Petronel Bigioi

Real-time eye gaze tracking for gaming design and consumer electronics systems

Real time face detection combined with eyegaze tracking can provide a means of user input into a gaming environment. Game and CE system designers can use facial and eye-gaze information in various ways to enhance UI design providing smarter modes of gameplay interaction and UI modalities that are sensitive to a users behaviors and mood. Here we review earlier approaches, using wearable sensors, or enhanced IR illumination. Our technique only requires video feed from a low-resolution user-facing camera. The algorithm is described and some comparative results on a range of embedded hardware are provided. The potential for using eye-gaze as a means of direct user input and improving the accuracy of estimation accordingly is also discussed.

Home network infrastructure for handheld/wearable appliances

A server infrastructure allows wireless wearable appliances or portable handsets to access consumer services offered via the server. Services are accessed via a universal home services interface (UHSI) which is shared by all access devices. The UHSI can include a voice-activated interface to simplify usage from non-graphical terminals. In a home network, the infrastructure resides on a home gateway or central home computer and allows users access to local subsystems or external WAN services. An implementation based on a universal plug and play (UPnP) home network is described.

Automated in-camera detection of flash-eye defects

This paper examines the problem of performing automated real-time detection of flash eye dejects (redeye) in the firmware of a digital camera. Several different algorithms are compared, timing and memory requirements on several embedded architectures are presented. A discussion on advanced in-camera techniques to improve on standard algorithms is also presented.

Wireless transfer of images from a digital camera to the Internet via a standard GSM mobile phone

In this paper we describe an infrastructure based on an existing, commercially available, GSM mobile phone for achieving connectivity between digital cameras and an Internet Website. Pictures are loaded from a standard digital camera, or compact flash card, by an embedded appliance, which establishes the Internet connection and controls the transfer of pictures from the camera to a remote website. Detailed descriptions are given of this picture transfer appliance and of a typical website infrastructure to store and manage the pictures and provide end-user services.

Iris authentication in handheld devices - considerations for constraint-free acquisition

As a near ideal biometric, iris authentication is widely used and mobile acquisition techniques are known. But iris acquisition on handheld imaging devices, such as smartphones, poses multiple, unique challenges. In this paper, a range of factors that affect the quality of iris images are reviewed. Iris size, image quality and acquisition wavelength are found to be key factors. Experimental results are presented confirming the lower limits of iris size for useful authentication performance. The authentication workflow for handheld devices is described. A case study on a current smartphone model is presented, including calculation of the pixel resolution that can be achieved with a visible-only optical system. Based on these analyses, system requirements for unconstrained acquisition in smartphones are discussed. Several design strategies are presented and key research challenges are outlined together with potential solutions.

PTP/IP - a new transport specification for wireless photography

PTP (picture transfer protocol ISO-15740) is an international standard for connectivity and interface of digital photography devices. In this paper, we describe how PTP can be extended to work over generic TCP/IP networks. As digital cameras and printers becomes wireless, PTP/IP provides the necessary flexibility of applications infrastructure for networked digital photography.

Evaluation of combined visible/NIR camera for iris authentication on smartphones

Iris biometrics provide a mature and robust method of authentication, but are typically applied in a controlled environment and under constrained acquisition conditions. In this paper, the adaption of iris biometrics for unconstrained, hand-held use cases such as smartphones is investigated. A prototype optics-sensor combination is analysed in terms of its optical properties and iris imaging capabilities. The corresponding camera system with dual visible/NIR sensing capabilities and 4 Megapixel resolution is tested for suitability to implement iris recognition on smartphones. Recognition performance is analysed together with image quality comparisons. Preliminary results indicate that there are challenges to achieve reliable recognition performance in unconstrained use cases. Current optical systems are not diffraction limited, particularly at NIR wavelengths; pixel resolutions are close to the useful limits for iris recognition and acquisition conditions are challenging. Nevertheless, our findings indicate a similar camera module, with an improved optics and sensor, could combine biometric authentication with more conventional front-camera functions such as the capture of selfie images.

Feasibility and design considerations for an iris acquisition system for smartphones

Iris biometrics has the potential to provide the security required by next generation smartphones. This paper deals with the feasibility of an iris acquisition system for smartphones and similar hand held devices. When it comes to smartphones, a number of image acquisition challenges tend to surface. This paper discusses some of these challenges along with a brief description of acquisition system wavelength, iris image size and iris image spatial resolution and various other image quality parameters which affect iris recognition performance such as usable iris area, iris-pupil and iris-sclera contrast, image sharpness, gaze angle, SNR etc. Some preliminary results and design ideas for practical iris image acquisition are also presented.

Hardware implementation of a real-time 3D video acquisition system

An implementation of a real-time 3D video acquisition system on a single FPGA is presented. Our approach is based on the use of stereo image sensors and can display real-time 3D video when combined with shutter glasses. The 3D effect is generated based on the parallax of the stereo sensors. An overview of the system architecture is given, including some details of the FPGA implementation of actual image processing pipeline. This architecture provides the basis for a low-cost, personal 3D imaging appliance.

Advances in the detection & repair of flash-eye defects in digital images - a review of recent patents

Red-eye and flash-eye defects in still photography continue to cause problems for digital imaging devices. New variants of flash-eye defects have appeared as cameras and cameras sub-systems get smaller in size. This paper reviews a wide range of the more recently patented techniques that have been applied to solve various problems associated with red and non-red flash-eye, particularly solutions which are implemented in the camera. The use of incamera metadata, multiple images of the same scene and adaptation of image acquisition conditions to improve red-eye detection and correction are explained. Four principle categories of flash-eye defect are identified and techniques are outlined to deal with each of these. The use of face, eye and scene metadata obtained within the camera is also considered. In particular data obtained regarding indoor/outdoor scenes, partial face regions, eye orientation and gaze and pupil size can all assist with some difficult cases of flash-eye defect. Some advanced techniques to improve the correction and reconstruction of eye regions are also considered. Index Terms —redeye detection, redeye correction, flasheye defects, embedded image processing.