Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9626878-B2
Application number	US-201314059896-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2013
Priority date	Nov 2, 2012
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a posture estimation unit, an abnormality determination unit, and a presentation unit. The posture estimation unit is configured to estimate a neck posture of a user. The abnormality determination unit is configured to determine whether a posture is abnormal based on the neck posture estimated by the posture estimation unit. The presentation unit is configured to present an abnormality of the posture to the user, when the abnormality determination unit determines that the posture is abnormal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:
a depth camera configured to obtain a captured image that indicates a distance from an imaging position for pixels of the captured image;
a posture estimation unit configured to estimate a neck posture of a user by analyzing the captured image based on a positional relationship between estimated areas of a head and a shoulder of the user;
an abnormality determination unit configured to determine whether a posture is abnormal based on the estimated neck posture; and
a presentation unit configured to present a presented abnormality of the posture to the user, when the posture is determined to be abnormal, wherein the presented abnormality of the posture comprises the captured image of the posture of the user from a side direction, and includes linear information indicating degree of abnormality of the users posture, and wherein the posture estimation unit, the abnormality determination unit, and the presentation unit are each implemented at least in part via a processor of the information processing apparatus.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the depth camera is further configured to capture, as the captured image, the user from above at a fixed angle.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the depth camera is arranged on a ceiling and is configured to capture the captured image of the user from above at the fixed angle.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the depth camera is arranged on an upper portion of a backrest of a chair, on which the user sits, and is configured to capture the captured image of the user from above at the fixed angle.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a displacement amount measurement unit configured to measure a displacement amount of the estimated neck posture from a proper posture of the neck posture of the user, wherein the presentation unit is further configured to present the abnormality of the posture to the user according to the measured displacement amount, and wherein the displacement amount measurement unit is implemented at least in part via a processor of the information processing apparatus.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising, when a main body of the information processing apparatus is held for use:
a motion sensor unit configured to detect a direction of the main body against gravity, wherein the depth camera captures the captured image of the user holding the main body and facing the front of the main body;
a face image detection unit configured to detect a face of the user from the captured image; and
a shoulder detection unit configured to detect the shoulder of the user from the captured image, wherein the posture estimation unit is further configured to estimate the neck posture of the user based on information including a distance from the depth camera to the head of the user, a distance from the depth camera to the shoulder of the user, and directions of the head and the shoulder against gravity, and
wherein the distance from the depth camera to the head of the user is calculated from a size of the face in the captured image, the distance from the depth camera to the shoulder of the user is calculated from a size of the shoulder in the captured image, and the directions of the head and the shoulder against gravity are detected from a result of motion sensing, wherein the face image detection unit and the shoulder detection unit are each implemented at least in part via a processor of the information processing apparatus.

7. An information processing method, the method comprising:
obtaining, via at least one depth camera, a captured image that indicates a distance from an imaging position for pixels of the captured image;
estimating, with a computing device configured to process image data from the at least one depth camera, a neck posture of a user by analyzing the captured image based on a positional relationship between an estimated areas of a head and a shoulder of the user;
determining, with the computing device, whether a posture is abnormal based on the estimated neck posture; and
presenting, via a presenter, an abnormality of the posture to the user, when the posture is determined to be abnormal,
wherein the presented abnormality of the posture comprises the captured image of the posture of the user from a side direction, and includes linear information indicating a degree of abnormality of the user's posture.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computing device, cause the commuting device to execute a method, the method comprising:
obtaining, using at least one depth camera, a captured image that indicates a distance from an imaging position for pixels of the captured image;
estimating a neck posture of a user by analyzing the captured image based on a positional relationship between an estimated areas of a head and a shoulder of the user;
determining whether a posture is abnormal based on the estimated neck posture; and
presenting, using a presenter, an abnormality of the posture to the user, when the posture is determined to be abnormal,
wherein the presented abnormality of the posture comprises the captured image of the posture of the user from a side direction, and includes linear information indicating a degree of abnormality of the users posture.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising an area estimation unit configured to estimate an area with a predetermined height to be a backrest of a chair, estimate an area with a largest distance from the floor to be the head, estimate an area to be the shoulder, and estimate an area which is located lower than the head to have an oval shape,
wherein the area estimation unit is implemented at least in part via a processor of the information processing apparatus.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the posture estimation unit is further configured to calculate posture information including a position of gravity in the area estimated to be the backrest of the chair and a position of gravity in the area estimated to be the head.

11. The information processing apparatus according claim 1 , wherein the presented abnormality of the posture further comprises skeleton diagrams of the user.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Rekimoto Junichi

Classifications

• G06T7/73

  using feature-based methods · CPC title

• G06T2200/04

  involving 3D image data · CPC title

• G06T2207/30196

  Human being; Person · CPC title

• G06T2207/10028

  Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds · CPC title

• G09B19/00 Primary

  Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass (teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26) · CPC title