TV demonstration

• US 20110164143A1
• Filed: 01/06/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Candelore, Brant L., Shintani, Peter Rae
• Granted Patent: US 10,356,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45

Abstract

A television demonstration method involves providing a television display and a camera; at a computer processor, receiving a video image from the camera, the computer processor capturing the video image from the camera to determine if the viewer makes a predetermined gesture; and retrieving and playing a specified video segment on the display associated with the gesture in response to determining that the viewer has made the predetermined gesture. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Claims

1. A television having demonstration capabilities, comprising:

a television display;

a camera;

a computer processor receiving a video image from the camera and having face detection and smile detection programming;

the processor causing an image to be displayed on the display in order to prompt a viewer to smile;

the computer processor capturing the video image from the camera to determine if the viewer responds to the prompt by detecting the user'"'"'s face and detecting a smile on the user'"'"'s face; and

the computer processor retrieving and playing a demonstration video segment on the display responsive to determining that the viewer has responded to the prompt by smiling.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein retrieving the demonstration video segment initiates operation, of the television in a demonstration mode.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein retrieving the demonstration video segment branches an existing demonstration to demonstrate a feature specified by the prompt.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the video image from the camera is displayed on the video display.

5. A television demonstration system, comprising:

a television display;

a camera;

a computer processor receiving a video image from the camera;

the computer processor causing an image to be displayed on the display in order to prompt a viewer to make a gesture;

the computer processor capturing the video image from the camera to determine if the viewer responds to the prompt by making the gesture; and

the computer processor retrieving and playing a demonstration video segment on the display responsive to determining that the viewer has responded to the prompt by making the gesture.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the gesture comprises a facial gesture.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the facial gesture comprises a smile.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein retrieving the demonstration video segment initiates operation of the television in a demonstration mode.

9. The system according to claim 5, wherein retrieving the demonstration video segment branches an existing demonstration to demonstrate a feature specified by the prompt.

10. The system according to claim 5, wherein the processor has face detection and facial expression detection programming.

11. The device according to claim 5, wherein the video image from the camera is displayed on the video display.

12. The system according to claim 5, wherein the camera and computer processor are integral to the television.

13. A television demonstration system, comprising:

a television display;

a camera;

a computer processor receiving a video image from the camera;

the computer processor capturing the video image from the camera to determine if the viewer makes a predetermined gesture; and

the computer processor retrieving and playing a specified video segment on the display associated with the gesture in response to determining that the viewer has made the predetermined gesture.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the gesture comprises a facial gesture.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein retrieving the specified video segment initiates operation of the television in a demonstration mode.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein retrieving the specified video segment branches an existing demonstration to demonstrate a specified television feature.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein the processor has face detection and facial expression detection programming.

18. The device according to claim 13, wherein the video image from the camera is displayed on the video display.

19. The system according to claim 13, wherein the camera and computer processor are integral to the television.

20. A television demonstration method, comprising:

providing a television display and a camera;

at a computer processor, receiving a video image from the camera, the computer processor capturing the video image from the camera to determine if the viewer makes a predetermined gesture; and

retrieving and playing a specified video segment on the display associated with the gesture in response to determining that the viewer has made the predetermined gesture.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the gesture comprises a facial gesture.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein retrieving the specified video segment initiates operation of the television in a demonstration mode.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein retrieving the specified video segment branches an existing demonstration to demonstrate a specified television feature.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the processor has face detection and facial expression detection programming.

25. The method according to claim 21, further comprising displaying the video image from the camera on the video display.

26. The method according to claim 21, wherein the camera and computer processor are integral to the television.

27. A tangible computer readable electronic storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on one or more programmed processors, carry out a method according to claim 28.