Using video image analysis to automatically transmit gestures over a network in a chat or instant messaging session

• US 7,039,676 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2000
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dutta, Rabindranath, Day, Don Rutledge
• Primary Examiner(s): PWU, JEFFREY C
• Application Number:
  US09/703,349
• Time in Patent Office: 2,009 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-204, 382/103, 348/169
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence

Abstract

The system, method, and program of the invention captures actual physical gestures made by a participant during a chat room or instant messaging session or other real time communication session between participants over a network and automatically transmits a representation of the gestures to the other participants. Image processing software analyzes successive video images, received as input from a video camera, for an actual physical gesture made by a participant. When a physical gesture is analyzed as being made, the state of the gesture is also determined. The state of the gesture identifies whether it is a first occurrence of the gesture or a subsequent occurrence. An action, and a parameter for the action, is determined for the gesture and the particular state of the gesture. A command to the API of the communication software, such as chat room software, is automatically generated which transmits a representation of the gesture to the participants through the communication software.

Claims

1. A method for interacting between participants through a network of computers, comprising:

analyzing successive video images received as input from a camera capturing video of at least one of the participants for an actual physical gesture made by the one participant;

determining a state of the actual physical gesture made by the one participant;

accessing a table for an action associated with the determined state of the actual physical gesture; and

automatically generating a command for the action to a software program enabling a real time communication between the participants thereby sending a representation of the actual physical gesture within the real time communication.

2. A method for communicating between participants through a network of computers, comprising:

analyzing images of at least one of the participants received as input for an actual physical gesture;

associating each of a plurality of physical gestures to separate commands of an application program interface for communicating in real time between the participants; and

transmitting an associated command associated with the actual physical gesture from the analyzed images to the application program interface to send a representation of the actual physical gesture within the real time communication for communicating between the participants.

3. A computer system having means for interacting between participants through a network of computers, comprising:

means for analyzing successive video images received as input from a camera capturing video of at least one of the participants for an actual physical gesture made by the one participant;

means for determining a state of the actual physical gesture made by the one participant;

means for accessing an associative mapping for an action associated with the determined state of the actual physical gesture; and

means for automatically generating a command for the action to a software program enabling a real time communication between the participants thereby sending a representation of the actual physical gesture within the real time communication.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the associative mapping is a table.