APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING CONTROL SERVICE USING HEAD TRACKING TECHNOLOGY IN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20140191948A1
• Filed: 01/06/2014
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Seon-Hwa, PARK, Mi-Jung, KIM, Kyung-Hwa, KIM, Hong-Il, YU, Seock-Hyun, CHOI, Jo-Ah
• Granted Patent: US 9,791,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for controlling an electronic device using head tracking technology are provided. The method includes detecting face motion from an image captured through a camera of the electronic device and executing a control service corresponding to the detected face motion information.

Claims

1. A method in an electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting face motion from at least one of image captured through at least one of camera of the electronic device; and

executing a control service corresponding to the detected face motion information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the face motion information includes at least one of a face motion distance, a face direction, a face motion speed, a face motion angle, and a face motion time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detection of the face motion comprises:

determining at least one reference face among a plurality of faces when the plurality of faces is detected on the image captured through the camera; and

detecting motion of the at least one reference face.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the execution of the control service comprises:

pausing video play in response to a face angle change when a face motion angle moves out of a reference range while a video is reproduced.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the execution of the control service comprises:

pausing video play in response to a face angle change when a face motion angle moves out of a reference range during a reference time while a video is reproduced.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the execution of the control service comprises:

scrolling a screen in response to a position change direction of eyes from the image when positions of the eyes according to the face motion information move out of a reference point.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the scrolling of the screen comprises:

determining a screen scroll direction based on the position change direction of the eyes;

determining a scroll speed based on at least one of a face motion speed and a face motion angle; and

scrolling the screen based on the screen scroll direction and the scroll speed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the execution of the control service comprises:

determining whether to receive a call based on a call receiving method corresponding to a face motion direction when receiving the call,

wherein the call receiving method includes at least one of call receiving acceptance, voice mail box connection, and call receiving rejection.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the execution of the control service comprises:

verifying positions of eyes from the image based on face motion information when e-book contents are displayed; and

changing pages when the eyes gaze at a first region.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the execution of the control service comprises:

changing pages based on a face motion direction when e-book contents are displayed.

11. An electronic device comprising:

at least one camera;

a display unit; and

at least one processor,

wherein at least the one processor is configured to detect face motion from at least one image captured through the at least one camera of the electronic device, and to execute a control service corresponding to the detected face motion information.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the face motion information includes at least one of a face motion distance, a face direction, a face motion speed, a face motion angle, and a face motion time.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the at least the one processor is further configured to determine at least one reference face among a plurality of faces when the plurality of faces is detected on the image captured through at least the one camera, and to detect motion of the at least one reference face.

14. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the at least the one processor is further configured to pause video play in response to a face angle change when a face motion angle moves out of a reference range while a video is reproduced.

15. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the at least the one processor is further configured to pause video play in response to a face angle change when a face motion angle moves out of a reference range during a reference time while a video is reproduced.

16. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the at least the one processor is further configured to scroll a screen in response to a position change direction of eyes from the image when positions of the eyes according to the face motion information move out of a reference point.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the at least the one processor is further configured to determine a screen scroll direction based on the position change direction of the eyes, to determine a scroll speed based on at least one of a face motion speed and a face motion angle, and to scroll the screen based on the screen scroll direction and the scroll speed.

18. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the at least the one processor is further configured to determine whether to receive a call based on a call receiving method corresponding to a face motion direction when receiving the call, and

wherein the call receiving method includes at least one of call receiving acceptance, voice mail box connection, and call receiving rejection.

19. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the at least the one processor is further configured to verify positions of eyes based on face motion information when e-book contents are displayed, and

to change pages when the eyes gaze at a first region.

20. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the at least the one processor is further configured to change pages based on a face motion direction when e-book contents are displayed.