Augmented reality vision system for tracking and geolocating objects of interest

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for tracking objects comprise one or more optical sensors for capturing one or more images of a scene, wherein the one or more optical sensors capture a wide field of view and corresponding narrow field of view for the one or more mages of a scene, a localization module, coupled to the one or more optical sensors for determining the location of the apparatus, and determining the location of one more objects in the one or more images based on the location of the apparatus and an augmented reality module, coupled to the localization module, for enhancing a view of the scene on a display based on the determined location of the one or more objects.

1 .- 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A user-carried or user-worn apparatus for tracking objects, the apparatus comprising:
 one or more optical sensors for capturing images of a scene, wherein the images include a wide field of view image of the scene and a narrow field of view image of the scene;   a display for displaying a displayed view of the scene; and   a processor coupled to a storage medium, the storage medium storing processor-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, performs a method comprising:   geolocating the one or more optical sensors and a location of one or more objects depicted in the captured images based on a location of the one or more optical sensors;   recognizing an object of interest in the wide field of view image;   recognizing the object of interest in the narrow field of view image;   correlating a location of the recognized object of interest in the wide field of view image and the narrow field of view image; and   enhancing the displayed view of the scene on the display based on the geolocating of the one or more objects, wherein the enhanced, displayed view comprises overlay content for the recognized object of interest.   
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the method performed by the processor based on the processor-executable instructions further comprises:
 broadcasting the tracked location of the one or more objects and receiving tracked location information of objects outside a field of view of the one or more optical sensors, the received, tracked location information being received from other apparatuses.   
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the user-carried or user-worn apparatus is configured to exchange tracked location information of the one or more objects with at least one other user-carried or user-worn apparatus and enhance the displayed view of the scene on the display based on the geolocating of the one or more objects by the apparatus and also based on tracked location information received from the at least one other user-carried or user-worn apparatus. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the apparatus is in communication with one or more similar apparatuses such that users of the apparatuses utilize the apparatuses in a gaming activity in a physical area. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein when there are multiple instances of the apparatus in remote locations, geolocation is performed with respect to all of the sensors included in the multiple instances of the apparatus. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the enhancing of the displayed view further comprises augmenting the displayed view to indicate location of the one or more objects outside the field of view of the one or more optical sensors. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the augmentation of the displayed view includes insertion of one or more markers of objects of interest. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the augmentation of the displayed view includes insertion of one or more indicators associated with one or more objects of interest. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the one or more indicators provide direction to the one or more objects of interest. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the one or more indicators provide direction to the one or more objects of interest outside of the current field of view outside a field of view of the one or more optical sensors. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the correlating is performed by tracking the location of the recognized object of interest during transition from the wide field of view image to the narrow field of view image. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the overlay content for the recognized object of interest is scaled in accordance with the tracking of the location of the recognized object of interest from the wide field of view to the narrow field of view. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the method performed by the processor based on the processor-executable instructions further comprises:
 maintaining the enhanced, displayed view consistent in real-time with determined location of the recognized object of interest as a user of the apparatus relocates the apparatus.   
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the method performed by the processor based on the processor-executable instructions further comprises:
 inserting objects into the enhanced, displayed view based on geographic data that indicates that the inserted object is to be occluded by another object in the enhanced, displayed view.   
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein enhancing the displayed view comprises overlaying geographically located information from external sources onto the displayed view. 
     
     
         38 . A method for tracking objects by a user-carried or user-worn apparatus, the method comprising:
 capturing, using one or more optical sensors, images of a scene, wherein the images include a wide field of view image of the scene and a narrow field of view image of the scene;   geolocating the one or more optical sensors, and a location of one or more objects depicted in the captured images based on a location of the one or more optical sensors;   recognizing an object of interest in the wide field of view image;   recognizing the object of interest in the narrow field of view image;   correlating a location of the recognized object of interest in the wide field of view image and the narrow field of view image; and   enhancing a displayed view of the scene on a display of the user-carried or user-worn apparatus based on the geolocating of the one or more objects, wherein the enhanced, displayed view comprises overlay content for the recognized object of interest.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising broadcasting the tracked location of the one or more objects and receiving tracked location information of objects outside a field of view of the one or more optical sensors, the received, tracked location information being received from other apparatuses. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the user-carried or user-worn apparatus is configured to exchange tracked location information of the one or more objects with at least one other user-carried or user-worn apparatus and enhance the displayed view of the scene on the display based on the geolocating of the one or more objects by the apparatus and also based on tracked location information received from the at least one other user-carried or user-worn apparatus. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein when there are multiple instances of the apparatus in remote locations, geolocation is performed with respect to all of the sensors included in the multiple instances of the apparatus. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the enhancing of the displayed view further comprises augmenting the displayed view to indicate location of the one or more objects outside the field of view of the one or more optical sensors. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the augmentation of the displayed view includes insertion of one or more markers of objects of interest. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the augmentation of the displayed view includes insertion of one or more indicators associated with one or more objects of interest. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the one or more indicators provide direction to the one or more objects of interest. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the one or more indicators provide direction to the one or more objects of interest outside of the current field of view outside a field of view of the one or more optical sensors. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the correlating is performed by tracking the location of the recognized object of interest during transition from the wide field of view image to the narrow field of view image. 
     
     
         47 . The apparatus of  claim 47 , wherein the overlay content for the recognized object of interest is scaled in accordance with the tracking of the location of the recognized object of interest from the wide field of view to the narrow field of view. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising maintaining the enhanced, displayed view consistent in real-time with determined location of the recognized object of interest as a user of the apparatus relocates the apparatus. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising inserting objects into the enhanced, displayed view based on geographic data that indicates that the inserted object is to be occluded by another object in the enhanced, displayed view. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein enhancing the displayed view comprises overlaying geographically located information from external sources onto the displayed view. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising:
 capturing, using a first lens of the one or more optical sensors, the wide field of view image; and   capturing, using a second lens the one or more optical sensors, the narrow field of view image.