Patent ID: 7782299

Claim:
A command-inputting apparatus for receiving a user command specified by pointing, the apparatus comprising: a display for displaying an operation menu wherein the operation menu includes at least one user manipulation area, each user manipulation area being associated with a user command and being smaller in size than the display; a position-detecting unit for detecting a three-dimensional position of a user's face and for detecting a three-dimensional position of a command object spaced apart from and specifying a command on the operation menu by pointing; and a command-detecting unit for determining a viewpoint of the user based on the detected position of the user's face and for determining a command point on the operation menu based on the detected three-dimensional position of the command object and the viewpoint of a user specifying the command with the command object; wherein a user manipulation space is defined to be a three-dimensional space extending between an apex and a base, the apex corresponding to the user's viewpoint and the base corresponding to a user manipulation area included in the operation menu, and the command detecting unit determines that a command point specified on the operation menu by the command object is on a user manipulation area by detecting that the three-dimensional position of the command object has entered anywhere within the three-dimensional user manipulation space extending between the user's viewpoint and the user manipulation area; and wherein the command-inputting apparatus is configured for being simultaneously operated by a plurality of users, the user manipulation space is defined for each of the plurality of simultaneous users, the user manipulation spaces corresponding to the plurality of users do not overlap each other, and the command-detecting unit determines whether the detected three-dimensional position of the command object is in one of the user manipulation spaces.