Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and information processing program

• US 8,947,463 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2010
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Reiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taylor, Jr., Duane N
• Application Number:
  US12/755,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20100283730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,763 Days
• US Class Current: 345/664
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• 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 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4728 for selecting a Region Of Interest [ROI], e.g. for requesting a higher resolution version of a selected region

Abstract

An information processing apparatus include: a control detection block configured to detect a control in a predetermined detection space; a position detection block configured to detect a three-dimensional position of a control detected by the control detection block; a threshold value setting block configured, if the control has approached the control detection block beyond a threshold value set to a predetermined distance through the control detection block on the basis of a three-dimensional position detected by the position detection block, to set the threshold value farther from the control detection block than the predetermined distance; a setting change block configured, if the control has exceeded the threshold value set by the threshold value setting block, to change setting values for predetermined processing; and a processing execution block configured to execute the processing by use of the setting values set by the setting change block.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a non-volatile memory;

a control detection circuitry configured to detect an object in a predetermined detection space;

a position detection circuitry configured to detect a three-dimensional position of the object detected by the control detection circuitry;

a threshold value setting unit configured, if the object has approached the control detection circuitry such that a distance between the object and the control detection circuitry, on the basis of a three-dimensional position detected by the position detection circuitry, is less than a threshold value set to a predetermined value representing a first distance between a first threshold position in the predetermined detection space and the control detection circuitry, to set the threshold value to a value representing a second distance between a second threshold position in the predetermined detection space and the control detection circuitry, the second distance being greater than the first distance;

a setting change unit configured, if the object has approached the control detection circuitry such that the distance between the object and the control detection circuitry is less than the threshold value set by the threshold value setting unit, or if the object has departed from the control detection circuitry such that the distance between the object and the control detection circuitry is greater than the threshold value set by the threshold value setting unit, to change setting values for predetermined processing; and

a processing execution unit configured to execute the processing by use of the setting values set by the setting change unit.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object has approached the control detection circuitry such that the distance between the object and the control detection circuitry is less than the threshold value set to the predetermined value representing the first distance between the first threshold position in the predetermined detection space and the control detection circuitry, and then departs from the control detection circuitry, the threshold value setting unit sets the threshold value to a value representing a third distance between a third threshold position in the predetermined detection space and the control detection circuitry, the third distance being greater than the first distance.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the execution processing unit executes, from among a plurality of processing operations, processing in accordance with the three-dimensional position of the object detected by the position detection circuitry, and

the threshold value setting unit sets the threshold value for each processing to be executed by the processing execution unit.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising

a shape detection circuitry configured to detect a shape of the object detected by the control detection circuitry, wherein

the processing execution unit executes processing in accordance with a shape of the object detected by the shape detection circuitry.

5. An information processing method executed by an apparatus having a non-volatile memory, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting an object in a predetermined detection space;

detecting a three-dimensional position of the object detected by the control detection step;

setting, if the object has approached a control detection circuitry such that a distance between the object and the control detection circuitry, on the basis of a three-dimensional position detected by the position detection step, is less than a threshold value set to a predetermined value representing a first distance between a first threshold position in the predetermined detection space and the control detection circuitry, the threshold value to a value representing a second distance between a second threshold position in the predetermined detection space and the control detection circuitry, the second distance being greater than the first distance;

changing, if the object has approached the control detection circuitry such that the distance between the object and the control detection circuitry is less than the threshold value set by the threshold value setting step, or if the object has departed from the control detection circuitry such that the distance between the object and the control detection circuitry is greater than the threshold value set by the threshold value setting step, setting values for predetermined processing; and

executing the processing by use of the setting values set by the setting change step.

6. An information processing program stored in a non-volatile memory, the program configured to make a computer execute the steps of:

detecting an object in a predetermined detection space;

detecting a three-dimensional position of the object detected by the control detection step;

setting, if the object has approached a control detection circuitry such that a distance between the object and the control detection circuitry, on the basis of a three-dimensional position detected by the position detection step, is less than a threshold value set to a predetermined value representing a first distance between a first threshold position in the predetermined detection space and the control detection circuitry, the threshold value to a value representing a second distance between a second threshold position in the predetermined detection space and the control detection circuitry, the second distance being greater than the first distance;

changing, if the object has approached the control detection circuitry such that the distance between the object and the control detection circuitry is less than the threshold value set by the threshold value setting step, or if the object has departed from the control detection circuitry such that the distance between the object and the control detection circuitry is greater than the threshold value set by the threshold value setting step, setting values for predetermined processing; and

executing the processing by use of the setting values set by the setting change step.

7. An information processing apparatus comprising:

control detection means for detecting an object in a predetermined detection space;

position detection means for detecting a three-dimensional position of the object detected by the control detection means;

threshold value setting means for, if the object has approached the control detection means such that a distance between the object and the control detection means, on the basis of a three-dimensional position detected by the position detection means, is less than a threshold value set to a predetermined value representing a first distance between a first threshold position in the predetermined detection space and the control detection means, setting the threshold value to a value representing a second distance between a second threshold position in the predetermined detection space and the control detection circuitry, the second distance being greater than the first distance;

setting change means for, if the object has approached the control detection means such that the distance between the object and the control detection means is less than the threshold value set by the threshold value setting means, or if the object has departed from the control detection means such that the distance between the object and the control detection means is greater than the threshold value set by the threshold value setting means, changing setting values for predetermined processing; and

processing execution means for executing the processing by use of the setting values set by the setting change means.