System and method for television control using hand gestures

• US 7,975,243 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Zheng, Xing, Ahn, Sun H, Tran, Dang Van
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Ruay L
• Application Number:
  US12/037,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20090217210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 715200-277, 715700-867, 700701-866, 709201-229, 705 50- 79, 345 30-111, 345/173, 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-206, 382/103, 382/118, 463/26, 438/266, 438/588
• US Class Current: 715/863
• 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: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Systems and method which allow for control of televisions and other media device are disclosed. A television set is provided with a gesture capture device configured to receive a gesture input directed to at least one of a plurality of predefined areas related to the television set. The television set further includes a user interaction interface configured to generate data indicative of the gesture input directed toward the at least one of the predefined areas and control the television based at least in part on the generated data.

Claims

1. A method of providing user control of a media device, the method comprising:

receiving a gesture input directed toward at least one of four predefined areas related to the device;

generating data indicative of the gesture utilizing a device processor, wherein the data indicative of the gesture includes a gesture identifier and an at least four-bit data item wherein each bit is associated with one of the predefined areas;

generating a plurality of the at least four-bit data items based on a plurality of received gesture inputs;

retrieving two of the at least four-bit data items from the plurality of the at least four-bit data items from a data queue storing the plurality of the at least four-bit data items in a device memory when the media device is in a drag user interface mode;

combining the two retrieved at least four-bit data items into a move gesture; and

controlling the media device based at least in part on the generated data indicative of the gesture.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined areas comprise quadrants of a display on the device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the gesture input is a push gesture input received from hands of a user of the device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the gesture input is received via at least one of a camera on the device or motion sensors on the device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the motion sensors are positioned to detect motion directed at the quadrants of the display.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a macro identifier associated with the gesture identifier.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein controlling the media device comprises executing a macro based on the macro identifier.

8. A media device having machine-executable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor, perform a method of providing user control of the media device, the method comprising:

receiving a gesture input directed toward at least one of four predefined areas related to the device;

generating data indicative of the gesture utilizing a device processor, wherein the data indicative of the gesture includes a gesture identifier and an at least four-bit data item wherein each bit is associated with one of the predefined areas;

generating a plurality of the at least four-bit data items based on a plurality of received gesture inputs;

retrieving two of the at least four-bit data items from the plurality of the at least four-bit data items from a data queue storing the plurality of the at least four-bit data items in a device memory when the media device is in a drag user interface mode;

combining the two retrieved at least four-bit data items into a move gesture; and

controlling the media device based at least in part on the generated data indicative of the gesture.

9. The media device of claim 8, wherein the media device is a television.

10. The media device of claim 8, wherein the predefined areas comprise quadrants of a display on the device.

11. The media device of claim 10, wherein the gesture input is a push gesture input received from hands of a user of the device.

12. The media device of claim 11, wherein the generated data comprises a gesture identifier associated with the push gesture input from the hands of the user of the device.

13. The media device of claim 8, wherein the gesture input is received via at least one of a camera on the device or motion sensors on the device.

14. The media device of claim 13, wherein the motion sensors are positioned to detect motion directed at the quadrants of the display.

15. The media device of claim 8, further comprising determining a macro identifier associated with the gesture identifier.

16. The media device of claim 15, wherein controlling the media device comprises executing a macro based on the macro identifier.

17. A television set comprising:

a processor;

a controller;

a memory;

a gesture capture device configured to receive a gesture input directed to at least one of four predefined areas related to the television set;

a gesture capture module; and

a user interaction interface configured to;

generate data indicative of the gesture input directed toward the at least one of the four predefined areas wherein the data indicative of the gesture includes a gesture identifier and an at least four-bit data item wherein each bit is associated with one of the predefined areas;

generate a plurality of the at least four-bit data items based on a plurality of received gesture inputs;

retrieve two of the at least four-bit data items from the plurality of the at least four-bit data items from a data queue storing the plurality of the at least four-bit data items when the television set is in a drag user interface mode;

combine the two retrieved at least four-bit data items into a move gesture; and

control the television based at least in part on the generated data.

18. The television set of claim 17, wherein the gesture capture device comprises at least one of a motion sensor or a camera device.

19. The television set of claim 18, wherein the predefined areas comprise quadrants of a display on the television.

20. A method of providing user control of a media device, the method comprising:

receiving a gesture input directed toward at least one of four predefined areas related to the device;

generating data indicative of the gesture utilizing a device processor, wherein the data indicative of the gesture includes a gesture identifier and an at least four-bit data item wherein each bit is associated with one of the predefined areas;

generating a plurality of the at least four-bit data items based on a plurality of received gesture inputs;

retrieving one of the at least four-bit data items from the plurality of the at least four-bit data items from a data queue storing the plurality of the at least four-bit data items in a device memory when the media device is in one of a digit interface mode or a button user interface mode; and

controlling the media device based at least in part on the generated data indicative of the gesture.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the predefined areas comprise quadrants of a display on the device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the gesture input is a push gesture input received from hands of a user of the device.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the gesture input is received via at least one of a camera on the device or motion sensors on the device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the motion sensors are positioned to detect motion directed at the quadrants of the display.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising determining a macro identifier associated with the gesture identifier.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein controlling the media device comprises executing a macro based on the macro identifier.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the plurality of predefined areas comprises four predefined areas.

28. A media device having machine-executable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor, perform a method of providing user control of the media device, the method comprising:

receiving a gesture input directed toward at least one of four predefined areas related to the device;

generating data indicative of the gesture utilizing a device processor, wherein the data indicative of the gesture includes a gesture identifier and an at least four-bit data item wherein each bit is associated with one of the predefined areas;

generating a plurality of the at least four-bit data items based on a plurality of received gesture inputs;

retrieving one of the at least four-bit data items from the plurality of the at least four-bit data items from a data queue storing the plurality of the at least four-bit data items in a device memory when the media device is in one of a digit interface mode or a button user interface mode; and

controlling the media device based at least in part on the generated data indicative of the gesture.

29. The media device of claim 28, wherein the predefined areas comprise quadrants of a display on the device.

30. The media device of claim 28, wherein the gesture input is a push gesture input received from hands of a user of the device.

31. The media device of claim 28, wherein the gesture input is received via at least one of a camera on the device or motion sensors on the device.

32. The media device of claim 31, wherein the motion sensors are positioned to detect motion directed at the quadrants of the display.

33. The media device of claim 28, further comprising determining a macro identifier associated with the gesture identifier.

34. The media device of claim 33, wherein controlling the media device comprises executing a macro based on the macro identifier.

35. The media device of claim 28, wherein the plurality of predefined areas comprises four predefined areas.

36. A television set comprising:

a processor;

a controller;

a memory;

a gesture capture device configured to receive a gesture input directed to at least one of four predefined areas related to the television set;

a gesture capture module; and

a user interaction interface configured to;

generate data indicative of the gesture input directed toward the at least one of the four predefined areas wherein the data indicative of the gesture includes a gesture identifier and an at least four-bit data item wherein each bit is associated with one of the predefined areas;

generate a plurality of the at least four-bit data items based on a plurality of received gesture inputs;

retrieve one of the at least four-bit data items from the plurality of the at least four-bit data items from a data queue storing the plurality of the at least four-bit data items in a device memory when the media device is in one of a digit interface mode or a button user interface mode; and

control the television based at least in part on the generated data.

37. The television set of claim 36, wherein the gesture capture device comprises at least one of a motion sensor or a camera device.

38. The television set of claim 36, wherein the predefined areas comprise quadrants of a display on the television.