Single Camera Gesture Recognition via Opening Registration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing human-computer interface systems for wearable and mobile devices are expensive, energy-intensive, and complex, with limitations in recognizing hand gestures under varying environmental conditions such as lighting and background variations, and require additional hardware like stereo-vision and sensors.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a single camera with feedback interfaces for visual, acoustic, or vibration feedback, capable of recognizing hand gestures in real-time, including those made by users wearing gloves, through a predefined opening gesture for registration and subsequent feature extraction, allowing for gesture interpretation across different lighting conditions and user environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If stereo-vision combined with infrared light is used for gesture recognition, then recognition precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the complex stereo-vision and infrared light components from the gesture recognition system, retaining only the essential single camera functionality. This extraction principle allows the system to maintain adequate gesture recognition capabilities while eliminating the harmful complexity and cost associated with multiple cameras and infrared LEDs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the single camera serve multiple functions: it captures both color information for gesture recognition and depth information through visual depth estimation algorithms. This multi-functionality replaces the need for separate stereo cameras and infrared sensors, reducing system complexity while maintaining recognition precision.
2Measurement precision
If stereo-vision with infrared light is used, then gesture recognition precision is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the infrared LEDs and stereo camera components that consume significant energy, retaining only the single camera system. This extraction eliminates the continuous power consumption associated with infrared illumination and multiple camera sensors, significantly reducing overall energy usage while maintaining functional gesture recognition.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the single camera's existing capabilities and ambient light to perform gesture recognition without requiring additional active illumination sources. The camera leverages naturally available light and its own sensor characteristics to extract gesture information, eliminating the need for energy-intensive infrared lighting.
3Measurement precision
If special sensors are used for gesture recognition, then recognition capability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive special-purpose gesture sensors with a standard, inexpensive single camera that is widely available and cost-effective. This substitution principle maintains gesture recognition functionality while dramatically reducing component costs and simplifying manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a universal single camera component that can perform multiple functions including gesture recognition, scene capture, and depth estimation. This eliminates the need for specialized gesture sensors, reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining recognition capability through software-based processing.
4Measurement precision
If facial detection is used for hand gesture recognition, then recognition accuracy is improved, but the system becomes unusable when camera is on user's body
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of detecting hands relative to the face (which requires the camera to be near the user's head), the patent inverts the approach by detecting hands in the general scene and using spatial relationships and gesture patterns independent of facial features. This allows the camera to be placed anywhere on the user's body while maintaining hand gesture recognition accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal hand gesture recognition system that works regardless of camera placement by using general computer vision techniques rather than face-centric detection. The system can adapt to various camera positions (head-mounted, chest-mounted, handheld) by detecting hand gestures in the captured scene without requiring facial reference points.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for recognition of hand gesture in computing devices. The system recognizes a hand of a user by identifying a predefined first gesture and further collects visual information related to the hand identified on the basis of the first predefined gesture. The visual information is used to extract a second gesture (and all other gestures after the second) from the video/image captured by the camera and finally interpreting the second gesture as a user input to the computing device. The system enables gesture recognition in various light conditions and can be operated by various user hands including the ones wearing gloves.