RAPIDLY PROGRAMMABLE VOLUMES

• US 20150153822A1
• Filed: 08/10/2012
• Published: 06/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kauffmann, Alejandro, Wheeler, Aaron Joseph, Chi, Liang-Yu, Dahlkamp, Hendrik, Ganapathi, Varun, Zhao, Yong, Plagemann, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 9,477,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/25 by projecting a pattern, e.g. one or more lines, moiré fringes on the object G01B11/255 takes precedence ; image analysis for depth or shape recovery G06T7/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to controlling the functions of various devices based on spatial relationships. In one example, a system may include a depth and visual camera and a computer (networked or local) for processing data from the camera. The computer may be connected (wired or wirelessly) to any number of devices that can be controlled by the system. A user may use a mobile device to define a volume of space relative to the camera. The volume of space may then be associated with a controlled device as well as one or more control commands. When the volume of space is subsequently occupied, the one or more control commands may be used to control the controlled device. In this regard, a user may switch a device on or off, increase volume or speed, etc. simply by occupying the volume of space.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving input defining a volume of space, wherein the volume of space is defined by;

receiving input indicating when to begin recording the volume of space;

receiving location input identifying a first location and a second location; and

determining the volume of space based on the first location and the second location;

receiving input identifying a controlled device;

receiving input command information defining a set of control commands for the controlled device;

associating the volume of space, the controlled device, and the set of control commands together;

storing the association in memory;

monitoring, using a processor, the volume of space;

when the processor detects that the volume of space is occupied by an object, identifying, with the processor, the set of control commands and the controlled device associated with the volume of space; and

using, with the processor, the set of control commands to initiate control operations of the controlled device based on a movement of the object in a given direction with respect to the first location and the second location, the given direction being associated with at least one of the control commands from the set for operating the controlled device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the volume of space is further based on a volume extruded by moving a two or three-dimensional shape from the first location to the second location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the input defining the volume of space is received from a depth camera and the depth camera is used to monitor the volume of space.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the volume of space is defined relative to a coordinate system of a depth camera.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the volume of space is defined relative to an object other than the depth camera such that if the object is moved, the location of volume of space with respect to the depth camera is moved as well.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the object includes at least some feature of a user'"'"'s body.

2. (canceled)

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the volume of space is further based on drawing a cuboid where the first location is one corner of the cuboid and the second location is another corner of the cuboid.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first location and the second location are the same location and define a closed shape, and determining the volume of space is further based on rotating the closed shape around an axis.

10. A system comprising:

memory;

a processor configured to;

receive input defining a volume of space, wherein the volume of space is defined by the processor being configured to;

receive input indicating when to begin recording the volume of space;

receive location input identifying a first location and a second location; and

determine the volume of space based on the first location and the second location;

receive input identifying a controlled device;

receive input command information defining a set of control commands for the controlled device;

associate the volume of space, the controlled device, and the set of control commands together;

store the association in the memory;

monitor the volume of space;

when the processor detects that the volume of space is occupied by an object, identify the set of control commands and the controlled device associated with the volume of space; and

use the set of control commands to initiate control operations of the controlled device based on a movement of the object in a given direction with respect to the first location and the second location, the given direction being associated with at least one of the control commands from the set for operating the controlled device.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the input defining the volume of space is received from a depth camera and the depth camera is used to monitor the volume of space.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the volume of space is defined relative to a coordinate system of a depth camera.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the volume of space is defined relative to an object other than the depth camera such that if the object is moved, the location of volume of space with respect to the depth camera is moved as well.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the object includes at least some feature of a user'"'"'s body.

11. (canceled)

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to determine the volume of space further based on a volume extruded by moving a two or three-dimensional shape from the first location to the second location.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to determine the volume of space further based on drawing a cuboid where the first location is one corner of the cuboid and the second location is another corner of the cuboid.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the first location and the second location are the same location and define a closed shape, and the processor is configured to determine the volume of space further based on rotating the closed shape around an axis.

19. A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium on which computer readable instructions of a program are stored, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving input defining a volume of space, wherein the volume of space is defined by;

receiving input indicating when to begin recording the volume of space;

receiving location input identifying a first location and a second location; and

determining the volume of space based on the first location and the second location;

receiving input identifying a controlled device;

receiving input command information defining a set of control commands for the controlled device;

associating the volume of space, the controlled device, and the set of control commands together;

storing the association in memory;

monitoring, with the processor, the volume of space;

when the processor detects that the volume of space is occupied by an object, identifying, with the processor, the set of control commands and the controlled device associated with the volume of space; and

using, with the processor, the set of control commands to initiate control operations of the controlled device based on a movement of the object in a given direction with respect to the first location and the second location, the given direction being associated with at least one of the control commands from the set for operating the controlled device.

20. (canceled)