Power control method of device controllable by user's gesture

• US 8,599,265 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2010
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Sungun, Im, Soungmin
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARIKH, DAKSHESH D
• Application Number:
  US12/958,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20110134250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 348/164
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1605 Multimedia displays, e.g. with integrated or attached speakers, cameras, microphones
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3278 Power saving in modem or I/O interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• 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: 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 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Provided is a method which minimizes power consumption by controlling power of a camera that is used for recognizing a user'"'"'s gesture, in a video processing apparatus, which recognizes the user'"'"'s gesture and is controlled according to the recognized gesture, such as a TV or a monitor. In the present invention, a camera is driven in a low power mode or a high power mode, and when a user'"'"'s specific gesture is detected in the lower power mode, the camera is switched to the high power mode for recognizing a detailed gesture.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a user interface of a computing device including a controller by using a camera having an infrared image sensor and an infrared illuminator, the method comprising:

detecting, by the controller, at least one predetermined user gesture which is designated to switch a first power mode of the camera to a second power mode, from a first infrared image which is recognized by the infrared image sensor by using a first infrared illumination with a first illumination intensity provided by the infrared illuminator, in the first power mode of the camera;

switching an operation mode of the camera to the second power mode according to the detected at least one predetermined user gesture while controlling an illumination intensity of the infrared illuminator, wherein the infrared illuminator has the first illumination intensity in the first power mode, the infrared illuminator has a second illumination intensity in the second power mode, and the second illumination intensity is higher than the first illumination intensity, and wherein the second power mode allows detection of more user gestures than the first power mode;

detecting, by the controller, one or more different gestures of a user, from a second infrared image which is recognized by the infrared image sensor by using a second infrared illumination with the second illumination intensity provided by the infrared illuminator, in the second power mode of the camera; and

controlling the computing device according to the detected one or more different gestures of the user,

wherein the first and second power modes are a low power mode and a high power mode, respectively.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the switching of the operation mode to the second power mode comprises changing at least one of a frame rate, a clock speed, a resolution and a shutter speed of the camera.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the switching of the operation mode to the second power mode comprises increasing a frame rate of the camera.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting of the one or more different gestures of the user comprises:

measuring a distance from the user to the computing device when the one or more gestures are detected; and

controlling an illumination intensity of the camera in accordance with the measured distance.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the camera is an infrared camera or a depth image camera.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one predetermined user gesture includes at least one of shaking the user'"'"'s hand from side to side, shaking the user'"'"'s hand upward and downward, and drawing a certain shape by the user'"'"'s hand.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

returning the camera to the first power mode when there is no input from the user for a certain time period.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

operating the camera in the second power mode once a specific application is executed.

9. A computing device for controlling a camera having an infrared image sensor and an infrared illuminator, the computing device comprising:

an interface configured to communicate with the camera; and

a controller configured to;

detect at least one predetermined user gesture which is designated to switch a first power mode of the camera to a second power mode, from a first infrared image which is recognized by the infrared image sensor by using a first infrared illumination with a first illumination intensity provided by the infrared illuminator, in the first power mode of the camera,

switch an operation mode of the camera to the second power mode according to the detected at least one predetermined user gesture while controlling an illumination intensity of the infrared illuminator, wherein the infrared illuminator has the first illumination intensity in the first power mode, the infrared illuminator has a second illumination intensity in the second power mode, and the second illumination intensity is higher than the first illumination intensity, and wherein the second power mode allows detection of more user gestures than the first power mode,

detect one or more different gestures of a user, from a second infrared image which is recognized by the infrared image sensor by using a second infrared illumination with the second illumination intensity provided by the infrared illuminator, in the second power mode of the camera, and

control an operation of the computing device according to the detected one or more different gestures of the user,

wherein the first and second power modes are a low power mode and a high power mode, respectively.

10. The computing device according to claim 9, wherein the controller switches the operation mode to the second power mode by changing at least one of a frame rate, a clock speed, a resolution and a shutter speed of the camera.

11. The computing device according to claim 9, wherein the controller switches the operation mode to the second power mode by increasing a frame rate of the camera.

12. The computing device according to claim 9, wherein the controller detects the one or more different gestures of the user by measuring a distance from the user to the computing device when the one or more gestures are detected and controlling an illumination intensity of the camera in accordance with the measured distance.

13. The computing device according to claim 9, wherein the computing device includes the camera which is an infrared camera or a depth image camera.

14. The computing device according to claim 9, wherein the at least one predetermined user gesture includes at least one of shaking the user'"'"'s hand from side to side, shaking the user'"'"'s hand upward and downward, and drawing a certain shape by the user'"'"'s hand.

15. The computing device according to claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to return the camera to the first power mode when there is no input from the user for a certain time period.

16. The computing device according to claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to operate the camera in the second power mode once a specific application is executed.

17. The computing device according to claim 9, wherein the computing device is one of a television (TV), a game machine and a portable phone.