Information processing method and information processing apparatus

• US 9,323,343 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2014
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Imoto, Hiroyasu, Yamauchi, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Application Number:
  US14/386,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20150054742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• 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: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

An information processing method is performed by an information processing apparatus, for executing predetermined processing in relation to an object displayed on a screen. The information processing method includes: obtaining position information indicating positions detected for two or more parts of an operating body; calculating a control amount on a basis of the positions of the two or more parts, the positions being indicated in the position information; and controlling including displaying, on the screen, a control symbol including a first symbol which represents the control amount calculated in the calculating and a second symbol which represents a threshold to be a criterion for determining whether or not the control amount satisfies a predetermined condition, and executing the predetermined processing in a case where the control amount is determined to satisfy the predetermined condition.

Claims

1. An information processing method to be performed by an information processing apparatus, for executing predetermined processing in relation to an object displayed on a screen, the information processing method comprising:

obtaining position information indicating positions detected for two or more parts of an operating body;

calculating a control amount on a basis of the positions of the two or more parts, the positions being indicated in the position information; and

controlling including (i) displaying, on the screen, a control symbol including (i-a) a first symbol which represents the control amount calculated in the calculating and (i-b) a second symbol which represents a threshold to be a criterion for determining whether or not the control amount satisfies a predetermined condition, and (ii) executing the predetermined processing in a case where the control amount is determined to satisfy the predetermined condition;

wherein the position information indicates a 3D position, the information processing method further comprising detecting 3D positions of the two or more parts of the operating body, causing generating the position information, the obtaining includes obtaining the position information generated in the detecting, and the controlling includes (i) displaying the control symbol at a 2D position found on the screen and obtained through predetermined projection transformation performed on one 3D position determined on a basis of the position information, and (ii) executing the predetermined processing in relation to an object displayed at a display position of the control symbol in a case where the control amount is determined to satisfy the predetermined condition.

2. The information processing method according to claim 1,

wherein the controlling further includes displaying a position symbol at a position, on the screen, determined in accordance with one or more of the positions indicated in the position information, and

in the controlling, the predetermined processing is executed in relation to an object displayed at a display position of the position symbol.

3. The information processing method according to claim 2,

wherein the position information indicates a three-dimensional (3D) position,

the information processing method further comprising detecting 3D positions of the two or more parts of the operating body, causing sequentially generating the position information,

in the obtaining, the position information generated in the detecting is sequentially obtained,

in the controlling, the position symbol and the control symbol are sequentially displayed on the screen in response to the sequentially obtaining the position information in the obtaining, and

in the controlling, the position at which the position symbol is to be displayed on the screen is a two-dimensional (2D) position obtained through predetermined projection transformation performed on one 3D position determined on a basis of the position information.

4. The information processing method according to claim 3,

wherein the second symbol includes a pictorial figure indicating the threshold and formed in a predetermined size, and

the first symbol includes a pictorial figure which is homologous to the pictorial figure included in the second symbol and formed in the predetermined size, the pictorial figure in the first symbol reflecting the control amount in a size of the pictorial figure in the first symbol.

5. The information processing method according to claim 4,

wherein the pictorial figure included in the second symbol and formed in the predetermined size is a circle used for indicating the threshold and formed in a predetermined size, and

the first symbol includes a circle obtained through predetermined projection transformation performed on a smallest sphere including the positions used as the basis for the calculation of the control amount, the circle in the first symbol being concentrically arranged with the circle in the second symbol.

6. The information processing method according to claim 5, further comprising

identifying one of the two or more parts of the operating body,

wherein the display position of the position symbol on the screen is a 2D position obtained through the predetermined projection transformation performed on a 3D position indicated in the position information on the one part identified in the identifying,

the smallest sphere has, as a center, a position of the one part identified in the identifying, and

in the calculating, the control amount is calculated (i) with reference to the position of the one part identified in the identifying and (ii) in accordance with an other position of at least one of the two or more parts of the operating body that is different from the one part identified in the identifying.

7. The information processing method according to claim 3,

wherein the second symbol includes a line segment having a predetermined gradient for indicating the threshold, and

the first symbol includes a line segment reflecting the control amount in a gradient of the line segment, the line segment in the first symbol and the line segment in the second symbol passing through a same point.

8. The information processing method according to claim 7,

wherein the line segment in the first symbol is obtained through predetermined projection transformation performed on a regression line found closest to the positions used as the basis for the calculation of the control amount,

the information processing method further comprising identifying one of the two or more parts of the operating body,

in the controlling, the display position of the position symbol on the screen is a 2D position obtained through the predetermined projection transformation performed on a 3D position indicated in the position information on the one part identified in the identifying,

the regression fine is a straight line passing through the 3D position indicated in the position information on the one part identified in the identifying, and

in the calculating, the control amount is calculated on a basis of an other position of at least one of the two or more parts of the operating body, the at least one part of the operating body being different from the one part identified in the identifying.

9. The information processing method according to claim 3, further comprising

identifying one of the two or more parts of the operating body,

wherein, in the controlling, the display position of the position symbol on the screen is a 2D position obtained through the predetermined projection transformation performed on a 3D position indicated in the position information on the one part identified in the identifying.

10. The information processing method according to claim 1,

wherein, in the controlling, the predetermined condition is determined to be satisfied in a case where the control amount and the threshold satisfy a predetermined relationship including an equivalence relationship or a magnitude relationship.

11. The information processing method according to claim 1,

wherein, in the controlling, the predetermined condition is determined to be satisfied in a case where the control amount changes, causing a change in magnitude relationship between the control amount and the threshold.

12. The information processing method according to claim 1,

wherein, in the controlling, the predetermined condition is determined to be satisfied only in one of cases where (i) the control amount changes from a value smaller than the threshold to a value larger than the threshold and (ii) the control amount changes from a value larger than the threshold to a value smaller than the threshold.

13. An information processing apparatus comprising:

an obtaining unit configured to obtain position information indicating positions detected for two or more parts of an operating body;

a calculating unit configured to calculate a control amount on a basis of the positions of the two or more parts, the positions being indicated in the position information; and

a control unit configured (i) to display, on the screen, a control symbol including (i-a) a first symbol which represents the control amount calculated in the calculating and (i-b) a second symbol which represents a threshold to be a criterion for determining whether or not the control amount satisfies a predetermined condition, and (ii) to execute the predetermined processing in a case where the control amount is determined to satisfy the predetermined condition;

wherein the position information indicates a 3D position, the information processing apparatus further comprising a detecting unit configured to detect 3D positions of the two or more parts of the operating body, to cause generating the position information, the obtaining includes obtaining the position information generated in the detecting, and the controlling includes (i) displaying the control symbol at a 2D position found on the screen and obtained through predetermined projection transformation performed on one 3D position determined on a basis of the position information, and (ii) executing the predetermined processing in relation to an object displayed at a display position of the control symbol in a case where the control amount is determined to satisfy the predetermined condition.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium which stores a control program for causing an information processing apparatus, including a processor, to execute information processing for executing predetermined processing in relation to an object displayed on a screen,

the information processing including:

obtaining position information indicating positions detected for two or more parts of an operating body;

calculating a control amount on a basis of the positions of the two or more parts, the positions being indicated in the position information; and

controlling including (i) displaying, on the screen, a control symbol including (i-a) a first symbol which represents the control amount calculated in the calculating and (i-b) a second symbol which represents a threshold to be a criterion for determining whether or not the control amount satisfies a predetermined condition, and (ii) executing the predetermined processing in a case where the control amount is determined to satisfy the predetermined condition;

wherein the position information indicates a 3D position, the information processing method further comprising detecting 3D positions of the two or more parts of the operating body, causing generating the position information, the obtaining includes obtaining the position information generated in the detecting, and the controlling includes (i) displaying the control symbol at a 2D position found on the screen and obtained through predetermined projection transformation performed on one 3D position determined on a basis of the position information, and (ii) executing the predetermined processing in relation to an object displayed at a display position of the control symbol in a case where the control amount is determined to satisfy the predetermined condition.