Interface apparatus

• US 20060182346A1
• Filed: 09/17/2002
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Government of Japan)
• Original Assignee: National Institute of ADV Industrial SCI and Tech
• Inventors: Sakaue, Katsuhiko, Yoda, Ikushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,680,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/190
• 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

Abstract

An interface is provided that corresponds to an individual person without being restricted to a particular place within a room, by performing gesture recognition while identifying an individual person. A stereo camera (1) picks up an image of a user (4), and based on the image pickup output, an image processor 2 transmits a color image within a visual field and a distance image to an information integrated recognition device (3). The information integrated recognition device (3) identifies an individual by the face of the user (4), senses the position, and recognizes a significant gesture based on a hand sign of the user (4). The information integrated recognition device (3) executes a command corresponding the identified user (4) and performs operations of all devices (6) to be operated in the room (such as a TV set, an air conditioner, an electric fan, illumination, acoustic condition, and window opening/closing).

Claims

1. An interface apparatus comprising:

image processing means for picking up an image of a room in an indoor space by a plurality of stereo cameras, and producing a picked up image within a visual field and a distance image based on an indoor coordinate system for each stereo camera;

means for extracting recognition objects based on distance information from each of the stereo cameras;

means for classifying the extracted recognition objects into categories including an intended hand sign pointed by a person in the indoor space;

means for identifying, when a hand sign has been identified, whether the hand sign is an intended one, based on a direction pointed by the hand, and a kind and movement of the sign; and

means for noting an object sequentially from the top side thereof along the height direction of a space, and recognizing the object by clipping it sequentially from the top side thereof.

2. The interface apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for issuing commands for operating an indoor device each based on the intended hand sign, the commands varying from a previously registered individual person to another.

3. The interface apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for previously acquiring and storing logs of all behavior of the person in the indoor space, and utilizing them for the identification of the intended hand sign.

4. The interface apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the categories are classified into the hand sign, the head portion of a person, and others, which are articles.

5. The interface apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

registration means for registering the face image and the hand sign of the person for each individual;

learning means for previously storing each command corresponding to a respective one of various gestures based on hand signs; and

means for registering a device to be operated and a command therefor.

6. The interface apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a space in which a plurality of cameras is provided all around, the identification, and the transmission of a hand sign that are not restricted to a particular position can be performed.

8. The interface apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the identification of a person is performed based on the head portion and the stature of the person.

9. The interface apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a function of observing postures of an individual person for a long time while identifying the person, and notifying of the observation results by voice or on a display; and

a function of registering behavior for each individual person, the behavior being supposed to be observed.

7. (canceled)