INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD AND PROGRAM

• US 20130069867A1
• Filed: 05/25/2011
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Sayaka
• Application Number:
  US13/699,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20130069867A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/28 Recognition of hand or arm movements, e.g. recognition of deaf sign language static hand signs G06V40/113

Abstract

An apparatus and method provide logic for providing gestural control. In one implementation, an apparatus includes a receiving unit configured to receive a first spatial position associated with a first portion of a human body, and a second spatial position associated with a second portion of the human body. An identification unit is configured to identify a group of objects based on at least the first spatial position, and a selection unit is configured to select an object of the identified group based on the second spatial position.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a first spatial position associated with a first portion of a human body, and a second spatial position associated with a second portion of the human body;

an identification unit configured to identify a group of objects based on at least the first spatial position; and

a selection unit configured to select an object of the identified group based on the second spatial position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the human body is distal to a left shoulder, and the second portion of the human body is distal to a right shoulder.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the first spatial position is associated with a first reference point disposed along the first portion of the human body; and

the second spatial position is associated with a second reference point disposed along the second portion of the human body.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a unit configured to retrieve, from a database, pose information associated with the first and second portions of the human body, the pose information comprising a plurality of spatial positions corresponding to the first reference point and the second reference point.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine whether the first spatial position is associated with a first gesture, based on at least the retrieved pose information.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the determination unit is further configured to:

compare the first spatial position with the pose information associated with the first reference point; and

determine that the first spatial position is associated with the first gesture, when the first spatial position corresponds to at least one of the spatial positions of the pose information associated with the first reference point.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the identification unit is further configured to:

assign a first command to the first spatial position, when the first spatial position is associated with the first gesture.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the identification unit is further configured to:

identify the group of objects in accordance with the first command.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the identification unit is further configured to:

determine a characteristic of a first gesture, based on a comparison between the first spatial position and at least one spatial position of the pose information that corresponds to the first reference point.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the characteristic comprises at least one of a speed, a displacement, or an angular displacement.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the identification unit is further configured to:

identify the group of objects based on at least the first spatial position and the characteristic of the first gesture.

12. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the identification unit is further configured to:

assign a generic command to the first spatial position, when the first spatial position fails to be associated with the first gesture.

13. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the determination unit is further configured to:

determine whether the second spatial position is associated with a second gesture, based on at least the retrieved pose information.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the determination unit is further configured to:

compare the second spatial position to the pose information associated with the second reference point; and

determine that the second spatial position is associated with the second gesture, when the second spatial position corresponds to at least one of the spatial positions of the pose information associated with the second reference point.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the selection unit is further configured to:

assign a second command to the second spatial position, when the second spatial position is associated with the second gesture.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the selection unit is further configured to:

select the object of the identified group based on at least the second command.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an imaging unit configured to capture an image comprising at least the first and second portions of the human body.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the receiving unit is further configured to:

process the captured image to identify the first spatial position and the second spatial position.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a unit configured to perform a function corresponding to the selected object.

20. A computer-implemented method for gestural control of an interface, comprising:

receiving a first spatial position associated with a first portion of the human body, and a second spatial position associated with a second portion of the human body;

identifying a group of objects based on at least the first spatial position; and

selecting, using a processor, an object of the identified group based on at least the second spatial position.

21. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium storing a program that, when executed by a processor, causes a processor to perform a method for gestural control of an interface, comprising:

receiving a first spatial position associated with a first portion of the human body, and a second spatial position associated with a second portion of the human body;

identifying a group of objects based on at least the first spatial position; and

selecting an object of the identified group based on at least the second spatial position.