Depth sensing camera glasses with gesture interface
Glasses wearable by a user and responsive to gestural commands and method for operating the glasses to control one or more devices. In a preferred form, the glasses include a plurality of spaced, depth cameras that react to a user's hand command based, at least in part, on the distance of the hand from the depth camera. The depth cameras can recognize multiple distances and gesture movement, as well as hand configuration.
1. A method of operating glasses wearable by a user to control operation of one or more devices, comprising:
recognizing a first user gestural hand command to activate a first response from one or more depth sensors coupled to the glasses, where the depth sensor provides distance
the first gestural hand command being dependent at least in part on a first distance between the user's hand positioned proximate said first depth sensor and the depth sensor;
operating a first device comprising an RGB camera operatively connected to said glasses to acquire an image, where the first device operation is based at least in part on said first response to said first gestural command;
recognizing a user second gestural hand command to activate a second response from one or more depth sensors coupled to the glasses
the second gestural hand command being dependent at least in part on a second distance between the user's hand and the depth sensors; and
operating a second device operatively connected to said glasses, where the second device operation is based at least in part on said second response to said second gestural command.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said second device comprises a radio and said second response causes transmission of said image.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said second response activates a software function.
4. The method of claim 1 , one of said gestural hand commands being dependent upon another distance of the hand from at least one of the depth sensors.
5. The method of claim 1 , said RGB camera being integral with said glasses and distinct from said depth sensors.
6. The method of claim 1 , said depth sensors being embedded in the glasses near an ear of the user and side facing.
7. The method of claim 1 , said depth sensors being embedded in the glasses near the nose of the user and front facing.
8. The method of claim 1 , said depth camera comprising one or more of the following types: sheet of light triangulation; structured light; time-of-flight; interferometry; or coded aperture.
9. The method of claim 1 , said depth sensors comprising multiple, side facing depth sensors spaced along a portion of the glasses.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said second device comprising a wake surf boat and said second response controls a function of the wake surf boat.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said second device comprising a smart phone and said second response controls said smart phone.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said second device comprising another camera wirelessly connected to the glasses and said second response controls said other camera.
13. Glasses wearable by a user and responsive to gestural hand commands, comprising:
one or more depth cameras connected to the glasses;
at least one of the depth cameras being operable to determine distance between said one depth camera and a user hand and configured to react to a user hand first gestural command where the user's hand is positioned proximate said one depth sensor,
a forward facing RGB camera operatively connected to said one depth camera to acquire an image in reaction to said first gestural command,
said first gestural command being defined in part by the distance between the user's hand and said one depth camera; and
a second device operably connected to one of said depth cameras configured to react to a user hand second gestural command where the second device operation is based at least in part on a second response to said second gestural command.
14. The glasses of claim 13 , including lenses for projecting augmented reality information to a user.
15. The glasses of claim 13 , including lenses for projecting virtual reality information to a user.
16. The glasses of claim 13 , at least one of said depth camera comprising at least two, spaced apart, side facing structured light sources and at least one side facing structured light receiver proximate said light sources.
17. A method of operating glasses worn by a user to control operation of one or more devices, comprising:
recognizing a first gestural user hand command to activate a first response from one or more side facing depth sensors connected to the glasses, said depth sensor operable to determine distance between said depth sensor and a user's hand where the user's hand is positioned proximate said first depth sensor,
wherein said first gestural user hand command comprises said user hand positioned approximately a first distance from a depth sensor and said first command execution is dependent upon said first distance;
operating a first device comprising a camera operatively connected to said glasses where the first device operation is based at least in part on said depth sensor response to said first gestural command;
recognizing a second gestural user hand command to activate a second response from said one or more side facing depth sensors connected to the glasses,
wherein said second gestural user hand command comprises said hand positioned approximately a second distance from one or more of said depth sensors and said second command execution is dependent upon said second distance.
18. The method of claim 17 , said first gestural user hand command comprising a swipe in a first plane generally along said first distance.
19. The method of claim 18 , said first gestural user hand command comprising a swipe in a first direction generally in said first plane.
20. The method of claim 18 , said one or more depth sensors comprising two depth sensors spaced along the same side of and integral with the glasses, said first plane being approximately said first distance from each depth sensor.
21. The method of claim 18 , said second command operates said first device.
22. The method of claim 18 , said second command operates a second device operatively connected to said glasses.
23. The method of claim 17 , said first device comprises a camera to acquire an image coupled to said glasses and said second device comprises a smart phone.
24. The method of claim 23 , said camera and said smart phone being operatively connected, said first gestural command operates said camera to acquire an image and stores said image on said smart phone.
25. The method of claim 24 , said second command operates said smart phone to transmit the image.