IP Library Granted Patent US 9,519,970
Granted Patent B2
US 9,519,970 · App. 14/879,604 · Granted Dec 13, 2016

Systems and methods for detecting a tilt angle from a depth image

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,519,970
App. No.
14/879,604
Granted
Dec 13, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A depth image of a scene may be received, observed, or captured by a device. A human target in the depth image may then be scanned for one or more body parts such as shoulders, hips, knees, or the like. A tilt angle may then be calculated based on the body parts. For example, a first portion of pixels associated with an upper body part such as the shoulders and a second portion of pixels associated with a lower body part such as a midpoint between the hips and knees may be selected. The tilt angle may then be calculated using the first and second portions of pixels.

Claims (44)

1. A system, comprising:

a camera;

a processor; and

memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory bearing computer-readable instructions that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

determining, using relative position of pixels in an image captured by the camera, a tilt angle indicating an angle the camera is tilted upward or downward; and

modifying, based at least in part on the determined tilt angle, data captured by the camera.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the system to perform operations further comprising:

modifying a position of the camera based at least in part on the tilt angle.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein modifying a position of the camera based at least in part on the tilt angle comprises:

rotating the camera in an upward direction in response to determining that the camera is angled downward.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein modifying a position of the camera based at least in part on the tilt angle comprises:

rotating the camera in a downward direction in response to determining that the camera is angled upward.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein modifying, based at least in part on the determined tilt angle, data captured by the camera comprises:

modifying depth data received by the camera based at least in part on the tilt angle.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein modifying, based at least in part on the determined tilt angle, data captured by the camera comprises:

determining a depth value of a plurality of depth values in the data of a capture area to be modified based on the tilt angle.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein modifying, based at least in part on the determined tilt angle, data captured by the camera comprises:

modifying a color or infrared image of a capture area received by the camera based on the tilt angle.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein modifying, based at least in part on the determined tilt angle, data captured by the camera comprises:

rotating a color or depth image of a capture area received by the camera based on the tilt angle.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the system to perform operations further comprising:

adjusting a computer model that represents a person depicted in an image of a capture area received by the camera component based on the tilt angle.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein adjusting a computer model that represents a person depicted in an image of a capture area received by the camera component based on the tilt angle comprises:

rotating the computer model forward or backward by a number of degrees equal to a number of degrees in the tilt angle.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the system to perform operations further comprising:

determining a background depicted in an image of the capture area received by the camera component based on the tilt angle.

12. A method, comprising:

determining, by one or more computers, using relative position of pixels in an image captured by a camera, a tilt angle that indicates an angle that the camera is tilted upward or downward; and

modifying, by the one or more computers, based at least in part on the determined tilt angle, data captured by the camera.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

modifying a position of the camera based at least in part on the determined tilt angle.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein modifying the position of the camera based at least in part on the determined tilt angle further comprises:

rotating the camera in an upward direction in response to determining that the camera is angled downward, and rotating the camera in a downward direction in response to determining that the camera component is angled upward.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

adjusting a computer model that represents a person depicted in an image of the capture area received by the camera based on the tilt angle.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein adjusting the computer model that represents the person further comprises:

rotating the computer model forward or backward by a number of degrees equal to a number of degrees in the tilt angle.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining a background depicted in an image of the capture area received by the camera component based on the tilt angle.

18. A computer-readable storage device, bearing computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution on a computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

determining, using relative position of pixels in an image captured by a camera, a tilt angle that indicates an angle that the camera is tilted upward or downward; and

modifying, based at least in part on the determined tilt angle, data captured by the camera.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18 , wherein modifying data captured by the camera comprises modifying the image captured by the camera.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 19 , wherein modifying data captured by the camera comprises determining a depth value of a plurality of depth values in the data captured by the camera.