DETERMINING A VIEWING DISTANCE FOR A COMPUTING DEVICE

• US 20140233806A1
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gossweiler, Richard, Corrado, Gregory Sean
• Granted Patent: US 9,042,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/106
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/04 Interpretation of pictures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/04 Adaptation of rangefinders for combination with telescopes or binoculars
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/00 Measuring height; Measuring distances transverse to line of sight; Levelling between separated points; Surveyors' levels G01C3/20, G01C3/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A method, computer readable storage device, and apparatus for determining the distance a computing device is located from a user'"'"'s face. An image of an individual is obtained. A first pupil location and a second pupil location are identified based on the obtained image. A first distance between the identified first and second pupil location is determined. A second distance between the individual and the computing device is determined based on the determined first distance between the identified first and second pupil locations.

Claims

1. A method comprising;

obtaining, at a mobile computing device, an image of an individual;

identifying, at the mobile computing device, a first pupil location and a second pupil location based on the obtained image;

determining, at the mobile computing device, a first distance between the first and the second pupil location; and

determining, at the mobile computing device, based on the first distance, a second distance between the individual and the mobile computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adjusting, at the mobile computing device, based on the determined second distance, a content displayed on a display screen of the mobile computing device.

3. The method of the claim 1 wherein the determining further comprises determining the second distance between the individual and the mobile computing device based on an inverse relationship to the measured first distance between the first and second pupil locations of the individual in the obtained image and a plurality of parameters.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the plurality of parameters are related to hardware of the mobile computing device.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the plurality of parameters are related to the individual.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

adjusting, at the mobile computing device, based on the determined second distance between the individual and the mobile computing device a content displayed on a display screen of the mobile computing device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing, at the mobile computing device, a history of measured first distance values for the distance between the first and second pupil locations of the individual in a plurality of obtained images.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising determining, at the mobile computing device, the second distance between the individual and the mobile computing device based of the stored history of measured first distance values.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

adjusting, at the mobile computing device, based on the determined second distance between the individual and the mobile computing device a content displayed on a display screen of the mobile computing device.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the determined second distance between the individual and the mobile computing device is 0.0 when the measured first distance between the first and second pupil locations of the individual is less than a smallest value in the stored history of measured first distance values.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the determined second distance between the individual and the mobile computing device is 1.0 when the measured first distance between the first and second pupil locations of the individual is greater than a largest value in the stored history of measured first distance values.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the determined second distance between the individual and the mobile computing device is 0.5 when the measured first distance between the first and second pupil locations of the individual is equal to a median value in the stored history of measured first distance values.

13. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

fitting, at the mobile computing device, the stored history of measured first distance values to a parametric probabilistic model; and

wherein the determining further comprises determining, at the mobile computing device, the second distance between the individual and the mobile computing device based on the fit parametric probabilistic model.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

adjusting, at the mobile computing device, based on the determined second distance between the individual and the mobile computing device a content displayed on a display screen of the mobile computing device.

15. A computer readable storage device having stored thereon instructions for providing a device left behind alert comprising machine executable code which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform steps comprising:

obtaining an image of an individual;

identifying a first pupil location and a second pupil location based on the obtained image;

determining a first distance between the first and the second pupil location; and

determining, based on the first distance, a second distance between the individual and the device.

16. The device of claim 15 further comprising:

adjusting, based on the determined second distance, a content displayed on a display screen of the device.

17. The device of the claim 15 wherein the determining further comprises determining the second distance between the individual and the device based on an inverse relationship to the measured first distance between the first and second pupil locations of the individual in the obtained image and a plurality of parameters.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the plurality of parameters are related to hardware of the device.

19. The device of claim 17 wherein the plurality of parameters are related to the individual.

20. The device of claim 17 further comprising:

adjusting, based on the determined second distance between the individual and the device a content displayed on a display screen of the mobile computing device.

21. The device of claim 15 further comprising:

storing a history of measured first distance values for the distance between the first and second pupil locations of the individual in a plurality of obtained images.

22. The device of claim 21 further comprising determining the second distance between the individual and the device based on the stored history of measured first distance values.

23. The device of claim 21 further comprising:

adjusting, based on the determined second distance between the individual and the device a content displayed on a display screen of the device.

24. The device of claim 22 wherein the determined second distance between the individual and the device is 0.0 when the measured first distance between the first and second pupil locations of the individual is less than a smallest value in the stored history of measured first distance values.

25. The device of claim 22 wherein the determined second distance between the individual and the device is 1.0 when the measured first distance between the first and second pupil locations of the individual is greater than a largest value in the stored history of measured first distance values.

26. The device of claim 22 wherein the determined second distance between the individual and the mobile computing device is 0.5 when the measured first distance between the first and second pupil locations of the individual is equal to a median value in the stored history of measured first distance values.

27. The device of claim 21 further comprising:

fitting the stored history of measured first distance values to a parametric probabilistic model; and

wherein the determining further comprises determining the second distance between the individual and the mobile computing device based on the fit parametric probabilistic model.

28. The device of claim 27 further comprising:

adjusting, based on the determined second distance between the individual and the device a content displayed on a display screen of the device.

29. An apparatus comprising a memory coupled to a processor configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory comprising:

obtaining an image of an individual;

identifying a first pupil location and a second pupil location based on the obtained image;

determining a first distance between the first and the second pupil location; and

determining, based on the first distance, a second distance between the individual and the apparatus.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising:

adjusting, based on the determined second distance, a content displayed on a display screen of the apparatus.

31. The apparatus of the claim 29 wherein the determining further comprises determining the second distance between the individual and the mobile computing device based on an inverse relationship to the measured first distance between the first and second pupil locations of the individual in the obtained image and a plurality of parameters.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the plurality of parameters are related to hardware of the apparatus.

33. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the plurality of parameters are related to the individual.

34. The apparatus of claim 31 further comprising:

adjusting, based on the determined second distance between the individual and the mobile computing device a content displayed on a display screen of the apparatus.

35. The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising:

storing a history of measured first distance values for the distance between the first and second pupil locations of the individual in a plurality of obtained images.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 further comprising determining the second distance between the individual and the apparatus based of the stored history of measured first distance values.

37. The apparatus of claim 35 further comprising:

adjusting, based on the determined second distance between the individual and the mobile computing device a content displayed on a display screen of the apparatus.

38. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the determined second distance between the individual and the mobile computing device is 0.0 when the measured first distance between the first and second pupil locations of the individual is less than a smallest value in the stored history of measured first distance values.

39. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the determined second distance between the individual and the apparatus is 1.0 when the measured first distance between the first and second pupil locations of the individual is greater than a largest value in the stored history of measured first distance values.

40. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the determined second distance between the individual and the apparatus is 0.5 when the measured first distance between the first and second pupil locations of the individual is equal to a median value in the stored history of measured first distance values.

41. The apparatus of claim 35 further comprising:

fitting the stored history of measured first distance values to a parametric probabilistic model; and

wherein the determining further comprises determining the second distance between the individual and the apparatus based on the fit parametric probabilistic model.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 further comprising:

adjusting, based on the determined second distance between the individual and the mobile computing device a content displayed on a display screen of the apparatus.