Visibility enhancement devices, systems, and methods

• US 9,940,521 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Mobile Communications Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tokutake, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Vu
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIVERA-MARTINEZ, GUILLERMO M
• Application Number:
  US14/634,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20160253560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/07 Target detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/10 Recognition assisted with metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

Embodiments include systems of and methods for an electronic device having a camera configured to capture image data, a display configured to display the captured image data and content corresponding to an application of the electronic device, and a motion sensor configured to detect motion of the electronic device. The electronic device also includes circuitry configured to activate the camera when motion is detected by the motion sensor, and control the display to display at least a portion of the captured image data at a size proportional to an amount of motion as detected by an output of the motion sensor.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a camera configured to capture image data;

a display configured to display the captured image data and content corresponding to an application of the electronic device;

a motion sensor configured to detect motion, a size of vibration, and a cycle of the vibration of the electronic device; and

circuitry configured to activate the camera when the motion, the size of the vibration, and the cycle of the vibration are detected by the motion sensor, and control the display to display at least a portion of the captured image data at a size that increases as an amount of motion as detected by an output of the motion sensor increases and in accordance with the size of the vibration and the cycle of the vibration;

wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine whether the detected motion is one of a walking state, a running state, or a vehicle riding state in accordance with the size of the vibration and the cycle of the vibration.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to display a captured image of a user'"'"'s environment on the display when a running state is detected.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to display a combined display of a captured transparent image of a user'"'"'s environment and content of one or more working applications on the display when a walking state is detected, wherein a back layer of the display can be viewed through the captured transparent image.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to detect an approaching object from the captured image data of the camera and to issue a warning of the approaching object.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the circuitry is further configured to detect a motion vector of the approaching object from the captured image data of the camera.

6. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the issued warning comprises one or more of an illumination of the approaching object, a flashing approaching object, an audible signal, or a vibratory signal.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is further configured to detect a change in a viewing direction of the camera.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the circuitry is further configured to detect the change in viewing direction of the camera and to adjust a motion vector of an approaching object according to the change in viewing direction.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to detect an approaching object out of view of the camera based on a time and position of the approaching object from previously captured images.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a handheld electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a head-mounted electronic device.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine when the electronic device changes a position from a seated user-perspective position to a standing user-perspective position.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the circuitry is further configured to change the display of the electronic device from a full image of user-selected content while in the seated user-perspective position to a combined image of the user-selected content and a transparent image of the electronic device'"'"'s surroundings while in the standing user-perspective position, wherein a back layer of the display can be viewed through the transparent image.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine when the electronic device changes to the walking state and to display a full image of the electronic device'"'"'s surroundings.

15. A displaying method of an electronic device, the displaying method comprising:

detecting via a motion sensor, a motion, a size of vibration, and a cycle of the vibration of the electronic device;

determining, via circuitry, whether the detected motion is one of a walking state, a running state, or a vehicle riding state in accordance with the size of the vibration and the cycle of the vibration;

capturing via a camera, image data of a front-view image from the electronic device, subsequent to the detecting;

determining via the circuitry to display an amount of the captured image data at a size that increases as an amount of the motion as detected by an output of the motion sensor increases and in accordance with the size of the vibration and the cycle of the vibration; and

displaying the determined amount of the captured image data on the display.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions embodied thereon, that when executed by a computing device, executes a method comprising:

detecting via a motion sensor, a motion, a size of vibration, and a cycle of the vibration of the electronic device;

determining, via circuitry, whether the detected motion is one of a walking state, a running state, or a vehicle riding state in accordance with the size of the vibration and the cycle of the vibration;

capturing via a camera, image data of a front-view image from the electronic device, subsequent to the detecting;

determining via the circuitry to display an amount of the captured image data at a size that increases as an amount of the motion as detected by an output of the motion sensor increases and in accordance with the size of the vibration and the cycle of the vibration; and

displaying the determined amount of the captured image data on the display in the drawings.