Patent US6163336A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6163336A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Tracking system for stereoscopic display systems
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1995-12-13
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Granted: 2000-12-19
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Expires: 2015-12-13
Abstract
Abstract A tracking system for tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system including means to locate the position of the head and/or eyes of the viewer relative to the auto-stereoscopic display system. The auto-stereoscopic display system may provide a stereoscopic image including left and right image fields, the tracking system being adapted to position the image fields to thereby at least substantially correspond with the position of the eyes of the viewer. The tracking may be in at least one direction.
Inventors
- 👤 Angus Duncan Richards
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-10 01:06
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/011; G06F3/012; G02; G02B; G02B27/00; G02B27/0093; G02B30/00; G02B30/20; G02B30/26; G02B30/27; G02B30/33; H; H04; H04N; H04N13/00; H04N13/30; H04N13/366; H04N13/371; H04N13/373; H04N13/376; H04N13/378; H04N13/38; H04N13/383; H04N13/10; H04N13/189; H04N13/194; H04N13/20; H04N13/204; H04N13/286; H04N13/302; H04N13/305; H04N13/324; H04N13/327; H04N13/349; H04N13/361; H04N13/363; H04N13/398; H04N19/00; H04N19/50; H04N19/597
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 55
Claim 1
Independent Claim
76 words
A tracking system for tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system including: a background screen to assist in the tracking of said viewer; a first light source to illuminate said viewer; a capture means to capture an image and/or data of said viewer created by said background screen and said first light source; a processing means to determine the position of said viewer based on said image of said viewer captured by said capture means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
76 words
A tracking system for tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system including: a background screen to assist in the tracking of said viewer; a first light source to illuminate said viewer; a capture means to capture an image and/or data of said viewer created by said background screen and said first light source; a processing means to determine the position of said viewer based on said image of said viewer captured by said capture means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
A tracking system according to claim 1 wherein the tracking is in at least one direction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
106 words
A tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said capture means includes a camera including a lens having an optical axis; said first light source is located near the optical axis of said lens, and said processing means receives information from said camera, wherein when the viewer is located in the front of said background screen and said viewer and said background screen is illuminated by said first light source, said camera views an image showing said viewer as a silhouette against said background screen, said processing means locating the boundary of the silhouette to thereby determine the location of the head of said viewer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
A tracking system according to claim 3 wherein said first light source emits infra-red light.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
A tracking system according to claim 4 wherein said background screen is a retro reflective screen.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
A tracking system according to claim 4 wherein said first light source includes an array of infra-red LEDs.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
A tracking system according to claim 4 wherein an infra-red pass filter is located in front of said camera lens.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
57 words
A tracking system according to claim 3 wherein said processing means includes a processing circuit for processing the signal from the camera, the circuit including a sync separator for separating horizontal and vertical sync pulses of the signal, and control means for reading the sync pulses and thereby determining the location of the boundary of the silhouette.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
110 words
A tracking system for tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said background screen includes said first light source in the form of a light source array, and said capture means includes a photo detector for detecting the light emitted from said light source array, wherein when the viewer is located in front of said background screen, said viewer blocks the light emitted from a section of said light source array, the light from the unblocked section of said light source array being received by said photo detector to thereby allow for the determination of the location of the head of said viewer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
A tracking system according to claim 9 wherein said light source array emits coded light.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
95 words
A tracking system for tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first light source emits a plurality of parallel stripes of light, said capture means includes a light detector, and wherein when said viewer is located in front of said background screen and said parallel stripes are projected on said viewer and said background screen, said light detector receives the reflection of said parallel stripes and said processing means determines the location of said head of the viewer on the basis of parameters of the emitted light.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
A tracking system according to claim 11 wherein said first light source emits vertical stripes of infra-red light.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
71 words
A tracking system for tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first light source emits a plurality of parallel stripes of light, said capture means includes a light detector, and wherein when said viewer is located in front of said first light source, said processing means determines the location of said head of the viewer by viewing the distortion of said reflected stripes.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
A tracking system according to claim 13 wherein said light source emits vertical stripes of infra-red light.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
82 words
A tracking system for an auto-stereoscopic display system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said capture means includes a camera coupled to a lens, and said first light source is located adjacent to said lens, wherein when said viewer is located in front of said camera, light is emitted from said first light source towards said viewer, and light reflected from the eyes of said viewer is receivable by said camera to thereby determine the location of the eyes of said viewer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
A tracking system according to claim 15 wherein said lens is a pin hole lens.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
A tracking system according to claim 15 wherein said first light source is an infra-red light source surrounding the lens.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
168 words
A tracking system for tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said capture means includes a camera including a lens, said first light source is located adjacent to said lens, said tracking system further including a second light source located at a distance away from said lens, and wherein when said viewer is at a viewer location aligned with the optical axis of the lens, light is separately emitted from said first and second light sources, the light source emitted from said second light source being reflected as matt and direct reflection from said viewer position, and the light emitted from said first light source being also reflected as matt and direct reflection from the viewer position and is further reflected as retroreflection from the eyes of said viewer, whereby said processing means determines the difference between the reflected light when said first and second light sources illuminate said viewer to thereby determine the location of the eyes of said viewer.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
A tracking system according to claim 18 wherein said lens is a pin hole lens.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
17 words
A tracking system according to claim 18, wherein said first and second light sources emit infra-red light.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
36 words
A tracking system according to claim 20, wherein said first and second light sources are respectively provided by a circular array of infra-red LEDs located at least substantially concentrically about an optical axis of said lens.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
109 words
A tracking system for tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said capture means includes a first camera having a first lens, said first light source is located adjacent the optical axis of said first lens, said system further including a second camera having a second lens, said second camera located adjacent to said first camera, said viewer is illuminated by the light emitted from said first light source, said second camera receives matt and direct reflection from said viewer and said first camera receives matt and direct reflection from said viewer and further receives retroreflectivity from the eyes of said viewer.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
35 words
A tracking system according to claim 22 further including a beam splitting means for splitting the image received by each lens, and a light source adjacent to the optical axis of one of the lenses.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
31 words
A tracking system according to claim 23 wherein said light source is an array of infra-red LEDs arranged in a semicircular arrangement about the optical axis of one of the lenses.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
24 words
A tracking system according to claim 22 further including optical band pass filters, and first and second light sources emitting light of differing wavelengths.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
19 words
A tracking system according to claim 25 wherein said first and second light sources are provided by LED arrays.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
37 words
A tracking system according to claim 26 wherein said first and second light sources are respectively provided by a circular array of LEDs located at least substantially concentrically about an optical axis of one of the lens.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
18 words
A tracking system according to claim 22 including light polarising means located in front of the light source.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
53 words
A tracking system for tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display as claimed in claim 1, wherein said capture means includes a camera having a lens, and a light polarising means respectively located in front of said camera and said light source whereby polarised light is reflected from said viewer to said camera.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
11 words
A display arrangement including two tracking systems according to claim 1.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
102 words
A method of tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system having a tracking system including a background screen, a camera including a lens having an optical axis, and a light source located adjacent the optical axis of the lens, the method including locating the viewer in front of the background screen and illuminating the viewer and the background screen with the light emitted from the light source, such that the viewer is viewed as a silhouette against a background screen by the camera, and locating the boundary of the silhouette to thereby determine the location of the head of the viewer.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
102 words
A method of tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system having a tracking system including a background screen, a camera including a lens having an optical axis, and a light source located adjacent the optical axis of the lens, the method including locating the viewer in front of the background screen and illuminating the viewer and the background screen with the light emitted from the light source, such that the viewer is viewed as a silhouette against a background screen by the camera, and locating the boundary of the silhouette to thereby determine the location of the head of the viewer.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
83 words
A tracking system for tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said background screen includes a photo detector array, and wherein when said viewer is located in front of said background screen and said viewer and said background screen is illuminated by said first light source, a shadow is cast by said viewer on said background screen blocking light from a section of said array, to thereby determine the location of the head of said viewer.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
15 words
A tracking system according to claim 32 wherein said first light source emits infra-red light.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
18 words
A tracking system according to claim 33 wherein said first light source is an array of infra-red LEDs.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
15 words
A tracking system according to claim 33 wherein said first light source emits coded light.
Claim 38
Independent Claim
73 words
A method of tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system having a tracking system including a background screen providing a photo detector array and a light source illuminating the background screen, including locating the viewer in front of the background screen, illuminating the background screen and the viewer such that a shadow of the viewer falls on the photo detector array to thereby determine the location of the head of the viewer.
Claim 39
Independent Claim
73 words
A method of tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system having a tracking system including a background screen providing a photo detector array and a light source illuminating the background screen, including locating the viewer in front of the background screen, illuminating the background screen and the viewer such that a shadow of the viewer falls on the photo detector array to thereby determine the location of the head of the viewer.
Claim 40
Independent Claim
95 words
A method of tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system having a tracking system including a background screen providing a light source array and a photo detector for detecting the light emitted from the light source array, including locating the viewer in front of the light source array, the viewer blocking the light emitted from a section from the light source array, and receiving the light emitted from the unblocked section of the light source array by the photo detector to thereby allow the location of the head of the viewer to be determined.
Claim 41
Independent Claim
95 words
A method of tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system having a tracking system including a background screen providing a light source array and a photo detector for detecting the light emitted from the light source array, including locating the viewer in front of the light source array, the viewer blocking the light emitted from a section from the light source array, and receiving the light emitted from the unblocked section of the light source array by the photo detector to thereby allow the location of the head of the viewer to be determined.
Claim 42
Independent Claim
83 words
A method of tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system having a tracking system including a background screen, and a light source for emitting a plurality of parallel stripes of light, and a light detector including locating the viewer in front of the background screen, emitting the parallel stripes of light, receiving the reflection of the stripes of light by the light detector and determining the location of the head of the viewer on the basis of parameters of the parallel stripes.
Claim 43
Independent Claim
83 words
A method of tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system having a tracking system including a background screen, and a light source for emitting a plurality of parallel stripes of light, and a light detector including locating the viewer in front of the background screen, emitting the parallel stripes of light, receiving the reflection of the stripes of light by the light detector and determining the location of the head of the viewer on the basis of parameters of the parallel stripes.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method according to claim 38 wherein said light source emits vertical stripes of infra-red light.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 38 wherein the parameters include the time coding and modulation of the stripes.
Claim 46
Independent Claim
61 words
A method of tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system having a tracking system including a light source emitting a plurality of parallel stripes of light, and a light detector including projecting the infra-red light stripes on the viewer and determining the location of the head of the viewer as a function of the distortion of the reflected light stripe.
Claim 47
Independent Claim
61 words
A method of tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system having a tracking system including a light source emitting a plurality of parallel stripes of light, and a light detector including projecting the infra-red light stripes on the viewer and determining the location of the head of the viewer as a function of the distortion of the reflected light stripe.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method according to claim 41 wherein the light source emits vertical stripes of infra-red light.
Claim 49
Independent Claim
151 words
A method of tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system when located at a viewer position having a tracking system including a camera having a lens directed towards the viewer position, a first light source located adjacent the lens and a second light source located at a distance from the lens, including emitting light from the first light source towards the viewer, the light from the first light source being reflected as matt and direct reflection from the viewer position and is further reflected as retroreflection from the eyes of the viewer, emitting light from the second light source towards the viewer, the light emitted from the second light source being reflected as matt and direct reflection from the viewer position and determining the difference between the light reflected from the viewer when respectively illuminated by the first and second light sources to thereby locate the eyes of the viewer.
Claim 50
Independent Claim
151 words
A method of tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system when located at a viewer position having a tracking system including a camera having a lens directed towards the viewer position, a first light source located adjacent the lens and a second light source located at a distance from the lens, including emitting light from the first light source towards the viewer, the light from the first light source being reflected as matt and direct reflection from the viewer position and is further reflected as retroreflection from the eyes of the viewer, emitting light from the second light source towards the viewer, the light emitted from the second light source being reflected as matt and direct reflection from the viewer position and determining the difference between the light reflected from the viewer when respectively illuminated by the first and second light sources to thereby locate the eyes of the viewer.
Claim 51
Independent Claim
132 words
A method of tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system having a tracking system including a first camera having a first lens, a light source located adjacent the optical axis of the first lens, and a second camera having a second lens, the second camera being located adjacent the first camera, the optical axis of the second lens being angularly displaced relative to the optical axis of the first lens, including: directing the first camera towards the viewer, simultaneously receiving light reflected from the viewer in the first and second cameras, whereby the first camera further receives light reflected from the eyes of the viewer, and determining the difference between the reflected light received by the first and second cameras to thereby determine the location of the eyes of the viewer.
Claim 52
Independent Claim
132 words
A method of tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system having a tracking system including a first camera having a first lens, a light source located adjacent the optical axis of the first lens, and a second camera having a second lens, the second camera being located adjacent the first camera, the optical axis of the second lens being angularly displaced relative to the optical axis of the first lens, including: directing the first camera towards the viewer, simultaneously receiving light reflected from the viewer in the first and second cameras, whereby the first camera further receives light reflected from the eyes of the viewer, and determining the difference between the reflected light received by the first and second cameras to thereby determine the location of the eyes of the viewer.
Claim 53
Independent Claim
121 words
A method of tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system having a display system including a video camera, a store means for storing video fields provided by the camera, and a processing means for processing the stored video fields, including: a) comparing the difference between a said video field of a background and a said video field of the viewer located in front of the background to thereby locate the head of the viewer, b) processing the video field including the viewer within an eye track region thereof to search for relatively dark objects therein, c) assessing each of the objects on the basis of predetermined criteria to thereby select the objects likely to be the eyes of the viewer.
Claim 54
Independent Claim
121 words
A method of tracking a viewer of an auto-stereoscopic display system having a display system including a video camera, a store means for storing video fields provided by the camera, and a processing means for processing the stored video fields, including: a) comparing the difference between a said video field of a background and a said video field of the viewer located in front of the background to thereby locate the head of the viewer, b) processing the video field including the viewer within an eye track region thereof to search for relatively dark objects therein, c) assessing each of the objects on the basis of predetermined criteria to thereby select the objects likely to be the eyes of the viewer.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method according to claim 45 wherein a trimming process is conducted at the top of the eye track region to thereby remove the hair line of the viewer from the eye track region being processed.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-12-19 | 2004-06-19 | 2004-12-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-12-19 | 2008-06-19 | 2008-12-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-12-19 | 2012-06-19 | 2012-12-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |