TELEPRESENCE METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SUPPORTING OUT OF RANGE MOTION

• US 20150015708A1
• Filed: 07/10/2013
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SubC Control Limited
• Original Assignee: SubC Control Limited
• Inventors: COLLETT, Chad Joseph, ROWE, Adam Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,609,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/16 Human faces, e.g. facial parts, sketches or expressions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A telepresence system and method is disclosed for aligning a remote pan and tilt system with the position of a user'"'"'s head and for displaying to the user a first portion of the field of capture of the remote pan and tilt system. The pan and tilt system moves to track the movement of the user'"'"'s head. When the pan and tilt system is in a misaligned position with the position of the user'"'"'s head the image displayed to the user is a second portion of the field of capture of the remote pan and tilt system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

aligning a remote pan and tilt system with the position of a user'"'"'s head to place the remote pan and tilt system in a first aligned position;

providing a first image from the remote pan and tilt system in the first aligned position within a first field of capture of the remote pan and tilt system to a field of view of the user, the first image captured from a position of the remote pan tilt system correlating to a first relative position of the head of the user, the first image comprising a first portion of the field of capture of the remote pan and tilt system;

moving the position of the head of the user to a second position and moving the remote pan and tilt system for alignment with the second position to place the remote pan and tilt system in a second misaligned position;

providing a second image from the remote pan and tilt system in the second misaligned position within the first field of capture to the field of view of the user, the second image captured from a position of the remote pan and tilt system for correlating to a relative position of the user'"'"'s head in the second position, the second image comprising a second portion of the field of capture of the remote pan and tilt system in the second misaligned position, the first portion other than the second portion.

2. The method according to claim 1 comprising:

providing a third image from the remote pan and tilt system within the first field of capture of the remote pan and tilt system to the field of view of the user, the third image captured from a third aligned position of the remote and pan tilt system aligned with a relative position of the user'"'"'s head other than the first relative position, the third image comprising a first portion of the field of capture of the remote pan and tilt system, the third image captured by the pan and tilt system from the third aligned position.

3. The method according to claim 1 comprising:

moving the position of the head of the user to a fourth position;

detecting that the fourth position of the head of the user corresponds to a position out of range for the pan and tilt system; and

providing a fourth image to the user from the remote pan and tilt system within the first field of capture of the remote pan and tilt system but other than within the first portion of the first field of capture, the fourth image captured from a position of the remote pan and tilt system correlating to a different relative position of the head of the user, the fourth image consisting of a portion of the field of capture of the remote pan and tilt system correlating to the different relative position of the head of the user.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first portion is in a fixed position relative to the field of capture of the remote and pan tilt system.

5. The method according to claim 1 comprising:

providing a third image from the remote pan and tilt system within the first field of capture of the remote pan and tilt system to the field of view of the user, the third image captured from a third position of the remote and pan tilt system correlated to the position of the user'"'"'s head and other than aligned with a relative position of the user'"'"'s head, the third image comprising the first portion of the field of capture of the remote pan and tilt system, the first portion in other than a fixed position relative to the first field of capture.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the first field of capture of the remote pan and tilt system is fixed relative to the pan and tilt system.

7. The method according to claim 1 comprising:

sensing the movement of the user'"'"'s head with a first sensor;

providing by the first sensor a first signal indicative of the sensed movement of the head of the user;

coupling a second sensor to a vehicle and sensing the movement of the vehicle with the second sensor;

providing by the second sensor a second signal, the second signal comprising a component indicative of the sensed movement of the vehicle;

cancelling an error from the first signal comprising cancelling the component of the second signal indicative of the sensed movement of the vehicle to provide a third signal; and

moving the pan and tilt system in correlation with the third signal.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the user is a passenger of the vehicle, the cancelling for removing motion of the head of the user resulting from motion of the vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein the pan and tilt system is aboard the vehicle, the cancelling for removing motion artifacts within feedback from the vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 8 comprising filtering high frequency motion of the vehicle and other than filtering low frequency motion of the vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 9 comprising filtering high frequency motion of the vehicle and other than filtering low frequency motion of the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 3 wherein in a position out of range comprises a position of the head of the user corresponding to a position of the pan and tilt position outside of one of the operating linear range and operating angular range of motion of the pan and tilt system.

13. The method according to claim 1 comprising:

moving the head of the user from a third position to a fifth position;

moving the pan and tilt system from a third aligned position correlating to the third position of the head of the user to a fourth misaligned position, the fourth misaligned position other than correlated to the fifth position of the head of the user, and

the misaligned fourth position is one of a sequence of positions in the path of movement of the pan and tilt system from the aligned third position correlating to the third position of the head of the user to a fifth aligned position correlating to the fifth position of the head of the user; and

moving the pan and tilt system to the fifth aligned position correlating to the fifth position of the head of the user.

14. The method according to claim 13 comprising detecting the rate of movement from the third position to the fifth position of the head of the user is greater than the rate of movement of the pan and tilt system.

15. The method according to claim 14 comprising providing the user an indication that the pan and tilt system is out of range.

16. The method according to of claim 14 comprising providing the user an indication that the rate of movement of the head of the user is greater than the rate of movement of the pan and tilt system.

17. The method according to claim 13 comprising providing the user an indication that the pan and tilt system is misaligned when the pan and tilt system is in a misaligned position.

18. The method according to claim 1 comprising moving the pan and tilt system and the head mounted device at different rates, the field of view within the field of capture varying for compensating for the different rates, the different rates resulting in relatively moving of the pan and tilt system and the head mounted device out of an aligned position.

19. The method according to claim 18 comprising moving the pan and tilt system and the head mounted device at different rates, the field of view within the field of capture varying for compensating for the different rates, the different rates selected for relatively moving the pan and tilt system and the head mounted device into an aligned position.

20. The method according to claim 1 comprising moving the pan and tilt system and the head mounted device at different rates, the field of view within the field of capture varying for compensating for the different rates, the different rates selected for relatively moving the pan and tilt system and the head mounted device into an aligned position.

21. A method comprising:

selectably operating a pan and tilt system video feedback in a first mode of operation and a second other mode of operation, the first mode of operation selected when motion of a head of a user is within a first range of motion of the pan and tilt system and a second mode of operation selected when motion of the head of the user is outside the first range of motion of the pan and tilt system;

while in the first mode of operation, providing a first image from the remote pan and tilt system within a field of capture of the remote pan and tilt system to a field of view of the user, the first image captured from a position of the remote and pan tilt system correlating to a first relative position of the head of the user, the first image consisting of a first portion of the field of capture of the remote pan and tilt system;

while in the second mode of operation, providing a second image within the first field of capture to the field of view of the user, the second image correlating to a relative position of the head of the user, the second image consisting of a second portion of the field of capture of the remote pan and tilt system, the first portion other than the second portion.

22. The method according to claim 21 wherein outside the first range of motion of the pan and tilt system corresponds to a position of the pan and tilt system outside of one of the operating linear range and operating angular range of motion of the pan and tilt system.

23. The method according to claim 21 wherein outside the first range of motion of the pan and tilt system corresponds to a rate of movement of the head of the user greater than a supported rate of movement of the pan and tilt system.

24. The method according to claim 21 wherein the first portion is in a fixed position relative to the field of capture of the remote and pan tilt system.

25. The method according to claim 21 wherein the first portion is in other than a fixed position relative to the field of capture of the remote pan and tilt system.

26. The method according to claim 21 wherein the first portion is moved relative to the field of capture for filtering of vibrational noise within the field of capture.

27. The method according to claim 22 comprising providing the user an indication that the motion of the head of the user is outside the first range of motion of the pan and tilt system.

28. A system comprising:

a sensor for sensing the position of a head of a user;

a pan and tilt apparatus for moving in alignment with the sensed position of the head of the user and for capturing an image of the environment within the field of capture of the pan and tilt apparatus; and

a display for displaying a portion of the image captured by the pan and tilt apparatus, the portion other than the entire captured image;

wherein a first portion of the image is captured within the field of capture of the pan and tilt system from a position of the remote pan tilt system correlating to a first sensed position of the head of the user and a second portion of the image is captured within the field of capture of the pan and tilt system from a position of the remote pan tilt system other than correlating to a second sensed position of the head of the user, the first sensed position other than the second sensed position.