METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING A DEVICE BY MEMBERS OF A GROUP

• US 20180130556A1
• Filed: 04/15/2016
• Published: 05/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: DOBAI, Iulia, CHEN, Njin-Zu, VAN LEENGOED, Marleen Johanna Jacoba
• Granted Patent: US 10,720,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/60 for the operation of medical equipment or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A method of operating a device by controlling the device based on input received from group members, uses a sensor unit for monitoring each group member for detecting an instruction provided by a group member. The instruction includes a visual or audible instruction. Upon detecting, a control unit associates a control command with the instruction. The control unit provides the control command to the device. For establishing the group the method includes performing, by user input means for interacting with a user, an authentication for adding said user as group member. For identifying the control command, the method comprises associating the detected instruction with the instructing group member among the group members, accessing member profile from a memory unit comprising a set of reference instructions, and matching the instruction with a reference instruction selected from the set of reference instructions in the profile. An apparatus is arranged for performing the method.

Claims

1. Method of operating a device by controlling the device based on input received from one or more group members of a group, the method comprising the steps of:

performing, by user input means for interacting with one or more users, an authentication of each user for adding said user as a group member for establishing the group, so that only authenticated group members are to be monitored;

monitoring, using a sensor unit, each authenticated group member for detecting at least one instruction provided by an instructing group member of said one or more authenticated group members, said instruction including at least one of a visual or audible instruction;

identifying, by a control unit upon detecting of the instruction, a control command for controlling the device, the control command being associated with the instruction, said identifying the control command comprising;

a) associating by the control unit the detected instruction with the instructing group member among the authenticated group members,

b) accessing a member profile data of the instructing group member from a memory unit, the member profile data of the instructing group member comprising a set of reference instructions, and

c) matching the detected instruction with a given reference instruction selected from the set of reference instructions in the member profile data of the instructing group member for identifying the control command; and

providing, by the control unit, the control command to the device only if the detected instruction matches a reference instruction in the member profile data of the instructing group member.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein said step of monitoring comprises continuously tracking of each authenticated group member.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein said identifying the control command further comprises verifying for said identified control command an authorization status obtained from the member profile data of said instructing group member.

5. Method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of storing of the instruction, the identified control command, and a member identifier of the instructing group member in the memory unit.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein said step of authenticating comprises a further step of accessing a group profile from the memory unit for enabling identification of the authenticated user as an authorized group member, prior to said adding of said user as said group member.

7. Method according to claim 1 for operating a plurality of devices, wherein the control unit is comprised by a central unit receiving sensor signals from said sensor unit, and wherein the memory unit is accessible by said control unit, the method further comprises the steps of:

identifying, by the control unit, a candidate device for receiving the control command, wherein the candidate device is identified by means of said matching of the detected instruction with the reference instruction in the member profile data of said instructing group member.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit is arranged for at least one element of a group comprising:

receiving visual images such as to detect gestures or poses, receiving audio signals such as to detect voice or other sounds.

13. Computer program product downloadable from a communication network and/or stored on a computer-readable and/or microprocessor-executable medium, the product comprising program code instructions for implementing a method for operating a device by controlling the device based on input received from one or more group members of a group in accordance with claim 1.

14. Data carrier comprising a computer program product in accordance with claim 13.

2. (canceled)

9. Apparatus for controlling operation of a device by controlling the device based on input received from one or more group members of a group, the apparatus comprising:

a sensor unit for monitoring each group member for detecting at least one instruction provided by an instructing group member of said one or more group members, said sensor unit being arranged for receiving at least one of visual images or audible signals such as to detect visual or audible instructions; and

a control unit communicatively connected to said sensor unit for receiving an output signal from said sensor unit, said control unit including a processor for identifying upon detecting of the instruction a control command for controlling the device, the control command being associated with the instruction, wherein the control unit is communicatively connected to the device;

wherein the apparatus further comprises;

user input means for interacting with a user for performing an authentication of said user for adding said user as a group member for establishing the group, so that only authenticated group members are monitored; and

a memory unit for storing one or more member profile data of the authenticated group members, the member profile data of each authenticated group member comprising a set of reference instructions for said group member;

wherein the control unit by said processor is further arranged for associating the detected instruction with the instructing group member among the authenticated group members, accessing the member profile data of the instructing group member from the memory unit, matching the detected instruction with a given reference instruction selected from the set of reference instructions in the member profile data of the instructing group member for identifying the control command and providing the control command to the device only if the detected instruction matches a reference instruction in the member profile data of the instructing group member.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the user input means comprises at least one element of a group comprising:

a biometrics scanner, including an iris or retina scanner for authenticating the user based on personal eye characteristics, or a fingerprint scanner;

a keyboard for entering personal log-on details, a touch sensitive screen, or a camera.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the sensor unit comprises at least one element of a group comprising an imaging device or imaging arrangement, including one or more cameras for observing a region, an audio sensor device or audio sensor arrangement, including one or more microphones for sensing audio signals.

12. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control unit by said processor is further arranged for identifying a candidate device for receiving the control command, wherein the candidate device is identified by means of said matching of the detected instruction with the reference instruction in the member profile data.