METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR GESTURE IDENTIFICATION BASED ON OBJECT TRACING

• US 20160133024A1
• Filed: 01/15/2016
• Published: 05/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: HUANG, Yu-Hao, HSU, En-Feng
• Granted Patent: US 9,721,343 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30196 Human being; Person
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means

Abstract

A method and system provide light to project to an operation space so that a received image from the operation space will include, if an object is in the operation space, a bright region due to the reflection of light by the object, and identify a gesture according to the variation of a barycenter position, an average brightness, or an area of the bright region in successive images, for generating a corresponding command. Only simple operation and calculation is required to detect the motion of an object moving in the X, Y, or Z axis of an image, for identifying a gesture represented by the motion of the object.

Claims

1. A method for gesture identification based on object tracing, the method comprising the steps of:

A.) projecting light to an operation space;

B.) capturing images from the operation space to generate a plurality of successive images;

C.) detecting a bright region in each of the successive image;

D.) performing object tracing based on information provided by the bright region; and

E.) comparing a result of the object tracing with predetermined gesture definitions to identify an operation gesture.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step B comprises the step of normalizing a size of the successive images.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step C comprises the step of comparing pixel brightness of one of the successive images with a threshold to determine the bright region.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step D comprises the steps of:

calculating an average brightness of the bright region; and

evaluating a variation of the average brightness.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step D comprises the steps of:

calculating an area of the bright region; and

evaluating a variation of the area.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of switching intensity of the light projected to the operation space.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of switching a projecting angle of the light projected to the operation space.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of switching an operation distance where the operation space is distant from.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of capturing a part of one of the successive images to achieve an effect as of switching an operation distance where the operation space is distant from.

10. A system for gesture identification based on object tracing, the system comprising:

a controlled light-emitting unit projecting light to an operation space;

an image sensor capturing images from the operation space to generate a plurality of successive images; and

a processor connected to the light-emitting unit and the image sensor, receiving the successive images from the image sensor, detecting a bright region in each of the successive images, performing object tracing based on information provided by the bright region, and comparing a result of the object tracing with predetermined gesture definitions to identify an operation gesture.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the image sensor normalizes a size of the successive images.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor compares pixel brightness of one of the successive images with a threshold to determine the bright region.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor calculates an average brightness of the bright region and evaluates a variation of the average brightness.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor calculates an area of the bright region and evaluates a variation of the area.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor controls the image sensor to switch a viewing angle.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor controls the image sensor to switch a light sensitivity.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor controls the light-emitting unit to switch intensity of the light to be projected to the operation space.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor controls the light-emitting unit to switch a light-emitting angle.