APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC ACTION SELECTION BASED ON IMAGE CONTEXT

• US 20140267649A1
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OrCam Technologies Ltd
• Original Assignee: OrCam Technologies Ltd
• Inventors: Wexler, Yonatan, Na'Aman, Erez, Shashua, Amnon
• Granted Patent: US 9,436,887 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/62
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/08 Devices or methods enabling eye-patients to replace direct visual perception by another kind of perception
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/24 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/279 Recognition of textual entities
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/16 using multiple overlapping images; Image stitching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/17 using hand-held instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/235 based on user input or interaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/243 by compensating for image skew or non-uniform image deformations
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/25 Determination of region of interest [ROI] or a volume of interest [VOI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/62 Text, e.g. of license plates, overlay texts or captions on TV images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/144 using a slot moved over the image; using discrete sensing elements at predetermined points; using automatic curve following means
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1478 of characters or characters lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/226 of cursive writing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/40 Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/414 Extracting the geometrical structure, e.g. layout tree; Block segmentation, e.g. bounding boxes for graphics or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/416 Extracting the logical structure, e.g. chapters, sections or page numbers; Identifying elements of the document, e.g. authors
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/418 : Document matching, e.g. of document images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/43 : Editing text-bitmaps, e.g. alignment, spacing; Semantic analysis of bitmaps of text without OCR
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/16 : Human faces, e.g. facial parts, sketches or expressions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 : Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 : using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 : Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/00 : Teaching, or communicating with, the blind, deaf or mute audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04; devices or methods for replacing direct visual or auditory perception by another kind of perception A61F9/08, A61F11/04; audible indication of meter readings or of colour G01D7/12; watches for blind persons G04B25/02; speech analysis, speech recognition G10L; sound-recording or reproducing, per se G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/001 : Teaching or communicating with blind persons G09B21/02 - G09B21/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 : using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 : using audible presentation of the information
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 : Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 : Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 : Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 : based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 : Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 : Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 : by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio

Abstract

Devices and a method are provided for providing context-related feedback to a user. In one implementation, the method comprises capturing real time image data from an environment of the user. The method further comprises identifying in the image data a hand-related trigger. Multiple context-based alternative actions are associated with the hand-related trigger. Further, the method comprises identifying in the image data an object associated with the hand-related trigger. The object is further associated with a particular context. Also, the method comprises selecting one of the multiple alternative actions based on the particular context. The method further comprises outputting the context-related feedback based on a result of the executed alternative action.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing context-related feedback to a user, the apparatus comprising:

an image sensor configured to capture real time image data from an environment of the user;

at least one processor device configured to;

identify in the image data a hand-related trigger, wherein multiple context-based alternative actions are associated with the hand-related trigger;

identify in the image data an object associated with the hand-related trigger, wherein the object is further associated with a particular context;

select one of the multiple alternative actions based on the particular context;

execute the selected alternative action; and

output the context-related feedback based on a result of the executed alternative action.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hand-related trigger includes an identification in the image data of at least a portion of the user'"'"'s hand.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor device is further configured to identify a plurality of hand-related triggers, and each hand-related trigger is associated with different multiple context-based alternative actions.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hand-related trigger includes an erratic movement of the object.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hand-related trigger includes an atypical movement of the object.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor device is further configured to identify in the image data a persistence of the hand-related trigger;

select a differing alternative action from the multiple alternative actions; and

execute the selected differing alternative action after outputting the context-related feedback.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image sensor is configured to be movable with a head of the user.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor device is further configured to determine the particular context using an identity of the object.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor device is further configured to determine the particular context using a background of the object.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor device is further configured to determine the particular context using a location of the hand-related trigger in at least one frame of the image.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor device is further configured to determine the particular context using information indicative of a location of the user.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor device is further configured to determine the particular context using information indicative of a time in which the hand-related trigger is identified.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor device is further configured to determine the particular context using information from at least one previous result of an action executed by the at least one processor.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor device is further configured to determine movement of a head of the user and to use the head movement determination to identify the object.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the alternative action is selected from a group comprising:

announcing an identity of an inanimate object, announcing an identity of an individual, scene identification, summing money, monitoring a status of a traffic light, saving an individual'"'"'s name, audibly reading text, audibly reading text summary, monitoring an objected expected to change, identifying a bus number, identifying currency, identifying a credit card, and identifying a pill.

16. An apparatus for providing context-related feedback to a user, the apparatus comprising:

an image sensor configured to be worn by the user and to capture real time image data from an environment of the user;

at least one processor device configured to;

identify a trigger in the image data, wherein multiple context-based alternative actions are associated with the trigger;

identify an object in the image data;

identify a background of the object in the image data;

determine a particular context using information about at least one of the identified object and the identified background;

select one of the multiple alternative actions based on the particular context;

execute the selected alternative action; and

output the context-related feedback based on a result of the executed alternative action.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the trigger in the image data includes a hand-related trigger.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the trigger in the image data includes an appearance of a new object within a field of view of the image sensor, and wherein the at least one processor device is further configured to:

determine whether the user has focused on the new object.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor device is further configured to identify a plurality of triggers, and each trigger is associated with a differing alternative action.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor device is further configured to determine the particular context using information indicative of a location of the user.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor device is further configured to determine the particular context using information retrieved from audio processing.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor device is further configured to determine movement of a head of the user and to use the head movement determination to determine the particular context.

23. A method for providing context-related feedback to a user, the method comprising:

capturing real time image data from an environment of the user;

identifying in the image data a hand-related trigger, wherein multiple context-based alternative actions are associated with the hand-related trigger;

identifying in the image data an object associated with the hand-related trigger, wherein the object is further associated with a particular context;

selecting one of the multiple alternative actions based on the particular context; and

outputting the context-related feedback based on a result of the executed alternative action.

24. A software product stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising data and computer implementable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 23.