COMPARTMENTALIZING FOCUS AREA WITHIN FIELD OF VIEW

• US 20110310125A1
• Filed: 06/21/2010
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: McEldowney, Scott, Tardif, John A., Clavin, John, Cohen, David, Yahav, Giora
• Granted Patent: US 8,654,152 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/660
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/045 Zooming at least part of an image, i.e. enlarging it or shrinking it
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for selectively focusing on certain areas of interest within an imaged scene to gain more image detail within those areas. In general, the present system identifies areas of interest from received image data, which may for example be detected areas of movement within the scene. The system then focuses on those areas by providing more detail in the area of interest. This may be accomplished by a number of methods, including zooming in on the image, increasing pixel density of the image and increasing the amount of light incident on the object in the image.

Claims

1. In a system comprising a computing environment coupled to a capture device for capturing motion, a method of increasing image detail in one or more areas of interest in a scene captured by the capture device, comprising:

a) receiving information from the scene;

b) identifying the one or more areas of interest within the scene;

c) obtaining greater image detail on the one or more areas of interest within the scene relative to areas in the scene outside of the one or more areas of interest; and

d) at least periodically monitoring information in the scene outside the one or more areas of interest to determine whether to re-define the one or more areas of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, said step b) of identifying the one or more areas of interest within the scene comprising the step of identifying areas of movement within the scene.

3. The method of claim 2, said step b) of identifying areas of movement within the scene comprising at least one of recognizing a skeletal pattern and comparing a frame of image data against an earlier frame of image data.

4. The method of claim 1, said step c) of obtaining greater image detail on the one or more areas of interest within the scene comprising the step of performing one of a mechanical zoom or digital zoom to focus on at least one area of interest in the one or more areas of interest.

5. The method of claim 1, said step c) of obtaining greater image detail on the one or more areas of interest within the scene comprising the step of enhancing the image data by performing an image enhancing algorithm on the image data.

6. The method of claim 1, said step c) of obtaining greater image detail on the one or more areas of interest within the scene comprising the step of increasing the pixel density around the one or more areas of interest.

7. The method of claim 1, said step c) of obtaining greater image detail on the one or more areas of interest within the scene comprising the step of altering an applied light source to focus the light source on at least one area of interest of the one or more areas of interest.

8. The method of claim 1, said step c) of obtaining greater image detail on the one or more areas of interest within the scene comprising the step of combining together pixels of the image data for areas outside of the one or more areas of interest.

9. The method of claim 1, said step b) of identifying the one or more areas of interest within the scene comprising the step of identifying a three dimensional area of interest within the scene.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of rendering an image on a display associated with the computing environment using image data from the one or more areas of interest from a current frame and image data from the areas outside of the one or more areas of interest from a frame prior to the current frame.

11. In a system comprising a computing environment coupled to a capture device for capturing motion, a method of increasing image detail in one or more areas of interest in a scene captured by the capture device, comprising:

a) defining a zone of focus within the scene, the zone of focus defined to correspond with one or more expected areas of interest within the scene; and

b) obtaining greater image detail on the zone of focus within the scene relative to areas in the scene outside of the one or more areas of interest.

12. The method of claim 11, said step a) of defining a zone of focus within the scene comprising the step of defining an application-specific zone of focus where the application defines the zone of focus to correspond with one or more areas of interest expected in the application.

13. The method of claim 11, said step a) of defining a zone of focus within the scene comprising the step of defining a permanent zone of focus within the scene.

14. The method of claim 13, said step b) of obtaining greater image detail on the zone of focus comprising the step of obtaining greater detail by shaping the lens to provide greater detail in the zone of focus.

15. The method of claim 11, said step b) of obtaining greater image detail on the zone of focus comprising the step of enlarging pixels outside of the zone of focus by pixel binning

16. The method of claim 11, said step b) of obtaining greater image detail on the zone of focus comprising the step of altering an applied light source to focus the light source on the zone of focus.

17. In a gaming system comprising a computing environment coupled to a capture device for capturing motion, a method of increasing image detail in one or more areas of interest in a scene captured by the capture device, comprising:

a) receiving information from the scene;

b) identifying one or more users within the scene;

c) obtaining greater image detail on at least a body part of the one or more users within the scene relative to areas in the scene other than the one or more users;

d) using the greater image detail obtained on at least the body part of the one or more users within the scene in said step c) to identify a gesture performed by the one or more users; and

e) at least periodically monitoring information in the scene outside the one or more users to determine whether to add or subtract a user to the group of one or more users on which greater image detail is obtained in said step c).

18. The method of claim 17, said step c) of obtaining greater image detail on at least a body part of the one or more users comprising the step of obtaining greater image detail on two different objects.

19. The method of claim 18, said step c) of obtaining greater image detail on two different objects comprising the step of obtaining greater image detail on an entire user and obtaining greater detail on a body part of a user.

20. The method of claim 17, said step d) of using the greater image detail to identify a gesture comprising the step of using the greater image detail to identify a gesture performed by one of a foot, hand, face or mouth of the user.