INTERACTIVE DEVICE AND METHOD FOR TRANSMITTING COMMANDS FROM A USER

• US 20090208052A1
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecole polytechnique fãdãrale de lausanne epfl (Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft)
• Original Assignee: Ecole polytechnique fãdãrale de lausanne epfl (Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft)
• Inventors: Kaplan, Frederic
• Granted Patent: US 8,126,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• 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

Abstract

According to the present invention, it is provided an interactive device comprising a display, a camera, an image analysing means, said interactive device comprising means to acquire an image with the camera, the analysing means detecting at least a human face on the acquired image and displaying on the display at least a pattern where the human face was detected wherein the interactive device further comprises means to determine a halo region extending at least around the pattern and means to add into the halo region at least one interactive zone related to a command, means to detect movement onto the interactive zone and means to execute the command by said device.

Claims

1. Man-machine interface method executed by an interactive device, comprising a display, a camera, an image analysing means, this method executing the following steps:

capturing a first image by the camera,

analysing said image with the analysing means to detect at least an human face,

determining a halo region extending at least around the human face,

displaying on the display at least a pattern where the human face was detected,

adding into the halo region at least one interactive zone serving to transmit a command to the device,

detecting movement onto the interactive zone and,

executing the command by the device.

2. Man-machine interface method of claim 1, wherein the interactive device comprises distance analysing means, said method further comprising the steps of:

determining the distance of the human face,

adjusting the halo region in order to keep a constant ratio between the human face and the halo region.

3. Man-machine interface method of claim 2, wherein the analysing means are coupled with the camera, the size of the human face on the captured image being used to determine the size of the halo region.

4. Man-machine interface method of claim 2, wherein the analysing means are independent of the camera, and comprise an emitter and a receiver, the distance of the human face being determined by a signal delay between the emitter and the receiver.

5. Man-machine interface method of claim 1, wherein the detection of the human face comprises the steps of:

capturing a plurality of images and selecting the moving portions of the images,

analysing the moving portion to detect the human face.

6. Man-machine interface method of claim 1, wherein it comprises the further steps of:

analysing the captured image with the analysing means and comparing it with predetermined objects,

in case of positive detection, displaying the commands related to this object.

7. Man-machine interface method of claim 1, wherein it comprises the further steps of:

analysing the captured image to detect a second human face,

in case of positive detection, displaying the commands related the interaction between two users.

8. Man-machine interface method of claim 1, wherein the interactive device comprises a database with stored faces related with particular users, this method comprising the further steps of:

analysing the detected human face to recognize a stored face,

in case of positive recognition, displaying commands related this particular user.

9. Man-machine interface method of claim 8, wherein it comprises the further steps of:

recording the selections of the recognized user to create a selection history,

proposing commands according to the previous selections.

10. Man machine interface method of claim 8 wherein the database with stored face is built incrementally as new users interact with the device.

12. Interactive device of claim 10, wherein it comprises distance analysing means which determine the distance of the human face, and means to adjust the halo region in order to keep a constant ratio between the human face and the halo region.

11. Interactive device comprising a display, a camera, an image analysing means, said interactive device comprising means to acquire an image with the camera, the analysing means detecting at least a human face on the acquired image and displaying on the display at least a pattern where the human face was detected wherein the interactive device further comprises means to determine a halo region extending at least around the pattern and means to add into the halo region at least one interactive zone related to a command, means to detect movement onto the interactive zone and means to execute the command by said device.

13. Interactive device of claim 11, wherein the distance analysing means are coupled with the camera, the size of the human face on the captured image being used to determine the size of the halo region.

14. Interactive device of claim 11, wherein the distance analysing means are independent of the camera, and comprise an emitter and a receiver, the distance of the human face being determined by a signal delay between the emitter and the receiver.

15. Interactive device of any of the claim 11, wherein the analysing means acquire a plurality of images and keep only moving portions of the images to detect the human face.

16. Interactive device of any of the claim 11, wherein it comprises a database containing objects definition and means to compare the acquired image with the objects stored in the database, and means to display commands related to the object in case of positive comparison.

17. Interactive device of any of the claim 16, wherein the object definition is a human face of a particular user, and the commands displayed are related with this particular user.

18. Interactive device of any of the claim 16, wherein it comprises recording means to record into the database the selections of the particular user to create a selection history, and means to propose commands according to the previous selections.

19. Interactive device of any of the claim 16, wherein the database with stored face is built incrementally as new users interact with the device.