# US 2014/0152903 A1 · Sensor means for television receiver

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- Number: US 2014/0152903 A1
- Document ID: US20140152903A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/232,959
- Filed: 2012-07-12
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-07-15
- Inventors: Claudio Nori
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140152903A1

## CPC

- H04N 5/66: Transforming electric information into light information (scanning details H04N3/00)
- H04N 21/422: Input-only peripherals {, i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices}, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] {(input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104)}
- H04N 21/42201: {biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user (input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015)}
- H04N 21/42202: {environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes}
- H04N 21/42203: {sound input device, e.g. microphone}
- H04N 21/4223: Cameras (H04N23/00 takes precedence)
- H04N 21/4415: using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning {(cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861)}
- H04N 21/44218: {Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV programme (methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45)}
- H04N 21/42206: {characterized by hardware details}
- H04N 21/42222: {Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

An electric and electronic sensor for selecting high resolution multi-medial operative programs and functions, connected to an interface device (2) for an appliance for processing a plurality of high resolution multi-medial operative programs and functions, integrated with a television receiver screen (7), for setting, performing such multi-medial operative programs and functions for personal computers and television receivers, and displaying them on the video screen (7). The sensor includes a set of sensors (12-18) connected to a microprocessor (1) of the interface device (2) and adapted to select the operative programs and function by the spaced away movements and gestures of the user, without the user directly manipulating the various sensor circuits and/or utilizing remote control apparatus, and also by not pressing, touching or skimming any device interacting with these sensor circuits.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Electric and electronic sensor means for selecting high resolution multi-medial operative functions and programs, connected to an interface device for an appliance for processing a plurality of high resolution multi-medial operative programs and functions, integrated with a television receiver screen (7), for setting, performing such multi-medial operative programs and functions and displaying them on to the such screen (7), said an appliance comprising main electronic control means (master microprocessor 5) of traditional type, for controlling and managing informatics digital and analog data in general and data of operative programs and functions for personal computers and television receivers of various kind, and also comprising means for reproducing sounds of such operative programs and functions (electronic block 8) connected to said main electronic control means (5) and said screen (7), and being made and operating like the appliance described and claimed in the patent application for invention n. PN2005A000038, filed on Jun. 15, 2005 by the same Applicant, and said interface device (2) comprising second main electronic control means (microprocessor 1) of traditional type, connected to said first main electronic control means (5) and to said sensor means (12-18), said appliance and said interface device (2) being connected to a system for processing on a real time the human voice for processing and controlling said plurality of multi-medial operative programs and functions, comprising third control means (microprocessor 11) adapted to be activated and de-activated by means of a human voice control, and connected to said first and second main electronic control means (5, 1) for performing an exchange of informatics data coded in a digital mode, said processing system being made and operating like the system described in the patent application n. PN2006A000069, filed on Sep. 13, 2006 by the same Applicant, characterized in that said sensor means (12-18) comprise first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh sensor means (12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18) connected to said second main electronic control means (1) and adapted to select the operative programs and functions of said appliance by acquiring directly from the user the remotely effected movements and gestures, without the direct handling by the user of these sensor circuits, and/or the use by the user of remote control devices or similar devices, or the pressing, touching or skimming by the user of any device interacting with these sensor circuits, said first sensor means (12) being constituted by monoscopic video sensors (electronic block 12), said second sensor means (13) being constituted by monoscopic video sensors with dichroic systems for stereoscopy (electronic block 13), said third sensor means (14) being constituted by stereoscopic video sensors (electronic block 14), said fourth sensor means (15) being constituted by movement sensors (electronic block 15), said fifth sensor means (16) being constituted by multi-channel audio sensors (electronic block 16), said sixth sensor means (17) being constituted by passive infrared sensors (electronic block 17), and said seventh sensor means (18) being constituted by ambient brightness sensors (electronic block 18), of which said sixth and seventh sensor means (17, 18) are made and operated like those described in the patent application n. PN2010A000006, filed on Jan. 28, 2010 by the same Applicant, said second main electronic control means (1) being set in advance with operative programs coded in the digital mode and relating to the digital data concerning the presence, the posture and the movements and gestures etc . . . of the persons, and the sounds and noises produced by the same persons, which are introduced through said sensor means (12-18), as well as the persons voice controls which are introduced through said third control means (11), in order that these operative programs be able to recognize said digital data during each selection of the appliance operative programs and functions, so as to interpret always correctly the selection indications of the persons, and as response to the recognition of the so selected digital data said operative programs provide to transmit corresponding response digital signals to said first electronic control means (5), with consequent checking and managing by these latter of the carrying out of the selected operative programs and functions, the operative programs of said second main electronic control means (1) being also set in advance for effecting an exchange of coded digital data among them and each one of said sensor means (12-18), so as to set each sensor to operate from time to time with a determinate configuration, depending on the different parameters to be detected, and for checking the operative state of each sensor as well as the exchange of the coded digital data among said second main electronic control means (2) and the different sensors during the carrying out of the different operative programs and functions, and for effecting also an exchange of coded digital data between either one or both said electronic control means (5, 11), and also for setting each one or both said electronic control means (5, 11) to operate from time to time with a determinate configuration, depending on the different parameters to be processed, as well to for recognizing all the codes of the controls of the operative programs and functions which have been selected, as described in the above mentioned patent application n. PN2010A000006, and for checking also the operative state of each one of said electronic control means (1, 5, 11) and the exchange of the coded digital data among these latter during the carrying out of the different operative programs and functions, said second electronic control means (1) being further set with operative programs adapted to transmit the informations received from said sensor means (12-17) to other external processors for a possible pre-processing thereof, wherein said external processors may be constituted by said first electronic control means (5) or, through them, by other processing systems provided in the network, in a manner that the so processed data are then returned to said first electronic control means (5) for the final processing and the recognizing of the given controls.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Sensor means according to claim 1, characterized in that said monoscopic video sensors (electronic block 12) are constituted by at least a colour television camera, which is able to shoot moving colour images of the space in front of the sensor, which colour images have a middle and a high resolution, said monoscopic video sensors being for example colour television cameras with CMOS sensors with 2MPixel and over, interfacing said second microprocessor (1) by means of an USB line, a line Ethernet with IP protocol or via composite video signals.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

Sensor means according to claim 1, characterized in that said monoscopic video sensors with dichroic systems for stereoscopy (electronic block 13) are constituted by at least a monoscopic colour television camera, integrated with a dichroic system for stereoscopy, which is able to shoot moving stereoscopic colour images in the space in front of the sensor, which colour images have a middle and a high resolution, said monoscopic video sensors with dichroic systems for stereoscopy being for example monoscopic colour television cameras with CMOS sensors with 2MPixel and over, which are integrated with a dichroic system for stereoscopy, interfacing said second microprocessor (1) by means of an USB line, a line Ethernet with IP protocol or via composite video signals.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

Sensor means according to claim 1, characterized in that said stereoscopic video sensors (electronic block 14) are constituted by a stereoscopic colour television camera, composed of an assembly of two monoscopic colour television cameras, mechanically linked and synchronized to each other, which are able to shoot moving stereoscopic images of the space in front of the sensor, which colour images have a middle and a high resolution, said stereoscopic video sensors being for example stereoscopic television cameras with CMOS sensors with 2MPixel and over, interfacing said second microprocessor (1) by means of an USB line, a line Ethernet with IP Protocol, or via composite video signals.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

Sensor means according to claim 1, characterized in that said movement sensors (electronic block 15) are constituted by sensors able to detect the presence of moving objects within their operative range, which are preferably sensors with microwave or ultrasound based active technology, integrated with passive infrared sensors, which are able to detect moving objects within a space of 1-5 meters, said movement sensors being for example sensors normally used in the household alarm systems.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

Sensor means according to claim 1, characterized in that said multichannel audio sensors (electronic block 16) are constituted by sensors able to receive sounds and noises, adequately spaced and oriented, for receiving sounds and noises coming from different areas of the space in front of the sensors, said multichannel audio sensors being for example directional microphones, mounted in such a position as to cover distinct and only partially overlapped areas of the space in front of the sensors.