Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and computer program

• US 10,437,324 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2018
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sawada, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Giesy, Adam R.
• Application Number:
  US16/019,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20180307309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 469 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:

detect an orientation of a face of a user;

detect a first gesture made at least in part by a hand or an arm of the user;

select a partial area based on the detected orientation of the face of the user and the first gesture of the user; and

cause a first image related to the selected partial area to be changed based on the first gesture of the user.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first gesture is detected based on a captured image of the user.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control a displaying of a cursor based on the detected orientation of the face of the user to select the partial area.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control a displaying of an item at a position based on the detected orientation of the face of the user.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to change an operation associated with the first gesture based on the detected orientation of the face of the user.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detected first gesture comprises lowering the hand or the arm of the user.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first gesture is detected as a remote operation.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the partial area is a portion of a screen.

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

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to move the first image to the selected partial area based on the first gesture.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein when moving the first image to the selected partial area, the at least one processor controls display of a second image in accordance with the movement of the first image.

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

the at least one processor is further configured to:

detect a second gesture made at least in part by the hand or the arm of the user; and

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

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, 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.

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

15. 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, the webpage in a direction based on the detected orientation of the face of the user.

16. 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.

17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor detects the orientation of the face of the user based on a captured image of the user.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an imaging device,

wherein the at least one processor detects the orientation of the face of the user based on an image of the user captured by the imaging device.

19. An information processing method comprising:

detecting an orientation of a face of a user;

detecting a first gesture made at least in part by a hand or an arm of the user;

selecting a partial area based on the detected orientation of the face of the user and the first gesture of the user; and

changing a first image related to the selected partial area based on the first gesture of the user.

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:

detecting an orientation of a face of a user;

detecting a first gesture made at least in part by a hand or an arm of the user;

selecting a partial area based on the detected orientation of the face of the user and the first gesture of the user; and

changing a first image related to the selected partial area based on the first gesture of the user.