GESTURE RECOGNITION METHOD AND INTERACTIVE SYSTEM USING THE SAME

• US 20110052007A1
• Filed: 08/27/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: SU, Tzung Min, LU, Chih Hung, CHEN, Hsin Chia
• Granted Patent: US 8,675,913 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A gesture recognition method for an interactive system includes the steps of: capturing image windows with an image sensor; obtaining information of object images associated with at least one pointer in the image windows; calculating a position coordinate of the pointer relative to the interactive system according to the position of the object images in the image windows when a single pointer is identified according to the information of object images; and performing gesture recognition according to a relation between the object images in the image window when a plurality of pointers are identified according to the information of object images. The present invention further provides an interactive system.

Claims

1. A gesture recognition method for an interactive system, the interactive system comprising at least one light source, a reflector and an image sensor configured to capture an image window comprising object images of at least one pointer caused by that the pointer occludes the light emitting from the light source and/or the reflector, the gesture recognition method comprising the steps of:

capturing an image window with the image sensor;

obtaining information of the object images in the image window;

identifying whether there is a plurality of pointers present according to the information of the object images; and

executing a gesture recognition according to a relation between the object images in the successive image windows when a plurality of pointers are identified.

2. The gesture recognition method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a position coordinate of the pointer relative to the interactive system according to the position of the object image in the image window when a single pointer is identified; and

controlling the motion of a cursor on an image display according to the change of the position coordinates of the pointer in the successive image windows.

3. The gesture recognition method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information of the object images comprises an average number of the object images, an average distance between the object images and a greatest distance between the object images.

4. The gesture recognition method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the step of executing a gesture recognition according to a relation between the object images in the successive image windows further comprises:

comparing the average number of the object images and the average distance between the object images with a threshold value;

executing a gesture recognition of up, down, left, right, zoom in or zoom out when the average number of the object images or the average distance between the object images is smaller than the threshold value;

executing a gesture recognition of rotation when the average number of the object images or the average distance between the object images is greater than the threshold value; and

refreshing the display of an image display according to the recognized gesture.

5. The gesture recognition method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the refreshing of the display is to scroll screen, scale object, rotate object, switch display or show menu.

6. The gesture recognition method as claimed in claim 4, wherein when the average number of the object images or the average distance between the object images is smaller than the threshold value, the gesture recognition method further comprises:

dividing the object images into two groups.

7. The gesture recognition method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the object images are divided into a real-image group and an imaginary-image group by a central line of the image window.

8. The gesture recognition method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

executing a gesture recognition of left or right when both the two groups of the object images move in the same direction in the image window;

executing a gesture recognition of up or down when the average distance between the two groups of the object images changes; and

executing a gesture recognition of zoom in or zoom out when the greatest distance between the object images in the image window changes.

9. The gesture recognition method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the step of executing a gesture recognition of rotation comprises:

identifying the direction along which the majority of the object images move to recognize the orientation of rotation.

10. The gesture recognition method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of executing a gesture recognition according to a relation between the object images in the successive image windows comprises the recognition of up, down, left, right, zoom in or zoom out.

11. The gesture recognition method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of executing a gesture recognition according to a relation between the object images in the successive image windows comprises the recognition of rotation.

12. An interactive system, comprising:

a light-emitting unit;

an image sensor configured to capture image windows each comprising object images of at least one pointer caused by that the pointer occludes the light emitting from the light-emitting unit; and

a processing unit configured to execute a gesture recognition according to a relation between the object images in the successive image windows captured by the image sensor.

13. The interactive system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the light-emitting unit is an active light source or a passive light source.

14. The interactive system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the light-emitting unit is a passive light source having a reflecting surface and the interactive system further comprises an active light source.

15. The interactive system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the image windows captured by the image sensor comprises real object images and imaginary object images, and wherein the processing unit is configured to execute a gesture recognition according to a relation between the real object images and imaginary object images in the successive image windows.

16. The interactive system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the light-emitting unit is an active light source and the interactive system further comprises a second image sensor.

17. The interactive system as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

an image display coupled to the processing unit, wherein the processing unit refreshes the display of the image display according to the recognized gesture.

18. A gesture recognition method for an interactive system, the interactive system comprising a light-emitting unit and an image sensor configured to capture an image window comprising object images of a plurality of pointers caused by that the pointers occlude the light emitting from the light-emitting unit, the gesture recognition method comprising the steps of:

capturing image windows with the image sensor; and

executing a gesture recognition according to relations between a plurality of object images in the successive image windows.

19. The gesture recognition method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the relations between the object images comprise a change of an average distance between the object images, a change of a greatest distance between the object images and a direction of displacement.

20. The gesture recognition method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the light-emitting unit is a passive light source having a reflecting surface, and the image windows captured by the image sensor comprise real object images and imaginary object images, and the relations between the object images comprise a change of an average distance between the real and imaginary object images, a change of a greatest distance between the real and imaginary object images and a direction of displacement.

21. The gesture recognition method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising:

dividing the object images into a real-image group and an imaginary-image group by a central line of the image window.

22. The gesture recognition method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:

refreshing the display of an image display according to the recognized gesture.