System and method for logging in multiple users to a consumer electronics device by detecting gestures with a sensory device

• US 8,305,188 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2009
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Tran, Dang, Gicklhorn, Daniel, Shelansky, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): MA, KAM WAN
• Application Number:
  US12/575,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20110080254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.1, 715/863, 345/156
• US Class Current: 340/5.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/28 Recognition of hand or arm movements, e.g. recognition of deaf sign language static hand signs G06V40/113
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A system and method of maintaining login state information is disclosed. In one embodiment a system comprises a memory configured to store login state information, a camera configured to capture an image, and a processor configured to determine, based at least in part on the image data, a location of a central object associated with the user, to determine, based at least in part on the image data, a location of a satellite object associated with the central object, to determine, based at least in part on the location of the central object and the location of the satellite objection, an angle, and to modify, based at least in part on the angle, the login state information to indicate that the user has logged in.

Claims

1. A system for maintaining login state information, the system comprising:

a memory configured to store the login state information;

a camera configured to capture an image; and

a processor configured to;

determine, based at least in part on the image data, a location of a central object associated with the user;

determine, based at least in part on the image data, a location of a first satellite object associated with the central object;

modify, based at least in part on the relative location of the satellite object with respect to the location of the central object, the login state information to indicate that the user has logged in;

store a hot zone for the user, wherein the hot zone is a portion of the field of view of the camera and the portion is a predefined size and shape centered on the location of the central object;

at a later time, detect a logout gesture within the hot zone, by determining the locations of the central object and the first satellite object;

modify the login state information to indicate that the user has logged out when the logout gesture within the hot zone matches a logout gesture stored for the user, but only if the central object and first satellite object are located in the hot zone.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine, based at least in part on the relative location of the first satellite object with respect to the location of the central object, an angle and to modify the login state information to indicate that the user has logged in based on the angle.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising an output device configured to provide an audiovisual indication that the user has logged in.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the output device comprises at least one of a speaker, an LED, or a display.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine a profile based on the angle and to modify the login state information to indicate that the user has logged in to the profile.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the memory is configured to store a table associating a plurality of login gestures with a respective plurality of profiles.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera is a video camera configured to capture a plurality of successive images.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine a location of a face of the user and a location of a palm of the user.

9. A method of maintaining login state information, the method comprising:

receiving image data;

determining, based at least in part on the image data, a location of a first central object;

determining, based at least in part on the image data, a location of a first satellite object;

associating the first satellite object with the first central object when the first central object is the closest central object to the first satellite object;

determining, based at least in part on the image data, a location of a second satellite object;

associating the second satellite object with the first central object when the first central object is the closest central object to the second satellite object;

determining, based at least in part on the image data, a location of a third satellite object;

associating the third satellite object with a second central object even though the first central object is closer to the third satellite object than the second central object is; and

modifying, based at least in part on the relative location of the first and second satellite objects with respect to the location of the first central object, and based at least in part on a profile of a user, the login state information to indicate that the user has logged in.

10. The method of claim 9,

wherein determining the location of the first central object comprises determining one or more central coordinates indicative of the location of the first central object;

wherein determining the location of the first satellite object comprises determining one or more first satellite coordinates indicative of the location of the satellite object;

further comprising determining a metric based at least in part on the central coordinates and satellite coordinates; and

wherein modifying the login state information comprises modifying the login state information based at least in part on the metric.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the metric is an angle.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining a location of a central object comprises determining a location of a head or a face of the user.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein determining a location of a satellite object comprises determining a location of a hand or a palm of the user.

14. The method of claim 9, determining a location of a satellite object associated with the central object comprises determining a location of a first satellite object associated with the central object and determining a location of a second satellite object associated with the central object.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining an angle based at least in part on the location of the central object, the location of the first satellite object, and the location of the second satellite object.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein modifying the login state information comprises modifying the login state information, based at least in part, on the angle.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising outputting an indication that the user has logged in.

18. A system for maintaining login state information, the system comprising:

means for determining, based at least in part on the image data, a location of a central object associated with the user;

means for determining, based at least in part on the image data, a location of a first satellite object associated with the central object;

means for modifying, based at least in part on the relative location of the satellite object with respect to the location of the central object, the login state information to indicate that the user has logged in;

means for storing a hot zone for the user, wherein the hot zone is a portion of the field of view of the camera and the portion is a predefined size and shape centered on the location of the central object;

means for, at a later time, detecting a logout gesture within the hot zone, by determining the locations of the central object and the first satellite object;

means for modifying the login state information to indicate that the user has logged out when the logout gesture within the hot zone matches a logout gesture stored for the user, but only if the central object and first satellite object are located in the hot zone.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable code stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method of maintaining login state information, the method comprising:

receiving image data;

determining, based at least in part on the image data, a location of a first central object;

determining, based at least in part on the image data, a location of a first satellite object;

associating the first satellite object with the first central object when the first central object is the closest central object to the first satellite object;

determining, based at least in part on the image data, a location of a second satellite object;

associating the second satellite object with the first central object when the first central object is the closest central object to the second satellite object;

determining, based at least in part on the image data, a location of a third satellite object;

associating the third satellite object with a second central object even though the first central object is closer to the third satellite object than the second central object is; and

modifying, based at least in part on the relative location of the first and second satellite objects with respect to the location of the first central object, and based at least in part on a profile of a user, the login state information to indicate that the user has logged in.