IP Library Granted Patent US 12,088,920
Granted Patent B2
US 12,088,920 · App. 17/878,398 · Granted Sep 10, 2024

Image generation method using terminal cradle and portable terminal therefor

Inventors: Ken Kim (Seoul, KR); Ji Wuck Jung (Goyang-si, KR)
Assignee: 3I INC.
H04N23/698H04N23/611H04N23/62H04N23/661H04N23/695G06V10/70G06V40/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,088,920
App. No.
17/878,398
Granted
Sep 10, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a method performed in a portable terminal mounted on a rotatable terminal cradle to generate a 360° captured image by controlling operations of the terminal cradle. The 360° captured image is used generate a virtual space corresponding to a captured real space. Communication is established with the terminal cradle; an image generation input is received from a user; a first captured image is generated by imaging in an imaging direction that the terminal faces; driving commands are transmitted to the terminal cradle to rotate the imaging direction of the terminal clockwise or counterclockwise; a second captured image is generated by imaging in the changed imaging direction when the terminal cradle rotates according to the driving command; and presence of a human object is determined by recognizing objects in the first and second captured images, and re-imaging is performed in the imaging direction when a human object is present.

Claims (59)

1. An image generation method implementing a terminal cradle that is performed in a portable terminal mounted on a rotatably driven terminal cradle to generate a 360° captured image by controlling operation of the terminal cradle, the 360° captured image being implemented to generate a virtual space corresponding to a captured real space, the image generation method comprising:

an operation of establishing communication with the terminal cradle;

an operation of receiving an image generation input from a user;

an operation of generating a first captured image by imaging in an imaging direction that the portable terminal faces;

an operation of transmitting a driving command to the terminal cradle such that the imaging direction of the portable terminal rotates a preset angle clockwise or counterclockwise;

an operation of generating a second captured image by imaging in the rotated imaging direction when the terminal cradle finishes rotating according to the driving command;

an operation of determining whether a human object is present by recognizing objects in at least one of the first captured image and the second captured image;

an operation of determining whether the human object present in at least one of the first captured image and the second captured image, satisfies a non-deletion condition;

an operation of processing at least one of the first captured image and the second captured image where the human object is present as at least a captured image without the human object if the human object satisfies the non-deletion condition; and

an operation of setting to perform re-imaging if the human object does not satisfy the non-deletion condition and performing re-imaging in at least one of the imaging direction and the rotated imaging direction,

wherein the non-deletion condition includes a direction in which the human object faces and a location in which the human object is positioned in the captured image.

2. The image generation method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a 360° captured image by matching a plurality of captured images generated by repeating the operation of transmitting a driving command and the operation of performing re-imaging.

3. The image generation method of claim 1 , wherein the preset angle is determined by dividing 360° by N (N is a natural number of 2 or more), and the N is determined in correspondence to an angle of view of the portable terminal.

4. The image generation method of claim 1 , wherein a predetermined angle is set such that a first side of the first captured image and a second side of the second captured image overlap at least in a partial area.

5. The image generation method of claim 1 , wherein the first captured image and the second captured image are stored in association with direction information about an imaging direction in which a captured image is generated.

6. The image generation method of claim 5 , wherein the operation of performing re-imaging includes:

an operation of providing an object extraction model that allows a human object to extract from an input image by performing machine learning on a plurality of learning images including a human object;

an operation of determining whether a human object is present in a generated captured image after inputting the generated captured image into the object extraction model when a captured image is generated; and

setting a corresponding captured image to a re-imaging target image and setting a direction of a corresponding re-imaging target image to a re-imaging direction when a human object is present.

7. The image generation method of claim 6 , wherein the operation of performing re-imaging includes:

an operation of transmitting a re-imaging driving command to the terminal cradle to change an imaging direction of the portable terminal to the re-imaging direction;

an operation of generating a re-imaging image by imaging in the changed imaging direction when the terminal cradle finishes rotating according to the driving command; and

an operation of replacing the re-imaging target image with the re-imaging image.

8. A portable terminal comprising:

a camera;

a communicator that establishes communication with a rotatable terminal cradle;

and

a controller configured to perform control to generate a plurality of captured images for configuring a 360° captured image by controlling driving of the terminal cradle and the camera unit to generate a captured image when an image generation input is received through a user interface,

wherein the controller is configured to determine whether a human object is present by recognizing objects in a captured image, and performs setting to perform re-imaging on a corresponding image when a human object is present,

wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine whether the human object satisfies a non-deletion condition when the human object is present in the captured image,

process the captured image where the human object is present as a captured image without the human object if the human object satisfies the non-deletion condition, and

set to perform re-imaging an image if the human object does not satisfy the non-deletion condition,

wherein the non-deletion condition includes a direction in which the human object faces and a location in which the human object is positioned in the captured image.

9. The portable terminal of claim 8 , wherein the controller:

controls the camera unit to generate a first captured image in a current imaging direction that the portable terminal faces when the image generation input is received;

transmits a driving command to the terminal cradle such that the imaging direction of the camera rotates a preset angle clockwise or counterclockwise;

controls the camera unit to generate a second captured image by imaging in the changed imaging direction when the terminal cradle finishes rotating according to the driving command; and

determines whether a human object is present by recognizing objects in the first captured image and the second captured image, and performs re-imaging in the imaging direction when a human object is present.

10. The portable terminal of claim 9 , wherein the controller:

provides an object extraction model that allows a human object to extract from an input image by performing machine learning on a plurality of learning images including a human object;

determines whether a human object is present in a generated captured image after inputting the generated captured image into the object extraction model when a captured image is generated; and

sets a corresponding captured image to a re-imaging target image and sets a direction of a corresponding re-imaging target image to a re-imaging direction when a human object is present.

11. The portable terminal of claim 10 , wherein the controller:

transmits a re-imaging driving command to the terminal cradle to change an imaging direction of the portable terminal to the re-imaging direction;

generates a re-imaging image by controlling the camera to image in the changed imaging direction when the terminal cradle finishes rotating according to the driving command; and

replaces the re-imaging target image with the re-imaging image.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium including a program for executing a control method of a portable terminal,

wherein the control method of a portable terminal includes:

an operation of establishing communication with a terminal cradle;

an operation of receiving an image generation input from a user;

an operation of generating a first captured image by imaging in an imaging direction that the portable terminal faces;

an operation of transmitting a driving command to the terminal cradle such that the imaging direction of the portable terminal rotates a preset angle clockwise or counterclockwise;

an operation of generating a second captured image by imaging in the changed imaging direction when the terminal cradle finishes rotating according to the driving command;

an operation of determining whether a human object is present by recognizing objects in the first captured image and the second captured image;

an operation of determining whether the human object present in at least one of the first captured image and the second captured image, satisfies a non-deletion condition;

an operation of processing at least one of the first captured image and the second captured image where the human object is present as at least a captured image without the human object if the human object satisfies the non-deletion condition; and

an operation of setting to perform re-imaging if the human object does not satisfy the non-deletion condition and performing re-imaging in at least one of the imaging direction and the rotated imaging direction,

wherein the non-deletion condition includes a direction in which the human object faces and a location in which the human object is positioned in the captured image.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 1, 2022
From: KIM, KEN; JUNG, JI WUCK
To: 3I INC.
Reel/Frame 060686/0958 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2021017709 · Nov 29, 2021
Related Publication 20230171502A1 · Jun 1, 2023
Cited By (1)
US 12,375,789