Abstract:
There are provided a user interface apparatus and method using a two-dimensional (2D) image sensor capable of setting an object for an interface from a user image detected by the 2D image sensor and performing a user input accordingly. The user interface apparatus includes: a two-dimensional (2D) image sensor; and a user interface unit detecting a movement of a user captured by the 2D image sensor, setting the detected movement as an object, and outputting the movement of the object detected by the 2D image sensor to a system in which the user intends to establish an interface.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0134518 filed on Dec. 24, 2010, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a user interface apparatus and method, and more particularly, to a user interface apparatus and method using a two-dimensional (2D) image sensor capable of setting an object for an interface from a user image detected by the 2D image sensor and performing a user input accordingly. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    A user interface (UI) refers to a command or a technique used for general users to control a data input or an operation in a computer system or a program. An ultimate purpose of a UI is to allow users to communicate with a computer or a program to easily and conveniently use the computer or the program. 
         [0006]    The related art computer has been designed to focus on improvements in the efficiency or rate of computation or calculation. The related art computer has been designed based upon a premise that a user knows all about a computer regarding connections between the user and the computer. 
         [0007]    However, currently, computers are not exclusively used by some experts who know all about the computers, and not a machine which simply performs a calculation function but is increasingly utilized as a tool for upgrading users&#39; creativity. Thus, currently, UIs in computers have been developed as tools for taking the user convenience of non-experts into consideration and improving the performance of an overall system. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    An aspect of the present invention provides a user interface apparatus and method capable of providing a more practical, convenient user interface to users by using an image obtained by a two-dimensional (2D) image sensor which is currently prevalent. 
         [0009]    According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a user interface apparatus including: a two-dimensional (2D) image sensor; and a user interface unit detecting a movement of a user captured by the 2D image sensor, setting the detected movement as an object, and outputting the movement of the object detected by the 2D image sensor to a system in which the user intends to establish an interface. 
         [0010]    The user interface unit may include an interrupt determining part determining a type of user interrupt; an object setting part setting a particular area of an input image as an object and storing corresponding content, when the user interrupt is determined for setting a new object; and an object recognizing part recognizing the object from the input image based on information of the object previously set and stored, determining a command desired to be performed by the object, and outputting a user interface command signal. 
         [0011]    The object setting part may feed back the setting of the new object to the user. 
         [0012]    The object recognizing part may recognize the object from the input image in consideration of shape, size, texture, and color of the object previously stored. 
         [0013]    When the movement of the object is repeated in two opposite directions, the object recognizing part may determine that one of the directions is valid. 
         [0014]    The object recognizing part may display an image displaying a certain function performed by a user interface on a display unit, and form a user interface according to a relationship between the image displaying the certain function and a cursor by using a position of the recognized object as the cursor. 
         [0015]    According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a user interface method including: determining a type of user interrupt; capturing a user image, and setting a new object from the captured user image when the user interrupt is determined for inputting the new object; and recognizing an object from an input image by using a previously stored object feature, and performing a user interface operation according to a movement of the recognized object when the user interrupt is determined for recognizing the object. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    The above and other aspects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a system employing a user interface apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a detailed block diagram of a user interface apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating a user interface method according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a view illustrating a system for the realization of a user interface apparatus and method according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5A and 5B  are views showing a concept of setting an object used in a user interface in the system illustrated in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0022]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  are views showing an example of changing the shape of an object in a user interface apparatus and method according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0023]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  are views explaining a method for recognizing a movement of an object in a process of performing a user interface in a user interface apparatus and method according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0024]      FIGS. 8A and 8B  are views showing an application example of a user interface apparatus and method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0025]    Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the shapes and dimensions of components may be exaggerated for clarity, and the same reference numerals will be used throughout to designate the same or like components. 
         [0026]      FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a system employing a user interface apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a system employing a user interface apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a two-dimensional (2D) image sensor  11 , an image signal processor (ISP)  12 , a user interface unit  13 , a microcontroller unit (MCU) (or a system control unit)  14 , and a display unit  15 . 
         [0028]    In the embodiment of the present invention, the user interface unit  13  may receive a user command by using a user image detected by the 2D image sensor  11 . Image processing is performed by the ISP  12  on signals denoting the user image detected by the 2D image sensor  11 . Through the image processing, color, chroma, brightness, and the like, of the user image signals are adjusted to enhance image quality. 
         [0029]    The user interface unit  13  may recognize an object area indicating the user command from the input user image, interpret a command indicated by the object area, and transfer a signal corresponding thereto to the MCU  14  and the display unit  15 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 2  is a detailed block diagram of a user interface apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0031]    With reference to  FIG. 2 , the user interface unit  13  according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an interrupt determining part  131 , an object setting part  132 , and an object recognizing part  133 . 
         [0032]    The interrupt determining part  131  may determine a type of user interrupt to determine whether to set a new object on the input image or whether to recognize a pre-set object from the input image. 
         [0033]    When the user interrupt is determined as an interrupt for setting a new object, the object setting part  132  may set a particular area (e.g., hand, mobile phone, etc.) in the input image, as an object, and store corresponding content. 
         [0034]    The object recognizing part  133 , provided to recognize a pre-set object, may recognize an object from the input image based on information of the object previously set and stored, determine a command desired to be performed by the object, and output a user interface command signal. 
         [0035]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating a user interface method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0036]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , according to the user interface method according to the embodiment of the present invention, first, a type of user interrupt is determined (S 31 ). 
         [0037]    When the user interrupt is determined for inputting an object, a user image is captured (S 321 ), and an object is set from the captured image (S 322 ). 
         [0038]    When the user interface operation is not terminated (S 34 ), the process may be returned to the operation (S 31 ) for determining a type of user interrupt. 
         [0039]    Meanwhile, when the user interrupt is determined for recognizing an object, an object is recognized from an input image by using a pre-set object feature (S 331 ), and the user interface operation may be performed according to a movement of the recognized object (S 332 ). 
         [0040]      FIG. 4  is a view illustrating a system for the realization of a user interface apparatus and method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0041]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the system in which the user interface apparatus and method according to the embodiment of the present invention is implemented may be a personal computer system such as a notebook computer  400  including a 2D image sensor  410 . The notebook computer  400  may include a lighting system  430  and/or a sound system  440  for feeding back as to whether or not a user interface operation is performed. 
         [0042]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  are views showing a concept of setting an object used in a user interface in the system illustrated in  FIG. 4 . Namely,  FIGS. 5A and 5B  explain the operation of the object setting part  132  illustrated in  FIG. 2  in more detail, as well as explaining the user image capturing operation (S 321 ) and the object setting operation (S 322 ) illustrated in  FIG. 3  in more detail. 
         [0043]    As shown in  FIG. 5A , an image of a user  530  may be captured ( 510 ) by using a 2D image sensor provided in a notebook computer  500 , and when setting an object is to be undertaken, the captured image may be fed back to the user  530  by using a display area  520  within a display unit. 
         [0044]    Subsequently, as shown in  FIG. 5B , a portion of the image to be used as the object of the user interface is moved ( 550 ) to allow the system to recognize the object  540 . Here, similar to  FIG. 5A , information indicating that the object recognition is being performed and information indicating that the object recognition has been completed may be displayed by using a display area  520 ′ within the display unit. 
         [0045]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  are views showing an example of changing the shape of an object in a user interface apparatus and method according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         [0046]    As shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B , the object may not always have a constant shape. An object  610  illustrated in  FIG. 6A  and an object  620  illustrated in  FIG. 6B  are identically set as a hand, but the shapes thereof may be changed according to a movement of the hand or an image capture direction thereof. 
         [0047]    Thus, in order to recognize the object even when the shape of the object is partially changed, the color, size, and texture of the object, as well as the shape and outline of the object, may be used for recognizing the object. 
         [0048]      FIG. 7  is a view explaining a method for recognizing a movement of an object in a process of performing a user interface in a user interface apparatus and method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0049]      FIG. 7A  shows a case in which the user repeatedly moves an object  700  left and right for a user interface. In this case, when the system separately reacts to a case in which the object is moved to the right and to a case in which the object is moved to the left, a user interface cannot be properly performed. Accordingly, the movement in one direction may be recognized, while the movement in the other direction may not be recognized but disregarded. 
         [0050]    As shown in  FIG. 7B , when the object  700  is moved in both directions on the substantially same path, only the movement in an outward direction from a recognized position may be recognized, while the movement in the opposite direction may be disregarded. Alternatively, conversely, only the movement in an inward direction may be recognized, while the movement in the opposite direction may be disregarded. 
         [0051]      FIGS. 8A and 8B  are views showing an application example of a user interface apparatus and method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0052]    As shown in  FIG. 8A , images  830  displaying particular functions may be displayed on a display unit of a system (notebook computer)  800 . For example, the images  830  may display functions of raising or lowering the volume or changing channels. A certain image  820  serving as a cursor may be displayed at the center of the display unit. The image  820  serving as the cursor may reflect a movement of an object determined according to the recognition of the object. 
         [0053]    As shown in  FIG. 8B , when the image  820  serving as the cursor is moved to overlap with the image  830  corresponding to a particular function according to the movement of the object, the particular function designated for the image  830  may be performed. For example, when an image indicating a volume up function and an image moved by the movement of the object overlap with each other, the function of raising the volume of the system may be performed. 
         [0054]    As set forth above, according to embodiments of the invention, a movement of a user can be recognized by using the 2D image sensor, whereby the system can be stably controlled. 
         [0055]    In addition, since the reaction of the system according to a movement of the user can be recognized in real time, a smooth interface can be obtained between the user and the system. 
         [0056]    While the present invention has been shown and described in connection with the embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.