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Controller for electronic appliance

  • US 20060061548A1
  • Filed: 09/20/2005
  • Published: 03/23/2006
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2004
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A controller for controlling an electronic appliance having a display, comprising:

  • a video camera configured to photograph an operator who is in front of the display;

    a mirror image converter configured to convert an image of the operator photographed by the video camera into a mirror image and output a mirror image signal representative of the mirror image;

    an operational image generator configured to generate an operational image signal representative of an operational image that is displayed on the display and is used by the operator to make the electronic appliance perform a desired operation;

    a mixer configured to mix the mirror image signal with the operational image signal;

    a detector configured to detect that the operator displayed on the display has pointed to the operational image displayed on the display, the operator and operational image being displayed on the display according to the mixed signals from the mixer; and

    a controlling unit configured to detect whether or not the operator has carried out an operation with respect to the displayed operational image while the detector is indicating that the operator has pointed to the displayed operational image, and if detecting that the operator has carried out an operation with respect to the displayed operational image, control the electronic appliance according to an operation that is determined from a position of the operational image where the operator has pointed to, the detector comprising;

    a color filter configured to extract a specific-color area from the mirror image signal, the specific-color area corresponding to a hand of the operator pointing to the displayed operational image.

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