Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and computer program

• US 10,037,078 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2016
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sawada, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): GIESY, ADAM
• Application Number:
  US15/183,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20160299564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

There is provided an information processing apparatus including an operation detection unit configured to detect an orientation of a user'"'"'s face and operations performed by the user, and an area selection unit configured to, when the operation detection unit detects that the user has performed a first operation, select an area on a screen based on the orientation of the user'"'"'s face during the first operation.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising

at least one processor configured to:

obtain orientation information of a face of a user;

obtain first gesture information of the user, the first gesture information being related to at least one of a first hand-gesture and a first arm-gesture made by the user;

select a partial area contained in a screen in accordance with the orientation information and the first gesture information; and

cause a first image related to the selected partial area to be changed in accordance with the first gesture information.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first image is an image which the user operates or selects.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to move the first image to the selected partial area in accordance with the first gesture information.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when moving the first image to the selected partial area, the at least one processor control display of a second image in accordance with the movement of the first image.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the at least one processor is further configured to:

obtain second gesture information, the second gesture information being related to at least one of a second hand-gesture and a second arm-gesture; and

control display of a third image in accordance with the second gesture information while the first image is selected or operated upon.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the third image is an image related to a link on a web page displayed by a web browser, and

the at least one processor is further configured to select the link on the web page in accordance with the second gesture information.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein after selecting the partial area, the at least one processor is further configured to move the first image in accordance with the first gesture information without using the orientation information.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein during a time the at least one processor does not obtain the first gesture information, the least one processor does not move the first image regardless of the obtained orientation information.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first image is at least one of a cursor, an icon and a menu.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the first image is the menu including a first menu and a second menu,

the partial area includes a first partial area and a second partial area, and

the at least one processor is further configured to control display of the first menu or the second menu in accordance with the first partial area or the second partial area which the face of the user is oriented to.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to enlarge the first image in accordance with the first gesture information.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first image is a webpage, and

the at least one processor is further configured to scroll, in accordance with the first gesture information, the webpage in a direction based on the orientation information.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when causing the first image to be changed in accordance with the first gesture information, the at least one processor controls display of a fourth image having a substantially circular shape.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control display of the first image in accordance with a distance between the face and a site of the user, the site of the user corresponding to the first gesture information.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first image is a content image that is a moving image or a still image.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control display of the content image in accordance with the orientation information.

17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to obtain the orientation information from an imaging device connected to the screen.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to obtain the orientation information from an imaging device apart from the user.

19. An information processing method comprising:

obtaining orientation information of a face of a user;

obtaining gesture information of the user, the gesture information being related to at least one of a hand-gesture and an arm-gesture made by the user;

selecting a partial area contained in a screen in accordance with the orientation information and the gesture information; and

causing an image related to the selected partial area to be changed in accordance with the gesture information.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a program, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to execute a method, the method comprising:

obtaining orientation information of a face of a user;

obtaining gesture information of the user, the gesture information being related to at least one of a hand-gesture and an arm-gesture made by the user;

selecting a partial area contained in a screen in accordance with the orientation information and the gesture information; and

causing an image related to the selected partial area to be changed in accordance with the gesture information.