Information processing apparatus and method

• US 20050187437A1
• Filed: 02/24/2005
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kaneda, Yuji, Matsugu, Masakazu, Mori, Katsuhiko
• Application Number:
  US11/064,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20050187437A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4803 Speech analysis specially adapted for diagnostic purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence

Abstract

An information processing apparatus detects the facial expression and body action of a person image included in image information, and determines the physical/mental condition of the user on the basis of the detection results. Presentation of information by a presentation unit which visually and/or audibly presenting information is controlled by the determined physical/mental condition of the user.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a first detection unit configured to detect a facial expression and/or body action of a user included in image information;

a determination unit configured to determine a physical/mental condition of a user on the basis of the detection result of said first detection unit;

a presentation unit configured to visually and/or audibly present information; and

a control unit configured to control presentation of the information by said presentation unit on the basis of the physical/mental condition of the user determined by said determination unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second detection unit configured to detect speech and/or biological information of the user, and

wherein said determination unit determines the physical/mental condition of the user on the basis of detection results of said first and second detection units.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said determination unit comprises:

a classification unit configured to classify the current physical/mental condition of the user to one of a plurality of classes defined in advance in association with physical/mental conditions of the user on the basis of information obtained by said first detection unit; and

a leveling unit configured to determine a level of the current physical/mental condition in the class classified by said classification unit on the basis of information obtained by said second detection unit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said determination unit comprises:

an extraction unit configured to extract as candidates some of a plurality of classes defined in advance in association with physical/mental conditions of the user on the basis of information obtained by said first detection unit; and

a decision unit configured to classify the current physical/mental condition of the user to one of the classes extracted by said extraction unit, and deciding a level of the physical/mental condition in the classified class.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a specifying unit configured to specify a user included in the image information; and

an acquisition unit configured to acquire individual information to be used in said determination unit on the basis of the specified user.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the biological information includes at least some of a sweating level, pulsation, heart rate, respiration pattern, blood pressure, body temperature, pupil diameter, and iris pattern.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the physical/mental condition determined by said determination unit corresponds to a condition defined as a dangerous condition, said control unit changes an information presentation content or aborts an information presentation operation.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said presentation unit presents information detected in association with the physical/mental condition of the user.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said presentation unit acquires information to be presented from an external apparatus.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a holding unit configured to, when the physical/mental condition of the user determined by said determination unit corresponds to a predetermined condition, holding an image of the user at that time, and

wherein said presentation unit presents a composite image generated by compositing an image acquired from an external apparatus to the image of the user held by said holding unit when it is determined that the physical/mental condition of the user corresponds to the predetermined condition.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit controls a presentation content by said presentation unit so that the physical/mental condition of the user determined by said determination uit falls within a predetermined level range.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said presentation unit continuously presents a plurality of images or presents a moving image, and

said control unit controls to decide a presentation content on the basis of the physical/mental condition of the user determined by said determination unit.

13. An information processing method comprising:

a first detection step of detecting a facial expression and/or body action of a user included in image information;

a determination step of determining a physical/mental condition of a user on the basis of the detection result in the first detection step;

a presentation step of visually and/or audibly presenting information; and

a control step of controlling presentation of the information in the presentation step on the basis of the physical/mental condition of the user determined in the determination step.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

a second detection step of detecting speech and/or biological information of the user, and

wherein the determination step includes a step of determining the physical/mental condition of the user on the basis of detection results in the first and second detection steps.

15. A control program for making a computer execute an information processing method of claim 13.

16. A storage medium storing a control program for making a computer execute an information processing method of claim 13.