Voice activated image capture device and method

• US 7,525,575 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2004
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Europa N.V. (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Europa N.V. (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Saito, Takashi, Fraser, Robert Anthony Walkinshaw, Rees, David Llewellyn
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Tuan V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Selby; Gevell
• Application Number:
  US10/937,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20050128311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 3482111-21199, 455/563, 382/246, 704/246
• US Class Current: 348/211.99
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/00 Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor lens hoods or caps G03B11/04
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/38 Releasing-devices separate from shutter integral with shutter G03B9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

An image capture device is described having a remote photograph mode in which images can be captured without physical contact with the device. The device is activated by the user speaking a keyword. The image capturing device is arranged so that after being initialized in the remote capture mode of operation, it enters a standby state for a period of time in which it is unresponsive to utterances and, after a period of time sets itself into a listening state in which it can capture images in response to detecting spoken keywords.

Claims

1. An image capture device comprising:

a first receiver operable to receive a user input for initiating a remote image capture operation of the image capture device;

a second receiver operable to receive a speech signal representative of an utterance of a user;

a processor operable to process the received speech signal to detect a keyword in the utterance;

an image capturer operable to capture an image; and

a controller responsive to said first receiver and said processor and operable to control said image capturer, such that said controller is operable to;

(a) in response to the user input, set the image capture device into a standby state for a period of time in which the image capture device is unresponsive to utterances of the user, and

(b) after the period of time, set the image capture device into a listening state in which said controller is operable, in response to keyword detection by the processor, to cause said image capturer to capture an image.

2. An image capture device according to claim 1, wherein said controller is operable to cause said image capture device to capture an image a user-defined period after the keyword detection.

3. An image capture device according to claim 2, wherein said first receiver is operable to receive a user input defining the user-defined period.

4. An image capture device according to claim 1, wherein said controller is operable, after the keyword detection, to set the image capture device into the standby state for a predetermined period of time before returning the image capture device to the listening state.

5. An image capture device according to claim 1, wherein said controller is operable to cause the image capture device to cycle between the standby and listening states during the remote image capture operation.

6. An image capture device according to claim 1, wherein said controller is operable to cause said image capturer to capture an image in response to said processor detecting plural successive keywords.

7. An image capture device according to claim 6, wherein said controller is operable to cause said image capturer to capture an image in response to said processor detecting a plurality of successive different keywords.

8. An image capture device according to claim 1, wherein said controller is operable to output an indication when the image capture device is in the listening state and is listening for a keyword.

9. An image capture device according to claim 8, wherein said controller is operable to output a visible indication when the image capture device is in the listening state.

10. An image capture device according to claim 1, wherein said controller includes a counter for counting a number of images captured by said image capturer during the remote image capture operation.

11. An image capture device according to claim 10, wherein said controller is operable to use the counter to limit a number of images that can be captured during the remote image capture operation.

12. An image capture device according to claim 1, wherein if no keyword is detected by said processor during a predetermined period of time after the remote image capture operation has been initiated, said controller is operable to cause said image capturer to capture an image and to terminate the remote image capture operation.

13. An image capture device according to claim 1, wherein said controller is operable to terminate the remote image capture operation a predetermined period of time after the remote image capture operation was initiated.

14. An image capture device according to claim 1, wherein said second receiver comprises a microphone.

15. An image capture device according to claim 1, wherein said processor comprises a word model store for storing word models for one or more keywords, and wherein said processor is operable to detect a keyword by comparing the received speech signal with the word models.

16. An image capture device according to claim 1, wherein said controller is operable to set the image capture device into the listening state by switching on said second receiver.

17. An image capture device according to claim 1, wherein said controller is operable to set the image capture device into the listening state by switching on said processor.

18. An image capturing method carried out in an image capture device, the method comprising:

receiving a user input for initiating a remote image capture operation of the image capture device;

receiving a speech signal representative of an utterance of a user;

processing the received speech signal to detect a keyword in the utterance; and

controlling the image capture device to capture an image in response to the user input and keyword detection, said controlling step comprising;

(a) in response to the user input, setting the image capture device into a standby state for a period of time in which the image capture device is unresponsive to utterances of the user, and

(b) after the period of time, setting the image capture device into a listening state and causing the image capture device to capture an image in response to the keyword detection.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said controlling step further comprises causing the image capture device to capture an image a user defined period after the keyword detection.

20. A method according to claim 19, further comprising receiving a user input defining said user defined period.

21. A method according to claim 18, wherein said controlling step further comprises setting, after the keyword detection, the image capture device into the standby state for a predetermined period of time before returning the image capture device to the listening state.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein said controlling step further comprises causing the image capture device to cycle between the standby and listening states during the remote image capture operation.

23. A method according to claim 18, wherein said controlling step further comprises causing the image capture device to capture an image in response to a detection of plural successive keywords.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein said controlling step further comprises causing the image capture device to capture an image in response to a detection of a plurality of successive different keywords.

25. A method according to claim 18, wherein said controlling step further comprises outputting an indication to the user when the image capture device is in the listening state and is listening for a keyword.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein said controlling step further comprises outputting a visible indication to the user when the image capture device is in the listening state.

27. A method according to claim 18, further comprising counting a number of images captured by the image capture device during the remote image capture operation.

28. A method according to claim 27, wherein said controlling step further comprises using a count from said counting step to limit a number of images that can be captured during the remote image capture operation.

29. A method according to claim 18, wherein said controlling step further comprises causing, if no keyword is detected during a predetermined period of time after the remote image capture operation has been initiated, the image capture device to capture an image and to terminate the remote image capture operation.

30. A method according to claim 18, wherein said controlling step further comprises terminating the remote image capture operation a predetermined period of time after the remote image capture operation was initiated.

31. A method according to claim 18, wherein the speech signal is received from a microphone.

32. A method according to claim 18, wherein said processing step further comprises detecting a keyword by comparing the received speech signal with stored word models representative of one or more keywords.

33. A method according to claim 18, wherein said controlling step further comprises setting the image capture device into the listening state by causing said speech signal receiving step to be performed.

34. A method according to claim 18, wherein the image capture device is set into the listening state by causing said processing step to be performed.

35. An image capture device comprising:

first receiving means for receiving a user input for initiating a remote image capture operation of the image capture device;

second receiving means for receiving a speech signal representative of an utterance of a user;

processing means for processing the received speech signal to detect a keyword in the utterance;

capturing means for capturing an image; and

a controller responsive to said first receiving means and said processing means and operable to control said capturing means, wherein said controller is operable to;

(a) in response to said user input, set the image capture device into a standby state for a period of time in which the image capture device is unresponsive to utterances, and

(b) after the period of time, set the image capture device into a listening state in which said controller is operable, in response to keyword detection by the processor, to cause said capturing means to capture an image.

36. An image capture device comprising:

a first receiver operable to receive a user input for initiating a remote image capture operation of the image capture device;

a second receiver operable to receive a speech signal representative of an utterance of a user;

a processor operable to process the received speech signal to detect a keyword in the user'"'"'s utterance;

an image capturer operable to capture an image; and

a controller responsive to said first receiver and said processor and operable to control said image capturer;

wherein said controller is operable, in response to the user input, to set the image capture device into a standby state for a period of time in which the image capture device is unresponsive to utterances of the user and, after said period of time, is operable to set the image capture device into an active state.