Systems and methods for detecting a tilt angle from a depth image

• US 9,191,570 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2013
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Mathe, Zsolt, Marais, Charles Claudius
• Primary Examiner(s): MARIAM, DANIEL G
• Application Number:
  US13/959,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20140043438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/20 Image preprocessing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/40 Extraction of image or video features
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body

Abstract

A depth image of a scene may be received, observed, or captured by a device. A human target in the depth image may then be scanned for one or more body parts such as shoulders, hips, knees, or the like. A tilt angle may then be calculated based on the body parts. For example, a first portion of pixels associated with an upper body part such as the shoulders and a second portion of pixels associated with a lower body part such as a midpoint between the hips and knees may be selected. The tilt angle may then be calculated using the first and second portions of pixels.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a camera component;

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor when the system is operational, the memory bearing computer-readable instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the system at least to;

determine, using relative position of pixels in an image captured by the camera component, a tilt angle that indicates an angle that the camera component is tilted upward or downward; and

modify the system to process data of a capture area that is received by the camera component after the tilt angle is determined based at least in part on the tilt angle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions that, in response to execution on the processor, cause the system at least to modify the system to process the data of the capture area that is received by the camera component after the tilt angle is determined based at least in part on the tilt angle further cause the system at least to:

modify a position of the camera component based at least in part on the tilt angle.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer-readable instructions that, in response to execution on the processor, cause the system at least to modify the position of the camera component based at least in part of the tilt angle further cause the system at least to:

rotate the camera component in an upward direction in response to determining that the camera component is angled downward.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer-readable instructions that, in response to execution on the processor, cause the system at least to modify the position of the camera component based at least in part on the tilt angle further cause the system at least to:

rotate the camera component in a downward direction in response to determining that the camera component is angled upward.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions that, in response to execution on the processor, cause the system at least to modify the system to process the data of the capture area that is received by the camera component after the tilt angle is determined based at least in part on the tilt angle further cause the system at least to:

modify the data of the capture area that is received by the camera component after the tilt angle is determined based at least in part on the tilt angle.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer-readable instructions that, in response to execution on the processor, cause the system at least to modify the data of the capture area that is received by the camera component further cause the system at least to:

determine a depth value of a plurality of depth values in the data of the capture area to be modified based on the tilt angle.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer-readable instructions that, in response to execution on the processor, cause the system at least to modify the data of the capture area that is received by the camera component further cause the system at least to:

modify a color or infrared (IR) image of the capture area received by the camera component based on the tilt angle.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer-readable instructions that, in response to execution on the processor, cause the system at least to modify the data of the capture area that is received by the camera component further cause the system at least to:

rotate a color or depth image of the capture area received by the camera component based on the tilt angle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions that, in response to execution on the processor, cause the system at least to modify the system to process the data of the capture area that is received by the camera component after the tilt angle is determined based at least in part on the tilt angle further cause the system at least to:

adjust a computer model that represents a person depicted in an image of the capture area received by the camera component based on the tilt angle.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable instructions that, in response to execution on the processor, cause the system at least to modify the system to adjust the computer model that represents the person further cause the system at least to:

rotate the computer model forward or backward by a number of degrees equal to a number of degrees in the tilt angle.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions that, in response to execution on the processor, cause the system at least to modify the system to process the data of the capture area that is received by the camera component after the tilt angle is determined based at least in part on the tilt angle further cause the system at least to:

determine a background depicted in an image of the capture area received by the camera component based on the tilt angle.

12. A method, comprising:

determining, by one or more computers, using relative position of pixels in an image captured by a camera component, a tilt angle that indicates an angle that the camera component is tilted upward or downward; and

modifying, by the one or more computers, how to process data of a capture area that is received by the camera component after the tilt angle is determined based at least in part on the tilt angle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein modifying how to process the data of the capture area that is received by the camera component after the tilt angle is determined based at least in part on the tilt angle further comprises:

modifying a position of the camera component based at least in part on the tilt angle.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein modifying the position of the camera component based at least in part on the tilt angle further comprises:

rotating the camera component in an upward direction in response to determining that the camera component is angled downward, and rotating the camera component in a downward direction in response to determining that the camera component is angled upward.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein modifying how to process the data of the capture area that is received by the camera component after the tilt angle is determined based at least in part on the tilt angle further comprises:

adjusting a computer model that represents a person depicted in an image of the capture area received by the camera component based on the tilt angle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein adjusting the computer model that represents the person further comprises:

rotating the computer model forward or backward by a number of degrees equal to a number of degrees in the tilt angle.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein modifying how to process the data of the capture area that is received by the camera component after the tilt angle is determined based at least in part on the tilt angle further comprises:

determining a background depicted in an image of the capture area received by the camera component based on the tilt angle.

18. A computer-readable storage device, bearing computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution on a computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

determining, using relative position of pixels in an image captured by a camera component, a tilt angle that indicates an angle that the camera component is tilted upward or downward; and

modifying how to process data of a capture area that is received by the camera component after the tilt angle is determined based at least in part on the tilt angle.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein processing the data of the capture area that is received by the camera component after the tilt angle is determined based at least in part on the tilt angle further comprises:

modifying the data of the capture area that is received by the camera component after the tilt angle is determined based at least in part on the tilt angle.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 19, wherein modifying the data of the capture area that is received by the camera component further comprises:

determining a depth value of a plurality of depth values in the data of the capture area to be modified based on the tilt angle.