Hands-Free Voice/Video Session Initiation Using Face Detection

• US 20130034262A1
• Filed: 08/02/2011
• Published: 02/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Surty, Aaron S., Lee-Kwen, Adrian
• Granted Patent: US 9,088,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27 Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6775 by providing access to preprogrammed keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72475 specially adapted for disabled users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 Video door telephones

Abstract

A communication system includes a telecommunication appliance connected to a communication network, an image acquisition appliance coupled to the telecommunication appliance, software executing on the telecommunication appliance from a non-transitory physical medium, the software providing a first function enabling detecting that an image acquired by the camera comprises a human face in at least a portion of the image, and a second function initiating a communication event directed to a pre-programmed destination, the second function initiated by the first function detecting the human face image portion.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a telecommunication appliance connected to a communication network;

an image acquisition appliance coupled to the telecommunication appliance; and

software executing on the telecommunication appliance from a non-transitory physical medium, the software providing;

a first function enabling detecting that an image acquired by the camera comprises a human face in at least a portion of the image; and

a second function initiating a communication event directed to a pre-programmed destination, the second function initiated by the first function detecting the human face image portion.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the image acquisition device is coupled to the telecommunication appliance by a network.

3. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the image acquisition device is physically integrated into the telecommunication appliance.

4. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the telecommunication appliance is an iPad2, an iPhone4, a computer, or an android device.

5. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the image acquisition device is a video camera, and the communication event is a video call initiated by the telecommunication appliance to the destination.

6. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the communication event is a voice call initiated by the telecommunication appliance to the destination.

7. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the communication event comprises an image of at least the portion of the acquired image determined to represent a human face by the first function, and further comprising a third function enabling automatic answering of an incoming call voice or video call at the telecommunication appliance.

8. The communication system of claim 2, further comprising a fourth function for recognizing a specific facial expression in an image of a human face acquired by the video camera, and initiating one or more specific actions accordingly.

9. A communication method comprising the steps of:

(a) acquiring an image by an image acquisition device;

(b) providing the image to a telecommunication appliance connected to a communication network;

(c) detecting, by the telecommunication appliance, an image of a human face in a portion of the image acquired;

(d) initiating a communication event directed to a pre-programmed destination as a result of the detection of the image of a human face in step (c).

10. The communication method of claim 9 wherein the image acquisition device is coupled to the telecommunication appliance by a network.

11. The communication method of claim 9 wherein the image acquisition device is physically integrated into the telecommunication appliance.

12. The communication method of claim 11, wherein the telecommunications appliance is an iPad2, an iPhone4, a computer, or an android device.

13. The communication method of claim 9 wherein the image acquisition device is a video camera, and the communication event is a video call initiated by the telecommunication appliance to the destination.

14. The communication method of claim 9 wherein the telecommunication event is a voice call initiated by the telecommunication appliance to the destination.

15. The communication method of claim 9 wherein the communication event comprises an image of at least the portion of the acquired image determined to represent a human face by the first function, and further comprising a third function enabling automatic answering of an incoming call voice or video call at the telecommunication appliance.

16. The communication method of claim 13, further comprising a fourth function for recognizing a specific facial expression in an image of a human face acquired by the video camera, and initiating one or more specific actions accordingly.