METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECOGNIZING GESTURE OF IMAGE DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20120268424A1
• Filed: 04/20/2011
• Published: 10/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Im, Soungmin, KIM, Taehyeong, Kim, Sangki
• Application Number:
  US13/090,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20120268424A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/175
• 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: G06V 10/25 Determination of region of interest [ROI] or a volume of interest [VOI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/271 wherein the generated image signals comprise depth maps or disparity maps
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2226 Determination of depth image, e.g. for foreground/background separation determining depth by image analysis in general G06T7/50; segmentation by image analysis in general G06T7/10

Abstract

An image display device capable of providing a realistic interface by increasing a response speed of a gesture recognition by reducing the amount of calculation, and a method for controlling an operation thereof are disclosed. The method for controlling an operation of an image display device includes: capturing a first image by using a camera and extracting depth data from the captured first image; detecting a first object by using a peak value from the depth data extracted from the first image; capturing a second image by using the camera and extracting depth data from the captured second image; detecting a second object by using a peak value from the depth data extracted from the second image; and designating the second object as an interested object based on the distance between the first and second objects.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an operation of an image display device, the method comprising:

capturing a first image by using a camera and extracting depth data from the captured first image;

detecting a first object by using a peak value from the depth data extracted from the first image;

capturing a second image by using the camera and extracting depth data from the captured second image;

detecting a second object by using a peak value from the depth data extracted from the second image; and

designating the second object as an interested object based on the distance between the first and second objects.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing a third image by using the camera and extracting depth data from the captured third image;

detecting a third object by using a peak value from the depth data extracted from the third image; and

maintaining or releasing the designated interested object based on the distance between the interested object and the third object.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing the distance by which a body part of a user is movable by unit time,

wherein in maintaining or releasing the designated interested object, the designated interested object is maintained or released further based on the distance by which the body part of the user is movable by unit time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing a third image by using the camera and extracting depth data from the captured third image;

detecting third and fourth objects by using a peak value from the depth data extracted from the third image; and

maintaining or releasing the designated interested object based on the distance between the interested object and the third object and the distance between the interested object and the fourth object.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a first indicator reflecting the location of the interested object.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

displaying a second indicator reflecting the locations of the first and second objects such that the second indicator is differentiated from the first indicator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the extracting of the depth data from the captured second image comprises extracting user'"'"'s shape information or user'"'"'s posture information from the captured second image, and in determining the second object as an interested object, the second object is designated as an interested object based on the user'"'"'s shape information or posture information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying guide information related to the location of the second object on a screen.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a user'"'"'s gesture through the interested object; and

executing a command corresponding to the gesture in response to the gesture.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the type of reproduced contents,

wherein, in designating the second object as an interested object, the second object is designated as an interested object further based on the type of the contents.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the type of the reproduced contents is classified according to whether or not the reproduced contents are interactive contents.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the type of the reproduced contents is classified according to whether or not the reproduced contents is broadcast contents.

13. An image display device comprising:

a camera configured to capture a first image and a second image following the first image; and

a controller configured to extract depth data from each of the captured first and second images, detect first and second objects each having a peak value from each of the extracted depth data, and designate the second object as an interested object based on the distance between the first and second objects.