GROUP INPUTS VIA IMAGE SENSOR SYSTEM

• US 20140357369A1
• Filed: 06/04/2013
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sterchi, Henry C., Callens, Adam, Seamons, Michael Scott, Kurtz, Roger, Whallon, Marie Elizabeth, McAuliffe, Kim, Smith, Louise Mary, Nielsen, Soren Hannibal, Persson, Michael Saxs, McCarthy, David, Heather, Bruce, Amor, David, Aidley, Tim, Rowlands, Scott
• Application Number:
  US13/910,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20140357369A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes

Abstract

Embodiments that relate to detecting via an image sensor inputs made by a group of users are provided. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a method including receiving image information of the play space from a capture device, identifying a body of a user within the play space from the received image information, and identifying a head within the play space from the received image information. The method further includes associating the head with the body of the user, identifying an extremity, and if the extremity meets a predetermined condition relative to one or more of the head and body, then performing an action via the computing device.

Claims

1. A method for operating a computing device, comprising:

receiving image information of the play space from a capture device;

identifying a body of a user within the play space from the received image information;

identifying a head within the play space from the received image information;

associating the head with the body of the user;

identifying an extremity; and

if the extremity meets a predetermined condition relative to one or more of the head and the body of the user, then performing an action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the extremity includes a hand.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the hand further comprises analyzing image information of the play space within a window extending across a left side and a right side of the head, and if a mass is detected within the window, identifying the hand.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining a centerline through the head, and wherein the predetermined condition relative to one or more of the head and the body comprises the hand being equal to or above the centerline and within a threshold distance of the head.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action comprises registering that the user is entering a vote for a choice presented on a display device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the extremity does not meet the predetermined condition relative to one or more of the head and the body, then not performing the action.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the head with the body further comprises determining a position of the head relative to the body, and if the head is centered over and overlapping with the body, then associating the head with the body.

8. A storage subsystem holding instructions executable by a logic subsystem to:

receive image information of a play space from a capture device;

identify a plurality of bodies within the play space from the received image information;

identify a plurality of heads within the play space from the received image information;

identify at least one head-body pair from among the plurality of heads and the plurality of bodies; and

for each head-body pair,

identify an extremity of that head-body pair; and

if the extremity of that head-body pair meets a predetermined condition relative to one or more of the head and body of that head-body pair, then perform an action.

9. The storage subsystem of claim 10, wherein the instructions are executable to determine if a head of the plurality of heads is centered over and overlapping a body of the plurality of bodies, and if so, associate that head with that body to identify a head-body pair.

10. The storage subsystem of claim 8, wherein the instructions are executable to analyze the image information within a window extending across a left side and a right side of the head, and if a mass is detected within the window, then identify a hand.

11. The storage subsystem of claim 8, wherein the instructions are further executable to, for each head-body pair, determine a centerline through the head of that head-body pair.

12. The storage subsystem of claim 11, wherein the extremity comprises a hand, and wherein the predetermined condition relative to one or more of the head and body comprises the hand being equal to or above the centerline and within a threshold distance of the head.

13. The storage subsystem of claim 8, wherein the action comprises registering that that head-body pair is entering a vote for a choice presented on a display device.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the instructions are further executable to, if the extremity does not meet the predetermined condition relative to one or more of the head and body, not perform the action.

15. On a computing device, a method for registering votes, comprising:

outputting to a display device video content including a first selectable choice and a second selectable choice;

receiving image information of a play space from a capture device;

identifying one or more head-body pairs from the received image information;

for each head-body pair,

identifying if a hand of that head-body pair is within a threshold distance from a head of that head-body pair from the received image information; and

if the hand of that head-body pair meets a predetermined condition relative to the head of that head-body pair, then registering a vote for either the first selectable choice or the second selectable choice.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein outputting to the display device video content including the first selectable choice and the second selectable choice further comprises outputting to the display device video content including the first selectable choice non-concurrently with video content including the second selectable choice.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein identifying the one or more head-body pairs comprises:

identifying one or more bodies within the play space from the received image information;

identifying one or more of heads within the play space from the received image information; and

if a head of the one or more heads is centered over and overlapping a body of the one or more of bodies, associating that head with that body to identify a head-body pair.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein registering a vote for either the first selectable choice or second selectable choice further comprises:

if the hand of that head-body pair is above a centerline and on a right hand side of the head of that head-body pair, then registering the vote for the first selectable choice; and

if the hand of that head-body pair is above the centerline and on a left hand side of the head of that head-body pair, then registering the vote for the second selectable choice.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising outputting an indication of the registered vote for each head-body pair to the display device.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising modeling a virtual skeleton of each user present in the play space based on the received image information in order to identify the one or more head-body pairs and associated hands.