Methods, systems, and products for gesture-activation

• US 9,659,212 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2015
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Hong Thi, Roberts, Linda Ann, Silver, Edward Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Couso, Yon
• Application Number:
  US14/689,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20150220775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/082 on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination
• 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: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/12 by detecting audible sound
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/125 by using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products recognize a gesture in a video signal. A camera generates the video signal as an output. An image comparison is then performed between frames in the video signal to images stored in memory of different gestures. When a frame matches an image, the gesture is determined. A corresponding controller operation may then be selected.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a video signal of a user performing a gesture;

generating, by the processor from the video signal, electronic frames of the user performing the gesture;

retrieving, from a memory device under direction of the processor, electronic images of recognized gestures;

comparing, by the processor, the electronic frames of the user performing the gesture generated from the video signal to the electronic images of the recognized gestures;

determining, by the processor, an image match between at least one of the electronic frames of the user performing the gesture generated from the video signal and at least one electronic image of a recognized gesture within the electronic images of the recognized gestures; and

selecting, under direction of the processor, an operation of a controller, which the operation is associated, through a stored association, with the at least one electronic image of the recognized gesture.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting an appliance that corresponds to the operation of the controller.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising segmenting the video signal to generate the electronic frames of the user performing the gesture.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sampling the video signal to generate the electronic frames of the user performing the gesture.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a voltage signal in response to the operation of the controller.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising closing a switch in response to the image match.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising opening a switch in response to the image match.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device, the memory device storing programming, the programming when executed causing the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a video signal of a user performing a gesture;

generating, from the video signal, electronic frames of the user performing the gesture;

retrieving electronic images of recognized gestures;

comparing the electronic frames of the user performing the gesture generated from the video signal to the electronic images of the recognized gestures;

determining an image match between at least one of the electronic frames of the user performing the gesture generated from the video signal and at least one electronic image of a recognized gesture within the electronic images of the recognized gestures; and

selecting an operation of a controller, which the operation is associated, through a stored association, with the at least one electronic image of the recognized gesture.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise selecting an appliance that corresponds to the operation of the controller.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise segmenting the video signal to generate the electronic frames of the user performing the gesture.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise sampling the video signal to generate the electronic frames of the user performing the gesture.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise generating a voltage signal in response to the operation of the controller.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise closing a switch in response to the image match.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise opening a switch in response to the image match.

15. A non-transitory memory storage device storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a video signal of a user performing a gesture;

generating, from the video signal, a sequence of electronic frames of the user performing the gesture;

retrieving electronic images of recognized gestures;

comparing the sequence of the electronic frames of the user performing the gesture generated from the video signal to the electronic images of the recognized gestures;

determining an image match between an electronic frame in the sequence of the electronic frames of the user performing the gesture generated from the video signal and an electronic image of a recognized gesture within the electronic images of the recognized gestures; and

selecting an operation of a controller, which the operation is associated, through a stored association, with the at least one electronic image of the recognized gesture.

16. The non-transitory memory storage device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise selecting an appliance having the database association with the electronic image of the recognized gesture.

17. The non-transitory memory storage device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise segmenting the video signal to generate the sequence of the electronic frames of the user performing the gesture.

18. The non-transitory memory storage device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise sampling the video signal to generate the sequence of the electronic frames of the user performing the gesture.

19. The non-transitory memory storage device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise generating a voltage signal in response to the operation of the controller.

20. The non-transitory memory storage device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise closing a switch in response to the image match.