OPERATING A COMPUTING DEVICE BY DETECTING ROUNDED OBJECTS IN AN IMAGE

• US 20130301879A1
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sphero Inc.
• Original Assignee: Orbotix Incorporated
• Inventors: Polo, Fabrizio
• Granted Patent: US 9,280,717 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• 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 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes

Abstract

A method is disclosed for operating a computing device. One or more images of a scene captured by an image capturing device of the computing device is processed. The scene includes an object of interest that is in motion and that has a rounded shape. The one or more images are processed by detecting a rounded object that corresponds to the object of interest. Position information is determined based on a relative position of the rounded object in the one or more images. One or more processes are implemented that utilize the position information determined from the relative position of the rounded object.

Claims

1. A method for operating a computing device, the method being performed by one or more processors and comprising:

processing one or more images of a scene captured by an image capturing device of the computing device, the scene including an object of interest that is in motion and having a characteristic rounded shape, wherein processing the one or more images includes detecting a rounded object that corresponds to the object of interest;

determining position information based on a relative position of the rounded object in the one or more images; and

implementing one or more processes that utilize the position information determined from the relative position of the rounded object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein implementing the one or more processes includes displaying, on a display of the computing device, a representation of the object of interest based on the determined position information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the object of interest corresponds to a self-propelled device having a rounded structural feature.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the self-propelled device is spherical.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the rounded object includes applying a filter to each of the one or more images.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the filter is a grayscale filter, and wherein applying the filter includes generating a grayscale image for each of the one or more images.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein detecting the rounded object includes determining a gradient for some pixels of each of the one or more grayscale images, the gradient comprising a vector having a direction in which a brightness level of a pixel is lower than a brightness level of one or more other pixels in the direction.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting the rounded object includes, for each pixel, marking a point within a defined distance of that pixel in the direction of the gradient, and determining a position of the rounded object in the one or more grayscale images based on a plurality of marked points.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein implementing the one or more processes includes adjusting at least a portion of the one or more images in which the rounded object is detected.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein adjusting at least a portion of the one or more images includes generating a graphic feature to overlay the rounded object.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the rounded object corresponds to a self-propelled device that can be controlled wirelessly by the computing device, and wherein implementing the one or more processes includes (i) determining a reference point for the self-propelled device, (ii) enabling a user to interact with a displayed representation of the rounded object on a touch-sensitive display, and (iii) controlling a movement of the rounded object based on the reference point.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein implementing the one or more processes includes calibrating one or more components of the rounded object.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

process one or more images of a scene captured by an image capturing device of the computing device, the scene including an object of interest that is in motion and having a characteristic rounded shape, wherein processing the one or more images includes detecting a rounded object that corresponds to the object of interest;

determine position information based on a relative position of the rounded object in the one or more images; and

implement one or more processes that utilize the position information determined from the relative position of the rounded object.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions cause the processor to detect the rounded object by applying a grayscale filter to each of the one or more images, and wherein the instructions cause the processor to generate a grayscale image for each of the one or more images.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions cause the processor to detect the rounded object by determining a gradient for some pixels of each of the one or more grayscale images, the gradient comprising a vector having a direction in which a brightness level of a pixel is lower than a brightness level of one or more other pixels in the direction.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the processor to detect the rounded object by, for each pixel, marking a point within a defined distance of that pixel in the direction of the gradient, and by determining a position of the rounded object in the one or more grayscale images based on a plurality of marked points.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the object of interest corresponds to a self-propelled device having a rounded structural feature.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the rounded object corresponds to a self-propelled device that can be controlled wirelessly by the computing device, and wherein the instructions cause the processor to implement the one or more processes by (i) determining a reference point for the self-propelled device, (ii) enabling a user to interact with a displayed representation of the rounded object on a touch-sensitive display, and (iii) controlling a movement of the rounded object based on the reference point.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions cause the processor to implement the one or more processes includes calibrating one or more components of the rounded object.

20. A mobile computing device comprising:

an image capturing device;

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the image capturing device and the memory, the processor to;

process one or more images of a scene captured by an image capturing device of the computing device, the scene including an object of interest that is in motion and having a characteristic rounded shape, wherein processing the one or more images includes detecting a rounded object that corresponds to the object of interest;

determine position information based on a relative position of the rounded object in the one or more images; and

implement one or more processes that utilize the position information determined from the relative position of the rounded object.