METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING INTERPUPILLARY DISTANCE (IPD)

• US 20170200285A1
• Filed: 12/21/2016
• Published: 07/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: HWANG, Hyoseok, NAM, DongKyung, CHANG, Hyun Sung
• Granted Patent: US 10,453,210 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/10 Objective types, i.e. instruments for examining the eyes independent of the patients' perceptions or reactions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/111 for measuring interpupillary distance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10012 Stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30201 Face
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/42 Global feature extraction by analysis of the whole pattern, e.g. using frequency domain transformations or autocorrelation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/193 Preprocessing; Feature extraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/67 by interactive indications to the user

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus and method for determining an interpupillary distance (IPD), the method and apparatus may determine the IPD of a user by analyzing an image of the user gazing at a display to which a predetermined pattern is output, wherein the image may be obtained by the apparatus for determining the IPD or may be received from an external terminal.

Claims

1. A method of determining an interpupillary distance (IPD), the method comprising:

outputting a source pattern to a display of an apparatus;

capturing an image of a user gazing at the display; and

determining an IPD of the user by analyzing the image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the source pattern includes a background and at least one foreground having a color differing from a color of the background.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one foreground has at least one of a rectangular form and a circular form.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the source pattern includes at least one of a two-dimensional (2D) pattern and a three-dimensional (3D) pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the IPD of the user comprises:

detecting pupils of the user in the image;

detecting a reflection pattern of peripheries of the pupils in the image; and

determining the IPD based on the reflection pattern.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining the IPD based on the reflection pattern comprises:

modeling a geometric model with respect to the display and eyeballs of the user based on positions of the detected pupils and a position of the reflection pattern.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a circumference of each of the eyeballs is generated based on a curvature of a cornea of a respective one of the eyeballs.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the modeling comprises:

modeling the geometric model based on an intrinsic parameter of a camera configured to capture the image.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining the IPD based on the reflection pattern comprises:

determining a 3D position of the reflection pattern;

determining a position of a prediction pattern on the display based on the determined 3D position of the reflection pattern; and

determining the IPD based on the position of the prediction pattern and a 3D position of the source pattern.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a 3D viewpoint tracking display apparatus, and the method further comprises:

generating a stereoscopic image for a viewpoint of each of pupils based on the determined IPD;

generating a verification image by photographing the user; and

verifying an integrity of the IPD by analyzing an image reflected from an eye of the user using the verification image.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the verifying the integrity of the IPD comprises:

determining whether the stereoscopic image is divided into a left image and a right image.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program code that, when executed by a processor, performs functions according to the method of claim 1.

12. A method of determining an interpupillary distance (IPD), the method comprising:

receiving an image of a user gazing at a source pattern output to a display of a terminal; and

determining an IPD of the user by analyzing the image.

14. An apparatus configured to determine an interpupillary distance (IPD), the apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store an image of a user gazing at a source pattern output to a display of a terminal; and

a processor configured to determine an IPD of the user by analyzing the image.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the source pattern includes a background and at least one foreground having a color differing from a color of the background.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to,

detect pupils of the user in the image,

detect a reflection pattern of peripheries of the pupils in the image, and

determine the IPD based on the reflection pattern.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to,

determine a three-dimensional (3D) position of the reflection pattern,

determine a position of a prediction pattern on the display based on the determined 3D position of the reflection pattern, and

determine the IPD based on the position of the prediction pattern and a 3D position of the source pattern.