Detecting natural user-input engagement
First Claim
1. A natural user-input (NUI) system to provide user input to a computer system, the NUI system including a logic machine and an instruction-storage machine, the instruction-storage machine holding instructions executable by the logic machine, the instructions comprising:
- instructions to receive posture information derived from depth video of a person, the depth video acquired with a depth camera;
instructions to analyze the received posture information to compute an engagement metric for the person, the engagement metric increasing with greater indication that the person wishes to engage the computer system as a user, and decreasing with lesser indication that the person wishes to engage the computer system;
instructions to assess user input being provided to the computer system;
instructions to permit facile initial engagement of the person as the user and prevent loss of user engagement to another person in the depth video by maintaining a variable threshold at a first level responsive to posture information from a currently engaged user being processed as user input to the computer system, and at a second level, lower than the first level, responsive to there being no currently engaged user;
instructions to process the received posture information as user input to the computer system only after the engagement metric exceeds the variable threshold;
instructions to forego processing the received posture information as input of an engaged user of the computer system and to save the received posture information for subsequent processing until the engagement metric exceeds the variable threshold; and
instructions to retroactively process the saved posture information as input of an engaged user of the computer system after the engagement metric exceeds the variable threshold.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An NUI system to provide user input to a computer system. The NUI system includes a logic machine and an instruction-storage machine. The instruction-storage machine holds instructions that, when executed by the logic machine, cause the logic machine to detect an engagement gesture from a human subject or to compute an engagement metric reflecting the degree of the subject'"'"'s engagement. The instructions also cause the logic machine to direct gesture-based user input from the subject to the computer system as soon as the engagement gesture is detected or the engagement metric exceeds a threshold.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A natural user-input (NUI) system to provide user input to a computer system, the NUI system including a logic machine and an instruction-storage machine, the instruction-storage machine holding instructions executable by the logic machine, the instructions comprising:
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instructions to receive posture information derived from depth video of a person, the depth video acquired with a depth camera; instructions to analyze the received posture information to compute an engagement metric for the person, the engagement metric increasing with greater indication that the person wishes to engage the computer system as a user, and decreasing with lesser indication that the person wishes to engage the computer system; instructions to assess user input being provided to the computer system; instructions to permit facile initial engagement of the person as the user and prevent loss of user engagement to another person in the depth video by maintaining a variable threshold at a first level responsive to posture information from a currently engaged user being processed as user input to the computer system, and at a second level, lower than the first level, responsive to there being no currently engaged user; instructions to process the received posture information as user input to the computer system only after the engagement metric exceeds the variable threshold; instructions to forego processing the received posture information as input of an engaged user of the computer system and to save the received posture information for subsequent processing until the engagement metric exceeds the variable threshold; and instructions to retroactively process the saved posture information as input of an engaged user of the computer system after the engagement metric exceeds the variable threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A natural user-input (NUI) system to provide user input to a computer system, the NUI system including a logic machine and an instruction-storage machine, the instruction-storage machine holding instructions executable by the logic machine, the instructions comprising:
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instructions to receive, for the human subject, posture information derived from depth video of that subject, the depth video acquired with a depth camera; instructions to analyze the received posture information to detect an engagement gesture from the human subject, the engagement gesture including a raising of a hand of the subject to a zone above the subject'"'"'s waist and between the subject'"'"'s torso and a display plane of the computer system, the raising followed by a pause during which the hand is stationary; instructions to process the received posture information as input of an engaged user of the computer system after detection of the engagement gesture; instructions to forego processing the received posture information as input of an engaged user of the computer system and to save the received posture information for subsequent processing until the engagement gesture is detected; and instructions to retroactively process the saved posture information as input of an engaged user of the computer system upon detection of the engagement gesture. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A natural user-input (NUI) system to provide user input to a computer system, the NUI system including a logic machine and an instruction-storage machine, the instruction-storage machine holding instructions executable by the logic machine, the instructions comprising:
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instructions to select a human subject to provide user input to the computer system; instructions to receive, for the human subject, posture information derived from depth video of that subject, the depth video acquired with a depth camera; instructions to analyze the received posture information to compute an engagement metric for the human subject, the engagement metric increasing with greater indication that the user wishes to engage the computer system and decreasing with lesser indication that the user wishes to engage the computer system; instructions to detect an engagement gesture of the human subject when the engagement metric exceeds a threshold; instructions to process the received posture information as input of an engaged user of the computer system after detection of the engagement gesture; instructions to forego processing the received posture information as input of an engaged user of the computer system and to save the received posture information for subsequent processing until the engagement gesture is detected; and instructions to retroactively process the saved posture information as input of an engaged user of the computer system upon detection of the engagement gesture. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification