JP2007072891A - Projector system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem wherein as a projector system is equipped with a high capacity memory, many video and still images are recorded to necessitate an image search function and then an easy method for specifying a search key image. <P>SOLUTION: The use of an input means such as a laser pointer enables onscreen specification of a search key image to facilitate an image search. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a projector apparatus having a function of projecting and retrieving an image.

Conventionally, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-62444 discloses a technique for pointing to an image projected on a screen using an input means such as a laser pointer and detecting the indicated position using a photographing means.
JP 9-62444 A

  However, when a large-capacity memory and a hard disk are installed in the projector device, the projector is used alone. In addition, a large amount of moving images and still images are recorded, so that an image search function is required, and a method for easily specifying a search key image is required.

  In the projector apparatus according to the present invention, firstly, a projector projection means for projecting a video signal on the screen, an input means for indicating an arbitrary position on the screen, a photographing means for capturing an image on the screen, Pointer position detection means for detecting the position of a pointer on the screen, video output processing means for outputting a video signal, image processing means for generating a video signal, image search means for performing image search, and an image It has a storage means for storing, and a system control means for controlling the system.

  Second, the input means for pointing to an arbitrary position on the screen is a laser pointer, a pointing stick, or a fingertip.

  Thirdly, a trajectory is displayed on the screen through the projector projection means at the pointer detection position using the pointer position detection means.

  Fourthly, when the pointer locus is recognized as a closed curve by using the pointer position detecting means, an image surrounded by the closed curve is cut out.

  Fifth, after the image surrounded by the closed curve is cut out, it is recorded in a means for storing the image as a search key image for image search.

  Sixth, the image search is performed using the search key image stored in the means for storing the image.

  Seventh, the result of the image search is displayed on the screen through the projector projection means of claim 1.

  Eighth, the pointer position detecting means detects a pointer locus registered in advance.

  Ninth, when a pointer locus registered in advance is detected, the pointer locus is erased and a pointer designation process is initialized.

  By the above means, a search key image can be easily specified. Also, it is possible to easily cancel the designation process.

  As can be easily understood from the above description, according to the present invention, first, when an image search is performed in the projector device, it is possible to easily specify a search key image.

  Second, it is possible to specify a search key image from a position away from the projector device or the screen.

  Thirdly, it is possible to clarify the cutout area of the image as the search key image.

  Fourth, when an area is designated with a pointer as a search key image, it is possible to automatically cut out the image.

  Fifth, if a region is designated with a pointer as a search key image, the search key image can be automatically saved in the storage means.

  Sixth, it is possible to perform image search using the projector device.

  Seventh, the image search result can be browsed using the projector device.

  Eighth, by registering the pointer trajectory and motion in advance, it becomes possible to operate the projector apparatus using only the pointer.

  Ninth, it is possible to easily cancel the pointer instruction input for extracting the search key image.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, 30 is a projector apparatus.

  Reference numeral 1 denotes a projector that projects signals from the four video signal output blocks onto three screens.

  A camera 2 captures an image on a projector and a locus of a 10 laser pointer.

  Reference numeral 5 denotes a difference extraction block for detecting the locus of the 10 laser pointer on the screen. In order to detect the locus of the laser pointer, the difference between the output signal of the 4 video signal output block and the image signal captured by the 2 cameras is extracted.

  A memory 6 stores moving images, still images, and program codes.

  An image search engine 7 searches for images in 6 memories, 11 memory cards, and 12 hard disks. The search results are stored in 6 memories, 11 memory cards, and 12 hard disks.

  A CPU 8 controls the 30 projector apparatus.

  Reference numeral 9 denotes an image processing block, which performs processing for displaying a pointer on the screen using the difference detected by the 5-difference extraction block. Alternatively, when a pointer trajectory is detected and, for example, a flat curve is detected, a region surrounded by the curve is cut out from the projected image on the screen.

  FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a projector projection screen for explaining an embodiment of the present invention.

  Reference numeral 100 denotes a screen for projecting an image with a projector.

  Reference numeral 101 denotes a projected image of the projector, for example, reproducing an image stored in 11 memory cards in the projector. An arbitrary part of this image can be cut out and used as a search key image.

  Reference numeral 102 denotes a locus of 10 laser pointers.

  Reference numeral 103 denotes a position indicated by the 10 laser pointer.

  Reference numeral 104 denotes an image search result image. If it is desired to enlarge and reproduce the 104 search result image, it is also possible to select by drawing a circle on the target image with the 10 laser pointer.

  Reference numeral 105 denotes a search key image. An image search is performed using this image. In FIG. 2, the 105 search key image is corrected to a quadrangle at the time of cropping.

  As for the pointer trajectory 102, the position indicated by the laser pointer 103 is captured by two cameras, superimposed on the projection image by nine image processing blocks, and projected onto two screens through one projector.

  Instead of the 10 laser pointer, for example, it is also possible to capture the movement of the pointer and the fingertip with two cameras and project it on the screen as a pointer trajectory.

  The locus of the output light of the 10 laser pointer may be a circle or a quadrangle, and its size can be freely changed. For example, it is possible to change the size of a circle and specify and cut out a search key image from an arbitrary position of the projected image with a circle of 10 laser pointers.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the first embodiment of the present invention. The first embodiment is an explanation of a system in which a search key image is designated with a pointer from an image projected on a screen, cut out from the image, and recorded in a memory.

  S1 is the start of an image search subroutine.

  S2 is a pointer instruction, which is a process of detecting the pointer position from 10 laser pointers on 2 screens by 5 difference extraction means.

  S3 is a process of branching to S4 when the pointer instruction locus in S2 has an intersection. If the trajectory does not have an intersection, the process branches to S2, and the area designation by the 10 laser pointer for cutting out the search key image is continued.

  S4 is a process of cutting the image within the closed curve from the screen projection image using the locus as the closed curve. The cut image becomes a 105 search key image.

  In S5, the 105 search key image cut out from the screen projection image in S4 is recorded in the 6 memory, 11 memory card, and 12 hard disk device.

  S6 is an image search process, and a target image is searched from among images recorded in the 6 memory, 11 memory card, and 12 hard disk devices using the 105 search key image cut out in S4.

  S7 is a display of the search result. The display is projected onto two screens through one projector.

  S8 is a search result storing process, which is recorded in 6 memories, 11 memory cards, and 12 hard disk drives.

  S9 is the end of the search key image designation subroutine.

  The image projected on the screen may not be a still image. For example, in the case of a moving image, it is possible to pause the image and cut out the search key image. The search target image can also be a moving image.

  After the key image is cut out in S4, it can be transferred to a personal computer using a USB interface, for example. It is also possible to input a projector projection image from a personal computer and cut the image.

  In the display of the search result in S7, when narrowing down from the 104 result image, it is also possible to generate a search key image by surrounding the portion to be cut out of the 104 result image with 10 laser pointers.

  In the image display of S7, the 104 result image can be enlarged and reproduced by, for example, drawing a circle using the 10 laser pointer on the 104 result image on the 3 screens.

  In storing the search result in S8, the 104 result image on the 3 screens is selected using the 10 laser pointer, for example, by drawing a circle, and the 104 result image is selected, and 6 memories, 11 memory cards, and 12 hard disks are selected. Can be saved in the device. With the above function, only necessary ones can be selected and saved from the result images.

  FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the second embodiment. The second embodiment relates to search key image designation cancellation processing.

  Reference numeral 200 denotes a projector projection screen.

  Reference numeral 201 denotes a projection image of one projector.

  Reference numeral 202 denotes a pointer locus designated by a 10 laser pointer in order to cut out a search key image.

  Reference numeral 203 denotes a trajectory in which a characteristic trajectory is drawn on a 200 screen with 10 laser pointers. For example, when a line is drawn many times at the same place with the pointer, the pointer locus designated by the 10 laser pointers so far is initialized and can be designated again from the beginning.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the second embodiment.

  S100 is the start of a key image designation subroutine.

  S101 is a pointer instruction, which is a process of detecting the pointer position from 10 laser pointers on 2 screens by the 5 difference extraction means.

  In S102, if the trajectory of the pointer instruction in S101 is a trajectory indicating an instruction to cancel the search key image area designation (for example, a trajectory in which lines are superimposed many times or a trajectory in which a cross is drawn), the process branches to S103, and the pointer instruction Is initialized.

  S104 is a process of branching to S105 when the pointer instruction locus in S101 has an intersection. If the trajectory does not have an intersection, the process branches to S101 and the area designation by the 10 laser pointer for cutting out the search key image is continued.

  S105 is a process of cutting out the image in the closed curve from the screen projection image with the locus as the closed curve.

  In S106, the search key image cut out from the screen projection image in S4 is recorded in the 6 memory, 11 memory card, and 12 hard disk device.

  S107 is the end of the key image designation subroutine.

  By canceling the designated area of the pointer in S102, the search key image can be easily canceled using, for example, a 10 laser pointer.

  Using the search key image cut out in S106, it is possible to perform an image search using S6, S7, and S8 of the first embodiment.

The block diagram of a projector apparatus. 1 is a conceptual diagram of Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the first embodiment. The conceptual diagram of Example 2. FIG. 9 is a flowchart according to the second embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1 Projector 2 Camera 3 Screen 4 Video Signal Output Block 5 Difference Extraction Block 6 Memory 7 Image Search Engine 8 CPU
9 Image Processing Block 10 Laser Pointer 11 Memory Card 12 Hard Disk Device 30 Projector Device 100 Projector Projection Screen 101 Projected Image 102 10 Laser Pointer Trajectory 103 10 Pointer Pointed by Laser Pointer 104 Image Search Result Image 105 Search Key Image 200 Projector Projection Screen 201 Projected image 202 Pointer locus designated by 10 laser pointer 203 Characteristic locus drawn by 10 laser pointer

Claims (9)

  Projector projecting means for projecting a video signal on a screen, input means for pointing an arbitrary position on the screen, photographing means for capturing a screen image, and pointer position detecting means for detecting the position of a pointer on the screen A video output processing means for outputting a video signal, an image processing means for generating a video signal, an image search means for performing an image search, a storage means for storing an image, and a system control for controlling the system A projector apparatus characterized by comprising means.   The projector according to claim 1, wherein the input means for pointing to an arbitrary position on the screen is a laser pointer, a pointing bar, or a fingertip.   A projector apparatus, comprising: a pointer position detection unit according to claim 1 that displays a locus on a screen through a projector projection unit at a pointer detection position.   2. A projector apparatus comprising: a pointer position detecting unit according to claim 1, wherein when the pointer locus is recognized as a closed curve, an image surrounded by the closed curve is cut out.   5. The projector apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the image surrounded by the closed curve is cut out, and then recorded in the means for storing the image of claim 1 as a search key image for image search.   An image search is performed using the search key image stored in the image storing means according to claim 1.   7. A projector apparatus, wherein the result of the image search of claim 6 is displayed on a screen through the projector projection means of claim 1.   2. The projector apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pointer position detecting means detects a pointer locus registered in advance.   9. A projector apparatus, comprising: detecting a pointer locus registered in advance according to claim 8 and erasing the pointer locus according to claim 4 to initialize a pointer designation process.

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