3-D GLASSES WITH ILLUMINATED LIGHT GUIDE
3-D or other glasses with an illuminated light guide for tracking with a camera are presented. The light guide can be a light guide plate (LGP) or other transparent and/or translucent material that conveys light through its interior. LEDs embedded within the frames illuminate the light guide and optionally can be dimmed or brightened depending on ambient lighting.
1 . A pair of glasses for tracking a wearer's head, comprising:
a frame, including a light guide for conveying light;
a light supported by the frame, the light being adjustable in brightness;
a circuit operatively coupled to the light, the circuit configured to adjust a brightness of the light based on an amount of ambient light.
2 . The glasses of claim 1 wherein the light guide comprises:
a light guide plate (LGP).
3 . The glasses of claim 2 further comprising:
a retroreflector supported by the frame to reflect ambient light.
4 . The glasses of claim 3 wherein the retroreflector has a reflective backing and lies over a section of the LGP, the reflective backing configured to reflect light conveyed by the LGP back into the LGP.
5 . The glasses of claim 2 wherein the LGP comprises polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).
6 . The glasses of claim 1 wherein the light is a light emitting diode (LED).
7 . The glasses of claim 1 wherein the light is enabled to emit near-infrared wavelengths of light.
8 . The glasses of claim 1 wherein the circuit is configured to adjust the brightness of the light among a predetermined number of brightness levels.
9 . The glasses of claim 1 further comprising:
an ambient light sensor supported by the frame.
10 . The glasses of claim 1 further comprising:
a receiver supported by the frame for receiving an indication from an off-board device to adjust the brightness of the light based on amount of ambient light.
11 . The glasses of claim 1 wherein the glasses are 3-D glasses further comprising:
a pair of lenses coupled to the frames, the lenses configured to alternate between opaque and transparent states in synchronization with a 3-D display.
12 . The glasses of claim 11 wherein the circuit is configured to synchronize a duty cycle of the light with the lenses.
13 . A system for tracking a user's head, comprising:
glasses comprising:
a frame, including a light guide for conveying light;
a light supported by the frame, the light being adjustable in brightness;
a circuit operatively coupled to the lights, the circuit configured to adjust a brightness of the light;
a receiver supported by the device for receiving an indication to adjust the brightness of the light in response to ambient light
a camera;
a circuit configured to use the camera to track the glasses; and
a transmitter operatively coupled to the circuit,
wherein the circuit is configured to transmit using the transmitter to the receiver an indication to adjust the brightness of the light based on an amount of ambient light.
14 . A system for determining a user's head angle, comprising:
glasses comprising:
a frame;
prisms supported by the frame,
wherein the prisms arc configured to refract and reflect toward the camera a first predetermined color corresponding to a first predetermined orientation of the glasses and a second predetermined color corresponding to a second predetermined orientation of the glasses;
a camera;
a processor configured to use the camera to image the glasses and determine an orientation of the glasses based on a color refracted and reflected by the prisms,
wherein an angle of a head of a wearer of the glasses can be determined from the orientation of the glasses.
15 . The glasses of claim 14 wherein:
the prisms are configured to refract and reflect toward the camera a first predetermined near-infrared wavelength corresponding to a first predetermined orientation of the glasses and a second predetermined near-infrared wavelength corresponding to a second predetermined orientation of the glasses;
the camera can image near-infrared wavelengths;
the processor is configured to determine an orientation of the glasses based on a near-infrared wavelength refracted and reflected by the prisms.
16 . The glasses of claim 14 wherein the prisms are configured in strips on the glasses frame.
17 . The glasses of claim 14 further comprising:
a light supported by the frame and configured to illuminate the prisms.
18 . The glasses of claim 17 further comprising:
a circuit operatively coupled to the light, the circuit configured to adjust a brightness of the light based on an amount of ambient light.
19 . The glasses of claim 14 further comprising:
a retroreflector supported by the frame to reflect ambient light.
20 . The glasses of claim 19 wherein the retroreflector has a reflective backing and lies over a section of LGP of the frame, the reflective backing configured to reflect light conveyed by the LGP back into the LGP.