# US 2014/0153774 A1 · Gesture recognition apparatus, gesture recognition method, and recording medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0153774 A1 - Document ID: US20140153774A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/031,865 - Filed: 2013-09-19 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-04 - Assignees: Alpine Electronics, Inc. - Applicants: Alpine Electronics, Inc. - Inventors: Kijuro Obata - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140153774A1 ## CPC - G06V 40/28: {Recognition of hand or arm movements, e.g. recognition of deaf sign language (static hand signs G06V40/113)} - B60K 35/10: Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor - 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)} - G06V 20/59: inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions - B60K 35/29: Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions - B60K 2360/146: Instrument input by gesture - B60K 2360/1464: 3D-gesture - B60K 2360/199: for avoiding maloperation - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A gesture recognition apparatus for recognizing a gesture of a predetermined operating body includes a storage unit, having stored therein, correspondence relationships between a plurality of coordinate ranges in relation to the operating body and to a plurality of operation target apparatuses, each of the plurality of coordinate ranges further corresponding to each operation target apparatus of the plurality of operation target apparatuses. An image capturing unit captures one or more images of the operating body, a coordinate detecting detects coordinates of the operating body based on the one or more captured images, and an operation target apparatus specifying unit selects an operation target apparatus corresponding to the detected coordinates of the operating body and the stored correspondence relationships. A gesture recognition processing unit recognizes a gesture associated with the operating body based on one or more captured images and corresponding to the selected operation target apparatus. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A gesture recognition apparatus for recognizing a gesture of a predetermined operating body, comprising: a storage unit, having stored therein, correspondence relationships between a plurality of coordinate ranges in relation to the operating body and to a plurality of operation target apparatuses, each of the plurality of coordinate ranges further corresponding to each operation target apparatus of the plurality of operation target apparatuses; an image capturing unit configured to capture one or more images of the operating body; a coordinate detecting unit configured to detect coordinates of the operating body based on the one or more captured images; an operation target apparatus specifying unit configured to select an operation target apparatus corresponding to the detected coordinates of the operating body and the stored correspondence relationships; and a gesture recognition processing unit configured to recognize a gesture associated with the operating body based on the one or more captured images and corresponding to the selected operation target apparatus. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The gesture recognition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the storage unit, a correspondence relationship is stored for each of a plurality of operation target functional units of each operation target apparatus; the operation target apparatus specifying unit configured to specify an operation target functional unit concurrently with the specification of an operation target apparatus; and the gesture recognition processing unit configured to perform operation processing for the operation target functional unit specified by the operation target apparatus specifying unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The gesture recognition apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the coordinate ranges is set to be a range in proximity to an operation target functional unit corresponding to the respective coordinate range. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The gesture recognition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the coordinate ranges is set to be a range in proximity to an operation target apparatus corresponding to the respective coordinate range. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The gesture recognition apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the coordinate range is a three-dimensional coordinate range. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The gesture recognition apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the operating body is a hand of a user. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The gesture recognition apparatus according to claim 6, the gesture recognition apparatus is mounted in a vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The gesture recognition apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the operation target apparatuses include an in-vehicle apparatus and an air conditioner. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The gesture recognition apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the operation target functional units include a sound volume control unit and a station selection unit of an in-vehicle apparatus, and a temperature regulation unit and an air volume control unit of an air conditioner. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The gesture recognition apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the operation target apparatuses include a meter panel and a head-up display. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The gesture recognition apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a notification device configured to notify a user that the selection by the operation target apparatus specifying unit has been performed. ### Claim 12 A gesture recognition method for recognizing a gesture of a predetermined operating body, comprising: a first step in which correspondence relationships between a plurality of coordinate ranges in relation to the operating body and to a plurality of operation target apparatuses are stored in a storage unit, each of the plurality of coordinate ranges further corresponding to each operation target apparatus of the plurality of operation target apparatuses; a second step in which one or more images of the operating body is captured; a third step in which coordinates of the operating body is detected based on the one more captured images; a fourth step in which an operation target apparatus is selected based on the detected coordinates of the operating body and the stored correspondence relationships; and a fifth step in which a gesture associated with the detected operating body is recognized based on the one or more captured images corresponding to the selected operation target apparatus. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The gesture recognition method according to claim 12, wherein a correspondence relationship is set for each of a plurality of operation target functional units of each operation target apparatus; an operation target functional unit is specified concurrently with the selection of an operation target apparatus; and operation processing is performed for the specified operation target functional unit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The gesture recognition method according to claim 13, wherein each of the coordinate ranges is set to be proximate to a corresponding operation target functional unit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The gesture recognition method according to claim 12, wherein each of the coordinate ranges is set to be proximate to a corresponding operation target apparatus. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The gesture recognition method according to claim 15, wherein the coordinate ranges are set in a multi-dimensional coordinate space. ### Claim 17 A recording medium in which a gesture recognition program for recognizing a gesture of a predetermined operating body is recorded, the program causing a computer to function as: a coordinate detecting unit configured to detect coordinates of the operating body based on one or more images captured by an image capturing unit; an operation target apparatus specifying unit configured to select an operation target apparatus corresponding to the detected coordinates of the operating body and correspondence relationships between a plurality of coordinate ranges in relation to the operating body and a plurality of operation target apparatuses, each of the plurality of coordinate ranges corresponding to one of the plurality of operation target apparatuses, the correspondence relationships being stored in a storage unit; and an operation processing unit configured to recognize a gesture associated with the operating body based on the one or more captured images and corresponding to the selected operation target apparatus. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The recording medium in which a gesture recognition program is recorded according to claim 17, wherein, the program causing the computer to function as: the storage unit, in which a correspondence relationship is stored for each of a plurality of operation target functional units of each of the operation target apparatuses, the operation target apparatus specifying unit, which specifies an operation target functional unit concurrently with the specification of an operation target apparatus, and the operation processing unit, which performs the operation processing for the operation target functional unit specified by the operation target apparatus specifying unit.