Mirror detection-based device functionality

• US 8,743,051 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2011
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moy, Steven Ka Cheung, Fu, Kah Kuen, Ivanchenko, Volodymyr V., Hovden, Gunnar
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, David D
• Application Number:
  US13/237,752
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085

Abstract

An electronic device automatically reverses a left-right orientation of content displayed by the device when detecting that a user is viewing content of the device via a mirror. Some embodiments reverse the content upon detecting a trigger such as a reflection of an image displayed by the device, indicating that the device is displaying content against a mirror. In some embodiments, the device reverses the content upon detecting that blinking markers displayed by the device are inverted or upon detecting a blinking marker flashing in a particular pattern consistent to that emitted by the device. Some embodiments reverse the content upon detecting both the reflection of the image and a reflection of the user. Further, some embodiments reverse the content upon determining that the user is facing a mirror and switches back to its normal orientation when the user is viewing the content by directly looking at the device.

Claims

1. A method of reversing a left-right orientation of content displayed on a display element of an electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying the content on the display element of the electronic device;

capturing image information using at least one imaging element of the device;

analyzing the captured image information to detect one or more triggers; and

automatically reversing the left-right orientation of the content upon the detection of one or more triggers, wherein the detection of one or more triggers indicates that a user of the device is viewing the content, displayed on the electronic device, using a reflective surface.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

activating an auto-detection mode that causes the device to display a two-dimensional image.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a temporal display that includes at least a first blinking marker and a second blinking marker, wherein the first blinking marker is distinguishable from the second blinking marker, and wherein the one or more triggers includes a detection of an inversion of the first and the second blinking markers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first blinking marker is of a first optical wavelength and the second blinking marker is of a second optical wavelength.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first blinking marker has a first brightness level and the second blinking marker has a second brightness level different from the first brightness level.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a temporal display that includes one or more blinking markers, wherein the one or more triggers includes a detection of the one or more blinking markers in a predetermined temporal pattern.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the temporal display is displayed using one or more LEDs on the device.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a two-dimensional image with an asymmetric pattern, wherein the one or more triggers comprises a reflection of the two-dimensional image.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more triggers includes a detection of a reflection of the user'"'"'s face.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein analyzing the captured image information comprises:

detecting at least a recognizable portion of the user'"'"'s face from the captured image information; and

analyzing the recognizable portion of the user'"'"'s face to determine whether the recognizable portion of the face is the reflection of the user'"'"'s face,

wherein the analysis includes a comparison of characteristics within the recognizable portion of the user'"'"'s face with user information that includes asymmetrical characteristics of the user'"'"'s face.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the asymmetrical characteristics include at least one of a mole, a dimple, a birthmark, a tattoo on one side of the user'"'"'s body, a profile of part of the user'"'"'s face, or other features of the user'"'"'s face that enables one to identify a right side of the user'"'"'s face from a left side.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting that the user is facing the electronic device; and

automatically returning the reversed content back to its original left-right orientation upon detection of the user facing the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing the captured image information comprises:

determining a frontal image of the user'"'"'s body; and

transmitting IR radiation to the determined image using at least one IR transmitter on the device; and

detecting the IR radiation reflected from the determined image to determine whether the user is facing the device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more triggers includes a detection of a reflection of a two-dimensional image and a detection of a reflection of the user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the reflective surface is a mirror.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is placed in a position with respect to the reflective surface such that the content displayed from the display element of the device is reflected by the reflective surface.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one imaging element includes at least one of a front-camera on the device or an infrared sensor on the device.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automatically returning the left-right orientation of the content back to its original orientation when the device no longer detects the one or more triggers.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method of reversing a left-right orientation of content displayed on a display element of the computing system, the method comprising:

displaying the content on the display element of the electronic device;

capturing image information using at least one imaging element of the device;

analyzing the captured image information to detect one or more triggers; and

automatically reversing the left-right orientation of the content upon the detection of one or more triggers, wherein the detection of one or more triggers indicates that a user of the device is viewing the content, displayed on the electronic device, using a reflective surface.

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

activating an auto-detection mode that causes the device to display a two-dimensional image.

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

displaying a temporal display that includes at least a first blinking marker and a second blinking marker, wherein the first blinking marker is distinguishable from the second blinking marker, and wherein the one or more triggers includes a detection of an inversion of the first and the second blinking markers.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the first blinking marker is of a first optical wavelength and the second blinking marker is of a second optical wavelength.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the first blinking marker has a first brightness level and the second blinking marker has a second brightness level different from the first brightness level.

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

displaying a temporal display that includes one or more blinking markers, wherein the one or more triggers includes a detection of the one or more blinking markers in a predetermined temporal pattern.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the temporal display is displayed using one or more LEDs on the device.

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

displaying a two-dimensional image with an asymmetric pattern, wherein the one or more triggers comprises a reflection of the two-dimensional image.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the one or more triggers includes a detection of a reflection of the user'"'"'s face.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein analyzing the captured image information comprises:

detecting at least a recognizable portion of the user'"'"'s face from the captured image information; and

analyzing the recognizable portion of the user'"'"'s face to determine whether the recognizable portion of the face is the reflection of the user'"'"'s face,

wherein the analysis includes a comparison of characteristics within the recognizable portion of the user'"'"'s face with user information that includes asymmetrical characteristics of the user'"'"'s face.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the asymmetrical characteristics include at least one of a mole, a dimple, a birthmark, a tattoo on one side of the user'"'"'s body, a profile of part of the user'"'"'s face, or other features of the user'"'"'s face that enables one to identify a right side of the user'"'"'s face from a left side.

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

detecting that the user is facing the electronic device; and

automatically returning the reversed content back to its original left-right orientation upon detection of the user facing the electronic device.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the analyzing the captured image information comprises:

determining a frontal image of the user'"'"'s body; and

transmitting IR radiation to the determined image using at least one IR transmitter on the device; and

detecting the IR radiation reflected from the determined image to determine whether the user is facing the device.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the one or more triggers includes a detection of a reflection of a two-dimensional image and a detection of a reflection of the user.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the reflective surface is a mirror.