Information processing apparatus, system, and method thereof

• US 20090040231A1
• Filed: 08/04/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: ASUKAI, Masamichi, ITO, Taiji, SANO, Akane, SAKO, Yoichiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,797,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/474
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/026 Measuring blood flow A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4266 sweat secretion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 : using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/744 : Displaying an avatar, e.g. an animated cartoon character
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 : Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 : of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 : Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 : Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 : for simulation or modelling of medical disorders
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/95 : Sprite processing

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a bio-information obtaining unit configured to obtain bio-information of a subject; a kinetic-information obtaining unit configured to obtain kinetic information of the subject; and a control unit configured to determine an expression or movement of an avatar on the basis of the bio-information obtained by the bio-information obtaining unit and the kinetic information obtained by the kinetic-information obtaining unit and to perform a control operation so that the avatar with the determined expression or movement is displayed.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

bio-information obtaining means for obtaining bio-information of a subject;

kinetic-information obtaining means for obtaining kinetic information of the subject; and

control means for determining an expression or movement of an avatar on the basis of the bio-information obtained by the bio-information obtaining means and the kinetic information obtained by the kinetic-information obtaining means and performing a control operation so that the avatar is displayed with the determined expression or movement.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bio-information obtaining means is a bio-information detecting unit configured to detect bio-information, and

wherein the kinetic-information obtaining means is a kinetic-information detecting unit configured to detect kinetic information.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bio-information obtaining means and the kinetic-information obtaining means are communication units configured to receive bio-information and kinetic information, respectively, from an external apparatus.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying an image,

wherein the control means performs a control operation so that the avatar is displayed on the display means.

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

position-information obtaining means for obtaining position information; and

map-image obtaining means for obtaining map image data,

wherein the control means controls, on the basis of the position information obtained by the position-information obtaining means, the map-image obtaining means to obtain map image data to display a map images and performs a control operation so that the avatar is displayed at a position in accordance with the position information on the map image.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means performs, when the bio-information obtaining means and the kinetic-information obtaining means obtain bio-information and kinetic information, respectively, a display control operation to display the avatar with the expression or movement determined on the basis of the bio-information and the kinetic information.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising saving means for saving information,

wherein the control means causes, when the bio-information obtaining means and the kinetic-information obtaining means obtain bio-information and kinetic information, respectively, the saving means to save the obtained bio-information and kinetic information or avatar-related information indicating the expression or movement of the avatar, the expression or movement being determined on the basis of the obtained bio-information and kinetic information.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control means reads the bio-information and the kinetic information or the avatar-related information from the saving means under a predetermined condition and performs a display control operation so that the avatar is displayed using the read bio-information and kinetic information or the read avatar-related information.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bio-information includes information indicating at least one of the pulse rate, heart rate, electrocardiogram, electromyogram, breathing, perspiration, galvanic skin response, blood pressure, saturation of pulse oximetry oxygen, skin surface temperature, brain wave, blood flow change, temperature, and status of eyes.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the kinetic information is information indicating at least one of a still state, a walking state, a running state, an exercising state, and movement of a body element.

11. An information processing system comprising:

a transmitting apparatus; and

an information processing apparatus,

wherein the transmitting apparatus includes

bio-information detecting means for detecting bio-information of a subject,

kinetic-information detecting means for detecting kinetic information of the subject, and

transmitting means for transmitting and outputting the bio-information detected by the bio-information detecting means and the kinetic information detected by the kinetic-information detecting means, and

wherein the information processing apparatus includes

communication means for communicating information, and

control means for causing the communication means to receive bio-information and kinetic information, determining an expression or movement of an avatar on the basis of the bio-information and kinetic information received by the communication means, and performing a control operation so that the avatar is displayed with the determined expression or movement.

12. The infonnation processing system according to claim 11, further comprising a server apparatus including storage means for storing bio-information and kinetic information,

wherein the transmitting means of the transmitting apparatus transmits the bio-information and the kinetic information to the server apparatus,

wherein the server apparatus stores the transmitted bio-information and kinetic information in the storage means, and

wherein the communication means of the information processing apparatus receives the bio-information and kinetic information stored in the storage means of the server apparatus.

13. The information processing system according to claim 11, further comprising a server apparatus including storage means for storing bio-information and kinetic information,

wherein the transmitting means of the transmitting apparatus transmits the bio-information and the kinetic information to the server apparatus,

wherein the server apparatus stores the transmitted bio-information and kinetic information in the storage means, and

wherein the communication means of the information processing apparatus receives avatar-related information indicating the expression or movement of the avatar, the expression or movement being determined on the basis of the bio-information and kinetic information stored in the storage means of the server apparatus.

14. An information processing method comprising:

obtaining bio-information of a subject;

obtaining kinetic information of the subject;

determining an expression or movement of an avatar on the basis of the obtained bio-information and kinetic information; and

performing a control operation so that the avatar is displayed with the determined expression or movement.

15. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a bio-information obtaining unit configured to obtain bio-information of a subject;

a kinetic-information obtaining unit configured to obtain kinetic information of the subject; and

a control unit configured to determine an expression or movement of an avatar on the basis of the bio-information obtained by the bio-information obtaining unit and the kinetic information obtained by the kinetic-information obtaining unit and to perform a control operation so that the avatar is displayed with the determined expression or movement.

16. An information processing system comprising:

a transmitting apparatus; and

an information processing apparatus,

wherein the transmitting apparatus includes

a bio-information detecting unit configured to detect bio-information of a subject,

a kinetic-information detecting unit configured to detect kinetic information of the subject, and

a transmitting unit configured to transmit and output the bio-information detected by the bio-information detecting unit and the kinetic information detected by the kinetic-information detecting unit, and

wherein the information processing apparatus includes

a communication unit configured to communicate information, and

a control unit configured to cause the communication unit to receive the bio-information and the kinetic information, determine an expression or movement of an avatar on the basis of the bio-information and kinetic information received by the communication unit, and perform a control operation so that the avatar is displayed with the determined expression or movement.