TARGET OBJECT ANGLE DETERMINATION USING MULTIPLE CAMERAS

• US 20140056470A1
• Filed: 08/23/2012
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Khawand, Charbel, Kim, Chanwoo
• Granted Patent: US 9,269,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10012 Stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer media for determining the angle of a target object with respect to a device are provided herein. Target object information captured at approximately the same time by at least two cameras can be received. The target object information can comprise images or distances from the target object to the corresponding camera. An angle between the target object and the device can be determined based on the target object information. When the target object information includes images, the angle can be determined based on a correlation between two images. When the target object information includes distances from the target object to the corresponding camera, the angle can be calculated geometrically.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed, perform a method of determining an angle of a target object with respect to a device, the method comprising:

receiving first target object information captured using a first camera on the device and second target object information captured using a second camera on the device, the first and second target object information captured at approximately a same capture time; and

based on the first and second target object information, determining an angle between the target object and the device.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the first target object information is a first image and the second target object information is a second image.

3. The media of claim 2, further comprising determining a correlation value for a correlation between the first and second images, and wherein the angle between the target object and the device is determined based on the correlation value.

4. The media of claim 3, wherein determining the angle comprises:

accessing a tuning table having correlation values and corresponding angles; and

retrieving the angle corresponding to the correlation value closest to the determined correlation value.

5. The media of claim 1, wherein the first and second target object information are estimated distances from the target object to the corresponding camera on the device.

6. The media of claim 5, wherein the estimated distances are acquired using an autofocus function of the first and second cameras.

7. The media of claim 1, wherein determining the angle between the target object and the device comprises determining an angle between a first reference line extending from the target object to the device and a second reference line extending through the device, wherein the second reference line is substantially perpendicular to a third reference line extending between the first and second cameras, and wherein the first reference line and the second reference line intersect at the approximate midpoint of the third reference line.

8. The media of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of a first object visible on a display of the device; and

identifying the first object as the target object in response to the user selection of the first object.

9. The media of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of a second object visible on the display of the device; and

updating the target object from the first object to the second object in response to the user selection of the second object.

10. The media of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user selections of a plurality of objects visible on a display of the device; and

identifying the plurality of objects as the target object in response to the user selections.

11. The media of claim 10, wherein determining the angle between the target object and the device comprises:

determining an angle for each of the plurality of objects; and

determining a representative angle for the target object based on the angles determined for the plurality of objects.

12. The media of claim 1, further comprising providing the determined angle to a microphone audio source separation algorithm.

13. The media of claim 1, wherein the device is a mobile phone.

14. The media of claim 1, wherein the capture time is a first time, and further comprising:

receiving additional target object information captured at approximately a second time using the first camera and second camera; and

tracking the target object by determining an updated angle between the target object and the reference line extending through the device based on the additional target object information.

15. A multi-camera mobile device having target object angle determination capabilities, the mobile device comprising:

a first camera;

a second camera;

a touchscreen display;

a target object identification component that identifies an object visible on the touchscreen display of the device as the target object;

a target object information acquisition component that receives target object information captured by the first and second cameras; and

an angle determination component that determines an angle between the target object and the device using the received target object information.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the angle determination component comprises at least one of:

a correlation component that, when the target object information comprises images captured approximately simultaneously by the first and second cameras, determines a correlation value for a correlation between the images and determines the angle by accessing a tuning table having correlation values and corresponding angles and retrieving the angle corresponding to the correlation value closest to the determined correlation value; and

a geometric calculation component that, when the target object information comprises estimated distances from the target object to the corresponding camera on the device acquired approximately simultaneously using an autofocus function, determines the angle through geometric calculation.

17. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the target object identification component identifies the target object based on at least one of user selection of the target object from the touchscreen display of the device or the target object being located in a specified section of the touchscreen display.

18. A method of determining an angle of a target object with respect to a device, the method comprising:

receiving an identification of an object visible on a display of the device as the target object;

receiving a pair of images including at least a portion of the target object, the pair of images comprising a first image captured by a first camera on the device and a second image captured by a second camera on the device;

determining a correlation value for a correlation between the first and second images; and

determining an angle between a first reference line extending from the target object to the device and a second reference line extending through the device by;

accessing a tuning table having correlation values and corresponding angles; and

retrieving the angle corresponding to the correlation value closest to the determined correlation value.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the target object is identified by at least one of user selection of the target object from the device display or the target object being located in a specified section of the display.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing the retrieved angle to a microphone audio source separation algorithm.