Sony patents laughter and emotion detecting app

It looks like Sony‘s been visiting the patent office again. This time, they’ve patented another piece of software than seems to tie in a bit with their efforts at putting out a motion detecting controller. In fact, it’s moving beyond mere motion to emotion. And no, that’s not the Joker on the left.

It looks like Sony‘s been visiting the patent office again. This time, they’ve patented another piece of software than seems to tie in a bit with their efforts at putting out a motion detecting controller. In fact, it’s moving beyond mere motion to emotion.

The new patent is for an app that detects emotions, most notably laughter, as shown in the diagram below. The app uses both a mic and a camera to pick up on a user’s expressions and emotions. Both are connected to a game console — in the diagram’s case, a PS3 — that identifies the user, notes his emotions and transfers the data over the network.

That’s the “what” part. The “how” is a bit more abstract, although there’s a flowchart that shows how it’s supposed to work. While laughter seems to be the easiest to identify, the patent also notes that other emotions such as sadness, anger, interest, and boredom can be identified as well. As an example, boredom can be equated with “looking away from the presentation, yawning, or talking over the presentation.” Gestures can also be tracked, such as when two people give each other a high five.

I’m still not sure how this could be integrated into games, but it does look like Sony’s been working on it for a while. Notice the 0:20 mark in the Eyedentify presentation from three years ago below. It looks to me like those two girls are picking up on the dude’s laughter, thereby causing them to laugh in return. Coincidentally, the game’s rumored to be set for release this year.

This software isn’t limited to video games, though. It can also be used for TV shows, films, and other media presentations. If Sony perfects this, it sounds like a boon for advertisers and other companies who want to get in on some of that smart programming stuff.

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Via Siliconera