Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02358900 2001-07-03
Patent Application
of
W. Steve G. Mann
for
Aremac-based means and apparatus for interac;tion with a computer, or
one or more other people, through a wearable camera system.
of which the following is a specification:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains generally to a neul display device that a
photographer
or person doing a task such as photography, may use for interaction with a
computer;
or with one or more other people at one or more remote locations; by way of
using
the camera as a back channel to complete a interactional communications loop.
BACKGROITND OF THE INVI~NTION
In photography (and in movie and video production) ; as well as in many other
tasks such as fixing an automobile, baking a cake, or shopping for groceries
at the
supermarket, it is desirable to collaborate with one or more remote experts.
For
example, while shopping for a new car, it would be nice to be able to
collaborate with a
spouse at a remote location, in such a manner that the remote spouse could
participate
both by shared viewpoint, and the ability to collaborate by calling attention
to certain
objects in the environment, such as being able to call attention to one of the
levers
on the steering column, in such a way that it is clear to both parties; which
of the
many levers is being discussed.
Traditional telephony fails to provide such detailed shared visual space.
Similarly,
even video conferencing such as portable video conferencing laptop computers
fail to
provide convenient means of interacting as would exist if both people were in
the same
space. For example, when people are together, one person will often point at
objects
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CA 02358900 2001-07-03
to indicate to the other which object is being referred to. Laser pointers are
often
used for this purpose when the finger will not reach or is inconvenient. For
example,
construction workers in the same space will often use laser pointers to point
at pipes
up on the ceiling when the pipes are close together and it would be ambiguous
which
one is being pointed at by hand.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION: Objects and advantages
It is an object of this invention to provide a display system in which the
display
is risible in any depth plane; and in fact has essentially infinite depth of
focus.
A feature of the invention is that a display is provided where the display has
essentially infinite depth of field, so that it can create a computer-mediated
reality
environment in which virtual objects appear at various depth planes to
correspond
to the depth planes of real objects.
A feature of the invention is that it provides collaboration between a
photographer
and a remote manager.
A feature of the invention is that it. provides a remote manager with the
ability
to look at the light passing through an eye of the wearer of a wearable
apparatus and
write upon the retina of an eye of the wearer of the apparatus while looking
at this
light projected upon a screen at a remote location.
A feature of the invention is that an eyetap perspective, e.g. the center of
projec-
tion of an eye of the wearer, can be recorded in a natural manner so that
still pictures
or video recorded with the apparatus of the invention may better capture
everyday
experiences such as the openiirg of a. gift, a baby's first steps, or the
natural excite-
ment of a bride and groom at a wedding; where the pictures or video are
captured in
a manner that is free of the obvious contrived nature typical of traditional
j~~edding
photography or the like.
A feature of the invention is that it may embody a device called an aremac,
'where
an aremac is a device that may project light into the eye on more than just
one depth
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CA 02358900 2001-07-03
plane (e.g. an aremac is to a projector as a camera is to a flatbed scanner,
and thus
an ordinary display such as a television is a special case of an aremac where
the view
is limited to a single depth plane).
A feature of the inventioxi is that an eyetap camera may be aimed with the aid
of
a remote manager providing aiming reticle; graticule; crosshairs, an<I other
markings
upon the retina which has infinite depth of field on account of the use of an
aremac.
A feature of the invention is that when a pinhole camera is used in
conjunction with
an aremac; approximately infinite depth of field may be attained; so that
collinearity is
satisfied. that is, any given outgoing ray of virtual light is collinear with
the incoming
ray of real light that generated it.
A feature of the eyetap camera invention is that a diverter is used to locate
the
effective camera position inside an eyeball of the wearer.
An important aspect of the proposed invention is the capability of the
apparatus
to partially mediate (augment; and to a limited extent diminish, or otherwise
alter)
the visual perception of reality, arid to allow others to alter the user's
visual perception
of reality.
It is possible with this invention to provide the user with a means of
determining
the composition of the picture from a display device that is located such that
only the
user can see the displayr device, and so that the user can ascertain the
composition
of a: picture or take a picture or video and transmit izna,ge(s) to one or
more remote
locations without the knowledge of others in the immediate environment, or a,t
least.
without appreciably distracting others in the immediate environment.
It is possible with this invention to provide a means for a user to experience
additional information overlaid on top of his or her visual field of view such
that the
information is relevant to the imagery being viewed.
It is possible with this in~-ention to provide a means for a user to shoot
still pictures
or video with a wearable camera system while using the help of a remote
intelligence
collective.
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It is possible with this invention to provide a means :for a user to shoot
still pictures
or video in a studio setting, while using the help of <x, remote team of
experts, art
directors, or the like.
It is possible with this invention to shoot a documentary video about video
surveil-
lance while drawing on the expertise of a remote panel of legal experts;
videographic
experts, and the like, as well as drawing on the assistance of a mechanism for
finding
hidden video surveillance cameras, and it is possible to make all this
expertise take
the form of a computer--mediated reality environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION: Informal review of what the new
invention does
The proposed invention facilitates interaction betvveen an individual user of
a
camera and a remote expert, or remote panel of experts, or possibly a computer
progranx which is itself an expert, such as a computer system that can detect
hidden
video surveillance cameras or recognize buildings and other objects.
An important feature of the invention is the use of a new display means called
an ''aremac" . The aremac conveys information by altering the visual
perception of
reality experienced by its user.
The aremac is to a camera as a projector is to a scanner. The aremac forms
images
with non--zero depth of focus, so that it can either form inxages on various
objects in
a room, or form images on the retina of an eye of a person looking at these
various
objects in various depth planes. In some forms, the arenxac has essentially
unlimited
depth of focus.
The most common application of the aremac: is in collaborative photography,
most
notably, the "painting with lightvectors" genre of photography called dusting;
in
which a canxera is pointed at a scene, and a photographer collects multiple
exposures
of the same scene or object under different illumination. Each of these
exposures is
called a "lightvector" , and collectivel5r, the exposures define a
ylightvector subspace" .
CA 02358900 2001-07-03
Typically there is a camera that takes the picture of the scene being dusted
(''painted''), and a remote operator (director) signals t:o various objects in
the scene
by pointing at them with an aremac. The aremac typically is simply a laser
beam
with galvos to aim it so that it can either point at one object with a small
dot,
or can write text messages or simple raster graphics on various objects so
that the
photographer can see these messages.
For example if the photographer is dusting a large building, the director will
have
a view of the camera image upon a large projection T~~ screen so that she can
have
a good look at it, and annotate it, etc., perhaps together with a small team
of people
looking at the image for artistic content, composition., and general tonal
balance.
The director might for example convert the image into different colour spaces
and
inform the photographer of certain colour gamut warnings. If; for example; the
blue
colour above a certain arched doorway is not quite in range, she may point the
laser
beam that way, so the photographer can see a dot there, and she will describe
the
situation. Alternatively, she may display her message in simple vector
graphics with
the laser beam, so she will circle the offending area on the building, and
draw a
small arrow there, indicating that she changed one of the blue lightvectors to
cyan
for better reproduction in CMYK colour space. She will generally do this by
writing
in the vector components by hand, using a laser pointer, and capturing to send
to the
aremac. She might write something like "Changed v101 to ~0 1 1~; (0 0 1~ is
greying
C~~TYK -Betty" ; and this message will appear to the photograher to hover
above the
curved arch of the building's main doorway.
It should be noted that this style of photography, called dusting, differs
from
traditional photography. In traditional photography the lights are mounted on
light
stands, and the photographer usually holds the camera by hand and walks around
with a small transmitter like the one called a ''FlashW-izard (T~-T)" made by
LPA
design. Each flash usually has a receiver; and fires when the camera transmits
to fire
the flashes. The FlashWizard transmitter has a belt. clip while the receiver
does not,
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CA 02358900 2001-07-03
because this is how they expect their product to be used.
However, in dusting, the opposite is true. The camera is normally fixed on a
tripod; and the photographer carries a flash lamp a:nd holds this by hand. The
photographer walks around the scene and flashes at various parts of the scene,
each
flash resulting in a separate file starting from v000.jpg to as high as
v999.jpg if there
are, for example, 1000 dusts. Each dust produces ame«- file.
As the photographer is dusting, the laser aremac images will be visible on
various
parts of the building, but if, for example; the photographer goes inside the
building
to backlight one of the windows from inside, all the messages that were
written on
the face of the building will no longer be visible to the photographer.
In fact even if outside; the messages will be keystoned or distorted unless
the
photographer is standing right. where the camera is located.
When the photographer stands near the camera the messages are all in roughly
the same coordinates as the director sees them in (and hence whites them in).
This phenomenon of distortion is well known to anyone who has operated a
circular
followspotlight. The followspot operator always sees a circle, regardless of
what the
light is shining on, even though others see an ellipse i:f it is shining on an
oblique
surface or a broken disjoint shape if it is shining on a series of disjoint
surfaces such
as stairs or open doorways.
For this reason, as well as for other reasons, the photographer therefore
often wears
a head mounted display (Hl~~TD) of Borne sort which provides a remote
viewfinder
effect, so that the photographer and director are both :Looking at what the
camera
sees. However, since the photographer would like to see the viewfinder and see
real
world objects (like the stairs he is climbing; or the ladcler he is climbing
up to the
roof of the building), the viewfinder he wears often needs to have a focus
knob.
VTany camera viewfinders have a focus knob but for a <:ompletely different
reason.
The usual stated reason that viewfinders have a focus knob is so that people
who
normally wear corrective eyewear can dial in their prescriptions and see
through the
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CA 02358900 2001-07-03
vie«~finder without the need for eyeglasses. However, in the context of the
present
invention, it is desired that the real world objects be io the same depth
plane as the
virtual objects; just as they would be if written on the real world objects
with a laser
beam from a. scene based aremac.
Accordingly, an alternative embodiment of the invention involves the use of an
aremac that v~Jrites upon the retina of an eye of the wearer, typically by
using a laser
point source and spatial light modulator. This alternative embodiment is
called an
EyeTap (Th'I) aremac.
When using the EyeTap arernac, there is no need for a focus knob on the
display
system; because it is always in focus no matter where the eye is focused. Even
if
the wearer of the EyeTap aremac takes off' his glasses or puts on glasses
having an
incorrect prescription, when looking into the EyeTap a,remac everything is in
sharp
focus.
Thus the wearer of the EyeTap aremac can see his director's messages in
perfect
focus u~hile reading a newspaper at. close range (the messages will appear to
hover
over the newspaper) or while looking up at the stairs in the sky in v~hich
case the
messages will appear to hover up in the sky with the stars.
Thus the EyeTap aremac embodiment and the scene aremac embodiment of the
invention are both ectuivalent in this regard, in the sense that computer-
generated
(synthetic) objects are always in sharp focus upon the actual objects to which
they
refer; regardless of the fact that these actual objects may be at different
distances
(and hence different foci) from the photographer.
Normally a camera has an f=stop so that everything in the scene can be brought
into focus by choosing a small enough f-stop. Thus the photographer can see
every-
thing through the camera as being in focus. However, viewfinders never have f
stops,
and therefore they have very limited depth of field. T'he fact that
viewfinders don't
have f stops is one reason for the invention being far superior to using a
viewfinder
as a shared visual annotation space.
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CA 02358900 2001-07-03
Moreover, sharing space upon the retina of the photographer's eye, or upon the
actual subject matter being photographed (the two being equivalent as far as
the
photographer perceives them), is a much more effective way to collaborate.
The invention is useful for more than just photography, and in fact, one may
place a camera in one's garage, above the car, so that one can open up the
hood,
and summon remote advice on how to fix the engine. This would of course
facilitate
the production of a documentary video on how to fix an automobile engine, but
it
needn't do so. In other words, the camera can be used even if the goal is not
to take
pictures.
While shopping at the grocery store, a photographer can look at apples on the
shelf; and his wife at home can turn on her computer and visit his WWW page
and see
whatever he is looking at. One example of this kind of interaction was
implemented
as something called ''ZVearable Wireless Webcam'' at htt:p:~~wearcam.org and
allowed
people to remotely visit the view of an eye of the wearer of the apparatus,
and to
write messages upon the retina of an eye of the wearer of the apparatus.
Although one purpose of this invention is to help in :making documentary
videos,
the invention may be of use to those who simply want to collaborate across
vast
distances even if there is no interest in taking pictures: The camera can be
used by
someone who wants his wife to remotel~-~ see inside the car he's planning on
buying,
so that she can also draw on his retina to circle certain levers and controls
in the car
and ask him what they do.
Accordingly the present invention in one aspect comprises a head mounted
display
(Hl~TD) which rnay be an ordinary commercially available HWD, which receives a
video signal transmitted from a camera fixed in the environment, and where
there is
also a. scene arernac in the environment together with the fixed camera.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a console for
com-
municating with a remote photographic studio containing camera and scene
aremac,
in urhich the console displays the video output of the remote studio camera
and al-
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CA 02358900 2001-07-03
lows a director to point to the displayed image with a laser pointer causing
the scene
aremac to do exactly what the laser pointer does in terms of what object it
points at.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a. system for
using
a laser pointer from a director's screenspace (office) as a user-interface to
an aremac
in a distant studio workspace containing camera and aremac.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a conferencing
system using a laser pointer as a user-interface for tele--operation of a
laser--aremac
in a distant studio workspace containing camera and laser-aremac.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an EyeTap
aremac
based on a point source of light directed into an eye of the user, rather than
upon
objects in a studio. Preferably the point source is a laser; and the apparatus
is
wearable, so that the apparatus directs laser light onto the retina of an eye
of the
wearer, giving the same appearance as if laser light were directed onto the
scene itself
upon which the wearer's eye is focused. Preferably the device contains a
camera so
that a remote director can monitor the video from the device and write onto
the retina
of the wearer to annotate objects the wearer is looking at. Preferably the
camera has
an effective location right, in the eyeball of the. wearer so that its center
of projection
is the same as a lens of an eye of the wearer, so that the camera will capture
the
exact bundle of rays passing through the lens of an eye of the wearer onto the
retina.
Preferably a remote director can view the light passing through an eye of the
wearer
and effectively write directly onto the objects so seen; by writing onto the
retina of
an eye of the wearer of this apparatus.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a, wearable
camera
system including an optical system that projects the effective location of the
cam-
era right into an eye of the jvearer of the camera, so that the camera is
effectively
partially located in the eye socket of the wearer, such that its center of
projection
is actually that of the wearer's eye itself. Preferably a remote director has
a view
looking out through this camera, so that the remote director shares the exact
same
CA 02358900 2001-07-03
view as the wearer of the camera. Preferably the wearer of the camera also
wears
an aremac responsive to an output signal from the remote directou's scanner of
the
remote director's laser pointer.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a wearable
camera
system including an optical system that projects the effective location of the
camera
right into an eye of the wearer of the camera; together with a spatial light
modulator
providing the wearer w-ith a video display. Preferably the video display is
responsive
to a remote director ha~~ing a. view looking out through this camera.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a wearable
video
conferencing system allowing a remote operator to send. visual data to the
wearer by
using a laser pointer as an input device. Preferably there is an intelligence
collective
to support the wearer of the camera.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a motion
stabilized
teleoperation with a laser pointing system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of examples which
in no way are meant to limit the scope of the invention, but, rather, these
examples
will serve to illustrate the invention with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in
which:
FIG. 1 illustrates the scene aremac in relation to other known devices.
FIG. 2 illustrates the use of the invention to collaborate with a remote
director
zvho assists the photographer in the dusting genre of photography.
FIG. 3 illustrates an alternate director's console.
FIG. 4 illustrates how telepointing works to control an aremac with a laser
pointer.
FIG. 5 shows an intelligence collective prepared to assist a photographer
using a
wearable camera with wearable aremac.
FIG. 6 shows some signal to noise ratio improvements to the telepointing
system.
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FIG. 7 shows a wearable collaboration and communications system.
FIG. 7a shows a close-up depicting means for aremac EyeTapping.
FIG. 7b shows a close--up depicting means for aremac Eye'Tappin g together
with
exclusion of higher diffractive orders arising from periodicity of a spatial
light modu-
lator.
FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of the invention built. into eyeglasses.
FIG. 9 shows a portable embodiment of the invention that does not need to be
worn on the head.
FIG. 10 shows an embodiment of a wearable scene aremac system used to laser
point to hidden video surveillance cameras.
FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of the invention in which humanistic intelligence
(HI) is used to correct for camera-aremac parallax.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
While the invention shall now be described with reference to the preferred em
bodiments shown in the drawings; it should be understood that the intention is
not
to limit the invention only to the particular embodiments shown but rather to
cover
all alterations, modifications and equivalent arrangements possible within the
scope
of appended claims.
In all aspects of the present invention, references to ''carver a" mean any
device or
collection of devices capable of simultaneously determining a quantity of
light arriving
from a plurality of directions and or at. a plurality of locations, or
determining some
other attribute of light arriving from a plurality of directions and or at a
plurality
of locations. Similarly references to ''photographer'' shall not be limited to
just a
person taking pictures, but shall include a person using a camera for the
purposes of
collaboration on a task that need not necessarily result i:n the production of
a visual
record.
References to "processor". or "computer" shall include sequential instruction,
par-
allel instruction, and special purpose architectures such as digital signal
processing
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hardware, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices.
as well as analog signal processing devices.
FIG. 1 is a tabular figure defining the aremac in relation to known devices,
the
known devices being the scanner, the projector, and the camera. There are
various
kinds of scanners. Some scanners work in a manner similar to photocopiers
while
others comprise a sensor array mounted in a boron a copy stand where a flat
object
can be placed. For purposes of explanation, consider the copy-stand embodiment
of
the scanner. The copy--stand embodiment of the scanner, depicted in the
figure, is
commonly used to record the image from a flat object such as the page of a
book;
110, by way of light 112 bouncing off the flat object, and entering a lens
114, into the
scanner body 116. The scanner receives and records light; from a two
dimensional (2D)
object. The projector transmits and displays light onto a 2D object. A
projector 120
is typically fitted with a lens 122; which directs light 124 onto a projection
screen; or
flat wall (usually light in color) 126. The camera receives and records light
from one
or more three dimensional (3D) objects. Objects 130 scatter aznbient light
from the
environment, or light from artificial sources, 132, and lens 134 attached to
camera 136
forms an image of the objects 130 inside the camera 136, where the image is
recorded
or transmitted to a remote location for storage or remote observation. A
camera may>
take pictures of 2D objects like the scanner does, but it is important to
realize that
the camera has sufficient depth of field to capture pictures of 3D objects.
The aremac
140 typically comprises optics 142 which direct light 144 at a 3D scene 146.
In this
way the aremac is to the camera as the projector is to the scanner. Similarly,
the
ar~mac may project light onto 2D or 3D scenes, but it is important to realize
that
the aremac has sufficient depth of field to project onto 3D objects and
scenes.
The aremac may also project light directly into the eye, for example, if
appropri-
ately designed, the aremac may shines light directly into the eye, and images
can be
formed on the retina of the eye. With good aremac design, these images can
appear
in sharp focus in any depth plane that the eye is capable of focusing on. In
this
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case; the aremac «ill produce virtual light (converging rather than diverging
rays of
light) so that all the rays of light meet at a bundle. Such a well designed
aremac will
thus have sufficient depth of field that it may be directed into the ey>e by
way of a
beamsplitter, to superimpose virtual light upon the field of view of the eye,
regardless
of where and at what distance the eye is focused in that field of view.
FIG. 2 depicts the aremac 140 as part of a system which facilitates visual
commu
nication and collaboration. Without loss of generality; the task described is
the pho
tographic process of painting with lightvectors, e.g. walking around in the
scene and
illuminating various objects in the scene while collaborating with a remote
manager.
Objects 210 scatter light, typically from artificial light sources such as
electronic flash,
and a portion of this light is deflected by beamsplitter 220 to camera 136,
where an
image is recorded and transmitted, typically b~~ a radio transmitter 230, into
transmit
ting antenna 232. A person 240, hereafter referred to as "the photographer"
(without
loss of generality, e.g. whether or not the task person 240 is engated in is
photogra
phy); in or near the scene where objects 210 are located receives this signal
by way
of a body--worn antenna 242, and this signal is displayed on head nxounted
display
244, so that the photographer can see the objects as they appear from the
point of
view of camera 136. The signal from camera 136 is also sent by way of another
radio
transmitter, by telephone lines, computer network, or the like, to a remote,
possibly
distant location, where it is routed to projector 120. Emanating from
projector 120
there are rays of light 252 which reach beamsplitter 254 and are partially
reflected as
rays 256 which are considered wasted light. However, some of the light from
projector
120 will pass through beamsplitter 254 and emerge as light rays 258. The
projected
image thus appears upon screen 260.
A second person; hereafter, referred to as the photographer's manager or
assistant,
without intended loss of generality (e.g. regardless of whether the task to
which
assistance or guidance is being offered is the task of photography or some
other task),
270, can observe the scene 210 on screen 260, and can point to objects in the
scene 210,
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CA 02358900 2001-07-03
by simply pointing to various parts of the screen 260. Camera 237 can also
observe the
screen 260, by vvay of beamsplitter 254, and this image of the photographer's
manager
or assistant 270 pointing at objects in the scene is transmitted back to
aremac 140. In
order to prevent there from being video feedback, there is, a polarizes 280 in
front of
camera 237; oriented to pass light from manager 270. Insofar as beamsplitter
254 may
or may not fall at exactly Brewster's angle - the angle of maximum
polarization,
a second polarizes 282 is provided in front of screen 260, whereby polarizers
280;
282; along with the angle of bea,msplitter 254 (and correspondingly; keeping
camera
237 properly oriented), are adjusted to minimize video feedback, and maximize
the
quality of the image from manager 270.
The light. 290, emanating from a,remac 140, hits beamsplitter 220, and some is
lost as waste light 292. The rest of the light; 294, that passes through
beamsplitter
220, illuminates the scene 210. Thus photographer 240 sees the image of
manager
270 cast upon objects in the scene 210. Although this image of manager 270
will
appear disjoint in the photographer's direct view of objects 210, the
photographer's
view of objects 210 as seen by camera 136, projected into display 244 will
appear as
a coherent view of manager 270 and gestures such as pointing at particular
objects
in scene 210. This coherence and continuity of images <~s seen in display 244
is due
to the same principle by which a spotlight operator always sees the circular
shape of
the spotlight even when projecting onto oblique or disjoint surfaces.
The shared view facilitates collaboration, which is especially effective when
com-
bined with a voice communications capability as might be afforded by the use
of a
v-earable hands--free cellular telephone used together with the visual
collaboration
apparatus. Alternatively, the photographer's portion o:F the voice
communications
capability can be built into the head mounted display 244, and share a common
data communications link; for example, having voice; video, and data communica-
tions routed through a body worn computer system attached to photographer 240
and linked to the system of manager 270 by way of a wireless data
communications
CA 02358900 2001-07-03
network.
FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the manager's console in which the
manager's display depicting the photographer's scene is a television tube
(cathode ray
screen) 310 rather than a projection screen. An '~-TSC television may be
satisfactory
if the manager has access to a secondary high resolution VGA screen to
supplement
the material displayed on television 310, but preferably television 310 will
itself be
a high resolution VGA computer screen having at least 1024 pixels in the up-
down
direction and 1280 pixels in the across direction.
Television 310 znay face in any direction, such as forward or upward, but it
is
preferable that television 310 face upward so that it may be built into a desk
together
with a lightbox; viewer for photographic negatives and transparencies, etc.;
so that
electronic images on television 310 can be compared against photographic
transparen-
cies, 35mm slides, and other forms of traditional media; and so that the desk
into
which television 310 is built may be covered in glass 330 upon uThich a
convenient
writing surface will be made. Writing surface 330 may be written upon with non-
permanent markers of the same kind that are used for overhead transparencies,
so
that manager 2?0 can annotate images displayed on television 310. Glass 330
prefer-
ably extends beyond television 310 to cover a large desk into which a lightbox
has
been built and calibrated together with television 310 and with calibrated
overhead
lighting, so that colour balance and intensity will be matched across all
three media
(electronic image display on television 310, transparency display on the
lightbox, and
the display of print material placed on the desk) used by manager 2'70.
The television 310 has a polarizer film 350 which is protected by the glass
330.
This polarizes has polarization that is at right angles to the polarizes 280
in front of
camera 237. This results in an improved reduction in video feedback by using
the
console shown here. Whatever the manager 270 writes onto the glass 330 is thus
displayed upon the photographer's scene, and is visible to the photographer by
way
of the photographer's head mounted displa~r.
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FIG. 4 depicts a manager's office 400 remotely connected to a photographer's
stu-
dio 401. This connection may be by wire, telephone, radio; satellite
communications,
fiber optics, or the like. Objects as part of scene 210 in the photographer's
studio
are seen as objects 410 on a large projection screen 415 at the front of the
manager's
office. The manager is sitting at a desk, watching thc~ large projection
screen 415,
and pointing at the large projection screen 415 using a laser pointer. She
notices that
one of the objects in the scene is slightly out of focus, and not well
illuminated, so
she points her laser pointer at this object upon screen 415. The laser pointer
makes
a bright red dot 420 on the screen. A tamer a 430 in the manager's office
points at
the screen 415 in such a way that the field of view of camera 430 matches that
of the
photographer's camera. Since the photographer's camera is displayed on screen
415.
camera 430 can easily be made to match this field of view by building camera
430
into the projector that displays on screen 415.
The video signal output of screen camera 430 is connected to a vision
processor
440 which simply determines the coordinates of the brightest point. in the
image seen
by camera 430 if there is a dominant brightest point. In actual practice,
vision 440
may determine the coordinates of a bright red blob 420 to sub-pixel accuracy.
These
coordinates as signals 450 and 451 are received at the photographer's studio
401 and
are fed to a galvo drive mechanism which controls two galvos. Coordinate
signal
450 drives azimuthal galvo 480 while coordinate signal 451 drives elevational
galvo
481. These galvos are calibrated by the galvo drive unit 460 so that. aremac
laser
470 is directed to form a red dot 421 on the object in the photographer's
studio 401
that the manager is pointing at from her office 400. Aremac laser 470 together
with
galvo drive 460 and galvos 480 anal 481 together comprise a device called an
aremac
which may be built into the photographer's camera so that they will be
properly
calibrated. This aremac may alternatively be housed on the same mounting
tripod as
the photographer's camera, where the two may be combined by way of
beamsplitter.
If it is not practical or desirable to use a beamsplitter, or it is not
practical to
17
CA 02358900 2001-07-03
calibrate the entire apparatus; the manager may use an infrared laser pointer
so that
she cannot see the dot formed by the laser pointer. In this case, she will
look at the
image of the red dot that is captured by the photographer's camera so that
what is
seen by her as dot 420 on screen 415 is by way of her ability to look through
the
photographer's camera. Note that in all cases, the laser beam in the
photographer's
studio will be in the visible portion of the spectrum (e.g. red and not
infrared). In
this way, her very act of pointing will cause her ozvn mind and body to close
the
feedback loop around any reasonable degree of misalignment or parallax error
in the
entire system.
FIG. 5 depicts an intelligence collective for a remote photographer. This
appara-
tus is typically used when the photographer is on-location (e.g. outside his
studio)
shooting uncooperative or unwilling subjects. An audience compuising legal
experts,
and other experts, comprise an intelligence collective 510. Typically the
photogra-
pher's camera is a wearable EyeTapT=~~ video camera so that members of
collective
510 can see exactly what the photographer is looking at. (EyeTap cameras
record
exactly the light rays passing through an eye of the wearer, so what is
displayed on
screen 260 is exactly what the wearer is seeing).
l~~Iembers of collective 510 have voice communication (typically only one-way)
to
the photographer so they can comment on what the photographer is looking at,
or
they may use RTTY (radio teletype) to display text messages upon the retina of
the
wearer. (Viewfinders in EyeTap video cameras typically include a directable
laser
beam that can write upon the retina of the wearer.)
A manager 270 leads this intelligence collective by pointing with laser beam
520
at screen 260 to point at objects on the screen from projector 550. These
objects
correspond exactly to what is upon the retina of the v,-earer. The laser beam
520
is seen by the scanner (or camera) inside projector and scanner unit 550. The
co-
ordinates of the point at which the laser beam 520 hits the screen 260 are
serxt to
the photographer, and the photorapher's EyeTap eyeglasses cause a laser beam
to be
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CA 02358900 2001-07-03
directed through the center of the lens of an eye of the photographer onto the
retina
of an eye of the photographer. In this way, when manager 2'l0 points to an
object on
screen 260 within the field of view of the photographer, the photogr apher
sees a red
dot upon the same object.
l~~Iembers of the audience may also point at the screen. causing the
photographer
to see multiple red dots on objects in the scene. Preferably a member of the
audience
530 may use a different coloured laser, such as a green laser pointer, and
this laser
beam 540 may by distinguished from beam 520 by projector and scanner unit 550
so that it can then be encoded and experienced differently by the photographer
(e.g.
as a green dot upon the retina of an eye of the photographer if the
photographer is
wearing a colour EyeTap system).
FIG. 6 depicts signal to noise ratio improvement means for a TelePoint (T1~I)
system. A projector 120 projects light through a filter 610. Filter 610
filters out. a
very narrow band of wavelengths from the white light projection beam. Filter
610
may be a standard laser blocking filter such as those used by pilots during
war time
to protect their eyes from enemy laser beams. Light Ei20 that passes through
this
filter 610 will contain all wavelengths it normally would except a very narrow
range
of wavelengths corresponding to laser light. In image regions of the projected
image
corresponding to white objects, light 620 will still be white in appearance
since the
band of excluded wavelengths is very narrow. Thus filter 610 will not
appreciably
alter the colour or appearance of objects seen on screen 260.
The beam from the projector 620 is directed to a dichroic beamsplitter 630.
Beam-
splitter 630 is constructed so that it reflects at the laser wavelength but
transmits
other wavelengths. Thus any small amount of laser wavelength light that didn't
get stopped by filter 610 will be deflected as rays 621 into oblivion (e.g.
not hit
the screen). In this way, the projection beam at 640 will have had two chances
at
exclusion of laser wavelength light, one at 610 and the other at 630.
Projected light 640, together with ambient room light (if any); and light from
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CA 02358900 2001-07-03
a laser pointer shining on screen 260 will come back: to beamsplitter 630.
Laser
wavelengths of this light will be deflected to scanner (or camera) 670,
possibly after
passing through anti-feedback polarizer 280 if a polarization feedback
prevention
means has also been used. The light 660 that enters camera 670 will tend to
contain
only laser wavelengths on account of beamsplitter 630. Thus the effective gain
of the
laser pointer detected by scanner 670 is amplified tremendously. In this way,
a very
low power laser pointer can be used.
Moreover, other forms of Signal to 'poise Ratio (S.N.R.) improvement can be
implemented, such as the use of a lock-in camera for scanner 6'70 together
with a
laser pointer ~~rith chopper or modulation. The laser pointer may either
transmit a
sync signal to the scanner 670 or vice versa (e.g. it may receive a sync
signal from
scanner 670) .
FIG. 7 depicts a wearable version of the photographer's apparatus. Here the
photographer's camera is an EyeTap (Tl~I) camera comprising camera 720, double-
sided mirror 710, and EyeTap aremac '790 all built within a pair of
eyeglasses. EyeTap
aremac 790 may be a miniature display means such as a miniature television
with
a converging lens. A satisfactory television is an LCD screen having size
(measured
along the diagonal) ranging between 1/4 inch and 1 inch.. (Sizes of television
screens
are specified in distance frorn opposite corners of the rectangular screen as
measured
along the diagonal in units of inches, where 1 inch is approximately equal to
2.54
centimeters.) Preferably, however, EyeTap aremac will be a spatial light
modulator
with converging lens in front of it; and a laser diode point source behind it,
some
distance back, so that it will direct laser light through the center of the
lens of an eye
of the wearer, and form an image directly upon the retina of an eye of the
wearer.
In this way, it will function like a display with infinite or near-infinite
depth of field.
Tlzis form of aremac is similar to a pinhole camera in the sense that no
matter where
the eye's lens is focused; the image formed by the EyeTap aremac will be in
sharp
focus as seen by an eye of the wearer.
CA 02358900 2001-07-03
Where the spatial light modulator is an LCD panel; the LCD panel is preferably
oriented so that the polarization orientation of the side facing the light
emitting
diode matches the polarization of the light emitting' diode. Also, when the
spatial
light modulator is not square but has rectangular shape, it is preferable that
the
laser diode be oriented with major axis of light output aligned along the
length of
the rectangular shape and where the laser diode is oriented with minor axis of
light
output along the width of the rectangular shape.
Preferably camera 720 will also be a pinhole camera so that the entire
apparatus
may be sealed within the eyeglass lens material and frames of the eyeglasses
and will
not have nor need any moving parts as might otherwise be needed to focus the
camera
or EyeTap aremac.
The pencil of rays of light 700 that would pass through the center of the lens
of
an eye of the wearer of the apparatus is instead diverted by double-sided
mirror 710
to camera 720. Double-sided mirror 710 is thus called. a diverter. A diverter
may
also comprise a bearnsplitter, so that a portion of the light is diverted, in
which case
camera 720 will include video feedback prevention means (polarizes).
The beamsplitter or two-sided mirror is preferably aligned at an angle (e.g.
an
angle not equal to an integer multiple of ~r~2) v~here an image can be formed
by a
reflection of light from the aremac from one side of the beamsplitter or two--
sided
mirror and the camera forms an image by reflection of light from the other
side of
the beamsplitter or two-sided mirror.
The diverter may also be curved, for example, so that it will become the
optics,
or part of the optics used in the EyeTap aremac, and wi:Ll also become the
optics, or
part of the optics of camera ?20. In general a diverter is a curved or
straight mirror or
beamsplitter. The entire optical assembly is such that the diverter together
with the
rest of the optics divert incoming light or a portion thereof to the camera
720, and
replace some or all of this light with light from an EyeTap aremac, so that
the wearer
of the apparatus sees some or all of the image replaced with a possibly
unaltered or
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CA 02358900 2001-07-03
deliberately altered (computer-mediated) view.
The manner in which this alteration (mediation) of reality by computer or by
remote human is achieved is described in what follows. Signal 721 from camera
720
is sent to a motion stabilizer 730. Motion stabilizer 730 sends a stabilized
version of
the video signal to inbound transmission means 740 where it is sent to the
manager's
office. The terms inbound and outbound will be used to denote signals sent to
and
from the manager's office respectively. Thus the manager's office is the hub
of activity,
and may correspond to more than one roving reporter or photographer.
At the manager's office there is a receiver 750 which receives the stabilized
video
signal for display on television 310. The manager can annotate the video
signal
on glass 330, and the annotated signal is seen through video feedback
prevention
polarizes 280 by camera or scanner 237. This annotated video signal is sent by
outbound transmitter 760 back to the photographer.
The annotated video signal from transmitter 760 is received by outbound
receiver
770 and sent to a motion restorer 780. l~Totion restorer 780 undoes the effect
of the
motion stabilizer so that the annotated images will appear to the photographer
to
move with his head movements. For the same reason that unstabilized images
would
make the manager seasick or dizzy, stabilized images would make the
photographer
seasick or dizzy, since his vestibular cures are those of motion, and thus the
images
motion should match this vestibular motion.
Some video 721 may go directly from camera 720 into the image processor 781
which combines raw and annotated imagery for display on Ey~eTap aremac 790.
EyeTap aremac produces converging (virtual) rays of light 791 which are
reflected
by the other side of double-sided mirror 710 into an eye of the wearer of the
apparatus.
This is the principle of operation of EyeTap video, in which a portion of the
lightspace
700 that would normally be seen without the wearable apparatus has been
replaced
by a mixture of those exact light rays and synthetic light rays.
FIG. 7a depicts a close-up view of FIG. 7 in which EyeTap aremac 790 and its
22
CA 02358900 2001-07-03
operation projecting into an eye of the wearer of the apparatus is shown in
detail.
EyeTap aremac 790 is shown with optics 791 which direct light from L.E.D.
(light
emitting diode) 793 through spatial light modulator 792. Spatial light
modulator
792 may be constructed from a commercially available miniature LCD display,
such
as the Kopin SmartSlide (TM) by sandwiching the LCD slide between two pieces
of
glass bonded with index matching epoxy. A test is often made by sandwiching
the
LCD slide between glass with Xylene index matching fluid to test to see
whether or
not the selected LCD panel is suitable for use as a spatial light modulator
with laser
light. L.E.D. 793 is preferably a resonant L.E.D. otherwise known as a "laser
diode"
(L.D.). Thus for simplicity and generality of notation, a laser diode will be
referred to
as a resonant light emitting diode. This light source 793 functions as a
point. source
and creates a beam that is spatially modulated by spatial light modulator 792
which,
together with optics 791 produces rays of light that pass through the center
of the
lens 796 of an eye 795 of the wear er of the apparatus.
Spatial light modulator (SL:~T) 792 is fed with a video signal, so that it
causes a
picture to be imprinted directly upon the retina 797 of' an eye of the wearer
of the
apparatus, regardless of where the wearer's eye lens 796 is focused. In this
way, if the
wearer looks off to infinity, the image from SLl~T 792 will seem to hover off
in space
infinitely distant and infinitely large. If, however, the wearer looks at
something very
close such as a piece of paper 10 centimeters from his eye, the image from SLM
792
will still be in sharp focus and will appear to hover at a distance of lOcm
from the
wearer's eye, since it exists on the retina of the wearer's eye and not
actually at any
particular point of focus.
Because spatial light modulator 792 is generally made from a periodic lattice
of
pixels, there will be diffraction, and thus there will be seen at certain
points a plurality
of images, either distinct or overlapping (depending on eye location) that
correspond
to what is displayed on SLM 792. However, the optical system is aligned; and
the
eye is located such that only one period of this lattice is visible, and so
that there is
23
CA 02358900 2001-07-03
no blurring due to this periodicity. ~~Ioreover, the periodicity causes ~,
jump in the
image as the eye moves around, so there must be very well fitted positioning,
such as
in eyeglasses through the selection and adjustment of nose pads, to make sure
that
the central period (the brightest one) is used, since that is the one that is
normally
aligned to the camera 720 such that the collinearity condition between rays of
virtual
light entering eye lens 796 and the actual incoming light rays 700.
Optionally, light source 793 is controlled in intensity by the surrounding
ambient
light level; so that in bright sunlight, the image is written upon the retina
with greater
amounts of light, while in a darkened room, lesser amounts of light are used.
The
amount of light needed may be determined photoquantigraphically by analysis of
the
output and control signals associated with camera 720. Photodiode 794 monitors
the
amount of output. of light source 793 and may be used as part of a feedback
look to
control the amount of light output from light source 793 in accordance with a
desired
target quantity of light on retina 797 to match the quantity of light. of
incoming light
rays 700.
FIG. 7b depicts an unrolling of the optical path without diversion (e.g. in
which
the diverter is taken out of the drawing for clarity). The original eye has
been left in,
using dotted lines, to depict where the effective eye location is imaged by
the diverter
(shown in solid lines). Note that the effective eye position corresponds
exactly 'with
the camera position. In this way, the eye is effectively- positioned where the
camera
was located, and in fact; the camera is thus effectively positioned inside the
eyeball of
an eye of the wearer, such that the effective camera center of projection
corresponds
to the lens of an eye of a wear er.
Point source 793 shines through SL1VI 792. Each ray oi.-° light from
this point source
produces a central ray denoted by thick lines that meet at 798, after passing
through
optics 791 to form the point source image at. 798. Due to the periodicity of
SL1VI
792 which usually has a discrete lattice of pixels, there is diffraction of
this central
beam, and the various orders of diffraction are depicted by thinner and
thinner lines,
24
CA 02358900 2001-07-03
as we move in either direction from the central order. These other orders of
diffracted
rays meet at points 799 which also form point source images if the point
source is
monochromatic or nearly so (as in laser EyeTap embodiments of the invention).
If
the point source is broadband then the diffracted rays will not be well
defined, and
will instead give rise to rainbow source images 799. In the broadband case,
only the
central point source image 798 will be sharp, but in either case, the central
point
source image 798 will be the brightest. It is desired that only one of these
enter the
eye, and in fact it is desired that the clearest and brightest of these enter
the eye.
Otherwise image "doubling'' will result (if two enter the eye), or image
multiplicity
uTill result (if more enter the eye) and the image will appear ''ghosted" .
Elimination
of this "ghosting" is one reason that placement of the apparatus on the body
of the
wearer should be such that eye lens 796 is centered upon point source 798.
An EyeTap aremac in which the image of a point source is imaged onto the
center of projection of a lens of the eye is said to meet the EyeTap aremac
criterion.
The EyeTap aremac criterion may be met with or without the use of a diverter;
the criterion simply describes the relationship between a point source, a
spatial light
modulator, and optics of any sort, whether the optics are a diverter, include
a. diverter,
or do not include a diverter. An apparatus that meets the EyeTap aremac
criterion
is said to be a means for aremac EyeTapping.
Moreover, the entire apparatus as depicted in FIG. i'a is built. so that this
align-
ment of 796 with 798 results in a direct correspondence between the center of
projec-
tion of camera 720 and 798. A wearable camera system that meets this criterion
in
which the effective center of projection of the camera (as imaged by the
diverter) is
located at the center of projection of an eye of the wearer is said to meet
the EyeTap
camera criterion. The definition of this criterion is irrespective of the the
existence
of the EyeTap aremac. Thus so long as r ays of light from the scene are
diverted to
a camera in such a way that the bundle of rays that would have passed through
the
<;enter of projection of the lens of an eye of the wearer in the absence of
the apparatus,
CA 02358900 2001-07-03
are diverted through the center of projection of the camera, then the canxera
is said
to meet the EyeTap camera criterion. An apparatus that meets the EyeTap camera
criterion is said to be an EyeTapping camera means.
As shown in Fig 7b, an eye of the wearer is effectively located where the
camera is,
or equivalently, the optical arrangement is such that the camera is
effectively located
inside an eyeball of the wearer, with the enter of projection of the camera
effectivelyr
located in the center of the lens of an eye of the wearer. Thus Fig 7b is a
good
depiction of an example of an EyeTapping camera nxeans as well as an
EyeTapping
aremac means.
When an apparatus meets both the EyeTap aremac criterion and the EyeTap cam-
era criterion, it is said to meet the EyeTap criterion. Thus the apparatus
depicted in
FIG. 7, and detailed in FIG. 7a and FIG. 7b is an example of a means of
EyeTapping.
A camera EyeTapping means together with an aremac EyeTapping means is referred
to as an EyeTapping means.
FIG. 8 depicts a pair of eyeglasses containing two aremacs, an EyeTap aremac
which directs light onto the retina of an eye of the wearer, and a scene
aremac which
directs laser light onto the scene in front of the wearer.
A portion 800 of the field of view that the wearer would normally see in the
absence of the apparatus is deflected by two-sided mirror 810 to canxera 830.
(Two-
sided mirror 810 may be replaced with a beaxnsplitter if camera 830 and EyeTap
aremac 880 each include a polarizes to prevent video feedback.) The video
signal
from camera 830 is transmitted to one or more remote managers by transmitter
840.
One or more remote managers may point at an object in the scene either with
a traditional mouse cursor, or with a TelePoint (T1M) remote laser pointer
system
previously described. In either case, the result is that scene aremac 860
picks up
signals from one or more remote managers by way of radio receiver 850. These
signals steer the beam which emerges as ray 8?0 and points at the objects)
that the
one or more remote managers are pointing at.
26
CA 02358900 2001-07-03
FIG. 9 depicts a portable hand-held or wearable embodiment of the invexition
which does not need to be worn upon the head where i.t would cover eye of the
user.
Camera. 910 which views the scene through beaxnsplitter 920 sends video to a
motion
stabilization system 930. The stabilized video signal from stabilization
system 930
is sent to a remote director by inbound transmitter 94Ø At a remote
location; the
remote director displays video received from transmitter 940 on a large screen
video
projector. The remote director points to objects in the scene by pointing at
the screen
with a laser pointer. A scanner in the director's office scans the screen to
determine
where the director is pointing, and these coordinates are sent back to be
received by
outbound receiver 950. These coordinates are converted back to the same
coordinates
as the camera 910. This conversion process is done by motion destabilizes 960
which
does the inverse operation of what the motion stabilizer 930 does, possibly
with a
time lag (e.g. undoes what the motion stabilizer recently did). The
coordinates, in
destabilized form (e.g. in the coordinates of camera 910) direct a,remac 970
to point
at the corresponding object in the scene: Thus when the remote director points
at
an object on her screen, by using her laser pointer, the same object appears
to the
photographer as having a red dot appear upon that object at the same location.
Thus; for example, if a remote spouse is remotely w<~,tching what her husband
is
pointing the apparatus at, she can see the video on her screen, and point at
an object
in view of the camera, causing aremac 970 to point at this object. This
functionality
(teleoperation of a laser pointer with a laser pointer as an input device) is
called
telepointin g, and the apparatus shown in Fig 9 is an example of a
telepointing means.
Typically; the apparatus of Fig 9 will be housed inside a cellular telephone
which
becomes the communications channel 940 and 950. This facilitates voice
communica-
tion, and allows the photogrpaher to point the camera at objects in the scene,
where,
for example, a remote spouse can t;elepoint to objects such as one of the
levers on the
steering column of a new car that her husband is shopping for.
FIG. 10 depicts an embodiment of the wearable augmented reality system that
27
CA 02358900 2001-07-03
may be used to automate the process of pointing the aremac at the object. of
interest.
Normally the aremac is is operated by a remote director using a telepointing
process,
but here the situation is such that the aremac points itself directly at the
object
of interest. An aremac 1010 is worn upon eyeglasses; or carried by the user,
and
is pointed into an area in which there is suspected theft of intellectual
property of
humanistic property by way of covert video surveillance. For example, the
system
might be used by an inventor or patent attorney meeting in a resturant or
hotel room
to discuss a patent. Prior to spreading the drawings out on the table of a.
rezited space,
either party may scan the space with the aremac where 1020 are ordinary
objects and
1021 are objects such as smoke detectors, black signage; clocks with black or
mirrored
panels, or the like, in which there are hidden video surveillance cameras.
The aremac, by default, scans in a raster or double sinusoidal pattern,
illuminating
a large number of objects with a small red blob in motion. A very sensitive
receiver
1060 is tuned to pick up any quasi-periodic or near cyclostationary signal
that has
the form of a television signal. Video surveillance detection processor 10?0
is driven
by this signal, and it drives galvos in the arernac 1010 by way of control
signals 1040
and 1050.
Ordinarily it is very hard to distinguish video surveillance signals from
other tele-
vision signals such as might arise from people in the hotel room next door
watching a
rented movie. or from televisions in restaurants that are tuned to commercial
broad-
cast frequencies. However, video surveillance detection processor 1070 is
built to
function like a lock-in amplifier and it detects the change in the signal due
to the
modulation of the laser beam 1030. If the suspected video surveillance signal
varies
m response to the intensity of beam 1030 upon the suspected object, then there
is a
high possibility of theft of intellectual property or humanistic property.
The system first determines in a very sensitive way; coordinates where theft
is
suspected. Then it. narrows the search by directing the beam to only those
areas.
Suppose, for example, that it determines that two objects 1021 are suspect. It
tests
28
CA 02358900 2001-07-03
these by tracking them (pointing the beam at them) for extended periods,
instead of
merely when the raster or scan passes over them. Thus once the whole room has
been
scanned, scanning is reduced to only these two objects. By using signal
averaging,
over many periods of the video signal; video surveillance detection processor
1070
functions in the manner of a lock in amplifier to obtain more than 120dB of
gain
above raster scan mode. Thus even if the perpetrators of the attempted theft
attempt
to shield the cameras in copper foil, the theft will still be detected.
A wearable embodiment of the aremac pointing apparatus is particularly useful
when scanning a large room for theft. Hidden surveillance cameras are
pinpointed
by the red dot that remains hovering over the point of surveillance. What is
found is
the effective optical center of projection of the lens of the surveillance
system. Thus
even if the camera is well hidden, for example, in a sprinkler head, the
optics (for
example, the mirror in the sprinkler head) will be pinpointed rapidly.
The system is also easy to use for anyone who has used the telepointer embodi-
ments of the invention; since it works exactly the same way. The red dot
points to
the object of interest, just as if an all-knowing remote director were
pointing out the
location of each of the hidden surveillance cameras to the wearer of the
apparatus.
The apparatus of Fig 10 may also include a camera and transmitter so that a
remote director can witness the evidence of the theft. Alternatively, the
apparatus
may contain a camera with local storage so that the wE~arer can collect
evidence of
the theft. In this way, the apparatus serves as a photographer's assistant,
'where the
aremac helps point the way to subject matter to be photographed.
FIG. 11 depicts an embodiment of the telepoint aremac control apparatus in
which
there is parallax between camera and areruac and in which humanistic
intelligence
(HI) is used to correct for this parallax. In this embodiment, camera 1110,
which
is often mounted in the nose bridge of a pair of eyeglasses; sends pictures to
one or
more remote directors by way of a wearable computer (~~TearComp) 1120 and
radio
transmitter+receiver (transceiver) 1130. The remote director uses an infrared
laser
29
CA 02358900 2001-07-03
pointer to point at a screen upon which is projected the signal from camera
11110.
The infrared laser pointer forms a blob of light invisible to the director,
but visible
to an infrared scanner scanning the screen in the director's office. The
coordinates
where the laser pointer forms a blob of light on the .screen in the director's
office
are determined by the scanner in the director's office connected to a machine
vision
system. and these coordinates aremeceived by transceiver 1130. WearComp 1120
takes these coordinates and uses this information to control aremac 1010 by
way
of control signal lines 1040 and 1050. It should be noted that even though
there
may be considerable parallax between camera 1110 and aremac 1010, the process
of telepointing involves a remote human being in the feedback loop of the
process,
so that the correspondence between remotely selected object and locally seen
object
pointed at will be made. For example, if camera 1110 is in the nose bridge of
a pair of
eyeglasses and aremac 1010 is on one side of the glasses (e.g. on a temple
side piece);
there will be some parallax that can easily be accounted for.
Even if aremac 1010 were located in a waist pouch ( "belly bag" ) the parallax
will still be compensated for by humanistic intelligence. The director's laser
beam is
invisible to the director; but controls a visible cursor on. the screen in the
director's
ofl'xce. The screen is a computer screen displaying the VGA signal associated
with
~%earComp 1120 including the video of camera 1110. The coordinates of this
cursor
are determined by camera 1110 detecting and tracking t;he laser beam from
aremac
1010. When the laser beam from aremac 1010 is not visible by camera 1110, then
the cursor will disappear. Suppose, for example, that the wearer is selecting
fruits
and vegetables in the grocery store. and the director is a remote spouse who
points
to an object on the shelf. If the beam is not visible to the wearer, it will
also be
invisible to the director. Thus the director will instinctively move the
pointer around
a little, until the cursor becomes visible, just as we instinctively move the
mouse of
a. computer around until we can ''find'' the cursor if the cursor is hidden
from view.
Thus the director will move the pointer around a little until she can see the
cursor
CA 02358900 2001-07-03
on lzer screen. Then she can see the cursor, so can the wearer of the
apparatus. The
wearer of the apparatus will see the actual laser beam pointing at some object
within
his field of view whenever the director can also see the cursor on her screen.
The apparatus of this invention allows a photographer to be remotely visually
connected to a remote director, over a long period of time, with virtually no
eyestrain.
For example, after wearing the apparatus sixteen hours per day for several
weeks, it.
begins to function as a true extension of the mind and body. In this way,
photographic
composition is much more optimal, because the act o:F taking pictures or
shooting
video no longer requires conscious thought or effort.
The apparatus of the invention also allows the photographer to allow others to
share his experience. The photographer may also allow others to partially
altez~ his
perception of reality. In this way the invention is useful as a new
communications
medium, in the context of collaborative photography, collaborative
videography, and
telepresence. Moreover, the invention may perform other useful tasks such as
func-
boning as a. personal safety device, crime deters ent, or visual
communications device
by virtue of its ability to summon the advice or assistance of one or more
remote
experts.
From the foregoing description, it will thus be evident that the present
invention
provides a design for an infinite depth of focus camera view annotation means.
As
various changes can be made in the above embodiments a,nd operating methods
with-
out departing from the spirit or scope of the invention; ii, is intended that
all matter
contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings
should be
interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
Variations or modifications to the design and construction of this invention;
within
the scope of the invention, may occur to those skilled in the art upon
reviewing
the disclosure herein. Such variations or modifications, if within the spirit
of this
invention, are intended to be encompassed within the scope of any claims to
patent
protection issuing upon this invention.
31
