Power control method of gesture recognition device by detecting presence of user

• US 8,723,957 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2010
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• 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:
  US12/959,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20110134251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,258 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 715/700, 345/175, 345/700, 901/17, 348/209.99, 348/164
• US Class Current: 348/164
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0077 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/23 from thermal infrared radiation
• 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 3/09 for electromagnetic radiation in the invisible region, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/17 Cylindrical

Abstract

Provided is a method which reduces the power consumption of a camera for detecting a user'"'"'s gesture, in a device that detects the user'"'"'s gesture and performs a command corresponding to the detected gesture. Moreover, provided is a method which turns off a camera or drives the camera in an ultra low power mode when there is no user input, and detects presence of a user to activate the camera.

Claims

1. A computing device controllable by a user'"'"'s gesture, the computing device comprising:

a presence detector configured to detect a presence of the user within a predetermined area from a camera that is turned off;

a controller configured to;

control the presence detector,

turn on the camera, when the presence of the user is detected,

drive the camera in a low power mode to detect a first gesture of the user,

drive the camera in a high power mode to detect a second gesture of the user, when the first gesture of the user is detected, and

execute a command corresponding to the second gesture of the user, when the second gesture of the user is detected,

wherein the first gesture is an active gesture, the second gesture is one of all gestures, and the low power mode and the high power mode are selectively driven by controlling an illumination intensity of the camera; and

a display unit configured to display information indicating that the camera has entered into a mode for detecting the gesture of the user.

2. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein when the camera is in the high power mode, the camera provides a more intense illumination than in the low power mode.

3. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the camera is integrated into the computing device or is an external device.

4. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the presence detector is one of a thermal infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor and an infrared sensor integrated into the computing device.

5. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the computing device is one of a television (TV), a game machine, a portable phone and a set-top box.

6. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to return the camera to a state before the detection of the presence, when the presence of the user is detected and the turn-on gesture is not detected within a certain time period.

7. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the camera is an infrared camera.

8. A computing device controllable by a user'"'"'s gesture, the computing device comprising:

a controller configured to control a camera so that the camera is turned on when a presence of the user is detected within a predetermined area,

to drive the camera in a low power mode to detect a first gesture of the user,

to switch the low power mode of the camera to a high power mode for detecting a second gesture of the user when the first gesture is detected, and

to execute a command corresponding to the second gesture of the user when the second gesture of the user is detected,

wherein the lower power mode and the high power mode are selectively driven by controlling an illumination intensity of the camera; and

a display unit configured to display information indicating that the camera has entered into a mode for detecting the gesture of the user.

9. The computing device according to claim 8, wherein the camera is integrated into the computing device or is an external device.

10. The computing device according to claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to switch the computing device from a standby mode to a normal mode when the camera is switched to the high power mode.

11. The computing device according to claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to perform at least one function according to the gesture of the user when the computing device is operating in the normal mode.

12. A method of controlling a computing device controllable by a user'"'"'s gesture, the method comprising:

detecting, by a presence detector of the computing device, a presence of the user within a predetermined area from a camera that is turned off;

turning on the camera, when the presence of the user is detected;

driving the camera in a low power mode to detect a first gesture of the user;

driving the camera in a high power mode to detect a second gesture of the user, when the first gesture of the user is detected; and

executing a command corresponding to the second gesture of the user, when the second gesture of the user is detected,

wherein the first gesture is an active gesture, and the second gesture is one of all gestures, and

wherein the low power mode and the high power mode are selectively driven by controlling an illumination intensity of the camera.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein when the camera is in the high power mode, the camera provides a more intense illumination than in the low power mode.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the camera is integrated into the computing device or is an external device.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the presence detector is one of a thermal infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor and an infrared sensor integrated into the computing device.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the computing device is one of a television (TV), a game machine, a portable phone and a set-top box.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

returning the camera to a state before the detection of the presence, when the presence of the user is detected and the turn-on gesture is not detected within a certain time period.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the camera is an infrared camera.

19. A method of controlling a computing device controllable by a user'"'"'s gesture, the method comprising:

turning on a camera when a presence of the user is detected within a predetermined area to operate the camera in a low power mode for detecting a first gesture of the user;

switching the lower power mode of the camera to a high power mode for detecting a second gesture of the user, when the first gesture is detected; and

executing a command corresponding to the second gesture of the user when the second gesture of the user is detected,

wherein the low power mode and the high power mode are selectively driven by controlling an illumination intensity of the camera.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the camera is integrated into the computing device or is an external device.

21. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

switching the computing device from a standby mode to a normal mode when the camera is switched to the high power mode.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

performing at least one function according to the gesture of the user when the computing device is operating in the normal mode.