METHOD, SYSTEM AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM FOR SUPPORTING OBJECT CONTROL
20210374991 · 2021-12-02
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
G06V40/103
PHYSICS
G06V20/647
PHYSICS
G06F3/017
PHYSICS
International classification
Abstract
A method includes acquiring a two-dimensional image relating to a user's body from a two-dimensional camera; calculating three-dimensional real-world coordinates corresponding to at least one body portion among a plurality of body portions of the user, which are specified from the two-dimensional image; estimating, with reference to the three-dimensional real-world coordinates corresponding to the at least one body portion, three-dimensional real-world coordinates respectively corresponding to first and second body portions used in determining the user's intention; and determining a control target area with reference to a first candidate target area specified based on the three-dimensional real-world coordinates respectively corresponding to the first and second body portions, and a second candidate target area specified based on two-dimensional relative coordinates respectively corresponding to the first and second body portions in the two-dimensional image. The control target area is determined on a reference plane established with the two-dimensional camera as a reference.
Claims
1. A method of assisting an object control, comprising the steps of: acquiring a two-dimensional image relating to a user's body from a two-dimensional camera; calculating three-dimensional real-world coordinates corresponding to at least one body portion among a plurality of body portions of the user, which are specified from the two-dimensional image; estimating, with reference to the three-dimensional real-world coordinates corresponding to the at least one body portion, three-dimensional real-world coordinates respectively corresponding to a first body portion and a second body portion that are used in determining the user's intention among the plurality of body portions; and determining a control target area with reference to a first candidate target area specified based on the three-dimensional real-world coordinates respectively corresponding to the first body portion and the second body portion, and a second candidate target area specified based on two-dimensional relative coordinates respectively corresponding to the first body portion and the second body portion in the two-dimensional image, wherein the control target area is determined on a reference plane established with the two-dimensional camera as a reference.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional relative coordinates are specified in a relative coordinate system associated with the two-dimensional camera.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein in the calculating step, the three-dimensional real-world coordinates corresponding to the at least one body portion are calculated with reference to a focal length of the two-dimensional camera.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein in the calculating step, the three-dimensional real-world coordinates corresponding to the at least one body portion are calculated with reference to information about a measurement distance between the two-dimensional camera and the user.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein in the calculating step, the three-dimensional real-world coordinates corresponding to the at least one body portion are calculated with reference to information about at least one of a length, a size, and a pixel of at least one object included in the two-dimensional image.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein in the determining step comprises: specifying at least one instruction line based on the three-dimensional real-world coordinates respectively corresponding to the first body portion and the second body portion; and specifying the first candidate target area based on the at least one instruction line.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein in the determining step, an area between the two-dimensional camera and a virtual point set on the reference plane is specified as the second candidate target area, and a positional relationship between the virtual point and the two-dimensional camera is specified by a positional relationship between the two-dimensional relative coordinates respectively corresponding to the first body portion and the second body portion in the two-dimensional image.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein in the determining step, an area common to the first candidate target area and the second candidate target area is determined as the control target area.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein in the determining step, an object included in the control target area is determined as an object to be controlled by the user.
10. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having stored thereon a computer program for executing the method of claim 1.
11. A system for assisting an object control, comprising: an image acquisition unit configured to acquire a two-dimensional image relating to a user's body from a two-dimensional camera; a coordinate estimation unit configured to calculate three-dimensional real-world coordinates corresponding to at least one body portion among a plurality of body portions of the user, which are specified from the two-dimensional image, and configured to estimate, with reference to the three-dimensional real-world coordinates corresponding to the at least one body portion, three-dimensional real-world coordinates respectively corresponding to a first body portion and a second body portion that are used in determining the user's intention among the plurality of body portions; and a control target area determination unit configured to determine a control target area with reference to a first candidate target area specified based on the three-dimensional real-world coordinates respectively corresponding to the first body portion and the second body portion, and a second candidate target area specified based on two-dimensional relative coordinates respectively corresponding to the first body portion and the second body portion in the two-dimensional image, wherein the control target area is determined on a reference plane established with the two-dimensional camera as a reference.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016]
[0017]
[0018]
[0019]
[0020]
[0021]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] In the following detailed description of the present disclosure, references are made to the accompanying drawings that show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the present disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present disclosure. It is to be understood that the various embodiments of the present disclosure, although different from each other, are not necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, specific shapes, structures, and features described herein may be implemented as modified from one embodiment to another without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, it shall be understood that the positions or arrangements of individual elements within each of the embodiments may also be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present disclosure is to be taken as encompassing the scope of the appended claims and all equivalents thereof. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements throughout the several views.
[0023] Hereinafter, various preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings to enable those skilled in the art to easily implement the present disclosure.
[0024] Configuration of the Entire System
[0025] An entire system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a communication network, an object control assistance system 100, and a two-dimensional camera.
[0026] First, the communication network according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented regardless of communication modality such as wired and wireless communications, and may be constructed from a variety of communication networks such as local area networks (LANs), metropolitan area network (MANs), and wide area networks (WANs). Preferably, the communication network described herein may be the Internet or the World Wide Web (WWW). However, the communication network is not necessarily limited thereto, and may at least partially include known wired/wireless data communication networks, known telephone networks, or known wired/wireless television communication networks.
[0027] For example, the communication network may be a wireless data communication network, at least a portion of which may be implemented with a conventional communication scheme, such as radio frequency (RF) communication, WiFi communication, cellular communication (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication), Bluetooth communication (more specifically, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication), infrared communication, and ultrasonic communication.
[0028] Next, the object control assistance system 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may be a digital device having a memory means and a microprocessor for computing capabilities. The object control assistance system 100 may be a server system.
[0029] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the object control assistance system 100 may be coupled to a two-dimensional camera described later via the communication network or a certain processor (not shown), and may perform a function of: acquiring a two-dimensional image relating to a user's body from the two-dimensional camera; calculating three-dimensional real-world coordinates corresponding to at least one body portion among a plurality of body portions of the user, which are specified from the acquired two-dimensional image; estimating three-dimensional real-world coordinates respectively corresponding to a first body portion and a second body portion which are used in determining the user's intention among the plurality of body portions of the user, with reference to the three-dimensional real-world coordinates corresponding to the at least one body portion; and determining a control target area with reference to a first candidate target area that is specified based on the three-dimensional real-world coordinates respectively corresponding to the first body portion and the second body portion, and a second candidate target area that is specified based on two-dimensional relative coordinates respectively corresponding to the first body portion and the second body portion in the two-dimensional image.
[0030] The two-dimensional relative coordinates according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may be coordinates specified in a relative coordinate system associated with the two-dimensional camera. For example, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a two-dimensional coordinate system specified with a lens of the two-dimensional camera as a reference (e.g., a center of the lens is (0, 0)), may be specified as the relative coordinate system and the two-dimensional relative coordinates may be specified in the relative coordinate system.
[0031] Further, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, examples of the body portions may include a head, eyes, a nose, a mouth, hands, fingertips, fingers, feet, tiptoe, toes, and the like, but are not limited to the body portions described above and the body portions may be changed to other various body portions as long as the objects of the present disclosure can be achieved.
[0032] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the control target area may be determined on a reference plane established with the two-dimensional camera as a reference. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the reference plane established with the two-dimensional camera as a reference may include a plane of a predetermined size that is established with the two-dimensional camera as a reference or a plane of a predetermined size that is existed at a position adjacent (or within a predetermined distance) to the two-dimensional camera. The reference plane may be a flat plane or a curved plane, and may include a display screen, a printed paper sheet, a wall, and the like.
[0033] The configuration and functions of the object control assistance system 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below. Meanwhile, although the object control assistance system 100 has been described as above, such a description is illustrative and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that at least a portion of functions or components required for the object control assistance system 100 may be implemented or included in an external system (not shown), as necessary.
[0034] Next, the two-dimensional camera according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may communicate with the object control assistance system 100 by means of the communication network or a certain processor, and may perform a function of acquiring a two-dimensional image relating to the user's body. For example, the two-dimensional camera according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include various types of image sensors, such as a charge coupled device (CCD), a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), and the like.
[0035] Configuration of Object Control Assistance System
[0036] An internal configuration of the object control assistance system 100 crucial for implementing the present disclosure and functions of the respective elements thereof will be described.
[0037]
[0038] As shown in
[0039] The image acquisition unit 110 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may function to acquire a two-dimensional image relating to the user's body from the two-dimensional camera.
[0040] For example, the image acquisition unit 110 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may acquire a two-dimensional image relating to the body, which includes the user's eyes (e.g., both eyes or a dominant eye) and fingers (e.g., a fingertip of an index finger).
[0041] The coordinate estimation unit 120 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may calculate three-dimensional real-world coordinates corresponding to at least one body portion among a plurality of body portions of the user, which are specified from the two-dimensional image relating to the user's body.
[0042] As an example, the coordinate estimation unit 120 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may calculate the three-dimensional real-world coordinates corresponding to the at least one body portion, with reference to a focal length of a lens of the two-dimensional camera, which is associated with the at least one body portion among the plurality of the body portions of the user specified from the two-dimensional image.
[0043] More specifically, the coordinate estimation unit 120 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may move the lens of the two-dimensional camera to specify a point at which an image of the at least one body portion becomes clear or noticeable as the focal length of the respective body portion. Further, the coordinate estimation unit 120 may calculate information about a distance between the two-dimensional camera and the at least one body portion by using a relationship between at least two of the specified focal length, an angle of view for the at least one body portion, and a length of an image sensor (or a film) of the two-dimensional camera. Then, the coordinate estimation unit 120 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may calculate the three-dimensional real-world coordinate corresponding to the at least one body portion with reference to the information about the calculated distance information and the two-dimensional relative coordinate of the at least one body portion specified in the two-dimensional image.
[0044] As another example, the coordinate estimation unit 120 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may calculate the three-dimensional real-world coordinates corresponding to at least one body portion with reference to a measurement distance between the two-dimensional camera and the at least one body portion among the plurality of body portions of the user specified from the two-dimensional image.
[0045] More specifically, first, the coordinate estimation unit 120 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may estimate information about a distance between the two-dimensional camera and the at least one body portion with reference to information obtained from at least one distance measuring sensor that calculates a distance using at least one of ultrasound, infrared ray, LiDAR, and RADAR. Then, the coordinate estimation unit 120 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may calculate the three-dimensional real-world coordinate corresponding to the at least one body portion with reference to the information about the estimated distance and the two-dimensional relative coordinates of the at least one body portion specified in the two-dimensional image.
[0046] As yet another example, the coordinate estimation unit 120 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may calculate the three-dimensional real-world coordinate corresponding to the at least one body portion among the plurality of body portions of the user which are specified from the two-dimensional image, with reference to information about at least one of a length, a size, and a pixel of at least one object included in the two-dimensional image.
[0047] More specifically, the coordinate estimation unit 120 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may specify, among objects included in the two-dimensional image, an object whose information about at least one of an actual length, an actual size, and a pixel size of the two-dimensional camera previously exists in a database (or a lookup table). Further, the coordinate estimation unit 120 may calculate the three-dimensional real-world coordinates corresponding to the at least one body portion by comparing the actual length and the actual size of the specified object, and the pixel size in the two-dimensional camera, with the length and the size of the respective object and the pixel size in the two-dimensional image.
[0048] Further, the coordinate estimation unit 120 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may estimate three-dimensional real-world coordinates respectively corresponding to the first body portion and the second body portion that accord with the user's intention among the plurality of body portions, with reference to the three-dimensional real-world coordinates corresponding to the at least one body portion.
[0049] As an example, referring to
[0050] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the model associated with the inter-body physical distance described above may be a model that is dynamically specified with reference to user-related information, such as a user's gender, age, race, residence, and the like.
[0051] The control target area determination unit 130 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may determine the control target area with reference to a first candidate target area specified based on the three-dimensional real-world coordinates respectively corresponding to the first body portion and the second body portion, and a second candidate target area specified based on the two-dimensional relative coordinates respectively corresponding to the first body portion and the second body portion in the two-dimensional image. Further, the control target area determination unit 130 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may determine the control target area on a reference plane established with the two-dimensional camera as a reference.
[0052] As an example, referring to
[0053] More specifically, the control target area determination unit 130 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may specify an angle 405 between a line 403 connecting the two-dimensional relative coordinates of the user's eye 401 and the user's fingertip 402 that are specified in the two-dimensional image obtained from the two-dimensional camera, and a reference line 404 preset in the two-dimensional image. Here, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the reference line 404 preset in the two-dimensional image may be a horizontal line (or a vertical line) specified by a horizontal axis (or vertical axis) of the two-dimensional image, or a straight line that is parallel to a straight line that connects the user's both eyes in the two-dimensional image. Subsequently, the control target area determination unit 130 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may set a virtual point which is determined based on the specified angle 405 with the two-dimensional camera as a reference on the reference plane, and may specify an area between the two-dimensional camera and the virtual point as a second candidate target area 501. For example, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, with the two-dimensional camera as a reference on the reference plane, an area at a position rotated by the angle 405 from a straight line parallel to the reference line 404 preset in the two-dimensional image or a horizontal axis of an object display device 200 (to be described later) may be specified as the virtual point.
[0054] Further, the control target area determination unit 130 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may specify at least one instruction line based on the three-dimensional real-world coordinates respectively corresponding to the first body portion and the second body portion, and may specify the first candidate target area based on the specified at least one instruction line.
[0055] More specifically, referring to
[0056] Further, the control target area determination unit 130 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may specify an instruction area which corresponds to the three-dimensional real-world coordinates respectively corresponding to the first body portion and the second body portion of the user with reference to a lookup table (not shown) associated with the instruction area corresponding to the three-dimensional real-world coordinates of the body portions (e.g., may specify the instruction area on the reference plane established with the two-dimensional camera as a reference), and specify the instruction area as the first candidate target area 504.
[0057] Further, the control target area determination unit 130 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may determine an area common to the first candidate target area 504 and the second candidate target area 501 specified in the above, as the control target area.
[0058] As an example, the control target area determination unit 130 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may specify, as the control target area, the area common to the first candidate target area 504 and the second candidate target area 501 on the reference plane established with the two-dimensional camera as a reference, and may determine an object included in the control target area as an object to be controlled by the user.
[0059] The communication unit 140 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may function to enable transmission/reception of data with respect to the image acquisition unit 110, the coordinate estimation unit 120, and the control target area determination unit 130.
[0060] The control unit 150 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may function to control the flow of data among the image acquisition unit 110, the coordinate estimation unit 120, the control target area determination unit 130, and the communication unit 140. That is, the control unit 150 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may control the flow of data into/out of the object control assistance system 100 or data flow among the respective components of the object control assistance system 100, such that the image acquisition unit 110, the coordinate estimation unit 120, the control target area determination unit 130, and the communication unit 140 may carry out their particular functions, respectively.
[0061]
[0062] Referring to
[0063] Further, in
[0064] Furthermore, the object display device 200 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may be connected to the object control assistance system 100 via the communication network or a certain processor, and may function to display an object to be controlled by the user thereon. For example, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the object display device 200 may include a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor LCD (TFT-LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic LED (OLED) display, an active matrix OLEO (AMOLED) display, a Retina display, a flexible display, a three-dimensional display, and the like.
[0065] Referring to
[0066] Next, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, three-dimensional real-world coordinates corresponding to a center 606 of a fist among a plurality of body portions of the user, which are specified from the acquired two-dimensional image, may be calculated.
[0067] Subsequently, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, three-dimensional real-world coordinates respectively corresponding to the user's eye 601 (e.g., the dominant eye) and the user's fingertip 602 (e.g., the fingertip of an index finger) that accord with the user's intention, may be estimated with reference to the three-dimensional real-world coordinates corresponding to the center 606 of the fist.
[0068] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to increase the accuracy of estimation, three-dimensional real-world coordinates respectively corresponding to the center 606 of the fist and the head portion among the plurality of body portions of the user may be calculated, and three-dimensional real-world coordinates respectively corresponding to the user's eye 601 (e.g., the dominant eye) and the user's fingertip 602 (e.g., the fingertip of the index finger) may be estimated with reference to the three-dimensional real-world coordinates respectively corresponding to the center 606 of the fist and the head portion.
[0069] Referring to
[0070] That is, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, both the object “i” and the object “t” are included in the second candidate target area 608, whereas the object “t” alone is included in the first candidate target area 609, and thus, the object “t” which belongs to the common area may be determined as a control target object that accords with the user's intention.
[0071] The embodiments according to the present disclosure as described above may be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed by various computer components, and may be stored on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium may include program instructions, data files, and data structures, separately or in combination. The program instructions stored on the computer-readable recording medium may be specially designed and configured for the present disclosure, or may also be known and available to those skilled in the computer software field. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium may include: magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tapes; optical media such as compact disk-read only memory (CD-ROM) and digital versatile disks (DVDs); magneto-optical media such as floptical disks; and hardware devices such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM) and flash memory, which are specially configured to store and execute program instructions. Examples of the program instructions may include not only machine language codes created by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter. The above hardware devices may be changed to one or more software modules to perform the processes of the present disclosure, and vice versa.
[0072] Although the present disclosure has been described above in terms of specific items such as detailed elements as well as the limited embodiments and the drawings, they are only provided to help more general understanding of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains that various modifications and changes may be made from the above description.
[0073] Therefore, the spirit of the present disclosure shall not be limited to the above-described embodiments, and the entire scope of the appended claims and their equivalents will fall within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.