Wearable apparatus with wide viewing angle image sensor

• US 9,826,133 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2015
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OrCam Technologies Ltd
• Original Assignee: OrCam Technologies Ltd
• Inventors: Wexler, Yonatan, Shashua, Amnon
• Primary Examiner(s): Monk, Mark T
• Application Number:
  US14/807,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20160026240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7864 T.V. type tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/18 Packaging or power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/188 Mounting of power supply units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/53 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/532 Query formulation, e.g. graphical querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/217 Validation; Performance evaluation; Active pattern learning techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/011 Emotion or mood input determined on the basis of sensed human body parameters such as pulse, heart rate or beat, temperature of skin, facial expressions, iris, voice pitch, brain activity patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• 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 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 : Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 : Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 : Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 : User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 : Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 : based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 : Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 : Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30232 : Surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 : Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 : involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/97 : Determining parameters from multiple pictures depth or shape recovery from multiple images G06T7/55; stereo camera calibration G06T7/85
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/776 : Validation; Performance evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 : in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/30 : in albums, collections or shared content, e.g. social network photos or video
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/41 : Higher-level, semantic clustering, classification or understanding of video scenes, e.g. detection, labelling or Markovian modelling of sport events or news items segmenting video sequences G06V20/49
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 : Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/647 : by matching two-dimensional images to three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/07 : Target detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/09 : Recognition of logos
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/16 : Human faces, e.g. facial parts, sketches or expressions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 : Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 : Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 : using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 : for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 : Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 : Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 : Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 : Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 : based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 : where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 : Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 : Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 : Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 : based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 : by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 : Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 : Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 : from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A wearable apparatus and method are provided for capturing image data. In one implementation, a wearable apparatus for capturing image data is provided. The wearable apparatus includes at least one image sensor for capturing image data of an environment of a user, wherein a field of view of the image sensor includes a chin of the user. The wearable apparatus includes two or more microphones, and an attachment mechanism configured to enable the image sensor and microphones to be worn by the user. The wearable apparatus includes a processing device programmed to capture at least one image, identify the chin of the user to obtain a location of the chin, select a microphone from the two or more microphones based on the location, process input from the selected microphone using a first processing scheme, and process input from a microphone that is not selected using a second processing scheme.

Claims

1. A wearable apparatus for capturing image data, the wearable apparatus comprising:

at least one image sensor for capturing a plurality of images of an environment of a user, wherein a field of view of the image sensor includes at least a portion of a chin of the user;

two or more microphones;

an attachment mechanism configured to attach the at least one image sensor and the two or more microphones to the user; and

at least one processing device programmed to;

identify the chin of the user in at least one of the plurality of images to obtain a direction the chin of the user is facing with respect to a body of the user;

based on the direction the chin of the user is facing, activate at least one microphone of the two or more microphones to record sound in the direction the chin is facing; and

process input from the activated at least one microphone using a first processing scheme, and process input from at least one of the two or more microphones that are not activated using a second processing scheme.

2. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the field of view of the at least one image sensor is more than 100°

.

3. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the field of view of the at least one image sensor is more than 180°

.

4. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the field of view of the at least one image sensor is more than 300°

.

5. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first processing scheme includes storing the input from the activated at least one microphone.

6. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing device is further programmed to:

identify a portion of at least one of the plurality of images captured by the at least one image sensor based on the direction the chin is facing; and

process the identified portion.

7. The wearable apparatus of claim 6, wherein processing the identified portion includes storing the identified portion.

8. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second processing scheme is to ignore the input from the one or more microphones that are not activated.

9. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one solar cell configured to provide power to the image sensor.

10. The wearable apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one solar cell is included in a capturing unit that includes the image sensor.

11. The wearable apparatus of claim 10, wherein the image sensor is associated with a corresponding lens located on the capturing unit, and the capturing unit includes a plurality of solar cells proximate to the lens.

12. The wearable apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a power unit that includes a battery for storing at least some energy generated by the at least one solar cell.

13. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power unit including an energy storage device configured to store energy derived from movements of the user.

14. The wearable apparatus of claim 13, wherein the stored energy is used to power the image sensor.

15. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing device is further programmed to:

identify a direction of a sound wave from the input from the activated at least one microphone; and

adjust a pixel resolution of the at least one image sensor to capture at least one image in the identified direction.

16. A wearable apparatus for capturing image data, the wearable apparatus comprising:

at least one image sensor for capturing image data of an environment of a user, wherein a field of view of the image sensor includes at least a portion of a chin of the user;

an attachment mechanism configured to attach the at least one image sensor to the user; and

at least one processing device programmed to;

capture at least one first image using the at least one image sensor;

identify the chin of the user in the at least one first image to obtain a direction the chin of the user is facing;

select an image area from at least one second image captured by the at least one image sensor based on the direction the chin of the user is facing; and

process the selected image area of the at least one second image and discard one or more image areas of the at least one second image outside of the selected image area.

17. The wearable apparatus of claim 16, wherein the field of view of the at least one image sensor is more than 100°

.

18. The wearable apparatus of claim 16, wherein the field of view of the at least one image sensor is more than 180°

.

19. The wearable apparatus of claim 16, wherein the field of view of the at least one image sensor is more than 300°

.

20. The wearable apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one image sensor is exactly one image sensor.

21. The wearable apparatus of claim 16, wherein processing the selected image area includes storing the selected image area.

22. The wearable apparatus of claim 16, further comprising at least one solar cell configured to provide power to the image sensor.

23. The wearable apparatus of claim 22, wherein the at least one solar cell is included in a capturing unit that includes the image sensor.

24. The wearable apparatus of claim 23, wherein the image sensor is associated with a corresponding lens located on the capturing unit, and the capturing unit includes a plurality of solar cells proximate to the lens.

25. The wearable apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a power unit that includes a battery for storing at least some energy generated by the at least one solar cell.

26. The wearable apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a power unit including an energy storage device configured to store energy derived from movements of the user.

27. The wearable apparatus of claim 26, wherein the stored energy is used to power the image sensor.

28. A method comprising:

processing at least one of a plurality of images captured using a wearable camera to identify a chin of a user in the at least one of the plurality of images to obtain a location of the chin of the user;

based on the location of the chin of the user, activating at least one microphone of two or more microphones attached to the wearable camera from a state in which the at least one microphone is turned on but not recording sound to a state in which the at least one microphone records sound;

processing input from the activated at least one microphone using a first processing scheme;

processing input from at least one of the two or more microphones that are not activated using a second processing scheme;

estimating a direction the chin is facing;

identifying a portion of at least one of the plurality of images captured by the at least one image sensor based on the estimated direction the chin is facing; and

processing the identified portion.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the first processing scheme includes storing the input from the activated at least one microphone.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein processing the identified portion includes storing the identified portion.

31. The wearable apparatus of claim 28, wherein the second processing scheme is to ignore the input from the one or more microphones that are not activated.

32. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing data and computer implementable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 28.

33. A method comprising:

capturing at least one first image using a wearable camera;

identifying a chin of a user in the at least one first image to obtain a direction the chin of the user is facing;

selecting an image area from at least one second image captured by the wearable camera based on the direction the chin of the user is facing; and

processing the selected image area of the at least one second image and discarding one or more image areas of the at least one second image outside of the selected image area.

34. The wearable apparatus of claim 33, wherein processing the selected image area of the at least one second image includes storing the selected image area of the at least one second image.

35. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing data and computer implementable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 33.