Processing Device, Method, And Electronic System Utilizing The Same

• US 20100182445A1
• Filed: 01/22/2009
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: uPI Semiconductor Corporation (ASUSTek Computer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: uPI Semiconductor Corporation (ASUSTek Computer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chiang, Lita
• Application Number:
  US12/358,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20100182445A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/95 Computational photography systems, e.g. light-field imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A processing device including a first camera and a control unit is disclosed. The first camera captures a first image. The control unit activates an appliance to execute a specific action according to the first image.

Claims

1. A processing device, comprising:

a first camera capturing a first-image; and

a control unit activating an appliance to execute a specific action according to the first image.

2. The processing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the appliance is a television or an air-conditioner.

3. The processing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the control unit utilizes the first image to determine whether a human face exists in the first image.

4. The processing device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the appliance executes a turn-on action when the human face exists in the first image.

5. The processing device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the appliance executes a turn-off action when the size of the human face exceeds a preset value.

6. The processing device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the appliance executes a turn-off action when the human face does not exist in the first image.

7. The processing device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the appliance executes the turn-off action after a period.

8. The processing device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the appliance executes the turn-off action when the first camera captures at least one new image again.

9. The processing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first camera further captures a second image, the first image is served as a background model, and the control unit compares the background model and the second image to execute the specific action.

10. The processing device as claimed in claim 9, wherein me control unit processes the first and the second images to define a background model, the first camera further captures a third image, and the control unit compares the background model and the third image to execute the specific action.

11. The processing device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the control unit averages the first and the second images to define the background model.

12. The processing device as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a second camera capturing a third image and a fourth image, wherein the control unit activates the appliance to execute the specific action according to the first, the second, the third, and the fourth images.

13. The processing device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control unit compares the first and the third image to generate a first depth map served as a background depth map, compares the second and the fourth image to generate a second depth map, and compares the background depth map and the second depth map to execute the specific action.

14. The processing device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control unit compares the first and the third image to generate a first depth map, compares the second and the fourth image to generate a second depth map, and averages the first and the second depth maps to define a background depth map.

15. The processing device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first and the second camera further capture a fifth image and a sixth image, respectively, the control unit compares the fifth and the sixth images to generate a third depth map, and the control unit executes the specific action according to the background depth map and the third depth map.

16. The processing device as claimed in claim 12, wherein when the appliance is an air-conditioner, the control unit controls the direction or the force of wind generated by the air-conditioner, according to the first and the second depth maps.

17. An electronic system, comprising:

an appliance; and

a processing device, comprising;

a first camera capturing a first image; and

a control unit activating an appliance to execute a specific action according to the first image.

18. The electronic system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the appliance is a television or an air-conditioner.

19. The electronic system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the control unit utilizes the first image to determine whether a human face exists in the first image.

20. The electronic system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the appliance executes a turn-on action when the size of the human face exists in the first image.

21. The electronic system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the appliance executes a turn-off action when the size of the human face exceeds a preset value.

22. The electronic system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the appliance executes a turn-off action when the human face does not exist in the first image.

23. The electronic system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the appliance executes the turn-off action after a period.

24. The electronic system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the appliance executes the turn-off action when the first camera captures at least one new image again.

25. The electronic system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first camera further captures a second image, the first image is served as a background model and the control unit compares the background model and the second image to execute the specific action.

26. The electronic system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the control unit processes the first and the second images to define a background model, the first camera further captures a third image, and the control unit compares the background model and the third image to execute the specific action.

27. The electronic system as claimed in claim 26, wherein the control unit averages the first and the second images to define the background model.

28. The electronic system as claimed in claim 25, further comprising a second camera capturing a third image and a fourth image, wherein the control unit activates the appliance to execute the specific action according to the first, the second, the third, and the fourth images.

29. The electronic system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the control unit compares the first and the third image to generate a first depth map served as a background depth map, compares the second and the fourth image to generate a second depth map, and compares the background depth map and the second depth map to execute the specific action.

30. The electronic system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the control unit compares the first and the third image to generate a first depth map, compares the second and the fourth image to generate a second depth map, and averages the first and the second depth maps to define a background depth map.

31. The electronic system as claimed in claim 30, wherein the first and the second camera further capture a fifth image and a sixth image, respectively, the control unit compares the fifth and the sixth images to generate a third depth map, and the control unit executes the specific action according to the background depth map and the third depth map.

32. The electronic system as claimed in claim 28, wherein when the appliance is an air-conditioner, the control unit controls the direction or the force of wind generated by the air-conditioner, according to the first and the second depth maps.

33. A processing method, comprising:

capturing a first image;

processing the first image; and

activating an appliance according to the processed result, wherein when the appliance is activated, a specific action is executed.

34. The processing method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the processing step is determining whether a human face exists in the first image.

35. The processing method as claimed in claim 34, wherein the appliance executes a turn-on action when the human face exists in the first image.

36. The processing method as claimed in claim 35, wherein the appliance executes a turn-off action when the size of the human face exceeds a preset value.

37. The processing method as claimed in claim 34, wherein the appliance executes a turn-off action when the human face does not exist in the first image.

38. The processing method as claimed in claim 33, further comprising:

capturing a second image, a third image and a fourth image;

comparing the first and the third image to obtain a first depth map;

comparing the second and the fourth image to obtain a second depth map; and

obtaining a background depth map according to the first and the second depth maps, wherein the first and the second image are captured by a first capturing device and the third and the fourth image are captured by a second capturing device.

39. The processing method as claimed in claim 38, further comprising:

capturing a fifth image and a sixth image, wherein the fifth image is captured by the first capturing device and the sixth image is captured by the second capturing device;

comparing the fifth and the sixth image to obtain a third depth map;

comparing the background depth map and the third depth map; and

activating the appliance according to the result of comparing the background depth map and the third depth map.

40. The processing method as claimed in claim 39, wherein the appliance executes a turn-on action when a difference exists between the background depth map and the third depth map.