US 8,014,567 B2 · Method and apparatus for recognizing gesture in image processing system

Abstract

A method and apparatus for recognizing a gesture in an image processing system. In the apparatus, an input unit receives an image obtained by capturing a gesture of a user using a camera. A detector detects a face area in the input image, and detects a hand area in gesture search areas. The gesture search areas being set by dividing the image into predetermined areas with reference to a predetermined location of the detected face area. A controller sets the gesture search areas, determines whether a gesture occurs in the detected hand area, and selects a detection area with respect to the gesture to generate a control command for controlling an image device. A calculator calculates skin-color information and differential-area information for checking a gesture in the detected hand area. Accordingly, a hand area can be accurately detected, and a gesture can be separated from peripheral movement information, so that mal-functioning caused by gesture recognition can be reduced.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for recognizing a gesture in an image processing system, the method comprising:

detecting a face area in an image captured and input from a camera;
dividing the image to predetermined areas with reference to a predetermined location of the face area, and setting the predetermined areas to gesture search areas;
detecting a hand area in the gesture search areas;
determining whether a gesture occur in the detected hand area;
and
selecting a detection area with respect to the gesture and transferring an image of the selected detection area as a control command for controlling an image device
wherein the determining of the gesture occurrence comprises:
determining a skin color of the detected hand area by determining skin-color information of the face area;
calculating a differential image of the hand area between a previous frame and a current frame;
combining differential-area information of the differential image with the determined skin-color information to obtain a final image;
and
recognizing gesture occurrence from the final image when an overlapping area between the differential area information and the skin color information is larger than a predetermined area.

9 more elements

An apparatus for recognizing a gesture in an image processing system comprising:

an input unit receiving an image obtained by capturing a gesture of a user using a camera;
a detector detecting a face area in the input image, and detecting a hand area in gesture search areas, the gesture search areas being set by dividing the image into predetermined areas with reference to a predetermined location of the detected face area;
a controller setting the gesture search areas, determining whether a gesture occurs in the detected hand area, and selecting a detection area with respect to the gesture to generate a control command for controlling an image device;
and
a calculator calculating skin-color information and differential-area information for checking a gesture in the detected hand area
wherein the controller switches a resolution of an image of the selected detection area to a high resolution, switches the high resolution again to an initial resolution with reference to a center point, and transfers a resulting image as a control command of the image device.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for recognizing gesture in image processing system

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for recognizing gesture in image processing system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20