Camera based sensing in handheld, mobile, gaming or other devices

• US 8,194,924 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2011
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gesture Technology Partners, LLC
• Original Assignee: Timothy R. Pryor
• Inventors: Pryor, Timothy R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Tom Y
• Application Number:
  US13/051,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20110170746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 382/103, 382/154, 382/312
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/219 for aiming at specific areas on the display, e.g. light-guns
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/27 characterised by a large display in a public venue, e.g. in a movie theatre, stadium or game arena
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2435 using a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1093 using visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8023 the game being played by multiple players at a common site, e.g. in an arena, theatre, shopping mall using a large public display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00643 Electric board games; Electric features of board games electric word or number games A63F3/0421; computer chess G06F; electric raffle games A63F3/081
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• 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 3/017 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 3/0325 : 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: G06F 3/0425 : using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10021 : Stereoscopic video; Stereoscopic image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30196 : Human being; Person
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30204 : Marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 : using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 : from stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 : using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 : Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 : Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed to enable rapid TV camera and computer based sensing in many practical applications, including, but not limited to, handheld devices, cars, and video games. Several unique forms of social video games are disclosed.

Claims

1. A handheld device comprising:

a housing;

a computer within the housing;

a first camera oriented to view a user of the handheld device and having a first camera output; and

a second camera oriented to view an object other than the user of the device and having a second camera output, wherein the first and second cameras include non-overlapping fields of view, and wherein the computer is adapted to perform a control function of the handheld device based on at least one of the first camera output and the second camera output.

2. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the handheld device comprises a mobile phone.

3. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the first camera is adapted to acquire an image of at least a portion of the user.

4. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the second camera is adapted to acquire an image of the object.

5. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the second camera is adapted to acquire a video of the object.

6. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the computer is operable to determine a gesture based on at least one of the first camera output and the second camera output.

7. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the computer is operable to determine a facial expression based on at least one of the first camera output and the second camera output.

8. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the computer is adapted to determine at least one of the position and the orientation of the object based on the second camera output.

9. The handheld device of claim 6 wherein the gesture is performed by a person other than the user of the handheld device.

10. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the computer is adapted to recognize the object based on the second camera output.

11. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the computer is adapted to generate control instructions for a display that is separate from the handheld device.

12. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the computer is adapted to determine a reference frame of the object.

13. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the computer is adapted to perform a control function based on the first camera output and based on the second camera output.

14. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the computer is adapted to transmit information over an internet connection.