Patent ID: 8433094

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of detecting interactions between video images and an animated object depicted on a display, comprising: generating a motion distribution of a person image in images captured as part of a video sequence by utilizing frame differencing; estimating a location of a body part of the person image in the images; estimating a size of a body in the person image in the images; determining valid ranges of motion that can be caused by a person moving any parts of the person's body based on the estimated location of the body part of the person image in the images and the estimated size of the body in the person image in the images; eliminating motion outside of the ranges of motion determined to be valid; depicting an animated object on a display, the animated object initially having at least one of a first speed and a first direction; detecting an interaction of the body part of the person image in the images and the animated object depicted on the display; and generating, by a computer, at least one of a second speed and a second direction of the animated object depicted on the display based on an interaction between the motion of the body part of the person image in the images and the animated object depicted on the display.