Methods, systems, and products for gesture-activated appliances

• US 7,680,298 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2008
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Hong Thi, Silver, Edward Michael, Roberts, Linda Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): COUSO, YON JUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/247,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20090060268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/103, 382/107, 382/155, 382/187, 382/307, 345/86, 345/158, 345/169, 345/173, 345/863, 455/419, 455/420, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 700/12, 700/13, 715/863
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/082 on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/12 by detecting audible sound
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/125 by using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for operating home appliances using gesture recognition. A sequence of video images is received and compared to a stored sequence of gesture images. A recognized gesture is associated to a home appliance and to an operation of the home appliance. An appliance controller causes a response to the recognized gesture to perform the operation of the home appliance.

Claims

1. A method for operating an appliance, comprising:

receiving a sequence of video images;

comparing the sequence of video images by a processor to a sequence of gesture images stored in memory;

associating a recognized gesture to the appliance;

accessing a data store in the memory that associates the recognized gesture to an operation of the appliance; and

causing a controller to respond to the recognized gesture to perform the operation of the appliance.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating a voltage to operate the appliance.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication that the operation has been performed.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising opening a switch connected to the controller.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising closing a switch connected to the controller.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sampling a video signal to obtain the sequence of video images.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising setting a temperature in response to the gesture.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising turning on a light in response to the gesture.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising segmenting a video signal to obtain the sequence of video images.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising deriving positional data of the gesture within a frame.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising comparing the positional data corresponding to the gesture to each of a set of stored sequences of positional data to determine if the gesture is the recognized gesture.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating a sound to indicate the operation has been performed.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating a distinct sound for each different operation performed.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising comparing the sequence of video images to stored sign language gestures.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising powering on the appliance in response to the gesture.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising powering off the appliance in response to the gesture.

17. A system for operating an appliance, comprising:

a processor executing code stored in memory that causes the processor to;

receive a sequence of video images;

compare the sequence of video images to a stored sequence of gesture images;

associate a recognized gesture to the appliance;

access a data store that associates the recognized gesture to an operation of the appliance; and

cause a controller to respond to the recognized gesture to perform the operation of the appliance.

18. The system according to claim 17, further comprising code that causes the processor to indicate that the operation has been performed.

19. The system according to claim 17, further comprising code that causes the processor to power on the appliance in response to the gesture.

20. The system according to claim 17, further comprising code that causes the processor to power off the appliance in response to the gesture.