Information-processing apparatus and method detecting living-body information

• US 8,125,539 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2008
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takashima, Kouichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): WHIPKEY, JASON T
• Application Number:
  US12/252,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20090122147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 348/77, 348/231.3, 348/231.6, 348/239, 348/231.4
• US Class Current: 348/231.6
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0462 Apparatus with built-in sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0468 Built-in electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/68 Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

An information-processing apparatus processes information obtained by shooting an image of a subject and by collecting ambient sound of the subject. The apparatus contains an image-and-sound-recording unit that shoots the image of the subject to output image information on the image and collects the ambient sound of the subject to output sound information on the ambient sound and an information output unit that detects living-body information showing emotion of living-body of an operator who operates the image-and-sound-recording unit to output the living-body information. The apparatus also contains an information-processing unit that establishes correspondence between the living-body information outputted from the information output unit and at least one of the image information of the subject and the sound information of the ambient sound of the subject, the image information and the sound information being outputted from the image-and-sound-recording unit.

Claims

1. An information-processing apparatus that processes information obtained by shooting an image of a subject and by collecting ambient sound of the subject, the apparatus comprising:

an image-and-sound-recording unit that shoots the image of the subject to output image information on the image and collects the ambient sound of the subject to output sound information on the ambient sound;

an information output unit that detects living-body information showing emotion of living-body of an operator who operates the image-and-sound-recording unit to output the living-body information, the information output unit including;

(a) a pulse sensor that detects a pulse rate of the operator who operates the image-and-sound-recording unit on a time series to generate pulse information; and

(b) a blood pressure sensor that detects a blood pressure of the operator who operates the image-and-sound-recording unit on the time series to generate blood pressure information; and

an information-processing unit that;

(a) establishes correspondence between the living-body information outputted from the information output unit and at least one of the image information of the subject and the sound information of the ambient sound of the subject, the image information and the sound information being outputted from the image-and-sound-recording unit; and

(b) derives pulse-wave transfer time by calculating the pulse information obtained from the pulse sensor and the blood pressure information obtained from the blood pressure sensor.

2. The information-processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information output unit includes a perspiration sensor that detects an amount of perspiration of the operator who operates the image-and-sound-recording unit on a time series to output the living-body information to the information-processing unit.

3. The information-processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the information-processing unit compares the living-body information outputted from the information output unit with discrimination criterion information which becomes a discrimination criterion of the living-body information,

wherein when the living-body information exceeding the discrimination criterion is detected, editing start point information is added to at least one of the image information of the subject and the sound information of the ambient sound of the subject, and

wherein when the living-body information equal to or less than the discrimination criterion is detected, editing end point information is added to at least one of the image information of the subject and the sound information of the ambient sound of the subject.

4. The information-processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the information-processing unit executes an editing process by extracting the image information and the sound information in a period of time from a point of time when the editing start point information is added to a point of time when the editing end point information is added from the image information of the subject and the sound information of the ambient sound of the subject based on the editing start point information and the editing end point information and splicing the extracted image information and the extracted sound information.

5. The information-processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the information-processing unit reproduces the image information of the subject and the sound information of the ambient sound of the subject, the image information and the sound information being extracted and spliced based on the editing process.

6. The information-processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the information-processing unit distributes the image information of the subject and the sound information of the ambient sound of the subject, the image information and the sound information being extracted and spliced based on the editing process.

7. The information-processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the information-processing unit records the image information of the subject and the sound information of the ambient sound of the subject on a predetermined recording medium, the image information and the sound information being extracted and spliced based on the editing process.

8. A method of operating an information-processing apparatus which includes a memory device storing instructions, the method comprising:

(a) causing a processor to execute the instructions to obtain image information by shooting an image of a subject;

(b) causing the processor to execute the instructions to obtain sound information by collecting an ambient sound of the subject;

(c) causing the processor to execute the instructions to detect and produce;

(i) living-body information showing emotion of living-body of an operator who operates an image-and-sound-recording unit;

(ii) a pulse rate of the operator who operates the image-and-sound-recording unit on a time series to generate pulse information; and

(iii) a blood pressure of the operator who operates the image-and-sound-recording unit on the time series to generate blood pressure information;

(d) causing the processor to execute the instructions to establish correspondence between the produced living-body information and at least one of the image information of the subject and the sound information of the ambient sound of the subject, the image information and the sound information being shot and collected; and

(e) causing the processor to execute the instructions to derive pulse-wave transfer time by calculating the pulse information obtained from the pulse sensor and the blood pressure information obtained from the blood pressure sensor.

9. The method according to claim of claim 8, which includes:

(a) causing the processor to execute the instructions to compare the living-body information with discrimination criterion information which becomes a discrimination criterion of the living-body information;

(b) causing the processor to execute the instructions to add editing start point information to at least one of the image information of the subject and the sound information of the ambient sound of the subject when detecting the living-body information which exceeds the discrimination criterion; and

(c) causing the processor to execute the instructions to add editing end point information to at least one of the image information of the subject and the sound information of the ambient sound of the subject when detecting the living-body information that is equal to or less than the discrimination criterion.

10. The method of claim 9, which includes:

(a) causing the processor to execute the instructions to input the image information of the subject and the sound information when recording the ambient sound of the subject, any one of the image information and the sound information including the editing start point information or the editing end point information;

(b) causing the processor to execute the instructions to determine whether automatic editing of the image information of the subject and the sound information when recording the ambient sound of the subject is performed, the image information and the sound information being inputted; and

(c) causing the processor to execute the instructions to extract the image information of the subject and the sound information when recording the ambient sound of the subject in a period of time from a point of time when the editing start point information is added to a point of time when the editing end point information is added from the image information of the subject and the sound information when recording the ambient sound of the subject, the image information and the sound information being judged to be automatically edited, and splicing the extracted image information and the extracted sound information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the image information of the subject and the sound information when recording the ambient sound of the subject are edited automatically based on a setting mode of editing length.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the image information of the subject and the sound information when recording the ambient sound of the subject after the automatic editing are output based on the setting mode of the editing length.

13. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing instructions structured to cause an information-processing apparatus to:

(a) obtain image information by shooting an image of a subject;

(b) obtain sound information by collecting an ambient sound of the subject;

(c) detect and produce;

(i) living-body information showing emotion of living-body of an operator who operates an image-and-sound-recording unit;

(ii) a pulse rate of the operator who operates the image-and-sound-recording unit on a time series to generate pulse information; and

(iii) a blood pressure of the operator who operates the image-and-sound-recording unit on the time series to generate blood pressure information.

(d) establish correspondence between the produced living-body information and at least one of the image information of the subject and the sound information of the ambient sound of the subject, the image information and the sound information being shot and collected; and

(e) derive pulse-wave transfer time by calculating the pulse information obtained from the pulse sensor and the blood pressure information obtained from the blood pressure sensor.

14. An information processing system that processes information obtained by shooting an image of a subject and by collecting ambient sound of the subject, the information processing system comprising:

an information-processing apparatus that processes information obtained by shooting the image of the subject and by collecting the ambient sound of the subject; and

an information-reproducing apparatus that reproduces image information of the subject and sound information of the ambient sound of the subject, the image information and the sound information being obtained from the information-processing apparatus, wherein the information-processing apparatus includes;

(a) an image-and-sound-recording unit that shoots the image of the subject to output the image information on the image and collects the ambient sound of the subject to output the sound information on the ambient sound;

(b) an information output unit that detects living-body information showing emotion of living-body of an operator who operates the image-and-sound-recording unit to output the living-body information, the information output unit including;

(i) a pulse sensor that detects a pulse rate of the operator who operates the image-and-sound-recording unit on a time series to generate pulse information; and

(ii) a blood pressure sensor that detects a blood pressure of the operator who operates the image-and-sound-recording unit on the time series to generate blood pressure information; and

(c) an information-processing unit that;

(i) establishes correspondence between the living-body information outputted from the information output unit and at least one of the image information of the subject and the sound information of the ambient sound of the subject, the image information and the sound information being outputted from the image-and-sound-recording unit; and

(ii) derives pulse-wave transfer time by calculating the pulse information obtained from the pulse sensor and the blood pressure information obtained from the blood pressure sensor.