Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1997-07-03
2001-06-26
Bayerl, Raymond J. (Department: 2773)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C382S181000, C345S156000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06252598
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a method and apparatus for inputting commands to a computer using hand signals. More particularly, the present invention relates to a video based computer interface wherein images of hand gestures are used to control a computer.
II. Description of the Related Art
Various types of computer control and interface devices exist for inputting commands to a computer. Such devices may for example take the form of a computer mouse, joystick or trackball, wherein a user manipulates the interface device to perform a particular operation such as to select a specific entry from a menu of options, perform a “click” or “point” function, etc. A significant problem associated with such interface devices is that a surface area is needed for placement of the device and, in the case of a mouse, to accommodate device movement and manipulation. In addition, such interface devices are generally connected by a cable to a computer CPU with the cable typically draped across the user's desk, causing obstruction of the user's work area. Moreover, because interface device manipulation for performing operations is not consistent with common communication movements, such as the use of a pointing finger hand gesture to select a menu entry, as opposed to maneuvering a mouse until the cursor rests on the desired menu entry, a user must become comfortable and familiar with the operation of the particular interface device before proficiency in use may be attained. Accordingly, a need exists for a computer interface wherein common and typically widely used hand gestures can be used for operation initiation and selection.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the use of images input to a computer for effectuating computer control. The computer contains image processing capabilities for operatively interpreting the received images. The invention may, by way of preferred example, utilize a video camera or other video input device connected to an image processing computer, with the camera positioned to receive images of an object. In particular, the object is illustratively a user's hand and the image processing capabilities act upon predetermined recognized hand gestures as computer commands. Hand images from the camera are converted to a digital format and input to the computer for processing. The results of the processing and attempted recognition of each image are sent to an application or the like for performing various functions or operations. The video input device is preferably positioned above the user's workstation pointed downward to obtain elevated views of a user's hand. The inventive method of identifying a hand gesture in an image frame is illustratively performed by conducting a region extraction step which defines a set of regions containing or possibly containing an image of a hand in a video frame of a video input signal. The set of regions in the image is then processed by a screening step which detects and selects one of the defined regions of the image as a hand image i.e. identifies one of the regions in the image as a hand. If a hand image is thereby identified, then the set of localized features of the hand image is computed from the boundary of the selected hand region. The boundary of the hand region is thereafter analyzed to correlate the boundary data with one of stored plurality of hand gestures. Once a particular gesture is determined or identified in the frame, an application or operation associated with the identified gesture is performed by or under the control of the computer.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5436639 (1995-07-01), Arai et al.
patent: 5454043 (1995-09-01), Freeman
patent: 5594469 (1997-01-01), Freeman et al.
patent: 5767842 (1998-06-01), Korth
Bayerl Raymond J.
Lucent Technologies - Inc.
Nguyen Thomas T.
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