Multi-camera view selection based on calculated metric

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9813600-B2
Application number	US-201414247334-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2014
Priority date	Apr 8, 2014
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

Techniques for automatically selecting from amongst multiple camera views available in a multi-camera system. In an aspect, one or more metrics are calculated for multiple camera views. The metrics may be used to identify one or more of the camera views as fulfilling a condition, in response to which a particular one of the camera views may be selected for display. For example, in a “select-better-view” strategy, the camera view associated with a more optimal image (e.g., better lighting, or absence of occlusion) is selected for display. In a “flag-diagnostic-view” strategy, the camera view associated with a less optimal image is displayed, e.g., to indicate that a particular camera may require user attention. Specific techniques for calculating metrics are further disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first camera interface for receiving a first camera signal associated with an infrared camera view;
a second camera interface for receiving a second camera signal associated with a color camera view;
a metric calculation block configured to calculate at least one of an infrared brightness metric and a depth metric from the first camera signal, the infrared brightness metric indicating brightness of infrared light received at the infrared camera view; and
a selection block configured to generate a display control signal indicating selection of the infrared camera view for display in the presence of an obstruction in the infrared camera view, the infrared camera view selected for display if the infrared brightness metric is higher than a brightness threshold or if the depth metric is lower than a depth threshold.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , the metric calculation block further configure to calculate a color brightness metric from the second camera signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , the display control signal indicating selection of the infrared camera view for display if the color brightness metric is lower than a threshold.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , the display control signal further indicating selection of the infrared camera view for display if the color brightness metric is higher than a brightness threshold.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , the control signal indicating selection of the infrared camera view for display if a function performed on at least one of the infrared brightness metric, the depth metric, and the color brightness metric indicates a detected condition is fulfilled.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first camera coupled to the first camera interface, a second camera coupled to the second camera interface, and a display coupled to the control signal, the display configured to display the camera view selected by the selection block.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a third camera interface for receiving a third camera signal associated with a third camera view.

8. A method comprising:
receiving a first camera signal associated with an infrared camera view;
receiving a second camera signal associated with a color camera view;
calculating at least one of an infrared brightness metric and a depth metric from the first camera signal, the infrared brightness metric indicating the brightness of infrared light received at the infrared camera view; and
generating a display control signal indicating selection of the infrared camera view for display in the presence of an obstruction in the infrared camera view, the infrared camera view selected for display if the infrared brightness metric is higher than a brightness threshold or if the depth metric is lower than a depth threshold.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising calculating a color brightness metric from the second camera signal.

10. The method of claim 9 , the control signal indicating selection of the infrared camera view for display if the color brightness metric is lower than a threshold.

11. The method of claim 9 , the display control signal further indicating selection of the color camera view for display if the color brightness metric is higher than a brightness threshold.

12. The method of claim 9 , the control signal indicating selection of the infrared camera view for display if a function performed on at least one of the infrared brightness metric, depth metric, and color brightness metric indicates a detected condition is fulfilled.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising receiving a third camera signal associated with a third camera view.

14. An apparatus comprising:
an infrared camera interface for receiving an infrared camera signal associated with an infrared camera view;
a color camera interface for receiving a color camera signal associated with a color camera view;
a metric calculation block configured to calculate an infrared brightness metric and a depth metric from the infrared camera signal, the depth metric comprising a count of number of pixels for which the detected depth is below a predetermined threshold, the infrared brightness metric indicating the brightness of infrared light received at the infrared camera view; and
a selection block configured to generate a display control signal indicating selection of the infrared camera view for display in the presence of an obstruction in the infrared camera view, the infrared camera view selected for display if the infrared brightness metric is above a saturation threshold, or if the count is greater than a predetermined shallowness threshold.

Assignees

• Microsoft Corp
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Barsoum Emad
• Leyvand Tommer
• Perreault Spencer
• Smith Robert
• Hall Michael

Classifications

• H04N23/63 Primary

  by using electronic viewfinders · CPC title

• H04N23/71

  Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation · CPC title

• H04N23/60 Primary

  Control of cameras or camera modules · CPC title

• H04N5/2351

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/23293

  Electricity · mapped topic