US 5,594,469 AGranted

Hand gesture machine control system

AssigneeMitsubishi Electric Information Technology Center America, Inc.

InventorsWilliam T. Freeman, Craig D. Weissman

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Abstract

A system for the control from a distance of machines having displays incls hand gesture detection in which the hand gesture causes movement of an on-screen hand icon over an on-screen machine control icon, with the hand icon moving the machine control icon in accordance with sensed hand movements to effectuate machine control. In one embodiment, TV control led by hand signals includes detecting a single hand gesture and providing a hand icon on the screen along with the provision of icons representing TV controls such as volume, channel, color, density, etc., in which a television camera detects the hand in a noisy background through correlation techniques based on values of local image orientation. In order to trigger the system into operation, a trigger gesture such as the "how" sign is distinguished from the background through the utilization of orientation angle differences. From correlation values based on correlating local orientations between a mask defining a particular hand and the later acquired image of the hand, normalized correlation scores for each pixel are obtained, with the correlation peak being detected and then thresholded to eliminate false alarms.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A system for control of a machine having a display screen and means for controlling said machine via actuating on-screen machine control icons, comprising:

means for detecting the existence of and position in space of a predetermined hand gesture and for generating corresponding existence and position signals responsive thereto;
means for providing an on-screen hand icon corresponding in on-screen position to the detected position of said predetermined hand gesture in space, such that changes in position of said predetermined hand gesture result in a corresponding change in position of said on-screen hand icon, whereby the position of said on-screen hand icon is controllable by movement of said predetermined hand gesture;
and,
means for detecting coincidence of said on-screen hand icon with an on-screen machine control icon as said hand icon made to move over said machine control icon by movement of said predetermined hand gesture and for generating corresponding machine control signal responsive to said detected coincidence wherein said means for detecting the existence and position of said predetermined hand gesture includes:
means for providing a hand gesture template including orientation vectors corresponding to orientations of edges of said predetermined hand gesture corresponding to said predetermined hand gesture;
means for optically scanning a region at which said predetermined hand gesture is expected to exist and for providing orientation vectors corresponding to orientations of edges of images within said scanned region;
means for correlating the orientation vectors of said hand template with orientations vectors of the images within said scanned region to provide a correlation values;
and,
means for providing a trigger signal when said correlation value exceeds a predetermined threshold.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/391,955Filed 21 Feb 1995
Granted: 14 Jan 1997
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

G06F 3/017
Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer: gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a…
G05B 19/106
Using selector switches: for selecting a program, variable or parameter
G06F 3/0304
Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form: detection arrangements using opto-electronic means
G06F 3/0484
Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]: for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or…