the native depth image via the off-camera processor.

12. The depth camera interchangeability system of claim 1, where the depth image producer includes an on-camera processor and an off-camera processor that cooperate to translate raw depth camera data into the native depth image, and where the capture module is configured to receive the native depth image via the on-camera processor and the off-camera processor.

13. The depth camera interchangeability system of claim 1, where the initialization module, the capture module, the virtualization module, and the output module are implemented as part of an application programming interface.

14. A method of providing compatibility between a depth image consumer and a plurality of different depth image producers, the method comprising:

receiving a native depth image having unsupported depth camera parameters that are not compatible with a depth image consumer;

converting the native depth image to a virtual depth image having supported virtual depth camera parameters that are compatible with the depth image consumer; and

outputting the virtual depth image to the depth image consumer.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving an indication of the supported virtual depth camera parameters specifying a view frustum of a virtual depth camera.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving an indication of the supported virtual depth camera parameters specifying a resolution of a virtual depth camera.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving an indication of the supported virtual depth camera parameters specifying a model of an actual depth camera on which a virtual depth camera is based.

18. The method of claim 14, where converting the native depth image to the virtual depth image includes clipping a view frustum of the native depth image.

19. The method of claim 14, where converting the native depth image to the virtual depth image includes decreasing a resolution of the native depth image.

20. One or more data-holding subsystems holding instructions executable by one or more logic subsystems to:

acknowledge supported depth camera parameters for a depth image consumer;

convert a native depth image from a depth camera to a virtual depth image having supported depth camera parameters compatible with the depth image consumer; and

output the virtual depth image to the depth image consumer.