Head mounted camera with eye monitor and stereo embodiments thereof
First Claim
1. A method, comprising the steps of,monitoring a human eye in a human head, for providing an eye direction signal having a magnitude indicative of a direction of a visual axis of said human eye in said human head as said eye views objects in a space with said objects therein;
- receiving light reflected from said objects with a lens of a video camera mounted on said human head, for providing an optical image; and
casting said optical image onto a surface sensitive thereto in said camera for converting said optical image to an electrical image signal for display according to said eye direction signal.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing, in response to image signals originating in an object space, mixed image signals for providing nonuniform resolution images for stimulating simulated active percepts for passive perception by a viewer in an image space. The images have a highly detailed component which has its image content changed according to changes in the direction of a simulated observer'"'"'s eye position in an object space. The images may be provided stereoscopically. The images may be provided at various apparent distances and the relationship between accommodation and convergence may be preserved. Audio waves for directionally simulating that which would be heard by the simulated observer may be provided.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method, comprising the steps of,
monitoring a human eye in a human head, for providing an eye direction signal having a magnitude indicative of a direction of a visual axis of said human eye in said human head as said eye views objects in a space with said objects therein; -
receiving light reflected from said objects with a lens of a video camera mounted on said human head, for providing an optical image; and
casting said optical image onto a surface sensitive thereto in said camera for converting said optical image to an electrical image signal for display according to said eye direction signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
encoding said electrical image signal with image information for successive images, each image having nonuniform resolution comprising an area of greater resolution in a position in the image and within a surrounding area of lesser resolution together being simulative of retinal resolution, wherein the position of the area of greater resolution in the image changes between the successive images, said changes in the position of the area of greater resolution being indicative of changes in said direction of said visual axis.
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3. The method of claim 1, wherein said lens is adjustable in response to said eye direction signal for said casting said optical image onto said surface with changing magnification corresponding to changes in said direction of said visual axis.
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4. The method of claim 1, wherein said display is for a passive viewer.
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5. The method of claim 1, wherein said human head is that of an active viewer and said human eye in said human head of said active viewer views objects in an object space with said objects therein, and wherein said display is of said objects in an image space for viewing by an eye of a passive viewer in a direction emulative of said direction of said visual axis of said human eye in said human head of said active viewer.
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6. The method of claim 1, wherein said human head has various translational and rotational degrees of freedom, wherein said monitoring is for providing an eye direction signal as said head executes said translational and rotational movements in positioning and orienting said head in various corresponding positions and directions, and wherein said lens of said video camera is for forming said optical image in said various corresponding positions and directions.
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7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of monitoring comprises the step of monitoring a pair of human eyes in said human head, for providing a corresponding pair of eye direction signals indicative of directions of visual axes of said pair of human eyes in said human head as said pair of eyes view said objects, wherein said step of receiving light from said objects is carried out with a pair of lenses of a corresponding pair of video cameras mounted on said human head for providing a corresponding pair of optical images, and wherein said step of casting comprises the step of casting said pair of optical images onto a corresponding pair of surfaces sensitive thereto in said pair of cameras for converting said optical images to a corresponding pair of electrical image signals for display according to said pair of eye direction signals.
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8. The method of claim 7, wherein said lenses are adjustable in response to said eye direction signals for said casting said optical images onto said surfaces with changing magnification corresponding to changes in said directions of said visual axes.
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9. The method of claim 7, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:
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determining from said pair of eye direction signals a distance from said eyes for providing a distance signal indicative thereof; and
encoding with said pair of electrical image signals said distance signal for controlling apparent distances of display images provided according to said image signals.
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10. The method of claim 7, wherein said converting comprises encoding said electrical image signals with image information for successive images, each image having nonuniform resolution comprising an area of greater resolution in a position in the image and within a surrounding area of lesser resolution together being simulative of retinal resolution, wherein the position of the area of greater resolution in the image changes between the successive images, said changes in the position of the area of greater resolution being indicative of changes in said directions of said visual axes.
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11. The method of claim 8, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:
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determining from said pair of eye direction signals a distance from said eyes for providing a distance signal indicative thereof; and
encoding with said pair of electrical image signals said distance signal for controlling apparent distances of display images provided according to said image signals.
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12. Apparatus, comprising:
- means for monitoring a human eye in a human head, for providing an eye direction signal having a magnitude indicative of a direction of a visual axis of said human eye in said human head as said eye views objects in a space with said objects therein; and
a video camera having a lens for receiving light reflected from said objects with said video camera adjacent said human head, said lens for casting an optical image onto a surface sensitive thereto in said camera for converting the optical image to an electrical image signal for display according to said eye direction signal. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
means for determining from said pair of eye direction signals a distance from said eyes for providing a distance signal indicative thereof; and
means for encoding with said pair of electrical image signals said distance signal for controlling apparent distances of display images provided according to said image signals.
- means for monitoring a human eye in a human head, for providing an eye direction signal having a magnitude indicative of a direction of a visual axis of said human eye in said human head as said eye views objects in a space with said objects therein; and
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19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for monitoring a human eye in a human head comprises means for monitoring two eyes in said human head, for providing a pair of eye direction signals indicative of directions of visual axes of said eyes as said eyes view said objects in said space and wherein said video camera comprises a pair of video cameras having a corresponding pair of lenses for receiving light reflected from said objects with said video cameras adjacent said head, said lenses for casting optical images onto corresponding surfaces sensitive thereto in said camera for converting the optical images to corresponding electrical image signals for display according to said eye direction signals.
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20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said cameras further comprise means for adjusting said lenses in response to said eye direction signals for said casting said optical images onto said surfaces with changing magnification corresponding to changes in said directions of said visual axes.
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21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said apparatus further comprises a controller for determining from said pair of eye direction signals a distance from said eyes for providing a distance signal indicative thereof and for encoding with said pair of electrical image signals said distance signal for controlling apparent distances of display images provided according to said image signals.
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22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said apparatus includes a controller for encoding said electrical image signals with image information for successive images, each image having nonuniform resolution comprising an area of greater resolution in a position in the image and within a surrounding area of lesser resolution together being simulative of retinal resolution, wherein the position of the area of greater resolution in the image changes between the successive images, said changes in the position of the area of greater resolution being indicative of changes in said directions of said visual axes.
Specification