System and method for control based on face or hand gesture detection

Abstract

System and method for control using face detection or hand gesture detection algorithms in a captured image. Based on the existence of a detected human face or a hand gesture in an image captured by a digital camera (still or video), a control signal is generated, and provided to a device. The control may provide power or disconnect power supply to the device (or part of the device circuits). Further, the location of the detected face in the image may be used to rotate a display screen horizontally, vertically, or both, to achieve a better line of sight with a viewing person. If two or more faces are detected, the average location is calculated and used for line of sight correction. A linear feedback control loop is implemented wherein detected face deviation from the optimum is the error to be corrected by rotating the display to the required angular position. A hand gesture detection can be used as a replacement to a remote control wherein the various hand gestures controls the various function of the controlled unit, such as a television set.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A device for affecting an illumination of a display in response to face detection, the device comprising:
 a single enclosure, and in said single enclosure;   a display having a screen for visually presenting information;   a digital camera for capturing an image in a digital data form;   an image processor coupled to said digital camera for receiving the image and for detecting a human face in the image; and   a second processor and firmware or software executable by said second processor, said second processor being coupled to said image processor and to said display, wherein said second processor is operative to control the illumination level of said screen in response to the detection of, or the absence of, a face in the image.   
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein said display and said digital camera are mechanically fixed to said single enclosure. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 3 , wherein said digital camera is positioned in a fixed position relative to said screen such that the image captured by said digital camera is of a scene facing said screen. 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein said display and said digital camera are mechanically attached to, and movable with, said single enclosure. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 5 , wherein said digital camera has a center line of sight and said screen has a center line of sight that is parallel to the center line of sight of said digital camera so that the image captured is substantially of a scene facing said screen. 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein part or all of said screen is blanked in response to the detection of, or the absence of, a face in the image. 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 7 , wherein all of said screen is blanked in response to the detection of, or the absence of, a face in the image. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 8 , wherein said screen is blanked by stopping the supply of power to said display. 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein the illumination level of said screen is controlled in response to the detection of a face in the image. 
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 10 , further comprising a first timer coupled to said second processor for signaling a first time period, wherein the illumination level of said screen is controlled in response to the detection of a face in the image during the first time period. 
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 10 , further comprising a first timer coupled to said second processor for signaling a first time period, wherein the illumination level of said screen is controlled in response to the absence of a face in the image after the face has been detected during the first time period. 
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 12 , further comprising a second timer coupled to said second processor for signaling a second time period, wherein the illumination level of said screen is controlled in response to the detection of a face in the image during the first time period followed by the absence of a face in the image during the second time period. 
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein the illumination level of said screen is controlled in response to the absence of a face in the image. 
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 14 , further comprising a first timer coupled to said processor for signaling a first time period, wherein the illumination level of said screen is controlled in response to the absence of a face in the image during the first time period. 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein said device is further operative for detecting an element in the image in addition to the human face. 
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 16 , wherein the illumination level of said screen is further controlled in response to the detection of, or the absence of, the element in the image. 
     
     
         18 . The device according to  claim 16 , wherein the element is a body part. 
     
     
         19 . The device according to  claim 18 , wherein the body part is a human hand. 
     
     
         20 . The device according to  claim 19 , wherein the element is a hand gesture. 
     
     
         21 . The device according to  claim 20 , wherein the hand gesture consists of one of: extending a single finger; extending multiple fingers; and extending all fingers of one hand. 
     
     
         22 . The device according to  claim 16 , wherein said device is further operative to respond to the detection of the element in a region of the image bearing a predetermined relation to the location of the human face in the image. 
     
     
         23 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein said device is hand-held. 
     
     
         24 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein said display is a flat-panel display and is based on LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), TFT (Thin-Film Transistor), FED (Field Emission Display), CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), plasma, or LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology. 
     
     
         25 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein the device consists of, is part of, or comprises, a television set operative to receive and display television channels on said screen. 
     
     
         26 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein the device consists of, is part of, or comprises, a personal computer. 
     
     
         27 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein the device consists of, is part of, or comprises, a cellular telephone. 
     
     
         28 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein said digital camera comprises:
 an optical lens for focusing received light, said lens being mechanically oriented to guide the image;   a photosensitive image sensor array disposed approximately at an image focal point plane of the optical lens for capturing the image and producing an analog signal representing the image; and   an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter coupled to said image sensor array for converting the analog signal to a digital data representation of the image.   
     
     
         29 . The device according to  claim 28 , wherein said image sensor array is based on Charge-Coupled Devices (CCD) or Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Devices(CMOS). 
     
     
         30 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein said device is further operative to respond to the location of the human face in the image. 
     
     
         31 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein said image processor consists of, or comprises, a non-transitory computer readable medium storing an image processing algorithm for detecting the human face in the captured image. 
     
     
         32 . The device according to  claim 2 , further comprising a communication port coupled to said second processor for coupling to a network medium; and a transceiver coupled to said communication port for transmitting serial digital data to, or receiving serial digital data from, the network medium. 
     
     
         33 . The device according to  claim 32 , wherein said transceiver is coupled to said digital camera for transmitting the image over the network medium. 
     
     
         34 . The device according to  claim 32 , wherein said transceiver is coupled to said display for receiving the serial digital data from the network medium. 
     
     
         35 . The device according to  claim 32 , wherein said communication port is an antenna for over-the-air radio-frequency communication, and wherein said transceiver is a wireless transceiver. 
     
     
         36 . The device according to  claim 35 , wherein the over-the-air radio-frequency communication uses a license-free frequency band. 
     
     
         37 . The device according to  claim 36 , wherein the license-free frequency band is an ISM band. 
     
     
         38 . The device according to  claim 37 , wherein the ISM band is 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz. 
     
     
         39 . The device according to  claim 35 , wherein the over-the-air radio-frequency communication takes place in a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN), wherein said antenna is a WPAN antenna, and wherein said wireless transceiver is a WPAN transceiver. 
     
     
         40 . The device according to  claim 39 , wherein the WPAN is according to, or based on, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.15, Ultra-Wide-Band (UWB), or ZigBee. 
     
     
         41 . The device according to  claim 35 , wherein the over-the-air radio-frequency communication takes place over a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), wherein said antenna is a WLAN antenna, and wherein said wireless transceiver is a WLAN transceiver. 
     
     
         42 . The device according to  claim 41 , wherein the WLAN is according to, or based on, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE802.11b, or IEEE802.11g. 
     
     
         43 . The device according to  claim 35 , wherein the over-the-air radio-frequency communication is a cellular communication, wherein said antenna is a cellular antenna, and wherein said wireless transceiver is a cellular transceiver. 
     
     
         44 . The device according to  claim 43 , wherein the cellular communication is according to, or based on, GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution), 3GSM, DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications), Digital AMPS, or iDEN (Integrated Digital Enhanced Network). 
     
     
         45 . The device according to  claim 32 , wherein the network medium is a cable, said communication port is a connector for connecting to the cable, and said transceiver is a wired transceiver. 
     
     
         46 . The device according to  claim 45 , wherein the cable is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable, said connector is a USB connector, and said wired transceiver is a USB transceiver. 
     
     
         47 . The device according to  claim 45 , wherein the cable is operative for use in a Local Area Network (LAN), wherein said connector is a LAN connector, and wherein said wired transceiver is a LAN transceiver. 
     
     
         48 . The device according to  claim 47 , wherein the LAN is Ethernet based, and is according to, or based on, IEEE 802.3-2008 standard. 
     
     
         49 . The device according to  claim 48 , wherein the cable is based on twisted-pair copper wire cables, and wherein said LAN transceiver is according to, or based on, 10Base-T, 100Base-TX, or 1000Base-T, and wherein said LAN connector is RJ-45 type. 
     
     
         50 . The device according to  claim 45 , wherein the cable is connectable to simultaneously carry a DC or AC power signal. 
     
     
         51 . The device according to  claim 50 , wherein said device is further operative to output at least part of the power signal carried over the cable. 
     
     
         52 . The device according to  claim 50 , wherein said device is further operative to at least in part be powered from the power signal. 
     
     
         53 . The device according to  claim 50 , wherein the power signal is carried over dedicated wires in the cable, and wherein the wires are distinct from wires in the cable carrying the serial digital data.