Infrared derived user presence and associated remote control

• US 8,363,098 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2008
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Rosener, Douglas Kenneth, Brown, William Owen
• Primary Examiner(s): Joo, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US12/211,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20100066821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 348 77- 80, 348150-156, 348/164
• US Class Current: 348/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for reporting user presence associated with orientation and proximity of a user to a display device are disclosed. In one example, image data associated with a head mounted device and one or more infrared light sources is captured and processed to identify the presence of infrared light source objects. A detection status is output based on the presence of infrared light source objects, and the detection status is translated to an associated user presence state.

Claims

1. A system for determining a user capacity to view a visual communication on a display device comprising:

a display device;

an infrared image capturing device;

a first infrared light source capable of being captured by the infrared image capturing device;

a second infrared light source capable of being captured by the infrared image capturing device, wherein the first infrared light source and the second infrared light source are disposed in proximity to the display device and the infrared image capturing device is disposed at a head mounted device; and

a processor configured to analyze a position of a first infrared light source object image relative to a second infrared light source object image to identify a user status comprising a user capacity to view a visual communication on the display device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether neither the first infrared light source object image or second infrared light source object image is present, both the first infrared light source object image and the second infrared light source object image are present, or either the first infrared light source object image or the second infrared light source object image is present.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user status comprises one or more selected from the following:

a near status, a far status, a facing the display device status, a not facing the display device status, or a calculated distance from the display device.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display device controlling means for scaling a visual communication size output on the display device responsive to the user status.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first infrared light source and the second infrared light source are infrared light emitting diodes and the infrared image capturing device is an infrared light detector.

6. A system for determining a user capacity to view a visual communication on a display device comprising:

a display device;

an infrared image capturing device;

a first infrared light source capable of being captured by the infrared image capturing device;

a second infrared light source capable of being captured by the infrared image capturing device;

a third infrared light source and a fourth infrared light source, wherein the first infrared light source, the second infrared light source, the third infrared light source, and the fourth infrared light source are disposed at a head mounted device such that the first infrared light source and the second infrared light source emit infrared light in a first direction, the third infrared light source emits infrared light in a second direction opposite the first direction, and the fourth infrared light source emits infrared light in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction; and

a processor configured to analyze a position of a first infrared light source object image relative to a second infrared light source object image to identify a user status comprising a user capacity to view a visual communication on the display device.

7. A method for determining a user capacity to view a visual communication comprising:

capturing an image data with an infrared image capturing device disposed at a head mounted device;

processing the image data to determine a presence of both a first infrared light source image associated with a first infrared light source and a second infrared light source image associated with a second infrared light source, the first infrared light source and the second infrared light source disposed in proximity to a display device; and

analyzing a position of the first infrared light source image relative to the second infrared light source image to identify an associated user presence state.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the associated user presence state comprises one or more selected from the following:

a near status, a far status, a facing a display device status, a not facing a display device status, or a calculated distance from a display device.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising calculating distance data associated with a distance between the head mounted device and a display device, and further comprising translating the distance data to an associated user presence state.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising scaling a visual communication size output on the display device responsive to the distance between the head mounted device and the display device.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

processing the image data to identify a transmitted unique identifier; and

processing the transmitted unique identifier to identify a valid source.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting the associated user presence state to a presence server.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising scaling a visual communication size output on a display device responsive to receiving a user input action at the head mounted device.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising initiating a user authentication process responsive to the associated user presence state.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for determining a user capacity to view a visual communication comprising:

receiving image data with an infrared image capturing device disposed at a head mounted device;

processing the image data to determine a presence of a first infrared light source image associated with a first infrared light source and a second infrared light source image associated with a second infrared light source, the first infrared light source and the second infrared light source disposed in proximity to a display device; and

analyzing a position of the first infrared light source image relative to the second infrared light source image to identify an associated user presence state.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the associated user presence state comprises one or more selected from the following:

a near status, a far status, a facing a display device status, a not facing a display device status, or a calculated distance from a display device.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

calculating distance data associated with a distance between the head mounted device and a display device; and

translating the distance data to an associated user presence state.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises scaling a visual communication size output on the display device responsive to the distance between the head mounted device and the display device.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

processing the image data to identify a transmitted unique identifier; and

processing the transmitted unique identifier to identify a valid source.

20. A system for determining a user capacity to view a visual communication on a display device comprising:

a display device;

an infrared image capturing device;

a first infrared light source capable of being captured by the infrared image capturing device;

a second infrared light source capable of being captured by the infrared image capturing device;

a third infrared light source and a fourth infrared light source, wherein the first infrared light source, the second infrared light source, the third infrared light source, and the fourth infrared light source are disposed at a head mounted device such that the first infrared light source and the second infrared light source emit infrared light in a first direction, the third infrared light source emits infrared light in a second direction opposite the first direction, and the fourth infrared light source emits infrared light in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction;

an image processing means for determining a presence of a first infrared light source object image and a second infrared light source object image in a captured image output from the infrared image capturing device; and

a user status determination means for translating an image processing means output to a user status indicating a user capacity to view a visual communication on the display device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the image processing means output is a determination that neither the first infrared light source object image or second infrared light source object image is present, both the first infrared light source object image and the second infrared light source object image are present, or either the first infrared light source object image or the second infrared light source object image is present.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the user status comprises one or more selected from the following:

a near status, a far status, a facing the display device status, a not facing the display device status, or a calculated distance from the display device.

23. The system of claim 20, further comprising a display device controlling means for scaling a visual communication size output on the display device responsive to the user status.

24. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for determining a user capacity to view a visual communication comprising:

receiving an image data associated with a head mounted device;

outputting a detection status responsive to processing the image data to determine a presence of a first infrared light source image, a second infrared light source image, a third infrared light source image, or a fourth infrared light source image, wherein a first infrared light source, a second infrared light source, a third infrared light source, and a fourth infrared light source are arranged such that the first infrared light source and the second infrared light source emit infrared light in a first direction, the third infrared light source emits infrared light in a second direction opposite the first direction, and the fourth infrared light source emits infrared light in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction; and

translating the detection status to an associated user presence state.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the associated user presence state comprises one or more selected from the following:

a near status, a far status, a facing a display device status, a not facing a display device status, or a calculated distance from a display device.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the method further comprises:

calculating a distance data associated with a distance between the head mounted device and a display device; and

translating the distance data to an associated user presence state.

27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the method further comprises scaling a visual communication size output on the display device responsive to the distance between the head mounted device and the display device.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the method further comprises:

processing the image data to identify a transmitted unique identifier; and

processing the transmitted unique identifier to identify a valid source.