Patent NZ-582481-A (NZ)
Title: Methods for electronically analysing a dialogue and corresponding systems
Inventor: HAMEL PHILIPPE
IPC: G10L15/22
Filed: 2008-06-25
Abstract: System (41) for automatically evaluating a dialogue between at least two persons comprises at least one video camera (43, 45) for capturing video data showing the at least two persons during the dialogue at least partially (11, 9) and a processing device (47) configured to determine whether a visual interaction between the at least two persons occurs during the dialogue. The processing device (49) is further configured to detect the position of the eyes of a person in video data comprising a plurality of subsequent pictures by identifying visual features in a picture to determine the zone of the picture showing at least a part of the face of the person, by isolating vertical stripes in the zone, and by searching for eye zones in the stripes if more than one stripe has been isolated in the previous step. The processing device (51) is further configured to identify whether directions of movements of the eyes of the two persons are the same. The system further comprises a) at least one microphone for capturing the dialogue and providing audio data, and b) a data processing device configured to analyse the audio data to determine the repartition of the utterances of the at least two persons in the course of the dialogue in the time domain, and configured to compare the results of the analysing step with predetermined communication patterns to identify one or more communication patterns in the dialogue. The system further comprises a) at least one microphone for capturing the dialogue and providing audio data, and d) a data processing device configured to identify predetermined interaction phases in the course of the dialogue based on a moving average value of the speaking time of one person participating in the dialogue. Also disclosed is a method for automatically evaluating a dialogue between at least two persons comprising the steps of a) receiving video data showing the at least two persons at least partially, and b) analysing the video data to determine whether a visual interaction between the at least two persons occurs during the dialogue, comprising determining whether the at least two persons look at each other by detecting the position of the irises of the at least two persons, and c) analysing movements of the eyes of the at least two persons, to determine whether the direction of the micro movements of the eye are the same. The method further comprises b_1) identifying visual features in a picture of the video data to determine the zone of the picture showing at least a part of the face of at least one of the two persons, b_2) isolating stripes, in particular vertical stripes, in the zone, b_3) searching for eye zones in the stripes if more than one stripe has been isolated in step b_2). The method further comprises d) receiving audio data comprising a dialogue between the at least two persons, e) identifying predetermined interaction phases in the course of the dialogue based on a moving average value of the speaking time of one person participating in the dialogue.