Selective illumination of a region within a field of view

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9398229-B2
Application number	US-201213525903-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2012
Priority date	Jun 18, 2012
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

In embodiments of selective illumination, an illumination system includes light sources implemented for selective illumination of a target within a field of view of an imaging system. The illumination system also includes optics that can be positioned to direct light that is generated by a subset of the light sources to illuminate a region within the field of view. An imaging application can activate the subset of the light sources and position the optics to illuminate the region within the field of view that includes the target of the selective illumination.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An illumination system, comprising:
light sources configured for selective illumination of a target within a field of view of an imaging system;
optics configured for positioning to direct light that is generated by a subset of the light sources to illuminate a region within the field of view;
an imaging application configured to:
activate all of the light sources to illuminate the field of view and to reflect light off of the target;
activate the imaging system to capture a reflection image of the target from the reflected light;
determine an initial position of the target based on the captured reflection image;
responsive to the determination of the initial position of the target, activate the subset of the light sources for the selective illumination of the target; and
position the optics to illuminate the region within the field of view that includes the target of the selective illumination.

2. An illumination system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the imaging application is further configured to deactivate the light sources that do not illuminate the region within the field of view that includes the target to conserve power utilized by the light sources to generate the light.

3. An illumination system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the imaging application is configured to one of:
activate all of the light sources at less than full power when the target of the selective illumination approximately encompasses the entire field of view of the imaging system; or
activate the subset of the light sources at the full power when the target of the selective illumination is positioned in the region within the field of view of the imaging system.

4. An illumination system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the imaging application is configured to transition activation from the subset of the light sources to an additional subset of the light sources to maintain the selective illumination of the target as the target moves from the region to an adjacent region within the field of view.

5. An illumination system as recited in claim 4 , wherein:
the region and the adjacent region within the field of view at least partially overlap; and
the imaging application is configured to activate one or more of the light sources as part of the subset and the additional subset of the light sources to maintain the selective illumination as the target moves between the partially overlapping region and adjacent region.

6. An illumination system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the light sources comprise one of an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs), an array of lasers, or a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array.

7. An illumination system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the optics comprise one of a micro-electro-mechanical (MEMs) scanning mirror, a liquid crystal (LC) optic, or a Switchable Bragg Grating (SBG).

8. An illumination system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the light sources illuminate the region within the field of view with non-visible light that the imaging system detects to track the target.

9. A method, comprising:
activating all light sources of an imaging system to reflect light off of a target within a field of view of the imaging system, the light sources configured for selective illumination of the target;
activating the imaging system to capture a reflection image of the target from the reflected light;
determining an initial position of the target based on the captured reflection image;
activating a subset of the light sources responsive to said determining the initial position of the target, the subset of the light sources activated to illuminate a region within the field of view that includes the target of the selective illumination;
positioning optics to direct light that is generated by the subset of the light sources to illuminate the region within the field of view;
tracking the target within the field of view based on subsequent reflection images; and
transitioning activation from the subset of the light sources to an additional subset of the light sources to maintain the selective illumination of the target as the target moves from the region to an adjacent region within the field of view.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 , further comprising deactivating the light sources that do not illuminate the region within the field of view that includes the target to conserve power utilized by the light sources to generate light.

11. A method as recited in claim 9 , further comprising activating one or more of the light sources as part of the subset and the additional subset of the light sources to maintain the selective illumination as the target moves between the region and the adjacent region.

12. A method as recited in claim 9 , further comprising activating all of the light sources at less than full power when the target of the selective illumination approximately encompasses the field of view of the imaging system.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the subset of the light sources are activated at the full power when the target of the selective illumination is positioned in the region within the field of view of the imaging system.

14. A method as recited in claim 9 , wherein:
the target is a hand of a user that is tracked by the imaging system of a wearable display device; and
the light sources illuminate the region within the field of view with non-visible light that the imaging system detects to track the hand.

15. A wearable display device, comprising:
an imaging system configured to image hands of a user of the wearable display device;
light sources configured for selective illumination of the hands within a field of view of the imaging system;
optics configured for positioning to direct light that is generated by a subset of the light sources to illuminate one or more regions within the field of view;
an imaging application configured to:
activate all of the light sources to illuminate the field of view and to reflect light off of the hands;
activate the imaging system to capture reflection images of the hands from the reflected light;
determine initial positions of the hands based on the captured reflection images;
responsive to the determination of the initial positions of the hands, activate the subset of the light sources;
track the hands utilizing the imaging system; and
position the optics to illuminate the one or more regions within the field of view that includes the hands of the user for the selective illumination.

16. A wearable display device as recited in claim 15 , wherein the imaging application is further configured to:
activate a first subset of the light sources to illuminate a first region within the field of view for selective illumination of a right hand of the user; and
activate a second subset of the light sources to illuminate a second region within the field of view for selective illumination of a left hand of the user.

17. A wearable display device as recited in claim 15 , wherein the imaging application is further configured to deactivate the light sources that do not illuminate the one or more regions within the field of view that includes the hands to conserve power utilized by the light sources to generate the light.

18. A wearable display device as recited in claim 15 , wherein the imaging application is further configured to:
activate all of the light sources at less than full power when a hand approximately encompasses the field of view of the imaging system; or
activate the subset of the light sources at the full powe

Assignees

• Crane Randall T
• Bohn David D
• Fleck Rod G
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Crane Randall T
• Bohn David D
• Fleck Rod G

Classifications

• G02B27/017 Primary

  Head mounted · CPC title

• H04N23/74

  by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means · CPC title

• G02B2027/0178

  Eyeglass type (eyeglass details G02C) · CPC title

• G02B2027/0118

  comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility · CPC title

• G09G2320/0261

  in the context of movement of objects on the screen or movement of the observer relative to the screen · CPC title