Position-of-interest detection device, position-of-interest detection method, and position-of-interest detection program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9778748-B2
Application number	US-201314404595-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2013
Priority date	Jun 1, 2012
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A distance calculation unit acquires a first position information indicating a position of a part of a body of each user indicated in an image captured by an imaging device. A user information analysis unit detects an operation region where a user can operate by using a part of a body, based on the first position information, and that identifies as an operator candidate a user having the part of the body indicated by the first position information in case that the detection of the operation region was possible. The user information analysis unit, of operator candidates, identifies as an operator a user including a part of the body in the operation region, and identifies as a user who cannot perform operation a user other than a user identified as the operator of the operator candidates. Because of the above, it is possible to increase operability.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A position-of-interest detection device comprising:
first and second imaging units configured to capture an image;
a position detection unit configured to acquire a three-dimensional position of a part of a body of a user indicated in the image captured by the first and second imaging devices; and
a user information analysis unit configured to detect a three-dimensional operation region where the user can operate by using the part of the body, the detection of the three-dimensional operation region being performed based on first and second vertexes specified by the user, the second vertex being diagonally opposite the first vertex, the three-dimensional operation region being included in a three-dimensional region, the three-dimensional region being established by lines of view of the user from eyes of the user, the lines of view passing through edges of a display region of a display device, the three-dimensional operation region broadening from the user toward the display device,
wherein the user information analysis unit is configured to identify as an operator the user including the part of the body in a case that the three-dimensional position is included in the three-dimensional operation region.

2. The position-of-interest detection device according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in the case that the three-dimensional position is included in the three-dimensional operation region, the user information analysis unit is configured to detect user information that includes information indicating a shape of the part of the body of the user, the position-of-interest detection device further comprising a control unit configured to execute processing corresponding the user information detected by the user information analysis unit.

3. The position-of-interest detection device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the position-of-interest detection device further comprises a position-of-interest detection unit configured to associate a size of the three-dimensional operation region detected by the user information analysis unit in a case that the user is viewed from the display device with a size of an operated region in the display region and calculate, based on the association, a corresponding position within an operated region from the three-dimensional position within the three-dimensional operation region.

4. The position-of-interest detection device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the position-of-interest detection device further comprises a position-of-interest detection unit configured to associate a size of the three-dimensional operation region detected by the user information analysis unit in a case that the user is viewed from the display device with a size of an operated region in the display region and calculate, based on the association, a corresponding position within an operated region from the three-dimensional position within the three-dimensional operation region.

5. The position-of-interest detection device according to claim 4 , wherein the position detection unit is configured to use, as the part of the body, a hand.

6. The position-of-interest detection device according to claim 1 ,
the position-of-interest detection device further comprises a display unit configured to display the image captured by the first and second imaging devices, and
the first and second imaging devices are installed at positions higher than that of the display unit.

7. The position-of-interest detection device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the position-of-interest detection device further comprises a position-of-interest detection unit configured to associate a size of the three-dimensional operation region detected by the user information analysis unit in a case that the user is viewed from the display device with a size of an operated region in the display region and calculate, based on the association, a corresponding position within an operated region from the three-dimensional position within the three-dimensional operation region.

8. The position-of-interest detection device according to claim 6 ,
wherein, in the case that the three-dimensional position is included in the three-dimensional operation region, the user information analysis unit is configured to detect user information that includes information indicating a shape of the part of the body of the user, the position-of-interest detection device further comprising a control unit configured to execute processing corresponding the user information detected by the user information analysis unit.

9. The position-of-interest detection device according to claim 1 , further comprises a position-of-interest detection unit configured to calculate a position indicated by the part of the body of the operator that is a position within an operated region in the display region, based on reference position information representing a position of at least one of an eye and a face of the operator and instruction position information indicating a position of the part of the body of the operator.

10. The position-of-interest detection device according to claim 9 ,
wherein, in the case that the three-dimensional position is included in the three-dimensional operation region, the user information analysis unit is configured to detect user information that includes information indicating a shape of the part of the body of the user, the position-of-interest detection device further comprising a control unit configured to execute processing corresponding the user information detected by the user information analysis unit.

11. The position-of-interest detection device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the position-of-interest detection device further comprises a position-of-interest detection unit configured to associate a size of the three-dimensional operation region detected by the user information analysis unit in a case that the user is viewed from the display device with a size of an operated region in the display region and calculate, based on the association, a corresponding position within an operated region from the three-dimensional position within the three-dimensional operation region.

12. The position-of-interest detection device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the user information analysis unit is configured to identify as at least one user who cannot perform operation at least one user other than the user identified as the operator.

13. The position-of-interest detection device according to claim 12 ,
wherein, in the case that the three-dimensional position is included in the three-dimensional operation region, the user information analysis unit is configured to detect user information that includes information indicating a shape of the part of the body of the user, the position-of-interest detection device further comprising a control unit configured to execute processing corresponding the user information detected by the user information analysis unit.

14. The position-of-interest detection device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a shape of the three-dimensional operation region is a truncated pyramid.

15. The position-of-interest detection device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the user information analysis unit is configured to:
use, as the first vertex, a first position where the part of the body became a first shape; and
use, as the second vertex, a second position where the part of the body became a second shape from the first shape, the second shape being different from the first shape.

16. A position-of-interest detection method comprising:
acquiring a three-dimensional position of a part of a body of a user in

Assignees

• Sharp Kk

Inventors

• Shimura Tomoya

Classifications

• G06F3/005 Primary

  Input arrangements through a video camera · CPC title

• G06F3/017 Primary

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06F3/0304

  Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042) · CPC title

• G06F3/0425

  using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected (tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386) · CPC title

• G06K9/00335

  Physics · mapped topic