Cumulative Inter-Frame Motion Detection for Gesture Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional video game control systems require users to operate handheld controllers, which can be cumbersome and limit the natural interaction with game environments, as they need to switch between game functions and control operations manually.

Innovation Solution

A data processing system that utilizes a video camera to detect user movements and translate them into game controls, allowing for intuitive control of game functions through hand gestures and movements, using a combination of image processing and motion modeling to interpret user interactions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a handheld controller is used for game control, then the device can be easily operated, but the user must manually switch between game functions which is cumbersome and limits natural interaction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanual control operationVSAvoidcontrol switching operations
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical handheld controller with a video camera-based gesture recognition system. Instead of using physical buttons and joysticks, the system captures hand gestures and movements through video imaging, processes them to identify control intentions, and translates them into game commands. This substitution eliminates the need for manual switching between game functions while maintaining ease of operation through intuitive gesture-based interaction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a video camera is used to detect user movements, then natural interaction through gestures is enabled, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegesture-based controlVSAvoidimage processing system
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the complex image processing task into distinct functional stages: capturing video frames, detecting hand regions, tracking hand movements across frames, recognizing gesture patterns, and translating gestures into control commands. By dividing the complex system into manageable segments, the patent makes the overall complexity more manageable while enabling versatile gesture-based control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary processing layer between the video camera and game control functions. This intermediary system includes image processing algorithms that detect hand gestures, track movements, and interpret control intentions. The intermediary layer abstracts the complexity of gesture recognition from the game control logic, allowing natural interaction while managing system complexity through modular processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If cumulative inter-frame motion is used to distinguish user movement from noise, then measurement precision improves, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotion detection accuracyVSAvoidframe processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary actions by accumulating motion information across multiple frames before making control decisions. Instead of analyzing each frame independently, the system builds up a cumulative motion vector that represents the user's overall movement tendency. This preliminary accumulation allows the system to distinguish subtle user gestures from random noise more accurately while the processing time is amortized across multiple frames rather than requiring immediate response for each individual frame.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2029248B1Control of data processing using cumulative inter-frame motion
Publication Date: 2018.10.03 SONY COMP ENTERTAINMENT EURO LTD
  • EP2029248B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2029248B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2029248B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Data processing apparatus arranged to receive successive images from a video camera comprises means for detecting inter-image motion for selected points in an image region associated with a control function of the data processing apparatus; and means for executing the control function if inter-image motion is detected in the image region; in which the detecting means is arranged to detect inter-image motion by detecting the cumulative inter-image motion for the points in the image region over a group of m consecutive images, where m is at least three.