Method and apparatus for receiving an input by an entertainment device

• US 6,351,222 B1
• Filed: 10/30/1998
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Advanced Silicon Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: ATI International SRL (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Swan, Philip L., Henry, William T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US09/183,880
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/327, 345/358, 345/326, 345/157, 345/158, 348/77, 348/171, 380/252, 381/73.1, 381/96, 381/71.1, 340/825.72, 367/197, 367/198, 367/199
• US Class Current: 340/13.3
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/02 using infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic waves

Abstract

A method and apparatus for processing acoustic and/or gesture input commands by an entertainment device begins by detecting an acoustic initiation command and/or a gesture initiation command. The initiation command may be directed to a particular entertainment device, which may be a part of an entertainment center, or to the entire entertainment center. In addition, the initiation command corresponds to a particular operation of the entertainment device. Having detected the initiation command, the process proceeds by detecting an acoustic function command and/or a gesture function command, which is associated with the detected initiation command. The flnction command indicates the particular change desired for a corresponding parameter. Having detected the function command, it is interpreted to produce a signal for adjusting the parameter of the entertainment device.

Claims

1. A method for receiving an input by an entertainment device, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting at least one of an acoustic initiation command and a gesture initiation command to produce a detected initiation command;

detecting at least one of an acoustic function command and a gesture function command to produce a detected function command, wherein the detected function command is associated with the detected initiation command;

masking acoustic output of the entertainment device that responds to the detected initiation command and detects function command, from at least one of the detected initiation command and the detection function command; and

interpreting the detected function command to produce a signal for adjusting a parameter of the entertainment device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting an acoustic initiation command comprises the steps of:

receiving an acoustic initiation command to produce a received acoustic initiation command;

generating a representation of the received acoustic initiation command;

comparing the representation with representations of a set of acoustic initiation commands; and

when the representation substantially matches one of the representations of the set of acoustic initiation commands, identifying the received acoustic initiation command as one of the set of acoustic initiation commands.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting an acoustic function command comprises the steps of:

receiving an acoustic function command to produce a received acoustic function command;

generating a representation of the received acoustic function command;

comparing the representation with representations of a set of acoustic function commands; and

when the representation substantially matches one of the representations of the set of acoustic function commands, identifying the received acoustic function command as one of the set of acoustic function commands.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting a gesture initiation command comprises the steps of:

receiving a gesture initiation command to produce a received gesture initiation command;

generating a representation of the received gesture initiation command;

comparing the representation with representations of a set of gesture initiation commands; and

when the representation substantially matches one of the representations of the set of gesture initiation commands, identifying the received gesture initiation command as one of the set of gesture initiation commands.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting a gesture function command comprises the steps of:

receiving a gesture function command to produce a received gesture function command;

generating a representation of the received gesture function command;

comparing the representation with representations of a set of gesture function commands; and

when the representation substantially matches one of the representations of the set of gesture function commands, identifying the received gesture function command as one of the set of gesture function commands.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the acoustic initiation command is one of a set of acoustic initiation commands, wherein the acoustic function command is one of a set of acoustic function commands, wherein the gesture initiation command is one of a set of gesture initiation commands, wherein the gesture function command is one of a set of gesture function commands, and wherein the set of acoustic initiation commands, the set of acoustic function commands, the set of gesture initiation commands, and the set of gesture function commands are user defined.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the gesture initiation command and the gesture function command includes body, or portion thereof, movement or body, or portion thereof, positioning.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the body, or portion thereof, movement is detected by:

subtracting a current frame from a reference frame to produce motion artifacts;

focusing on the motion artifacts; and

comparing the motion artifacts with a set of gesture initiation commands or with a set of gesture function commands.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the acoustic initiation command and the acoustic function command comprises acoustic waves made by a vibrating foot, a stomping foot, or human audible sounds.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprises providing feedback on the entertainment device, wherein the feedback is representative of at least one of the detected initiation command and the detected function command, and wherein the feedback is at least one of a text message, an audio message, and a video message.

11. A signal processing module for use in an entertainment device, the signal processing module comprising:

a processing module; and

memory operably coupled to the processing module, wherein the memory includes operational instructions that cause the processing module to;

detect at least one of an acoustic initiation command and a gesture initiation command to produce a detected initiation command;

detect at least one of an acoustic function command and a gesture function command to produce a detected flnction command, wherein the detected function command is associated with the detected initiation command;

mask acoustic output of the entertainment device that responds to the detected initiation command and detects flnction commands from at least one of the detected initiation command and the detected function command; and

interpreting the detected function command to produce a signal for adjusting a parameter of the entertainment device.

12. The signal processing module of claim 11, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to detect an acoustic initiation command by:

receiving an acoustic initiation command to produce a received acoustic initiation command;

generating a representation of the received acoustic initiation command;

comparing the representation with representations of a set of acoustic initiation commands; and

when the representation substantially matches one of the representations of the set of acoustic initiation commands, identifying the received acoustic initiation command as one of the set of acoustic initiation commands.

13. The signal processing module of claim 11, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to detect an acoustic function command by:

receiving an acoustic function command to produce a received acoustic function command;

generating a representation of the received acoustic function command;

comparing the representation with representations of a set of acoustic function commands; and

when the representation substantially matches one of the representations of the set of acoustic function commands, identifying the received acoustic function command as one of the set of acoustic function commands.

14. The signal processing module of claim 11, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to provide feedback on the entertainment device, wherein the feedback is representative of at least one of the detected initiation command and the detected function command, and wherein the feedback is at least one of a text message, an audio message, and a video message.

15. The signal processing module of claim 11, wherein the memory farther comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to detect a gesture initiation command by:

receiving a gesture initiation command to produce a received gesture initiation command;

generating a representation of the received gesture initiation command;

comparing the representation with representations of a set of gesture initiation commands; and

when the representation substantially matches one of the representations of the set of gesture initiation commands, identifying the received gesture initiation command as one of the set of gesture initiation commands.

16. The signal processing module of claim 11, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to detect a gesture function command by:

receiving a gesture function command to produce a received gesture function command;

generating a representation of the received gesture function command;

comparing the representation with representations of a set of gesture function commands; and

when the representation substantially matches one of the representations of the set of gesture function commands, identifying the received gesture function command as one of the set of gesture function commands.

17. The signal processing module of claim 11, wherein at least one of the gesture initiation command and the gesture function command includes body, or portion thereof, movement or body, or portion thereof, positioning.

18. The signal processing module of claim 17, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to detect body, or portion thereof, movement by:

subtracting a current frame from a reference frame to produce motion artifacts;

focusing on the motion artifacts; and

comparing the motion artifacts with a set of gesture initiation commands or with a set of gesture function commands.