3-D glasses with camera based head tracking
View Patent ↗Methods, devices, and systems, are described for tracking a video game player's head under different ambient lighting conditions and switching between tracking techniques as lighting conditions change. Based on measurements of ambient lighting conditions, a camera hooked to a game console can (1) track a player's face using facial tracking techniques, (2) track reflective material on the player's 3-D glasses, or (3) turn on or up illumination LEDs mounted on the 3-D glasses.
1. A method for camera tracking a user's head, the method comprising:
measuring a first ambient light level;
determining that the first ambient light level is beyond a first threshold value;
tracking, using a camera, the user's head by detecting light reflected from reflective material on a device worn on the user's head, the tracking based on the determination that the first ambient light level is beyond the first threshold value; and
outputting a position, orientation, or motion of the user's head based on the tracking.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
measuring a second ambient light level;
determining that the second ambient light level is beyond a second threshold value;
turning on or off, based on the determination that the second ambient light level is beyond the second threshold value, a light supported by the device configured to illuminate a portion of the device worn on the user's head; and
automatically switching between tracking the user's head using the light reflected from the reflected material and tracking using the light supported by the device.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the light supported by the device comprises a light emitting diode.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the device worn on the user's head comprises 3-D glasses.
5. The method of claim 2 wherein the automatically switching is further based on an error rate of the tracking.
6. A method for camera tracking of a user's head, the method comprising:
measuring a first ambient light level;
determining that the first ambient light level is beyond a first threshold value;
tracking, using a camera, the user's head by controlling a light supported by a device worn on the user's head, the tracking based on the determination that the first ambient light level is beyond the first threshold level;
outputting a position, orientation, or motion of the user's head based on the tracking.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
measuring a second ambient light level;
determining that the second ambient light level is beyond a second threshold value;
turning off, based on the determination that the second ambient light level is beyond the second threshold value, the light supported by the device; and
automatically switching to tracking, using the camera, the user's head by detecting light reflected from reflective material on the device.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the light supported by the device comprises one or more light emitting diodes.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein controlling the light includes turning on and adjusting the brightness of each light emitting diode separately.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein controlling the light includes turning on or off the light supported by the device.
11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the light is configured to illuminate reflective material on the device worn on the user's head.
12. The method of claim 6 wherein the device worn on the user's head comprises 3-D glasses.