SYSTEMS AND METHODS INVOLVING EDGE CAMERA ASSEMBLIES IN HANDHELD DEVICES
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Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed for capturing and displaying real-time images of the environment in front of a user. In one implementation, a casing for a mobile device having an upward facing display surface and an opposing lower surface is provided. The casing may include a housing and image sensor having at least one optical axis configured to be oriented at a fixed obtuse angle with respect to the lower surface when the mobile device is retained by the housing. The image sensor may be oriented such that when the housing is held by a walking user at an acute angle with respect to a plane on which the user walks, the at least one optical axis generally faces in a walking direction of the user. The casing may further include circuitry for conveying from the at least one image sensor, image data for real-time display on the display surface.
24 Citations
200 Claims
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1-180. -180. (canceled)
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181. A handheld communications device configured to provide augmented reality to a user looking downward while traversing a forward path of travel, the handheld communications device, comprising:
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a housing having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a side edge; a touch-sensitive display located in the upper surface; an image sensor fixedly embedded in the housing at an orientation such that when the handheld communications device is held in a hand of a user with the touch-sensitive display opposed to a face of the downward looking user, an optical axis of the image sensor extends generally in a direction of the path of travel; at least one processor programmed to; acquire an image stream from the image sensor; identify in the acquired image stream an object in the path of travel of the user; look-up information about the identified object; present, on the touch-sensitive display in real-time the acquired image stream including the identified object; and present on the touch-sensitive display a visual indicator associated with the identified object. - View Dependent Claims (182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195)
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196. A removable case for a handheld communications device including a touch-sensitive display, the case comprising:
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a housing having a lower surface, an upper surface, and an edge therebetween; at least one image sensor embedded in the housing at an orientation such that when the handheld communications device is seated in the case and held in a hand of a downward looking user with the touch-sensitive display opposed to a face of the downward looking user, an optical axis of the at least one image sensor extends generally in a direction of the path of travel; a connector in the housing configured to engage a port of the handheld communications device when the handheld communications device is seated in the case; and at least one conduit embedded in the case extending between and electrically connecting the at least one image sensor with the connector to thereby enable real-time image streaming from the at least one image sensor to the handheld communications device; and at least one processor for overlaying a visual indicator on the real-time image stream. - View Dependent Claims (197)
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198. A method for providing augmented reality to a user traversing a forward path of travel while looking downward at a touch-sensitive display of a handheld communications device, the method comprising:
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acquiring an image stream from an image sensor, wherein the image sensor is fixedly embedded in a casing of the handheld communications device at an orientation such that when the handheld communications device is held in a hand of a user with the touch-sensitive display opposed to a face of the downward looking user, an optical axis of the image sensor extends generally in a direction of the path of travel; identifying in the acquired image stream an object in the path of travel of the user; looking up information about the identified object; presenting, on the touch-sensitive display in real-time the acquired image stream including the identified object; and presenting on the touch-sensitive display a visual indicator associated with the identified object. - View Dependent Claims (199, 200)
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Specification