Information processing apparatus, method and program

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes an imaging unit, an icon display control unit causing a display to display an operation icon, a pickup image display processing unit causing the display to sequentially display an input operation region image constituted by, among pixel regions constituting an image picked up by the imaging unit, a pixel region including at least a portion of a hand of a user, an icon management unit managing event issue definition information, which is a condition for determining that the operation icon has been operated by the user, for each operation icon, an operation determination unit determining whether the user has operated the operation icon based on the input operation region image displayed in the display and the event issue definition information, and a processing execution unit performing predetermined processing corresponding to the operation icon in accordance with a determination result by the operation determination unit.

1 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . An information processing apparatus, comprising:
 an imaging unit;   a sound input unit configured to receive an audio signal;   a sound recognition processing unit configured to determine whether at least one characteristic of the received audio signal corresponds to an interface, the interface identifying at least one element of content viewable by a user;   a detecting unit configured to detect a first movement of a human appendage within successive images obtained by the imaging unit;   an operation determination unit configured to determine whether the detected first movement corresponds to a first predetermined movement associated with the interface, wherein the operation determination unit performs at least:
 identifying, within pixel regions constituting a current image of the successive images, (i) a first pixel region that includes at least a portion of the human appendage, and (ii) an icon pixel region that includes an icon enabling the user to access the interface; 
 calculating a first center-of-gravity for the first pixel region; and 
 determining whether the first center-of-gravity falls within the icon pixel region; and 
   a processing unit configured to generate one or more instructions to:
 display the interface to the user when the at least one characteristic of the received audio signal corresponds to the interface; and 
 after the interface is displayed, perform an operation on the at least one element of content identified by the interface when the detected first movement corresponds to the first predetermined movement. 
   
     
     
         18 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the successive images obtained by the imaging unit comprise the current image and a plurality of prior successive images; and   the operation determination unit is further configured to:
 when the first center-of-gravity is determined to fall within the icon pixel region, identify second pixel regions, within pixels regions of a subset of the prior successive pixel regions, that include at least the portion of the human appendage; 
 calculate second centers-of-gravity for the second pixel regions. 
   
     
     
         19 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the operation determination unit is further configured to:
 compute a motion vector representative of the detected movement based on the calculated first and second centers-of-gravity; and   determine whether the detected first movement corresponds to the first predetermined movement based on the computed motion vector.   
     
     
         20 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the operation determination unit is further configured to:
 determine a trajectory of the detected first motion based on the calculated first and second centers-of-gravity, the determined trajectory being representative of the detected first movement of the human appendage; and   compute the motion vector based on the determined trajectory.   
     
     
         21 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 17 , further comprising a display unit, the display unit being configured to:
 receive the generated instructions from the processing unit; and   in response to the received instructions, display the interface identifying the at least one element of viewable content.   
     
     
         22 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the first predetermined movement corresponds to a downward motion of the human appendage along a vertical axis of the display unit, the predetermined movement occurring within a current one of the successive image and a plurality of prior ones of the successive images. 
     
     
         23 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the interface corresponds to a program guide identifying the at least one element of viewable content; and   in response to the received instructions, the display unit is further configured to display a visual representation of at least a portion of the program guide to the user, the visual representation comprising a two-dimensional grid of viewable content arranged in accordance with viewing times and channels.   
     
     
         24 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the display unit is further configured to display, in response to the received instructions, at least one navigation portion being disposed along at least one of a vertical or horizontal edge of the display unit. 
     
     
         25 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein:
 the detecting unit is configured to detect a second movement of the human appendage within additional images obtained by the imaging unit;   the operation determination unit is configured to determine whether the detected second movement corresponds to a second predetermined movement associated with the navigation portion; and   the processing unit is configured to generate an instruction to modify at least a portion of the displayed interface when the detected second movement corresponds to the second predetermined movement.   
     
     
         26 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one navigation portion corresponds to at least one of (i) a horizontal scroll bar disposed along the horizontal edge of the display unit or (ii) a vertical scroll bar disposed along the vertical edge of the display unit. 
     
     
         27 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the operation determination unit is further configured to obtain event definition information associated with the interface, the event definition information identifying the first predetermined movement. 
     
     
         28 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the human appendage comprises at least one of a human finger or a human hand. 
     
     
         29 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the detecting unit is configured to detect the first movement of the human appendage based on a flesh color associated with the human appendage. 
     
     
         30 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the detection unit is further configured to:
 compute a metric indicative of a presence of the flesh color within the first region of a current one of the successive images;   determine whether a value of the metric exceeds a threshold value; and   identify the portion of the user appendage within the first region, when the metric value exceeds the threshold value.   
     
     
         31 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the metric represents a number of pixels within the first region associated with at least one of (i) a hue that corresponds to a predetermined value or (ii) a hue that falls within a range of predetermined values. 
     
     
         32 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the detection unit is further configured to:
 identify the portion of the user appendage within one or more prior ones of the successive images;   obtain a temporal period during which the imaging unit obtained a current one of the successive images and the one or more prior images;   determine whether the temporal period exceeds a threshold time period; and   detect the movement of the user appendage when the temporal period exceeds the threshold time period.   
     
     
         33 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 detecting a first movement of a human appendage within successive images obtained by an imaging unit of an information processing apparatus;   obtaining an audio signal received by a sound input unit of the information processing apparatus;   determining whether at least one characteristic of the received sound corresponds to an interface, the interface identifying at least one element of content viewable by a user;   determining whether the detected first movement corresponds to a first predetermined movement associated with the interface, comprising:
 identifying, within pixel regions constituting a current image of the successive images, (i) a first pixel region that includes at least a portion of the human appendage, and (ii) an icon pixel region that includes an icon enabling the user to access the interface; 
 calculating a first center-of-gravity for the first pixel region; and 
 determining whether the first center-of-gravity falls within the icon pixel region; and 
   generating one or more instructions to:
 display the interface to the user when the at least one characteristic of the received audio signal corresponds to the interface; and 
 after the interface is displayed, perform an operation on the at least one element of content identified by the interface when the detected first movement corresponds to the first predetermined movement. 
   
     
     
         34 . A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method for simulating an interactive conversation with a recorded subject, the method comprising the steps of:
 detecting a first movement of a human appendage within successive images obtained by an imaging unit of an information processing apparatus;   obtaining an audio signal received by a sound input unit of the information processing apparatus;   determining whether at least one characteristic of the received sound corresponds to an interface, the interface identifying at least one element of content viewable by a user;   determining whether the detected first movement corresponds to a first predetermined movement associated with the interface, comprising:
 identifying, within pixel regions constituting a current image of the successive images, (i) a first pixel region that includes at least a portion of the human appendage, and (ii) an icon pixel region that includes an icon enabling the user to access the interface; 
 calculating a first center-of-gravity for the first pixel region; and 
 determining whether the first center-of-gravity falls within the icon pixel region; and 
   generating one or more instructions to:
 display the interface to the user when the at least one characteristic of the received audio signal corresponds to the interface; and 
 after the interface is displayed, perform an operation on the at least one element of content identified by the interface when the detected first movement corresponds to the first predetermined movement.