HEAD-MOUNTABLE APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS

• US 20150054734A1
• Filed: 08/20/2014
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Raghoebardajal, Sharwin Winesh, Bickerstaff, Ian Henry, Benson, Simon Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,423,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• 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 3/0308 comprising a plurality of distinctive and separately oriented light emitters or reflectors associated to the pointing device, e.g. remote cursor controller with distinct and separately oriented LEDs at the tip whose radiations are captured by a photo-detector associated to the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/107 Static hand or arm
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/28 Recognition of hand or arm movements, e.g. recognition of deaf sign language static hand signs G06V40/113

Abstract

A head mountable display (HMD) comprises an infrared light source operable to illuminate foreground objects but not background objects greater than a threshold distance from the HMD; one or more cameras operable to capture infrared illuminated images and visible light illuminated images; and an image processor operable to detect, from the infrared illuminated images, foreground objects in the visible light illuminated images.

Claims

1. A head mountable display (HMD) comprising:

an infrared light source configured to illuminate foreground objects but not background objects greater than a threshold distance from the HMD, the infrared light source being configured to provide illumination for successive intervals of time separated by intervals during which the infrared light source does not provide illumination;

one or more cameras configured to capture infrared illuminated images and visible light illuminated images, the one or more cameras being configured to capture the infrared illuminated images during the intervals in which the infrared light source provides illumination and configured to capture the visible light illuminated images during the intervals in which the infrared light source does not provide illumination; and

an image processor configured to detect, from the infrared illuminated images, foreground objects in the visible light illuminated images.

2. An HMD according to claim 1, in which the image processor is configured to select foreground objects from the visible light illuminated images for keying into a computer-generated image for display to the wearer of the HMD.

3. An HMD according to claim 2, in which the image processor is configured to generate a key signal indicative of positions of detected foreground objects.

4. An HMD according to claim 1, in which the image processor is configured to detect a colour or texture of foreground objects from the visible light illuminated images for controlling generation of a computer-generated image for display to the wearer of the HMD.

5. An HMD according to claim 1, in which the one or more cameras comprise a single camera configured to operate in turn to capture infrared illuminated images and visible light illuminated images.

6. An HMD according to claim 1, in which the one or more cameras comprise a single camera and a light-directing arrangement for directing infrared and visible light to different image regions of the single camera.

7. An HMD according to claim 1, in which the image processor is configured to detect a user'"'"'s hand and/or arm positions from the infrared illuminated images and to provide control data to control a data processing operation based on the detected hand and/or arm positions.

8. A method of operation of a head mountable display (HMD), the method comprising the steps of:

illuminating, using an infrared light source, foreground objects but not background objects greater than a threshold distance from the HMD, the illuminating step comprising the infrared light source providing illumination for successive intervals of time separated by intervals during which the infrared light source does not provide illumination;

capturing infrared illuminated images and visible light illuminated images, the capturing step comprising capturing the infrared illuminated images during the intervals in which the infrared light source provides illumination and capturing the visible light illuminated images during the intervals in which the infrared light source does not provide illumination; and

detecting, from the infrared illuminated images, foreground objects in the visible light illuminated images.

9. A method according to claim 8, comprising selecting foreground objects from the visible light illuminated images for keying into a computer-generated image for display to the wearer of the HMD.

10. A method according to claim 9, in which the selecting step comprises generating a key signal indicative of positions of detected foreground objects.

11. A method according to claim 8, comprising detecting a colour or texture of foreground objects from the visible light illuminated images for controlling ire generation of a computer-generated image for display to wearer of the HMD.

12. A method according to claim 8, in which the capturing step comprises operating a single camera configured to operate in turn to capture infrared illuminated images and visible light illuminated images.

13. A method according to claim 8, in which the capturing step comprises providing a single camera and a light-directing arrangement for directing infrared and visible light to different image regions of the single camera.

14. An HMD according to claim 8, comprising detecting a user'"'"'s hand and/or arm positions from the infrared illuminated images and to provide control data to control a data processing operation based on the detected hand and/or arm positions.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium which stores computer software which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out the method of claim 8.