Abstract:
A sign language recognition method includes a camera capturing an image of a gesture from a signer, comparing the image of the gesture with a number of gestures to find out the meanings of the gesture, and displaying or vocalizing the meanings of the gestures.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a sign language recognition system and a sign language recognition method. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Hearing impaired people communicate with other people with sign languages. However, people who do not know sign language find it difficult to communicate with the hearing impaired people. In addition, different countries have different sign languages, which makes communication problematic. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a sign language recognition system. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of a plurality of sign languages. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the sign language recognition system of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is another schematic view of the sign language recognition system of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart of an exemplary embodiment of a sign language recognition method. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    The disclosure, including the accompanying drawings, is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
         [0012]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary embodiment of a sign language recognition system  1  includes a camera  10 , a storage unit  12 , a processing unit  15 , a first output unit  16 , and a second output unit  18 . In the embodiment, the first output unit  16  is a screen, and the second output unit  18  is a speaker or an earphone. Hereinafter the term signer is used for the person who uses sign language to communicate. 
         [0013]    The camera  10  captures images of the gestures of a signer. The processing unit  15  and the storage unit  12  processes the images  30  captured by the camera  10 , for obtaining what the signer means. The first output unit  16  displays what the signer is signing. The second output unit  18  verbalizes what the signer is signing. 
         [0014]    The storage unit  12  includes a sign language system setting module  122 , a sign language identification module  123 , a recognition module  125 , a voice conversion module  126 , and a gesture storing module  128 . The sign language system setting module  122 , the sign language identification module  123 , the recognition module  125 , and the voice conversion module  126  may include one or more computerized instructions executed by the processor  15 . 
         [0015]    The gesture storing module  128  stores different types of gestures and meanings for each gesture as shown in  FIG. 2 . Each type of gestures includes a plurality of gestures. In the embodiment, the gesture storing module  128  stores two types of gestures. A first type of gestures corresponds to China Sign Language. A second type of gestures corresponds to American Sign Language. In other embodiments, the gesture storing module  128  may store more than two types of gestures or just one type of gestures. 
         [0016]    The sign language system setting module  122  is for setting a work mode of the sign language recognition system  1 . Work mode hereinafter is referring to which language of sign that the signer is using. It can be understood that in the embodiment, the work modes of the sign language recognition system  1  includes a first mode corresponding to the first type of gesture, and a second mode corresponding to the second type of gesture. In the embodiment, receivers can use two buttons to manually set the work mode of the sign language recognition system  1 . 
         [0017]    The sign language system identification module  123  is for automatically setting the work mode of the sign language recognition system  1  when the receivers do not manually set the work mode of the sign language recognition system  1 . To automatically set the work mode of the sign language recognition system  1  by the sign language identification module  123  will be described as follows. 
         [0018]    The sign language identification module  123  compares the gesture of the signer captured by the camera  10  with the plurality of types of gestures, to determine which type the gestures captured belongs to. If the gesture of the signer captured by the camera  10  belongs to the first type of gesture, the sign language identification module  123  sets the work mode of the sign language recognition system  1  as the first work mode. Moreover, if a gesture of the signer captured by the camera  10  belongs to both the first and second types of gesture, the sign language identification module  123  may compare the next gesture of the signer captured by the camera  10  with the plurality of types of gestures, until it is determined which only one type the gesture belongs to. 
         [0019]    The recognition module  125  compares the images of the gestures captured by the camera  10  with the plurality of gestures, corresponding to the work mode of the sign language recognition system  1 , to find out what the meanings of the gestures that are captured by the camera  10  are. The screen  16  displays the meanings obtained by the recognition module  125 . 
         [0020]    The voice conversion module  126  converts the gestures captured by the camera  10  into audible sounds. The speaker  18  plays the meanings of the gestures captured by the camera  10 . 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the sign language recognition system  1  may be embedded within a mobile telephone. The camera  10  mounts on a surface of the body of the mobile telephone. Furthermore, the sign language recognition system  1  may take the form of glasses worn by the receiver as shown in  FIG. 4 . The camera  10  mounts on a bridge of the glasses. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , an exemplary embodiment of a sign language recognition method is as follows. 
         [0023]    In step S 1 , the receiver determines whether the receiver needs to manually set the work mode of the sign language recognition system  1 . If the receiver needs to manually set the work mode of the sign language recognition system  1 , the process flows to step S 2 . If the receiver does not need to manually set the work mode of the sign language recognition system  1 , the process flows to step S 3 . 
         [0024]    In step S 2 , the receiver manually sets the work mode of the sign language recognition system  1 , then the process flows to step S 3 . 
         [0025]    In step S 3 , the camera  10  captures an image of a gesture of the signer. 
         [0026]    In step S 4 , the recognition module  125  determines whether the work mode is set. If the work mode is not set, the process flows to step S 5 . If the work mode is set, the process flows to step S 6 . 
         [0027]    In step S 5 , the sign language identification module  123  compares the gesture of the signer captured by the camera  10  with the plurality of types of gestures, to determine which type the gesture of the signer belongs to, and sets the work mode accordingly. For example, if the gesture of the signer captured by the camera  10  belongs to the first type of gestures, the sign language identification module  123  sets the work mode of the sign language recognition system  1  as the first work mode. Moreover, if a gesture of the signer captured by the camera  10  belongs to both the first and second types of gestures, the sign language identification module  123  may compare the next gesture of the signer captured by the camera  10  with the plurality of types of gestures, until a determination is made which type the gesture belongs to. 
         [0028]    In step S 6 , the recognition module  125  compares the image of the gesture captured by the camera  10  with the plurality of gestures, corresponding to the work mode of the sign language recognition system  1 , to find out what meanings are associated with the gestures captured by the camera  10 . 
         [0029]    In step S 7 , the screen  16  displays the meanings obtained by the recognition module  125 . The voice conversion module  126  converts the meanings of the gesture captured by the camera  10  into audible sounds, and the speaker  18  plays the sounds of the gesture captured by the camera  10 . 
         [0030]    The foregoing description of the embodiments of the disclosure has been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above everything. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the disclosure and their practical application so as to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the disclosure and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skills in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from its spirit and scope. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and the exemplary embodiments described therein.