Image processing apparatus and method using tracking of gaze of user

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9325983-B2
Application number	US-201113067416-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2011
Priority date	Sep 7, 2010
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus and method for outputting view images by tracking a gaze of a user are provided. The image processing apparatus estimates movement of a gaze of a user using a camera, and determines an output order of view images according to the gaze movement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to control one or more processor-executable units;
a movement estimation unit configured to estimate a movement of an eye position of a user; and
an output order determining unit configured to determine an output order of a plurality of view images corresponding to the movement of the eye position of the user,
wherein the output order determining unit determines the output order of the plurality of view images such that a predetermined number of left and right view images are consecutively arranged with respect to a reference view image and that a view image next to an outermost view image of the plurality of view images which cause an inversion within the predetermined number of left and right view images is replaced with the outermost view image, the inversion including a continuous arrangement of a leftmost view image and a rightmost view image, wherein the reference view image corresponds to a position to which the eye position of the user is moved, and wherein the predetermined number is calculated based on the number of view images that can be simultaneously displayed in one pixel.

2. The image processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the movement estimation unit estimates a movement direction of the eye position of the user; and
the output order determining unit adjusts the output order of the plurality of view images corresponding to a right eye of the user when the eye position of the user is moved to the right.

3. The image processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the movement estimation unit estimates a movement direction of the eye position of the user; and
the output order determining unit adjusts the output order of the plurality of view images corresponding to a left eye of the user when the eye position of the user is moved to the left.

4. The image processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the movement estimation unit estimates a movement angle of the eye position of the user using the movement of the eye position of the user and a focal distance; and
the output order determining unit varies the number of the plurality of view images of which the output order is to be adjusted, based on the movement angle.

5. The image processing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein, as the movement angle increases, the output order determining unit increases the number of the plurality of view images for which the output order is to be adjusted.

6. The image processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a display configured to display an output image comprising a plurality of the view images, according to the determined output order.

7. The image processing apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the output image comprises pixel units each containing at least one view image.

8. An image processing method comprising:
estimating a movement of an eye position of a user; and
determining, by way of a processor, an output order of a plurality of view images corresponding to the movement of the eye position of the user,
wherein the determining of the output order determines the output order of the plurality of view images such that a predetermined number of left and right view images are consecutively arranged with respect to a reference view image and that a view image next to an outermost view image of the plurality of view images which cause an inversion within the predetermined number of left and right view images is replaced with the outermost view image, the inversion including a continuous arrangement of a leftmost view image and a rightmost view image, wherein the reference view image corresponds to a position to which the eye position of the user is moved, and wherein the predetermined number is calculated based on the number of view images that can be simultaneously displayed in one pixel.

9. The image processing method of claim 8 , wherein:
the estimating of the movement of the eye position estimates a movement direction of the eye position of the user; and
the determining of the output order adjusts an output order of the plurality of view images corresponding to a right eye of the user when the eye position of the user is moved to the right.

10. The image processing method of claim 8 , wherein:
the estimating of the movement of the eye position estimates a movement direction of the eye position of the user; and
the determining of the output order adjusts an output order of the plurality of view images corresponding to a left eye of the user when the eye position of the user is moved to the left.

11. The image processing method of claim 8 , wherein:
the estimating of the movement of the eye position estimates a movement angle of the eye position of the user using the movement of the eye position of the user and a local distance; and
the determining of the output order varies the number of the plurality of view images of which the output order is to be adjusted, according to the movement angle.

12. The image processing method of claim 11 , wherein the determining of the output order increases the number of the plurality of view images of which the output order is to be adjusted as the movement angle increases.

13. The image processing method of claim 9 , further comprising displaying an output image comprising a plurality of the view images according to the determined output order.

14. The image processing method of claim 13 , wherein the output image comprises pixel units each comprising at least one view image.

15. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a program to cause a computer to implement the method of claim 8 .

16. A method of adjusting a multi-view image in a multi-view display, the method comprising:
detecting movement of an eye position of a user; and
reordering, by way of a processor, an output order of a plurality of view images making up the multi-view image in accordance with the detected movement of the eye position,
wherein the reordering of the output order reorders the output order of the plurality of view images such that a predetermined number of left and right view images are consecutively arranged with respect to a reference view image and that a view image next to an outermost view image of the plurality of view images which cause an inversion within the predetermined number of left and right view images is replaced with the outermost view image, the inversion including a continuous arrangement of a leftmost view image and a rightmost view image, wherein the reference view image corresponds to a position to which the eye position of the user is moved, and wherein the predetermined number is calculated based on the number of view images that can be simultaneously displayed in one pixel.

17. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a program to cause a computer to implement the method of claim 16 .

18. A multi-view image display apparatus displaying a multi-view image, the apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to control one or more processor-executable units;
a movement estimation unit configured to estimate a movement of an eye position of a user; and
an output order determining unit configured to change an output order of a plurality of view images making up the multi-view image in accordance with the movement of the eye position estimated by the movement estimation unit,
wherein the output order determining unit changes the output order of the plurality of view images such that determines the output order of the plurality of view images such that a predetermined numb

Assignees

• Kim Yun Tae
• Sung Gee Young
• Nam Dong Kyung
• Park Ju Yong
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Yun Tae
• Sung Gee Young
• Nam Dong Kyung
• Park Ju Yong

Classifications

• H04N13/0402

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N13/0477 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N13/398

  Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof · CPC title

• H04N13/376

  for tracking left-right translational head movements, i.e. lateral movements · CPC title

• H04N13/339

  using spatial multiplexing (H04N13/337 takes precedence) · CPC title