Cursor mode switching
View Patent ↗Methods and systems for processing input from an image-capture device for gesture-recognition. The method further includes computationally interpreting user gestures in accordance with a first mode of operation; analyzing the path of movement of an object to determine an intent of a user to change modes of operation; and, upon determining an intent of the user to change modes of operation, subsequently interpreting user gestures in accordance with the second mode of operation.
1. A gesture-recognition system comprising:
an image-capture device for obtaining digital images of an object in 3D space;
a processor-executable analysis module for computationally determining a path of movement of the object based on the digital images obtained;
a computer memory for storing a digital representation of the path of movement; and
a processor-executable mode-control module configured for:
interpreting user gestures in accordance with a first mode of operation;
analyzing the path of movement to determine an intent of a user to change modes of operation by:
determining whether the path of movement intersects a virtual reference plane; and
wherein the virtual reference plane is created based on analyzing a path of movement of a prior gesture to determine an intent of a user to create a virtual reference plane in making the prior gestures; and
upon determining the intent of the user to change modes of operation, interpreting user gestures in accordance with a second mode of operation.
2. The gesture-recognition system of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable mode-control module is further configured to analyze a path of movement by determining an amount of curvature of the path of movement.
3. The gesture-recognition system of claim 2 , wherein determining the amount of curvature includes determining a maximum distance the path of movement is from a straight line between a starting point and ending point of the path of movement.
4. The gesture-recognition system of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable mode-control module is configured to analyze a path of movement by determining a direction of curvature of the path of movement.
5. The gesture-recognition system of claim 4 , wherein determining the direction of curvature of the path of movement includes determining which side of a virtual reference plane a midpoint of the path of movement is on.
6. The gesture-recognition system of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable mode-control module is configured to determine if a velocity, acceleration, or range of motion of a movement along the path of movement crosses a threshold to overcome a hysteresis effect associated with the first mode of operation.
7. The gesture-recognition system of claim 6 , wherein the hysteresis effect is based on a physics-based model of the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation.
8. The gesture-recognition system of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable mode-control module is configured to analyze a second path of movement to determine the intent of the user to perform a multi-object gesture and change the modes of operation, the processor-executable mode-control module subsequently interpreting user gestures in accordance with the second mode of operation based on the intent.
9. The gesture-recognition system of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable mode-control module is further configured to determine the intent of the user to change modes based on at least a plurality of prior gestures.
10. A method of computationally recognizing and interpreting gestures, the method comprising:
obtaining, using an image-capture device, digital images of an object in 3D space;
computationally determining a path of movement of the object based on the digital images obtained;
storing, in a computer memory, a digital representation of the path of movement;
interpreting user gestures in accordance with a first mode of operation;
analyzing the path of movement to determine an intent of a user to change modes of operation by:
determining whether the path of movement intersects a virtual reference plane; and
wherein the virtual reference plane is created based on analyzing a path of movement of a prior gesture to determine an intent of a user to create a virtual reference plane in making the prior gesture; and
upon determining the intent of the user to change modes of operation, interpreting user gestures in accordance with a second mode of operation.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein analyzing a path of movement further comprises determining an amount of curvature of the path of movement.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the amount of curvature includes determining a maximum distance the path of movement is from a straight line between a starting point and ending point of the path of movement.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein analyzing a path of movement comprises determining a direction of curvature of the path of movement.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining the direction of curvature of the path of movement includes determining which side of a virtual reference plane a midpoint of the path of movement is on.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein analyzing the path of movement comprises determining if a velocity, acceleration, or range of motion of a movement along the path of movement crosses a threshold to overcome a hysteresis effect associated with the first mode of operation.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the hysteresis effect is based on a physics-based model of the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation.
17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising analyzing a second path of movement to determine the intent of the user to perform a multi-object gesture and changing from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation based on the intent.
18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the intent of the user to change modes is inferred based on at least a plurality of prior gestures.
19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium impressed with computer program instructions to computationally interpret gestures, which computer program instructions, when executed on a processor, implement a method comprising:
obtaining, using an image-capture device, digital images of an object in 3D space;
computationally determining a path of movement of the object based on the digital images obtained;
storing, in a computer memory, a digital representation of the path of movement;
interpreting user gestures in accordance with a first mode of operation;
analyzing the path of movement to determine an intent of a user to change modes of operation by:
determining whether the path of movement intersects a virtual reference plane; and
wherein the virtual reference plane is created based on analyzing a path of movement of a prior gesture to determine an intent of a user in making the prior gesture; and
upon determining the intent of the user to change modes of operation, interpreting user gestures in accordance with a second mode of operation.
20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein analyzing a path of movement further comprises determining an amount of curvature of the path of movement.
21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein analyzing a path of movement further comprises determining a direction of curvature of the path of movement based upon which side of a virtual reference plane a midpoint of the path of movement is on.