Patent ID: 7555766

Claim:
An audience response determination apparatus for determining an audience response to displayed content, comprising: image input means for inputting image signals representing an image of members of said audience; motion vector determining means for receiving said image signal and determining motion vectors in said image; sound input means for inputting audio signals representing sounds generated by said members of such audience; audio determining means responsive to said audio signals to determine a sound state of said audience; individual state detection means for detecting individual load conditions of the members of the audience, including left and right stepping force detection means for detecting the stepping force of an individual member of the audience, thereby representing the individual response states of the members of the audience; auxiliary information means for supplying auxiliary information indicating whether the content currently is displayed and, if so, whether said content is video or audio content and, if video content, said auxiliary information is indicative of a scene in said video content; determination means for determining the audience response on the basis of said determined motion vectors, said determined sound state of said audience, the detected load conditions of said members, and said supplied auxiliary information, such that for given motion vectors, a given sound state and given load conditions, a different audience response is determined depending upon the auxiliary information; and wherein said determination means for determining the audience response comprises an audience state determination unit for estimating if a majority of said audience is intently watching or listening to said content, for estimating if a majority of said audience is clapping or singing along with the content, for estimating if a majority of said audience is clapping or shouting, for estimating if a majority of said audience is applauding or cheering and for estimating if a majority of said audience is standing, and for selecting the audience response as a function of said estimating.