Self discovery of autonomous NUI devices

• US 9,953,213 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2013
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Yee, Dawson
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jiang, Zaihan
• Application Number:
  US13/851,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20140293008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,854 Days
• Field of Search: 348 46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0382 Plural input, i.e. interface arrangements in which a plurality of input device of the same type are in communication with a PC
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• 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 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/204 using stereoscopic image cameras stereoscopic photography G03B35/00

Abstract

A system and method providing a capture device autonomously determining its own operational window in the presence of other such devices. The capture device includes an imaging sensor having a field of view and an illumination source. A processor includes code instructing the processor to scan the field of view another illumination source operating in a recurring window of time proximate to the capture device. If illumination occurs from another source within the recurring window, an operational window for the second illumination source is determined an a new a new operational window within the recurring window established for the capture device.

Claims

1. A method providing for autonomous operation of a capture device having an illumination system and an image capture system, the method comprising:

while the illumination system of the capture device is not illuminating, using the image capture system of the capture device to scan an environment proximate to the capture device for repeating segments of illumination and non-illumination by another illumination system, wherein the capture device is separate and autonomous from the other illumination system;

based on the scan, determining a stretch of non-illumination that occurs in the environment proximate to the capture device that has a duration of sufficient operational time; and

establishing an operational window of illumination for the illumination system of the capture device within the determined stretch of non-illumination by the other illumination system.

2. The method of claim 1 further including activating the illumination system within the established operational window.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the established operational window of the illumination system begins substantially at a start of the determined stretch of non-illumination.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the established operational window of the illumination system begins and ends inside the determined stretch of non-illumination.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the establishing of the operational window of illumination for the illumination system within the determined stretch of non-illumination by the other illumination system further includes establishing one or more additional operational windows of illumination for the illumination system of the capture device within the determined stretch of non-illumination.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the established operational window of illumination has a same time length as the repeating segments of illumination by the other illumination system.

7. The method of claim 1 further including establishing at least two operational windows of illumination within the determined stretch of non-illumination, wherein a first established operational window of the at least two operational windows has a different length of time than a second established window of the at least two operational windows.

8. A first capture device among a plurality of capture devices each having a respective device illumination source, the first capture device comprising:

a respective first depth imaging sensor having a field of view;

a respective first device illumination source;

a processor communicatively coupled to the respective first depth imaging sensor and the respective first device illumination source;

wherein the first capture device is separate and autonomous from each other capture device of the plurality of capture devices, and the processor of the first capture device is configured to;

cause the respective first depth imaging sensor to scan the field of view for at least one other device illumination source of a respective at least one other capture device of the plurality of capture devices operating proximate to the first capture device;

determine presence of a respective recurring window of time used by the at least one other device illumination source, the respective recurring window including a time segment of illumination sourced by the at least one other device illumination source and a time segment of non-illumination by the at least one other device illumination source;

determine the time segment of illumination sourced by the at least one other device illumination source as being an operational window of time for the at least one other device illumination source, the operational window being a fraction of length of time relative to the recurring window;

determine a beginning and an end of the operational window; and

establish a new operational window within the recurring window.

9. The capture device of claim 8 wherein the establishing of the new operational window comprises engaging the respective first device illumination source of the first capture device at a time outside that of any existing operational window detected prior to the establishing of the new operational window, the engaging of the respective first device illumination source occurring within the recurring window, and receiving reflected illumination from the respective first device illumination source within the new operational window.

10. The capture device of claim 8 wherein if illumination does not occur within the recurring window, engaging the first device illumination source at regularly occurring intervals coinciding with the time of the recurring window and receiving reflected illumination from the first device illumination source thereby establishing the new operational window.

11. The capture device of claim 8 wherein the determining includes determining multiple operational windows within the recurring window.

12. The capture device of claim 8 wherein all operational windows and new operational windows have an identical time length.

13. A first depth and image capture device configured for detecting movements of a user in a first physical environment where the first physical environment is covered by one or more other depth and image capture devices separate from the first depth and image capture device, the first depth and image capture device comprising:

a first depth imaging sensor having a field of view, a first device illumination source, and a processor;

wherein the first depth and image capture device is autonomous from each of the one or more other depth and image capture devices, and the processor of the first depth and image capture device is configured to;

power off the first device illumination source;

after powering off the first device illumination source, causing the first depth imaging sensor to scan the field of view for any other illumination sources of the one or more other depth and image capture devices operating proximate to the first depth and image capture device;

determine presence of a respective recurring window of time used by at least one other illumination source of the other illumination sources, the respective recurring window including a time segment of illumination sourced by the at least one other illumination source and a time segment of non-illumination by the at least one other illumination source;

determine the time segment of illumination sourced by the at least one other illumination source as being an operational window of time, the determined operational window including an illumination period and a reflection period;

determine a start and an end of the determined operational window;

cause the first device illumination source to scan the field of view by repeatedly engaging the first device illumination source in a new recurring operational window at a time outside the determined operational window and within the recurring window; and

receiving reflected illumination sourced by the first device illumination source via the first depth imaging sensor within the new operational window.

14. The first depth and image capture device of claim 13 wherein if illumination does not occur within the recurring window, engaging the first device illumination source at regularly occurring intervals coinciding with a time of the recurring window and receiving reflected illumination from the first device illumination source thereby establishing the new operational window.

15. The first depth and image capture device of claim 14 wherein the new operational window begins at an end of all operational windows within the recurring operational windows within the recurring window.

16. The first depth and image capture device of claim 15 wherein the determining includes determining multiple operational windows within the recurring window.

17. The first depth and image capture device of claim 16 wherein all operational windows and new operational windows have a same time length.