Power management for gesture recognition in virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (xR) applications
Power management systems and methods for gesture recognition in virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (xR) applications is described. In an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment, an Information Handling System (IHS) may include a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the processor, cause the IHS to: receive frames captured by a camera of a Head-Mounted Device (HMD) worn by a user in an xR application, wherein the HMD is coupled to a plurality of infrared (IR) emitters; identify a state of a gesture sequence being performed by the user based upon the frames; and select a level of illumination provided by the plurality of IR emitters in response to the state.
1. An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the processor, cause the IHS to:
set an illumination of each of a plurality of IR emitters to a standby level, wherein the IR emitters are coupled to a Head-Mounted Device (HMD) worn by a user;
receive frames captured by a camera coupled to the HMD;
identify a state of a gesture sequence being performed by the user based upon the frames, wherein the state is a hand detect state;
select a level of illumination provided by the plurality of IR emitters in response to the state;
in response to detection of a hand in a first set of frames, set the illumination of at least one of the plurality of IR emitters closest to the hand to a level higher than the standby level; and
maintain the illumination of at least another one of the plurality of IR emitters farthest from the hand at the standby value.
2. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the processor, further cause the IHS to reduce the illumination of the at least another one of the plurality of IR emitters farthest from the hand to a value below the standby value.
3. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the state is a start state, and wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the processor, further cause the IHS to:
identify one or more gesture sequence candidates; and
select the level of illumination of the plurality of IR emitters based upon calibration data associated with the identified one or more gesture sequence candidates.
4. The IHS of claim 3 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the processor, further cause the IHS to:
determine that a first gesture sequence candidate requires that a given IR emitter produce a first illumination level;
determine that a second gesture sequence candidate requires that the given IR emitter produce a second illumination level; and
select a level of illumination for the given IR emitter that meets the highest of the first or second illumination levels.
5. The IHS of claim 3 , wherein the state is a motion state, and wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the processor, further cause the IHS to:
exclude a given gesture sequence candidate from the one or more identified gesture sequence candidates; and
select the level of illumination of the plurality of IR emitters based upon calibration data associated with the one or more gesture sequence candidates to the exclusion of the given gesture sequence candidate.
6. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the processor, further cause the IHS to:
retrieve a first value associated with a first one of the plurality of IR emitters during a calibration procedure;
instruct the HMD to apply a first electrical current corresponding to the first value to the first IR emitter;
retrieve a second value associated with a second one of the plurality of IR emitters during the calibration procedure; and
instruct the HMD to apply a second electrical current corresponding to the second value to the second IR emitter.
7. The IHS of claim 6 , wherein the first electrical current has a first magnitude proportional to the first value and the second electrical current has a second magnitude proportional to the second value.
8. The IHS of claim 6 , wherein the first electrical current has a first duty cycle proportional to the first value and the second electrical current has a second duty cycle proportional to the second value.
9. A method, comprising:
receiving frames from a camera configured to capture gestures illuminated by infrared (IR) light sources;
identifying a state of a gesture being performed based upon the frames, wherein the state of the gesture is selected from the group consisting of: a hand detect phase, a start phase, a motion phase, and an end phase;
identifying gesture candidates that potentially match the gesture being performed;
retrieving a brightness value of each IR light source for each of the identified gesture candidates; and
individually controlling a brightness of each of the IR light sources in response to the state, at least in part, by: (i) selecting a driving current to be applied to each given IR light source during each given state that is proportional a highest brightness value among the identified gesture candidates in the given state; and by (ii) applying: a first driving current to a given IR light source during the hand detect phase, a second driving current different from the first driving current to the given IR light source during the start phase, and a third driving current different from the second driving current to the given IR light source during the motion phase.
10. A hardware memory device of a Head-Mounted Device (HMD), the hardware memory device having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a hardware processor, cause the HMD to:
set an illumination of each of a plurality of IR emitters to a standby level, wherein the IR emitters are coupled to the HMD;
receive frames captured by a camera coupled to the HMD;
identify a state of a gesture sequence being performed by the user based upon the frames, wherein the state is a hand detect state;
select a level of illumination provided by the plurality of IR emitters in response to the state;
in response to detection of a hand in a first set of frames, set the illumination of at least one of the plurality of IR emitters closest to the hand to a level higher than the standby level; and
reduce the illumination of at least another one of the plurality of IR emitters farthest from the hand to a value below the standby value.
11. The hardware memory device of claim 10 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the HMD to:
maintain the illumination of the at least another one of the plurality of IR emitters farthest from the hand at the standby value.
12. The hardware memory device of claim 10 , wherein to control the illumination, the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the HMD to:
identify one or more gesture sequence candidates; and
select the level of illumination of the plurality of IR emitters based upon calibration data associated with the identified one or more gesture sequence candidates.