Systems and methods for lip reading control of a media device

Abstract

Systems and methods of generating device commands based upon spoken user commands are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment captures a series of images of a user of a media device, generates image information corresponding to the series of captured images, determines lip movement of the user from the generated image information, determines at least one spoken user command based upon the determined lip movement of the user, and determines a device command based upon the determined spoken user command. Then, the device command is communicated to, for example, a media presentation device, wherein an operation of the media presentation device is controlled in accordance with the determined spoken user command.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A set top box (STB) configured to generate device commands based upon spoken user commands, comprising:
 an image capture device configured to capture a series of images of a user, and configured to generate image information corresponding to the series of captured images; and   a processor system communicatively coupled to the image capture device,   wherein the processor system is configured to:
 receive the image information from the image capture device, wherein the image information includes information that shows movement of the user's lips, 
 determine the movement of the user's lips from the received image information, 
 continuously monitor the movement of the user's lips in the series of captured images of the user to determine at least one of an engagement command, a disengagement command, and a STB command, 
 determine a device command in response to determining the STB command, 
   wherein the determined STB command is disregarded until after the engagement command is determined,   wherein the device command associated with the determined STB command is performed after the engagement command is determined, and   wherein a subsequent determined STB command is disregarded after the disengagement command is determined.   
     
     
         2 . The STB of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a presentation device interface coupled to the processor system and at least one media presentation device with a display, wherein the device command controls operation of an electronic program guide (EPG) displayed by the media presentation device.