US6571193B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method, apparatus and system for recognizing actions
Assignee: Apple Inc
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Filing: 2000-10-16
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Granted: 2003-05-27
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Expires: 2020-10-16
Abstract
Abstract An object of the present invention is to provide a method, an apparatus and a system for automatically recognizing motions and actions of moving objects such as humans, animals and machines. Measuring instruments are attached to an object under observation to measure a status change entailing the object's motion or action and to issue a signal denoting the measurements. A characteristic quantity extraction unit extracts a characteristic quantity from the measurement signal received which represents the motion or action currently performed by the object under observation. A signal processing unit for motion/action recognition correlates the extracted characteristic quantity with reference data in a database containing previously acquired characteristic quantities of motions and actions. The motion or action represented by the characteristic quantity with the highest degree of correlation is recognized and output.
Inventors
- 👤 Munetoshi Unuma
- 👤 Shiro Nonaka
- 👤 Shigeru Oho
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 07:16
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/103; A61B5/11; A61B5/1123; A43; A43B; A43B3/00; A43B3/34; A61B5/1112; A61B5/68; A61B5/6801; A61B5/6802; A61B5/681; A61B5/6813; A61B5/6828; A61B5/683; A61B5/6831; G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/011; G06F3/017; G06V; G06V40/00; G06V40/20; G06V40/23; A61B5/1116; A61B5/1117; A61B5/112; A61B5/72; A61B5/7232; A61B5/7235; A61B5/7253; A61B5/726; A61B5/7264; A63; A63B; A63B24/00; A63B24/0062; A63B2024/0071; A63B24/0003
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 38
Claim 1
Independent Claim
106 words
A recognition system for recognizing motion and/or actions of an object under observation, said recognition apparatus comprising: measurement means attached to said object under observation in order to measure a status change entailing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation; characteristic quantity extraction means for extracting characteristic quantities from the measurements taken by said measurement means; recognition means for recognizing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation in accordance with the characteristic quantities extracted from said measurements; output means for outputting a recognized result; and wherein said characteristic quantity extraction means extracts said characteristic quantities by subjecting said measurements to time-frequency analysis.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
106 words
A recognition system for recognizing motion and/or actions of an object under observation, said recognition apparatus comprising: measurement means attached to said object under observation in order to measure a status change entailing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation; characteristic quantity extraction means for extracting characteristic quantities from the measurements taken by said measurement means; recognition means for recognizing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation in accordance with the characteristic quantities extracted from said measurements; output means for outputting a recognized result; and wherein said characteristic quantity extraction means extracts said characteristic quantities by subjecting said measurements to time-frequency analysis.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A recognition system according to claim 1 , wherein said time-frequency conversion is based on either Fourier transformation or wavelet transformation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
67 words
A recognition system according to claim 1 , further comprising: motion time measurement means for obtaining from said measurements a motion time representing a temporal characteristic of said motions and/or actions; and normalization means for normalizing said measurements on a time base provided by the acquired motion time; wherein said characteristic quantity extraction means extracts said characteristic quantities by subjecting the normalized measurements to said time-frequency conversion.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
89 words
A recognition system according to claim 1 , further comprising: motion time measurement means for obtaining from said measurements a motion time representing a temporal characteristic of said motions and/or actions; and characteristic quantity correction means for using said motion time to correct the characteristic quantities extracted by said characteristic quantity extraction means, thereby acquiring the corrected quantities as new characteristic quantities; wherein said recognition means recognizes the motions and/or actions of said object under observation in accordance with the corrected characteristic quantities and with said stored characteristic quantities.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
A recognition system according to claim 3 , wherein said output means outputs not only the recognized result but also said motion time measured in connection with the recognized motions and actions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
A recognition system according to claim 1 , further comprising expansion and contraction means for expanding and contracting said measurements on a time base; wherein said characteristic quantity extraction means extracts said characteristic quantities from the measurements expanded and contracted by said expansion and contraction means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
47 words
A recognition system according to claim 1 , further comprising expansion and contraction means for expanding and contracting said measurements on a measuring intensity base; wherein said characteristic quantity extraction means extracts said characteristic quantities from the measurements expanded and contracted by said expansion and contraction means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
A recognition system according to claim 6 , wherein said output means outputs a value representing an expansion-contraction ratio used by said expansion and contraction means in the processing thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
167 words
A recognition system for recognizing motions and/or actions of an object under observation, said recognition apparatus comprising: measurement means attached to said object under observation in order to measure a status change entailing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation; characteristic quantity extraction means for extracting characteristic quantities from the measurements taken by said measurement means; recognition means for recognizing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation in accordance with the characteristic quantities extracted from said measurements, output means for outputting a recognized result; further comprising characteristic quantity composition means for selecting a plurality of quantities from among the characteristic quantities stored in said storage means so as to compose the selected characteristic quantities into a new characteristic quantity; wherein said recognition means recognizes, given the newly composed characteristic quantity and the characteristic quantities corresponding to said measurements, the motions and/or actions of said object under observation as those composed of a plurality of motions and/or actions corresponding to the selected characteristic quantities.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
167 words
A recognition system for recognizing motions and/or actions of an object under observation, said recognition apparatus comprising: measurement means attached to said object under observation in order to measure a status change entailing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation; characteristic quantity extraction means for extracting characteristic quantities from the measurements taken by said measurement means; recognition means for recognizing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation in accordance with the characteristic quantities extracted from said measurements, output means for outputting a recognized result; further comprising characteristic quantity composition means for selecting a plurality of quantities from among the characteristic quantities stored in said storage means so as to compose the selected characteristic quantities into a new characteristic quantity; wherein said recognition means recognizes, given the newly composed characteristic quantity and the characteristic quantities corresponding to said measurements, the motions and/or actions of said object under observation as those composed of a plurality of motions and/or actions corresponding to the selected characteristic quantities.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
A recognition system according to claim 9 , wherein said characteristic quantity composition means weights each of said selected characteristic quantities when composing them.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
145 words
A recognition system for recognizing motions and/or actions of an object under observation, said recognition apparatus comprising: measurement means attached to said object under observation in order to measure a status change entailing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation; characteristic quantity extraction means for extracting characteristic quantities from the measurements taken by said measurement means; recognition means for recognizing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation in accordance with the characteristic quantities extracted from said measurements; output means for outputting a recognized result; and wherein, upon recognizing said motions and/or actions, said recognition means obtains correlations between the characteristic quantities corresponding to said measurements on the one hand, and the characteristic quantities stored in said storage means on the other hand, so that said recognition means recognizes said motions and/or actions in accordance with levels of the correlations thus obtained.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
145 words
A recognition system for recognizing motions and/or actions of an object under observation, said recognition apparatus comprising: measurement means attached to said object under observation in order to measure a status change entailing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation; characteristic quantity extraction means for extracting characteristic quantities from the measurements taken by said measurement means; recognition means for recognizing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation in accordance with the characteristic quantities extracted from said measurements; output means for outputting a recognized result; and wherein, upon recognizing said motions and/or actions, said recognition means obtains correlations between the characteristic quantities corresponding to said measurements on the one hand, and the characteristic quantities stored in said storage means on the other hand, so that said recognition means recognizes said motions and/or actions in accordance with levels of the correlations thus obtained.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
102 words
A recognition system for recognizing motions and/or actions of an object under observation, said recognition apparatus comprising: measurement means attached to said object under observation in order to measure a status change entailing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation; characteristic quantity extraction means for extracting characteristic quantities from the measurements taken by said measurement means; recognition means for recognizing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation in accordance with the characteristic quantities extracted from said measurements; output means for outputting a recognized result; and further comprising position measurement means for measuring positions of said object under observation.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
102 words
A recognition system for recognizing motions and/or actions of an object under observation, said recognition apparatus comprising: measurement means attached to said object under observation in order to measure a status change entailing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation; characteristic quantity extraction means for extracting characteristic quantities from the measurements taken by said measurement means; recognition means for recognizing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation in accordance with the characteristic quantities extracted from said measurements; output means for outputting a recognized result; and further comprising position measurement means for measuring positions of said object under observation.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
133 words
A recognition system for monitoring motions and/or actions of an object under observation, said recognition system comprising a monitored-side device and a monitoring-side device; wherein said monitored-side device includes a recognition unit for recognizing motions and/or actions of said object under observation, a storage unit for storing reference data about specific motions and/or actions to be reported, a judgment unit for judging whether any motions and/or actions of said object under observation need to be reported in accordance with the recognized motions and/or actions and with said reference data, and a report transmission unit for transmitting a report reflecting a judged result; and wherein said monitoring-side device includes a reception unit for receiving the report transmitted from said report transmission unit, and an output unit for effecting an output representing the received report.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
133 words
A recognition system for monitoring motions and/or actions of an object under observation, said recognition system comprising a monitored-side device and a monitoring-side device; wherein said monitored-side device includes a recognition unit for recognizing motions and/or actions of said object under observation, a storage unit for storing reference data about specific motions and/or actions to be reported, a judgment unit for judging whether any motions and/or actions of said object under observation need to be reported in accordance with the recognized motions and/or actions and with said reference data, and a report transmission unit for transmitting a report reflecting a judged result; and wherein said monitoring-side device includes a reception unit for receiving the report transmitted from said report transmission unit, and an output unit for effecting an output representing the received report.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
94 words
A recognition system according to claim 13 , wherein said monitored-side device further includes a history storage unit for storing a history of the recognized motions and/or actions; wherein said storage unit stores predetermined reference data about specific action patterns to be reported, each of said patterns being composed of specific motions and/or actions; and wherein said judgment unit judges whether any pattern of combined motions and/or actions of said object under observation should be reported in accordance with the history stored in said history storage unit as well as with said reference data.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
100 words
A recognition apparatus for recognizing gestures of an object under observation, said recognition apparatus comprising: first storage means for storing reference data determined in advance about gestures to be recognized; recognition means for recognizing a gesture corresponding to the motion of said object under observation on the basis of said reference data; second storage means for storing in advance corresponding relations between said gestures to be recognized and meanings thereof; meaning isolation means for isolating the meaning of any recognized gesture in accordance with the stored corresponding relations; and output means for outputting the isolated meaning of the recognized gesture.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
100 words
A recognition apparatus for recognizing gestures of an object under observation, said recognition apparatus comprising: first storage means for storing reference data determined in advance about gestures to be recognized; recognition means for recognizing a gesture corresponding to the motion of said object under observation on the basis of said reference data; second storage means for storing in advance corresponding relations between said gestures to be recognized and meanings thereof; meaning isolation means for isolating the meaning of any recognized gesture in accordance with the stored corresponding relations; and output means for outputting the isolated meaning of the recognized gesture.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
92 words
An apparatus for displaying recognized motions and/or actions of an object under observation, said apparatus comprising: measurement means attached to said object under observation in order to measure a status change entailing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation; characteristic quantity extraction means for extracting characteristic quantities from the measurements taken by said measurement means; motion generating means for generating a motion of animated object of said object under observation in accordance with the characteristic quantities extracted from said measurements; and display means for displaying said motion of animated object.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
92 words
An apparatus for displaying recognized motions and/or actions of an object under observation, said apparatus comprising: measurement means attached to said object under observation in order to measure a status change entailing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation; characteristic quantity extraction means for extracting characteristic quantities from the measurements taken by said measurement means; motion generating means for generating a motion of animated object of said object under observation in accordance with the characteristic quantities extracted from said measurements; and display means for displaying said motion of animated object.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
27 words
A recognition system according to claim 1 , wherein the recognition means recognizes whether an object under observation is in a motion state of walking or running.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
27 words
A recognition system according to claim 3 , wherein the recognition means recognizes whether an object under observation is in a motion state of walking or running.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
27 words
A recognition system according to claim 13 , wherein the recognition means recognizes whether an object under observation is in a motion state of walking or running.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
27 words
A recognition system according to claim 15 , wherein the recognition means recognizes whether an object under observation is in a motion state of walking or running.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
27 words
A recognition system according to claim 16 , wherein the recognition means recognizes whether an object under observation is in a motion state of walking or running.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
79 words
An apparatus for measuring a moving distance of an object under observation comprising: measurement means attached to said object under observation in order to measure a status change in said object's position; recognition means for recognizing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation; and calculation means for calculating the moving distance of an object by computing a product of a number of walking steps output by the measurement means and an average step length of said object.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
79 words
An apparatus for measuring a moving distance of an object under observation comprising: measurement means attached to said object under observation in order to measure a status change in said object's position; recognition means for recognizing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation; and calculation means for calculating the moving distance of an object by computing a product of a number of walking steps output by the measurement means and an average step length of said object.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
39 words
A recognition apparatus according to claim 22 , wherein the recognition means is capable of recognizing the moving up or moving down of an object and is further capable of map-matching the motion to stairs by recognizing such motion.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
78 words
A recognition method for recognizing motions and/or actions of an object under observation, said recognition method comprising the steps of: measuring a status change entailing the motions and/or actions of an object under observation; extracting characteristic quantities from the measurements of status change; recognizing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation in accordance with the characteristic quantities extracted; and outputting a recognized result, wherein said characteristic quantities are extracted by subjecting said measurements to time-frequency analysis.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
78 words
A recognition method for recognizing motions and/or actions of an object under observation, said recognition method comprising the steps of: measuring a status change entailing the motions and/or actions of an object under observation; extracting characteristic quantities from the measurements of status change; recognizing the motions and/or actions of said object under observation in accordance with the characteristic quantities extracted; and outputting a recognized result, wherein said characteristic quantities are extracted by subjecting said measurements to time-frequency analysis.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
21 words
A recognition method according to claim 24 , wherein said time-frequency conversion is based on either Fourier transformation or wavelet transformation.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
57 words
A recognition method according to claim 24 , further comprising the steps of: obtaining from said measurements a motion time representing a temporal characteristic of said motions and/or actions; and normalizing said measurements on a time base provided by the acquired motion time, said characteristic quantities are extracted by subjecting the normalized measurements to said time-frequency conversion.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
74 words
A recognition method according to claim 24 , further comprising the steps of: obtaining from said measurements a motion time representing a temporal characteristic of said motions and/or actions; and using said motion time to correct the characteristic quantities extracted, thereby acquiring the corrected quantities as new characteristic quantities, wherein the motions and/or actions of said object under observation are recognized in accordance with the corrected characteristic quantities and with said stored characteristic quantities.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
34 words
A recognition method according to claim 24 , further comprising the step of expanding and contracting said measurements on a time base, wherein said characteristic quantities extracted from the measurements are expanded and contracted.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
35 words
A recognition method according to claim 24 , further comprising the step of expanding and contracting said measurements on a measuring intensity base; wherein said characteristic quantities extracted from the measurements are expanded and contracted.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2006-05-26 | 2006-11-25 | 2007-05-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2010-05-26 | 2010-11-25 | 2011-05-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2014-05-26 | 2014-11-25 | 2015-05-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |