INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, PROGRAM, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20090064054A1
• Filed: 08/14/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Kei, Ishigaki, Satoru, Ootake, Toshifumi
• Granted Patent: US 8,281,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/856
• 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

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus is provided with a display section, and can be instructed to be operated by a pointer displayed on the display section, and includes a detection section for detecting, from an input image of a hand, a position of the hand in the image, an operation section for obtaining a probability that the hand exists in the image by using the latest detection result detected by the detection section, and a value of a probability distribution function having a peak at a position which has been evaluated last time as a position at which a probability that the hand exists is high, and a pointer display section for moving the pointer, on the basis of an evaluation value obtained from the probability, to a position at which the probability that the hand exists is the highest and displaying the pointer at the position.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus which is provided with a display section, and can be instructed to be operated by a pointer displayed on the display section, comprising:

a detection section for detecting, from an input image of a hand, a position of the hand in the image;

an operation section for obtaining a probability that the hand exists in the image by using the latest detection result detected by the detection section, and a value of a probability distribution function having a peak at a position which has been evaluated last time as a position at which a probability that the hand exists is high; and

a pointer display section for moving the pointer, on the basis of an evaluation value obtained from the probability, to a position at which the probability that the hand exists is the highest and displaying the pointer at the position.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pointer display section adjusts a movement amount by which the pointer is moved to be displayed on the basis of the position which is obtained from the latest detection result, and at which the probability that the hand exist is high, the evaluation value, and the position and the evaluation value which have been obtained last time.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a camera for shooting an image, wherein

the detection section uses image data acquired from the camera as the input image.

4. A storage medium for storing a program to be used in an information processing apparatus which is provided with a display section, and can be instructed to be operated by a pointer displayed on the display section, the storage medium storing, as a computer-readable program:

a detection procedure for detecting, from an input image of a hand, a position of the hand in the image;

a procedure for obtaining a probability that the hand exists in the image by using the detected latest detection result, and a value of a probability distribution function having a peak at a position which has been evaluated last time as a position at which a probability that the hand exists is high; and

a procedure for moving the pointer, on the basis of an evaluation value obtained from the probability, to a position at which the probability that the hand exists is the highest and displaying the pointer at the position.

5. The storage medium according to claim 4, wherein in the procedure for moving and displaying the pointer, a movement amount by which the pointer is moved to be displayed is adjusted on the basis of the position which is obtained from the latest detection result, and at which the probability that the hand exist is high, the evaluation value, and the position and the evaluation value which have been obtained last time.

6. The storage medium according to claim 4, wherein the detection procedure further includes a procedure for acquiring the input image from a camera.

7. An information processing method of operating a pointer displayed on a display device by a movement of a hand comprising:

detecting, from an input image of the hand, a position of the hand in the image;

obtaining a probability that the hand exists in the image by using the detected latest detection result, and a value of a probability distribution function having a peak at a position which has been evaluated last time as a position at which a probability that the hand exists is high; and

moving the pointer, on the basis of an evaluation value obtained from the probability, to a position at which the probability that the hand exists is the highest and displaying the pointer at the position.

8. The information processing method according to claim 7, wherein in the moving and displaying the pointer, the display position of the pointer obtained after the movement of the pointer is adjusted by obtaining a movement amount by which the pointer is moved to be displayed from the position which is obtained from the latest detection result, and at which the probability that the hand exist is high, the evaluation value, and the position and the evaluation value which have been obtained last time.

9. The information processing method according to claim 7, further comprising, before detecting a position of the hand, acquiring the input image from a camera.