IP Library Granted Patent US 12675855
Granted Patent B2
US 12675855 · App. 19/109,909 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Online calibration of a head-worn device

Inventors: Zhiheng Jia (Sunnyvale, CA); Chao Guo (Los Altos, CA)
Assignee: Google LLC
G06T5/80G06F3/013G06T7/80G06V40/193G06T2207/30201G06T2207/30204
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12675855
App. No.
19/109,909
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A head-worn device may be configured with a curved window-element that can generate distortion in images captured by a camera of the head-worn device. Window extrinsics describing the shape, orientation, and/or position of the curved window-element may be used as a calibration to reduce the distortion. An online calibration process may be run at times during use so that the window extrinsics can be updated to accurately represent the curved window-element after changes in the shape, orientation, and/or position of the curved window-element occur.

Claims (48)

1 . A method comprising:

capturing a plurality of images to generate a composite image including a window-element of a head-worn device, the window-element having a curve;

identifying a fiducial in the composite image;

comparing pixel positions of the fiducial in the composite image to pixel positions of an expected-fiducial to calculate a misalignment of the window-element;

updating a calibration parameter based on the misalignment; and

modifying a distorted-image captured through the window-element based on the calibration parameter.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein modifying the distorted-image includes:

capturing the distorted-image, which includes a distortion generated by the window-element;

receiving the calibration parameter from a memory; and

processing the distorted-image using the calibration parameter to reduce the distortion generated by the window-element to generate a corrected-image, the distortion being reduced in the corrected-image.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , further including:

determining a position of an eye of the head-worn device based on the corrected-image.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein generating the composite image includes:

averaging the plurality of images to increase a visibility of the fiducial.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein comparing the pixel positions of the fiducial in the composite image to the pixel positions of the expected-fiducial to calculate the misalignment of the window-element includes:

retrieving an image of the expected-fiducial from a memory;

locating the pixel positions of the expected-fiducial in the image of the expected-fiducial;

computing a difference between the pixel positions of the fiducial in the composite image and the pixel positions of the expected-fiducial in the image of the expected-fiducial; and

computing the misalignment based on the difference.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:

capturing the image of the expected-fiducial while offline at a time of fabrication of the head-worn device; and

storing the image of the expected-fiducial in the memory.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein generating the distorted-image including the window-element of the head-worn device occurs online during a use of the head-worn device.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein updating the calibration parameter is based on a schedule.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein updating the calibration parameter is based on a comparison of the misalignment to a threshold.

10 . A head-worn device, comprising:

a memory including an expected-fiducial;

a window-element;

a camera configured to capture a plurality of images including the window-element; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the camera and to the memory, the processor configured by software instructions to:

generate a composite image based on the plurality of images;

identify a fiducial in the composite image;

compare pixel positions of the fiducial in the composite image to pixel positions of the expected-fiducial to calculate a misalignment of the window-element;

update a calibration parameter based on the misalignment;

store the calibration parameter in the memory; and

modify a distorted-image captured through the window-element based on the calibration parameter.

11 . The head-worn device according to claim 10 , wherein:

the camera is a front-sensing camera configured to detect light transmitted to the front-sensing camera through the window-element.

12 . The head-worn device according to claim 10 , wherein:

the camera is an eye camera configured to detect light from an eye reflected to the eye camera by the window-element.

13 . The head-worn device according to claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured by the software instructions to:

reduce a distortion in an image of the eye captured by the eye camera based on the calibration parameter.

14 . The head-worn device according to claim 10 , wherein the head-worn device is an augmented-reality visor.

15 . The head-worn device according to claim 10 , wherein the head-worn device is a virtual-reality visor.

16 . The head-worn device according to claim 10 , wherein the window-element includes the fiducial etched, printed, or attached to a surface of the window-element.

17 . The head-worn device according to claim 16 , wherein the fiducial includes a plurality of markings that are sized differently and arranged to not have a rotational symmetry and each marking of the plurality of markings has a dimension less than 1 millimeter.

18 . The head-worn device according to claim 16 , wherein the fiducial is sized and positioned so that it cannot be focused by a user of the head-worn device.

19 . The head-worn device according to claim 10 , wherein the calibration parameter includes a position and orientation of the window-element relative to a coordinate system of the head-worn device.