Sound control installation

• US 7,599,502 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2003
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Stromme, Oyind
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin; Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Con P
• Application Number:
  US10/614,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20040105555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,283 Days
• Field of Search: 381/92, 381/56, 381/122, 381/58, 381/110, 382/103, 382/312, 715/700, 345/157, 348/169
• US Class Current: 381/92
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity

Abstract

The invention concerns a sound control installation for at least one electrical unit comprising two cameras (4, 5) to take pictures of an area (A) in a space containing the electrical units; three microphones (6, 7, 8) positioned at different locations to sense the sounds in said space; a control screen (3) displaying an image of the space and the electrical units; a control device for positioning on the control screen a cursor (C) in accordance with the movements of the hand of a user detected by the cameras, and for controlling an electrical unit when: the cursor is on the image of an electrical unit, a sound is produced, and a system associated with the microphones checks that the origin of the sound is close to the position of the hand.

Claims

1. A sound control installation for at least one electrical unit comprising:

at least two cameras to take pictures of a determined area in a space containing the electrical units;

at least two microphones positioned at different locations to sense the sounds in said space;

a control screen displaying an image of the space and the electrical units;

a control device for positioning on the control screen a cursor in accordance with movements of a hand of a user detected by said cameras, and for controlling a determined electrical unit when;

the cursor is on the image of said determined electrical unit,

a sound is produced, and

a system associated with the microphones checks that the origin of the sound is close to the position of the hand.

2. The installation of claim 1, in which said at least one electrical unit communicates with the control device through a wired link.

3. The installation of claim 1, in which said at least one electrical unit communicates with the control device through wireless link.

4. The installation of claim 3, in which the wireless link uses a radiofrequency transceiver.

5. The installation of claim 1, in which the electrical units are identified on said control screen by a pictogram located in a picture representing said space.

6. The installation of claim 1, in which several cursors are displayed on said control screen, each cursor following the displacements of a hand in the surveyed area of the cameras.

7. The installation of claim 1 further comprising a third camera to film a picture representing said space and the electrical units to be controlled, the third camera being located in order to film the room from a location not being comprised between said determined area and the control screen.

8. The installation according to claim 1, in which the electrical units are turned on further to the detection of a sound in said space.

9. The installation of claim 8, in which the hand controlling the cursor on the control screen is chosen by matching the detected origin of the activation sound and the location of the hand detected by the cameras.

10. The installation of claim 1, in which, when the cursor comes on the pictogram of an electrical unit on the control screen, the corresponding pictogram is lighted.

11. The installation of claim 1, in which, when the cursor comes on the pictogram of the electrical units on the control screen, the corresponding electrical unit is identified by a sound message.

12. A sound control installation for controlling an electrical unit comprising:

a camera to take pictures of a determined area in a space containing the electrical unit;

a microphone positioned to sense the sounds in said space;

a control device for controlling the electrical unit in accordance with movements of a hand of a user detected by said cameras when;

a sound is produced, and

a system associated with the microphone checks that the origin of the sound is close to the position of the hand.

13. The installation of claim 12, in which the electrical unit communicates with the control device through a wired link.

14. The installation of claim 12, in which the electrical unit communicates with the control device through a wireless link.

15. The installation of claim 14, in which the wireless link uses a radiofrequency transceiver.

16. The installation of claim 12, further including a control screen, wherein the electrical unit is identified on said control screen by a pictogram located in a picture representing said space.

17. The installation of claim 16, in which several cursors are displayed on said control screen, each cursor following the displacements of a hand in the surveyed area of the cameras.

18. The installation according to claim 16, in which the electrical unit is turned on further to the detection of a sound in said space.

19. The installation of claim 18, in which the hand controlling the cursor on the control screen is chosen by matching the detected origin of the activation sound and the location of the hand detected by the cameras.

20. The installation of claim 16, in which, when the cursor comes on the pictogram of the electrical unit on the control screen, the corresponding pictogram is lighted.