DEVICE AND METHOD FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL VIDEO COMMUNICATION

• US 20170295357A1
• Filed: 08/17/2015
• Published: 10/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Akron
• Original Assignee: University of Akron
• Inventors: Yang, Liu
• Granted Patent: US 10,171,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724097 Worn on the head
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/139 Format conversion, e.g. of frame-rate or size
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/156 Mixing image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/161 Encoding, multiplexing or demultiplexing different image signal components for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/246 Calibration of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/271 wherein the generated image signals comprise depth maps or disparity maps
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/30 Image reproducers optical systems for producing stereoscopic or other three-dimensional effects G02B30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/302 : for viewing without the aid of special glasses, i.e. using autostereoscopic displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/305 : using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/31 : using parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 : using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 : using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 : with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/366 : using viewer tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 : Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/816 : involving special video data, e.g 3D video
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2213/001 : Constructional or mechanical details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 : Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A three-dimensional (3D) communication device includes a 3D stereoscopic camera for capturing video and photos in 3D. The device also includes a 3D display, which enables the display of video and photos in 3D that have been captured by a local user'"'"'s communication device or that have been received from a remote 3D communication device. The 3D communication device may be configured as a handheld standalone device or may alternatively be configured as a modular device, a case, or a dock that can be interfaced with a portable computing device, such as a smart phone, which lacks the capability to capture and view 3D video/photo content. As such, the 3D communication device enables 3D chat or communication between a local user and one or more remote users of the 3D communication device or any other computing device that is configured with suitable communication or chat software.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional (3D) communication device for communication with one or more other communication devices, comprising:

a housing;

a processor;

a display carried by said housing and coupled to said processor;

a stereoscopic camera carried by said housing and coupled to said processor, said stereoscopic camera configured to capture content in three-dimensions (3D), said stereoscopic camera having a first camera element and a second camera element carried by said housing; and

a network communication device coupled to said processor to transmit said captured 3D content to the one or more other communication devices and to receive 3D content that is transmitted from the one or more other communication devices for presentation on said display in three-dimensions;

wherein said processor controls movement of at least one of said first and second camera elements to adjust a distance between said first and second camera elements, such that said distance is based on a position of said stereoscopic camera relative to said content.

2. The 3D communication device of claim 1, further comprising:

a microphone and a speaker each coupled to said processor.

4. The 3D communication device of claim 1, further comprising:

a gyroscope coupled to said processor.

6. The 3D communication device of claim 1, wherein said camera elements are slideably carried by said housing.

7. The 3D communication device of claim 6, wherein said camera elements are carried along a linear path.

8. The 3D communication device of claim 1, wherein said display is a lenticular display.

9. The 3D communication device of claim 1, wherein said display comprises a parallax barrier.

10. The 3D communication device of claim 1, wherein said display comprises a three-dimensional display selected from the group consisting of:

glasses-free 3D display, autostereoscopy display, 3D display with parallax barriers, 3D display with lenticular lens, polarized 3D systems, polarization glasses-based systems with linear polarized light, polarization glasses-based systems with circular polarized light, active shutter 3D systems, liquid crystal shutter glasses based 3D systems, volumetric displays, holographic displays, integral imaging 3D system, compressive light field displays.

39. The 3D communication device of claim 1, wherein said processor generates a disparity map based on an image of said content acquired by said first camera element and an image of said content acquired by said second camera element, and

wherein said position is based on said disparity map.

3. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

11. A three-dimensional (3D) communication device for use with a computing device having a communication interface, a network communication device, and a processor, the 3D communication device comprising:

a housing;

a display carried by said housing and coupled to said processor;

a stereoscopic camera carried by said housing, said stereoscopic camera configured to capture content in three-dimensions (3D), said stereoscopic camera having a first camera element and a second camera element carried by said housing; and

a communication interface adapted to communicate with the communication interface of the computing device;

wherein said display and said stereoscopic camera communicate with the processor of the computing device, such that the network communication device of the computing device is enabled to transmit said captured 3D content and to receive 3D content for presentation on said display in three-dimensions, and

wherein said processor controls movement of at least one of said first and second camera elements to adjust a distance between said first and second camera elements, such that said distance id based on a position of said stereoscopic camera relative to said content.

12. The 3D communication device of claim 11, further comprising:

a microphone and a speaker enabled to communicate with the processor of the computing device.

14. The 3D communication device of claim 11, further comprising:

a gyroscope enabled to communicate with the processor of the computing device.

16. The 3D communication device of claim 11, wherein said camera elements are slideably carried by said housing.

17. The 3D communication device of claim 16, wherein said camera elements are carried along a linear path.

18. The 3D communication device of claim 11, wherein said display is a lenticular display.

19. The 3D communication device of claim 11, wherein said display comprises a parallax barrier.

20. The 3D communication device of claim 11, wherein said display comprises a three-dimensional display selected from the group consisting of:

glasses-free 3D display, autostereoscopy display, 3D display with parallax barriers, 3D display with lenticular lens, polarized 3D systems, polarization glasses-based systems with linear polarized light, polarization glasses-based systems with circular polarized light, active shutter 3D systems, liquid crystal shutter glasses based 3D systems, volumetric displays, holographic displays, integral imaging 3D system, compressive light field displays.

40. The 3D communication device of claim 11, wherein said processor generates a disparity map based on an image of said content acquired by said first camera element and an image of said content acquired by said second camera element, and

wherein said position is based on said disparity map.

13. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

21. A method of adjusting a distance between a pair of stereoscopic camera elements comprising the steps of:

providing a stereoscopic camera having a first camera element and a second camera element that are separated by a separation distance;

determining a target distance between a plane defined by said first and second camera elements and a target object; and

moving at least one of said first and second camera elements to change said separation distance based on said target distance.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said determining step is performed by stereoscopic disparity, optical time of flight, ultrasonic measurement, sheet of light triangulation, structured light depth sensors, or coded aperture.

23-38. -38. (canceled)