Selective imaging zones of an imaging sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9674436-B2
Application number	US-201213525772-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2012
Priority date	Jun 18, 2012
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

In embodiments of selective imaging, an imaging system includes an imaging sensor implemented to capture an image of a target within a field of view of the imaging system. The imaging sensor is divided into zones of pixel arrays. The imaging system also includes optics that can be positioned to direct light of the image at a zone of the imaging sensor. An imaging application can position the optics to direct the light at the zone of the imaging sensor and activate the zone of the imaging sensor to capture the image of the target.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An imaging system, comprising:
an illumination source configured to emit non-visible light that diverges to reflect a non-visible light pattern of a target;
an imaging sensor configured to capture a reflection image of the target from the reflected non-visible light pattern within a field of view of the imaging system, the imaging sensor divided into zones of pixel arrays;
optics configured for positioning to direct the reflected non-visible light pattern of the target at a zone of the imaging sensor; and
an imaging application executed by a processor, the imaging application configured to:
activate the illumination source to illuminate the field of view and to reflect the non-visible light pattern off of the target;
activate the imaging sensor to capture the reflection image of the target from the reflected non-visible light pattern;
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 a subset of light sources of the illumination source to illuminate a region within the field of view that includes the target;
activate a selected zone of the imaging sensor for selective imaging of the target, the selected zone corresponding to the region within the field of view that includes the target illuminated by the subset of the light sources; and
position the optics to direct the reflected non-visible light pattern of the target at the selected zone of the imaging sensor.

2. An imaging system as recited in claim 1 , wherein each zone of the imaging sensor corresponds to a different region within the field of view of the imaging system.

3. An imaging system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the zone of the imaging sensor corresponds to more than one region within the field of view of the imaging system.

4. An imaging system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the imaging application is further configured to deactivate the zones of the imaging sensor that are not utilized for selective imaging, conserving power that would otherwise be utilized by the deactivated zones of the imaging sensor to capture and process the reflection image.

5. An imaging system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the imaging application is further configured to:
transition activation from the zone of the imaging sensor to an additional zone of the imaging sensor, based on captured reflection images of the target, to capture the reflection image of the target as the target moves to a next position.

6. An imaging system as recited in claim 5 , wherein:
the target is a hand of a user of a wearable display device comprising the imaging system; and
the imaging application is further configured to determine the next position of the hand based at least in part on eye-tracking data that indicates the user is looking at the next position, the eye-tracking data generated from an eye-tracking sensor included in the imaging system.

7. An imaging 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. A method, comprising:
activating an illumination source to emit non-visible light that diverges to reflect a non-visible light pattern of a target;
controlling an imaging sensor to conserve power that is utilized to capture and process a reflection image of the target from the reflected non-visible light pattern, the imaging sensor divided into zones of pixel arrays for selective imaging of the target that is within a field of view of an imaging system;
activating the zones of the imaging sensor;
positioning optics, using an imaging application, to direct the reflected non-visible light pattern of the target at the zones of the imaging sensor;
capturing the reflection image of the target with the zones of pixel arrays;
determining an initial position of the target based on the captured reflection image;
responsive to the determination of the initial position of the target, activating a subset of light sources of the illumination source to illuminate a region within the field of view that includes the target;
activating a selected zone of the imaging sensor for the selective imaging of the target, the selected zone corresponding to the region within the field of view that includes the target illuminated by the subset of the light sources;
positioning the optics to direct the reflected non-visible light pattern of the target at the selected zone of the imaging sensor; and
tracking movement of the target to determine a next position of the target based on the tracking.

9. A method as recited in claim 8 , further comprising deactivating the zones of the imaging sensor that are not utilized for the selective imaging to conserve the power that is utilized to capture and process the reflection image.

10. A method as recited in claim 8 , further comprising:
transitioning activation from the zone of the imaging sensor to an additional zone of the imaging sensor, based on captured reflection images of the target, to capture the reflection image of the target as the target moves to the next position.

11. A method as recited in claim 10 , wherein:
the target is a hand of a user that is tracked by the imaging system of a wearable display device; and
the hand is tracked based at least in part on eye-tracking data that indicates the user is looking at the next position.

12. A method as recited in claim 8 , wherein each zone of the imaging sensor corresponds to a different region within the field of view of the imaging system.

13. A method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the zone of the imaging sensor corresponds to more than one region within the field of view of the imaging system.

14. A wearable display device, comprising:
an illumination source configured to emit non-visible light that diverges to reflect a non-visible light pattern of hands of a user;
an imaging system configured to image the hands of the user of the wearable display device;
an imaging sensor configured to capture a reflection image of a hand of the user from the reflected non-visible light pattern, the imaging sensor divided into zones of pixel arrays;
optics configured for positioning to direct the reflected non-visible light pattern of the hand at a zone of the imaging sensor; and
an imaging application executed by a processor, the imaging application configured to:
activate the illumination source to illuminate a field of view and to reflect the non-visible light pattern off of the hand;
activate the zones of the imaging sensor to capture the reflection image of the hand from the reflected non-visible light pattern;
determine an initial position of the hand based on the captured reflection image;
responsive to the determination of the initial position of the hand, activate a subset of light sources of the illumination source to illuminate a region within the field of view that includes the hand;
activate a selected zone of the imaging sensor for selective imaging of the hand, the selected zone corresponding to the region within the field of view that includes the hand illuminated by the subset of the light sources; and
position the optics to direct the reflected non-visible light pattern of the hand at the selected zone of the imaging sensor.

15. A wearable display device as recited in claim 14 , wherein the imaging application is further configured to:
activate a first zone of the imaging sensor to selectively image a right hand of the user; and
activate a second zone of the imaging sensor to sele

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

• H04N23/661

  Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/651 Primary

  for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera · CPC title

• H04N23/61

  based on recognised objects · CPC title

• H04N23/50

  Constructional details · CPC title