Dynamic depth power equalization

• US 9,313,376 B1
• Filed: 04/01/2009
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bertolami, Joseph, Tardif, John Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Diep, Trung
• Application Number:
  US12/416,757
• Time in Patent Office: 2,568 Days
• Field of Search: 348/48, 348152-155, 348/207.11, 348/208.1, 348/208.4, 348/208.16, 348/211.2, 348/211.99
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00161 Viewing or previewing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6815 by distinguishing pan or tilt from motion

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods to control the power consumption of a battery powered platform comprising at least one depth camera. The battery powered platform may adjust the consumption of one or more systems of the depth camera, or other systems on the battery powered platform to alter the power consumption of the battery powered platform.

Claims

1. A method to control the consumption of power by a platform that comprises a depth camera, the method comprising:

receiving a depth image captured by the depth camera;

determining that an object in a capture area represented by the depth image is in motion, based on the depth image; and

in response to determining that the object is in motion, increasing an amount of light output by an infrared component from a first nonzero value to a second value and increasing a field of view of the depth camera, the depth camera using light output by the infrared component to determine depth information of the capture area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the depth image comprises:

receiving information from a detector, the detector comprising a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, or a visual image scanner.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein increasing the amount of light output by the infrared component comprises adjusting the strength of the infrared component, a frequency of the infrared component, a number of pulses emitted by the infrared component over a time period, or a number of infrared components emitting light.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the object is in motion, increasing a frame rate of an image sensor of the depth camera in capturing depth images from a third nonzero value to a fourth value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein increasing the field of view of the depth camera comprises:

defining a first capture area and a second capture area, each of the first and second capture areas being defined in the x, y and z directions, the second capture area having at least a x, y, or z dimension greater than a corresponding dimension of the first capture area; and

adjusting the field of view of the depth camera from the first capture area to the second capture area.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a second object in the capture area represented by the depth image is in motion, based on the depth image; and

increasing the amount of light output by the infrared component based on determining that the object is in motion, and based on determining that the second object is in motion.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the object is in motion, decreasing a length of time of an image capture of the depth camera in capturing depth images.

8. A system to control power consumption by a platform that comprises a depth camera, comprising:

a memory; and

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

receive a depth image captured by the depth camera;

determine that an object in a capture area represented by the depth image is in motion, based on the depth image; and

in response to determining that the object is in motion,

increase an amount of light output by an infrared component from a first nonzero value to a second value, the depth camera using light output by the infrared component to determine depth information of the capture area, and

increase a field of view of the depth camera in capturing depth images.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory further bears processor-executable instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the system to at least:

in response to determining that the depth camera is in motion for more than a predetermined amount of time, disabling operation of the depth camera.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory further bears processor-executable instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the system to at least:

in response to determining that the depth camera has moved more than a predetermined amount, disabling operation of the depth camera.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory further bears processor-executable instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the system to at least:

in response to determining that the depth camera has moved for less than a predetermined amount of time, or for less than a predetermined amount of distance, increase the amount of light output by the infrared component.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory further bears processor-executable instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the system to at least:

in response to determining that the depth camera has moved for less than a predetermined amount of time, or for less than a predetermined amount of distance, increase the frame rate of the depth camera in capturing depth images.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory further bears processor-executable instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the system to at least:

in response to determining that the depth camera has moved for less than a predetermined amount of time, or for less than a predetermined amount of distance, increase the field of view of the depth camera in capturing depth images.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory further bears processor-executable instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the system to at least:

in response to determining that the depth camera has moved for less than a predetermined amount of time, or for less than a predetermined amount of distance, decrease the length of time of an image capture of the depth camera in capturing depth images.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory further bears processor-executable instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the system to at least:

in response to determining that the depth camera has moved for less than a predetermined amount of time, or for less than a predetermined amount of distance, decrease a resolution of the depth camera in capturing depth images.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory further bears processor-executable instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the system to at least:

in response to determining that the object in the capture area represented by the depth image is closer to the depth camera than the object in the capture area in a previous depth image, decrease the amount of light output by the infrared component.

17. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory further bears processor-executable instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the system to at least:

in response to determining that the object in the capture area represented by the depth image is closer to the depth camera than the object in the capture area in a previous depth image, decrease the frame rate of the depth camera in capturing depth images.

18. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory further bears processor-executable instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the system to at least:

in response to determining that the object in the capture area represented by the depth image is closer to the depth camera than the object in the capture area in a previous depth image, decrease a resolution of the depth camera in capturing depth images.

19. A computer-readable storage device, excluding signals, bearing instructions for controlling a power consumption of a platform comprising a depth camera, that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving a depth image captured by the depth camera;

determining that an object in a capture area represented by the depth image is in motion, based on the depth image; and

in response to determining that the object is in motion,

increase an amount of light output by an infrared component from a first nonzero value to a second value, the depth camera using light output by the infrared component to determine depth information of the capture area,

increasing a frame rate of an image sensor of the depth camera in capturing depth images from a third nonzero value to a fourth value,

increasing a field of view of the depth camera in capturing depth images, and

decreasing a length of time of an image capture of the depth camera in capturing depth images.