JP2009021737A - Image display system and image display method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image display system and image displaying method for enabling a viewer to appreciate an image photographed by an imaging apparatus, such as, a digital camera by effectively utilizing already prepared image content, giving the image natural mode so as to enable the viewer to enjoy the image. <P>SOLUTION: The image display system composites a TV image displayed on a monitor screen 21 of a television 20 with a camera image photographed by a camera and displays the composite image. The image display system has an imaging part 2 for photographing an object and generating a camera image and a recording part 4 for recording the camera image, and the image display system images the TV image displayed on the monitor screen 21 by the imaging part 2, retrieves similar images that resemble the TV images from among camera images recorded in the recording part 3, and displays the similar image retrieved as a camera image on the monitor screen 21. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to an image display system and an image display method, and more particularly to an image display system and an image display method for displaying an image captured by an imaging device or the like.

In recent years, an image appreciation method that uses the ease of image transmission of an imaging device such as a digital camera, transmits images using communication functions such as PC communication, the Internet, and mobile phone lines, and enjoys images in that environment. Is popular. When such a communication function is used, for example, not only can an image be transmitted to a remote device, but also enjoyment can be applied such as creating new content in cooperation with the image. Furthermore, there are more ways to enjoy such as distributing images and posting images. Therefore, it is possible to enjoy images by using a playback device suitable for the situation without being restricted by the conventional appreciation method for viewing photos with an album. Note that with the widespread use of digital cameras, image storage has been replaced by film data storage elements and storage devices instead of film, and the capacity of these storage means has been increasing.

In addition, there is a communication karaoke that uses the Internet as described above, and music and images are integrated so that the user can enjoy it. In addition, popular images posted on video posting sites and contents sent by broadcasting have been devised so that many people can enjoy them in a short time. In addition, one of the most popular consumer products in recent years is a plasma or liquid crystal large-screen television (TV), which connects to a network and enjoys not only television broadcasting but also images via the Internet. Be able to.

Under such circumstances, various proposals have been made to combine and enjoy existing karaoke content and images. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a karaoke apparatus that can use an image taken by a user with a digital camera as a background image of karaoke. When a memory card storing images is inserted into a karaoke microphone, the karaoke device reads the images and displays them on a monitor television.

Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a karaoke apparatus that captures the face of a player singing in karaoke with a video camera, and inserts it into a designated position on the background for composite display. Further, Patent Document 3 discloses a karaoke device that shoots a singer with a video camera, synthesizes and displays this image and a background image, and prints this image.

Further, Patent Document 4 discloses an image composition device that can compose a live image of a performer and a background image and perform mirror inversion processing at that time. Further, Patent Document 5 discloses a karaoke apparatus in which a singer's face is replaced with a karaoke singer's face when playing a musical piece.

JP 2004-271959 A JP-A-11-175079 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-254462 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-275524 JP-A-6-110480

Thus, various techniques for synthesizing images in a karaoke apparatus have been proposed. However, the karaoke device disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires a special device in addition to the camera, and cannot enjoy images with the camera alone. In addition, the karaoke devices disclosed in Patent Documents 2 to 5 synthesize and display the background image and the image of the singer and the like, but did not enjoy the images taken by the imaging device such as a digital camera. .

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an image captured by an imaging device such as a digital camera by effectively utilizing already created image content is naturally appreciated by viewers. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image display system and an image display method that can be viewed in an aspect.

In order to achieve the above object, an image display system according to a first aspect of the present invention is an image display system for combining and displaying an image displayed on a screen and an image photographed by a camera. An imaging unit that generates one image data, a recording unit that records the first image data, and a second image displayed on the screen is captured by the imaging unit, and is similar to the second image data that represents the second image A search unit for searching for the third image data to be searched from the first image data recorded in the recording unit, and a display for displaying on the screen a third image representing the third image data searched for by the search unit A control unit is provided.

In order to achieve the above object, an image display method according to a second invention is an image display method for combining and displaying an image displayed on a screen and an image photographed by a camera. A step of generating one image data; a step of recording the first image data; and a second image displayed on the screen by the imaging unit and similar to the second image data representing the second image. Searching the image data from the recorded first image data, and displaying a third image representing the searched third image data on the screen.

In order to achieve the above object, an image display system according to a third invention is an image display system including an imaging device and a display device, and the imaging device captures a first image and generates first image data. An image capturing unit for recording, a recording unit for recording the first image data, a display unit for receiving at least one of television broadcast content and Internet content, and the television broadcast content received by the reception unit. And a display unit that displays at least one of the Internet contents, and a display device side communication unit for communicating with the imaging device, and the imaging device further performs imaging with the display device. Based on the screen image of the display unit photographed by the apparatus-side communication unit and the imaging unit, the first image data recorded in the recording unit A search unit that searches for a similar image similar to the image, and transmits the searched similar image to the display device side communication unit via the imaging device side communication unit, and transmits the similar image to the display unit. Display an image.

The image display system according to a fourth invention is the image display system according to the third invention, wherein the transmission of the similar image to the display device is performed when the image on the screen of the display section taken by the imaging section changes. Send similar images.
In the image display system according to the fifth invention, infrared communication or wireless LAN is provided between the display device side communication unit and the imaging device side communication unit in the third invention.
Furthermore, the image display system according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the image display system according to the third aspect, wherein the display unit displays at least one of the television broadcast content and the Internet content and displays the similar image. Display is possible.
Furthermore, an image display system according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the image display system according to the third aspect, wherein the space for displaying the similar image is maximized based on the image of the screen of the display section taken by the imaging section. And controlling the position and size of at least one display area for the television broadcast content and the Internet content.

In order to achieve the above object, an imaging apparatus according to an eighth invention includes a recording unit that records captured image data captured by the imaging apparatus, an imaging unit that captures a screen of a display device and generates screen image data, and A search unit that searches the recording unit for photographed image data similar to the screen image data, and a transmission unit that transmits the similar photographed image data searched by the search unit to the display device.

In order to achieve the above object, an imaging apparatus according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is a receiver that can receive at least one of television broadcast content and Internet content, and at least one of the two contents received by the receiver. When the captured image data is received by this receiving unit, the display unit that can display the captured image data captured by the imaging device, and at least one of the two contents, A display switching unit for displaying a base image;

In order to achieve the above object, an image display apparatus according to a tenth aspect of the present invention includes a recording unit that records a captured image captured by a camera, a display unit that displays a content image, and a captured image similar to the content image. And a display control unit for displaying the captured image searched by the search unit together with the content image.

In an image display device according to an eleventh aspect based on the tenth aspect, the display control unit switches a similar image according to a change in the scene of the content image.
The image display device according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is the image display apparatus according to the eleventh aspect of the invention, when the degree of coincidence of the images in the content image decreases or when the degree of coincidence of the audio of the content image decreases. It is determined that the scene has changed.
Furthermore, in the tenth invention, when the similar image is displayed, the image display device according to the thirteenth invention reduces the content image and moves it to secure a display area for the similar image.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, an image display system and an image display that allow an image captured by an image capturing apparatus such as a digital camera to be viewed in a natural and pleasing manner using an image content that has already been created. A method can be provided.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment will be described using an image display system to which the present invention is applied according to the drawings. An image display system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a camera and a television. The camera includes a recording unit that records captured image data. The television and the camera have a communication function, and the camera can transmit the image data to the television. In addition, the camera can capture a television screen, search, process, and edit a captured image according to the state of the television screen and transmit the captured image to the television. Furthermore, the television can display the transmitted image and the television broadcast image on two screens.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a digital camera 10 and a television 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Inside the camera 10, a control unit 1, an imaging unit 2, a sound collection unit 3, a recording unit 4, a reproduction unit 5, an operation determination unit 6, and a subject determination unit 7 are provided. The control unit 1 is configured by an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) or the like, and is connected to each unit such as the subject determination unit 7 from the imaging unit 2 described above, and inputs a signal and outputs a control signal from each unit, 10 overall control. The imaging unit 2 has a lens optical system for forming a subject image, photoelectrically converts the subject image formed by the lens optical system, and outputs an image signal.

The sound collection unit 3 is composed of a microphone or the like, collects sound or the like flowing from the speaker of the television 20, and converts it into sound data. The recording unit 4 records image data based on the image signal output by the imaging unit 2 on a recording medium. The reproduction unit 5 reads the image data recorded on the recording medium of the recording unit 4 and displays it on the liquid crystal display unit 5a.

The operation determination unit 6 detects the state of operation members such as operation switches and operation dials provided in the camera 10 to determine the operation state. The subject determination unit 7 includes each detection unit that detects contrast, brightness distribution, and color tone in the screen, and analyzes the characteristics of the captured image. In addition, the subject determination unit 7 includes a face detection unit that determines the position and size of the face in the screen based on the shadow pattern having the characteristics of a human face from the image. The TV communication unit 8 has a communication function such as infrared communication, wireless LAN, or Bluetooth technology, and can communicate with the television 20.

The television 20 includes a reception unit 11, a reproduction unit 12, a display switching unit 15, a camera communication unit 16, an operation determination unit 17, and a display & speaker unit 18. The receiving unit 11 receives broadcast contents such as commercials (advertisement broadcasts) transmitted from the broadcast station 30 and various Internet contents from a server or the like via the Internet 31, and outputs them to the playback unit 12. The camera communication unit 16 communicates with the TV communication unit of the camera 10 by infrared communication, wireless LAN, or Bluetooth technology, receives image data from the camera 10, and outputs the image data to the display switching unit 15.

The operation determination unit 17 receives a signal from a camera operation member or a remote controller, such as channel switching of the television 20, and detects and determines a user operation instruction. The display switching unit 15 performs display switching between the image data received by the camera communication unit 16 and the broadcast content and Internet content received by the receiving unit 11. The display switching is performed according to the operation instruction by the operation member determined by the operation determination unit 17.

The reproduction unit 12 reproduces the broadcast content and the image data of the captured image switched by the display switching unit 15. The display & speaker unit 18 displays the video / image reproduced by the reproduction unit 12 on the monitor screen 21 and plays the sound through the speaker. As shown in FIG. 1, the display monitor 21 can be divided into two screens.

Operations of the camera 10 and the television 20 in the present embodiment configured as described above will be described. The camera 10 placed on the table is directed to the television 20. The television 20 receives broadcast content from the broadcast station 30 or Internet content existing on a server connected to the Internet 31 by the reception unit 11, reproduces it by the reproduction unit 12, and displays it by the display unit or the speaker 18. indicate.

Such playback contents such as broadcast contents and Internet contents are devised so that viewers do not get bored because audio and images are integrated. Since switching of images is performed at an appropriate tempo, an image similar to the image of the reproduction content is searched from the recording unit 4 in the camera 10 in accordance with the image, and the similar image is searched for on the monitor screen of the television 20. 21 for playback. Accordingly, it is possible to perform image transmission with a change, diversion of audio, and the like rather than a slide show in which images are simply transmitted at the same tempo, and it is possible to enjoy much more varied image reproduction. In addition, such image reproduction is not something that the user consciously reads out, so that unexpected images can be retrieved and reproduced, and forgotten memories can be revived.

In order to perform such an operation, the camera 10 operates the sound pickup unit 3 including the imaging unit 2 for photographing and a microphone in front of the television 20. The image obtained by the imaging unit 2 and the audio data obtained by the sound collection unit 3 are analyzed, and a similar image or the like is retrieved from the recording unit 4 according to the result, and the retrieval image is transmitted from the TV communication unit 8 to the television 20.

The operation determination unit 6 accepts a user operation not only at the time of shooting but also at the time of playback and controls the camera 10, and confirms the shot image on the liquid crystal display unit 5 a of the playback unit 5. Therefore, the images to be transmitted to the television 20 may be limited.

Broadcast images and net images reproduced on the monitor screen 21 of the television 20 are acquired as images by the imaging unit 2 of the camera 10. The subject determination unit 7 determines the characteristics of these broadcast images and net images. The characteristics of the image recorded in the camera 10 are determined by the determination unit 7 at the time of shooting, and can be searched by the size and position of the face, the brightness and contrast distribution of the screen, and the color distribution. ing. For this reason, it is possible to immediately specify a broadcast image reproduced on the television 20 or an image similar to the net.

In this way, the similar image selected on the camera 10 side is transmitted to the television 20 by the transmission unit 8. The television 20 receives the similar image by the receiving unit 16 and displays the similar image on the monitor screen 21 via the reproducing unit 12. The basic operation of the television 20 is to determine the user's operation by the determination unit 17 and reproduce the content such as a broadcast image or a net image received by the reception unit 11. In this way, a similar image is transmitted from the camera 10. In this case, this similar image is also displayed simultaneously. As described above, the playback unit 12 can divide and view the large screen, and thus displays the image transmitted from the camera 10 on one of the screens.

Image viewing in the image display system including the camera 10 and the television 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 3, the camera 10 is placed in front of the large-screen television 20 where all the family members gather, and the imaging unit 2 of the camera 10 monitors the screen monitor 20 of the television 20. Is placed in.

At this time, the camera 10 determines the switching of the scene while monitoring the television image (screen monitor 21) of the television 20, searches the captured image in the camera 10, transmits the retrieved image, and transmits the television 20 The captured image is displayed on the screen. This is shown in FIG. FIG. 2A is an example of an image of a commercial (advertisement broadcast), and displays scenes such as scenery, glasses, and talking at a banquet. The camera 10 determines such a scene change, searches for a similar image, and displays it as shown in FIG.

For example, a commercial image having no face or a small image and a bright upper portion is determined to be a landscape, and a similar image stored in the camera 10 is transmitted to the television 10 and displayed. In addition, in a scene where there is no face and the subject is a close-up, when it is determined, a similar image is retrieved from the camera 10 and transmitted.

Further, when it is determined that the commercial image is a face, an image with a face is displayed on the television 20. Of course, the size and position of the face may be reflected. Moreover, the switching may be determined or the transmission image may be switched based not only on the image but also on the sound played from the television 20. The list is displayed in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, the playback image is switched according to the voice separation, and if it is a female voice, a female image is displayed, and if it is a male voice, a male image is displayed. To do. In addition, a child's image is displayed for light music, a family image is displayed for quiet music, and a landscape image is displayed for other images.

Next, camera control of the camera 10 will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. First, it is determined whether or not the photographing mode is set (S1). The camera 10 displays a subject image in live view (also referred to as a live view display), captures and records an image by a release operation, reproduces a recorded image, and reproduces a captured image on the television 20. It has a TV playback mode to display.

If the result of determination in step S1 is that it is shooting mode, live view display is performed (S2). In the live view display, the subject image is displayed as a moving image on the liquid crystal display unit 5 a based on the image data acquired by the imaging unit 2. Subsequently, it is determined whether the release button has been fully pressed, that is, whether the release button has been operated (S3). As a result of the determination, if the release operation has not been performed, the process returns to step S1 and the above-described operation is repeated.

On the other hand, if the result of determination in step S3 is that a release operation has been performed, shooting is performed (S4) and recording is performed (S5). That is, image data is acquired by the imaging unit 2, the image data is compressed, and then recorded on a recording medium by the recording unit 4. When the recording ends, the process returns and repeats from step S1.

If the result of determination in step S1 is not shooting mode, it is next determined whether or not playback mode is in effect (S11). If the result of determination is that it is in playback mode, playback display is performed (S12). In the reproduction display, the image data of the photographed image recorded on the recording medium of the recording unit 4 is read and decompressed, and then displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 5a of the reproducing unit 5.

Subsequently, it is determined whether or not thumbnail display is performed (S13). When the user desires thumbnail display, the thumbnail display mode is set by operating a switch or the like provided on the back surface of the digital camera 10 and so in this step, it is determined whether or not this mode is set. . If the result of determination is thumbnail display mode, thumbnail display is performed (S14). In this thumbnail display, all image data recorded on the recording medium in the recording unit 4 is read, and images of a plurality of frames are simultaneously displayed on the display panel 8 as images smaller than usual.

Next, it is determined whether or not to select an image group to be displayed on the television 20, that is, a display candidate of the monitor screen 21 of the television 20 (S15). This is determined by whether or not the display candidate (transmission candidate) selection mode is set by operating the switch of the camera 10 as in the above-described selection of thumbnail display. As a result of the determination, if selection of display candidates (transmission candidates) is set, display candidates are selected (S16). Selection of display candidates is performed by using a touch panel or a cross key to select an image to be transmitted to the television 20 and displayed as a monitor image on the monitor screen 21 from the captured images displayed as thumbnails.

Next, it is determined whether or not display candidate selection has been completed (S17). If the result of determination is that the display candidate selection has been completed, a candidate instruction is given (S18). In this candidate instruction, a transmission candidate signal is added to the selected captured image, and the selected captured image is transmitted to the television 20 in step S26 described later. When the candidate instruction ends, or if NO in steps S13, S15, S17, the process returns.

If the result of determination in step S11 is not playback mode, it is next determined whether or not it is TV playback mode on the television 20 (S21). When the playback mode is not set, infrared communication with the television 20 (wireless LAN or Bluetooth may be used). If the result of determination is that it is not in the TV playback mode, processing returns to step S1, while if it is in the TV playback mode, imaging and sound collection operations are executed (S22).

Subsequently, based on the captured image and sound collection data acquired in step S22, it is determined whether or not it is a television commercial (CM) (S23). Here, as a commercial (CM) determination method, it is performed by detecting a change from stereo sound to monaural sound, a discontinuous change in volume such as sudden increase in sound or start of music. As a result of the determination, if it is not a commercial, the process returns to step S22. If it is a commercial, the captured image captured by the camera 10 is displayed on the television 20 in step S22 and subsequent steps. In the present embodiment, the transmission of the captured image is performed when the commercial broadcast is started because the reproduction of the captured image may interfere with the viewing of the drama or the like during the drama. is there.

If it is determined in step S23 that the broadcast is commercial, the television image is reduced and a signal indicating that two-screen display is to be performed is transmitted (S24). One of the two screens is a television image, and the other screen is a captured image transmitted from the camera 10.

Subsequently, image determination of the television image is performed (S25). In this image determination, the image of the television 10 is analyzed by the subject determination unit 7 based on the image data of the television 10 acquired by the imaging unit 2, and the photographing recorded in the recording unit 4 based on the analysis result. A similar image is searched for and selected from the images specified as display candidates in step S18. When this image determination is completed, the candidate image selected in step S25 is transmitted (S26). The candidate image is transmitted by the TV communication unit 8 of the camera 10.

Next, it is determined whether or not a scene change has occurred in the commercial broadcast (S27). Details of this scene change determination method will be described later with reference to FIG. If there is no change in the scene as a result of the determination, the standby state is maintained until the scene changes in this state. If the scene changes as a result of the determination, image determination is performed and the next candidate image is transmitted (S28). In this image determination, similar images are searched for in the same manner as in step S 25, and the similar images are transmitted to the television 20.

Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the process is finished (S29). This end determination is a determination as to whether the commercial has ended or whether the user has performed a display end operation. As a result of the determination, if it is not finished, the process returns to step S27. On the other hand, if it is finished, an instruction signal for one screen is transmitted to the television 10. Simultaneously with the transmission to the television 10, an image corresponding to the liquid crystal display unit 5a provided on the back surface of the camera 10 may be displayed. When a single screen instruction is issued, the process returns to step S1 and the above steps are repeated.

Next, the scene change determination in step S27 will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. If this flow is entered, it is first determined whether the first predetermined time has passed (S51). This step is a provided step for performing scene determination at predetermined time intervals, and advances to S52 and subsequent steps every time the first predetermined time elapses. When the first predetermined time has elapsed, image acquisition (S52) and audio acquisition (S53) are performed. Image acquisition is performed by the imaging unit 2, and sound acquisition is performed by the sound collection unit 3.

Subsequently, the previous acquired image and the current acquired image are compared (S54), and it is determined whether or not the degree of coincidence between the two images is large (S55). If the degree of coincidence is not high as a result of the determination, it is determined that the scene change is determined, that is, the scene change is large (S59). This is because the degree of coincidence of images is not large, that is, it can be determined that the scene has changed because the images are different between the previous time and the current time.

If the degree of coincidence is high as a result of the determination in step S55, then the previous acquired voice is compared (S56), and the previous acquired voice and the current acquired voice are compared (S57). Even if the image has not changed, the voice of a new character may be heard. If the sound has changed, the scene is changed. As a result of the determination, if the degree of coincidence is low, even if the third predetermined time has elapsed, if the degree of coincidence is still small (S61), it is determined that the scene has changed (S59), while the third predetermined time has elapsed. If not, return to the original flow. Here, the reason for waiting for the elapse of the third predetermined time is that when there are scene changes frequently and in small increments, the captured images are frequently switched and become unsightly.

Further, if the result of determination in step S57 is that the degree of coincidence is also great for the voice, it is next determined whether or not a second predetermined time has passed (S58). If the second predetermined time has not elapsed, the process returns to the original flow. On the other hand, when the second predetermined time has elapsed, the scene change determination (S59) is performed. If the situation where there is no change in both sound and image is too long, it is assumed that there has been a scene change.

This means that if there is a scene change, the next candidate image is transmitted in step S28 (FIG. 5), but if the scene is long, the same image will continue to be displayed and become monotonous. It is for preventing. The first, second, and third predetermined times are, for example, 5 seconds, 20 seconds, and 10 seconds, respectively, but these times may be changed as appropriate.

Next, the control operation of the television 20 will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. The television 20 has a camera communication mode in which communication for inputting image data from the camera 10 is performed, a program designation mode such as program designation of a normal television 20, an internet connection, an internet connection, and internet content. There are a net connection mode in which the reproduction of the TV is performed, a transmission mode in which the content on the TV side is transmitted to the camera 10, and the like.

If this flow is entered, it is first determined whether or not the camera communication mode is set (S101). As described above, when transmitting image data or the like to the television 20, the camera 10 generates a wireless communication signal such as infrared rays. In this step, it is detected whether or not this signal is sensed. If the communication signal is received as a result of the determination, the signal is analyzed (S102).

Based on the result of the signal analysis, the received signal is a screen display control signal for controlling the screen, such as making the image of the monitor screen 21 of the television 20 one screen, two screens, or further reducing or enlarging the image. It is determined whether or not (S103). As a result of the determination, if it is a screen display control signal, the image of the monitor screen 21 is controlled according to this control signal (S104).

If the result of determination in step S103 is not screen control, it is determined whether or not image reception has occurred (S105). This is a determination as to whether or not the camera 10 has received a captured image for display transmitted to the television 20. If it is determined that the image is received, the received captured image is displayed (S106). At this time, the commercial broadcast image and the captured image transmitted from the camera 10 are displayed on the monitor screen 21 in two screens. If step S104 or step S106 is performed, it will return to step S101 and the above-mentioned operation | movement will be repeated.

If the result of determination in step S101 is not camera communication mode, it is determined whether or not a program is designated (S111). This step is a determination as to whether or not the user specifies a program that the user wants to view as a general television specification. As a result of the determination, if a program is designated, the program is reproduced and displayed in step S112 (S112), and the process jumps to step S115.

If the result of determination in step S111 is not program designation mode, it is determined whether or not there is a network connection (S113). As a result of the determination, if it is a net connection, the content is reproduced by connecting to the net (S114). Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the recording operation of the broadcast content or the Internet content is performed (S115). If the result of determination is that recording has been instructed, the content is recorded in a recording unit in the television 20. Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the process is finished (S117). If not finished, the process returns to step S111. If finished, the process returns.

If the result of determination in step S113 is not net connection mode, it is next determined whether or not the recording content transmission mode is in effect (S121). Send by infrared communication. This step is a mode in which the content recorded in step S116 is transmitted to the camera 10, and the content recorded on the television 20 can be reproduced by the camera 10. By recording in the recording unit 4 of the camera 10, the user can enjoy these contents even away from the television 20. Also, if you take a picture while watching these contents, you can take a picture that mimics a professional effect.

Next, image position control performed by the camera 10 in order to perform screen display control in step S104 will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, the camera 10 detects a change in a scene such as a commercial image of the television 20, and switches the captured image in accordance with this change. For this reason, accurate determination cannot be made unless the camera 10 is correctly directed to the monitor screen 21 of the television 20. Therefore, control of the image position on the television 20 is performed from the camera 10 side so that the television image can be correctly determined.

FIG. 8 shows how to control the playback position and size of a television image so that the camera 10 can correctly monitor the image of the television 20 with the camera 10 placed in front of the television 20, as shown in FIG. Indicates. FIG. 8A shows a state in which the television 20 is displaced by the camera 10 and the position of the image 22a such as a commercial is shifted. FIG. 8B shows the movement of the reproduced image on the television 10 monitored by the camera 10. It shows how it is.

In the state of FIG. 8 (b), it is shown that the television image cannot be monitored by the camera 10 when the image 22b such as a commercial image displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 5a of the camera 10 is shifted to the right. Yes. That is, in order to control the image transmission while monitoring the television image, it is better to stop the position of the television image.

Next, the image position control routine will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the camera 10 transmits a control signal to the television 20 by infrared rays or the like, and controls the image position on the television 20 side. However, the camera 10 transmits the control signal to the remote control unit of the television 20. You may make it do.

First, when this image position control is started, it is determined whether there is a sufficient margin for determining an image (S72). That is, it is determined whether or not the image 22a displayed on the monitor screen 21 is large enough for the camera 10 to determine a scene change or the like. This is because if the image 22a is too small, it cannot be determined.

If there is a margin as a result of the determination in step S71, the image 22a is reduced in order to secure a space for displaying the captured image of the camera 10 (S73). Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the reduced image of the image 22a has reached a limit at which scene changes can be analyzed (S74). If not, the process returns to step S73, and the reduction of the television image is repeated until the limit is reached.

If the result of determination in step S74 is that the limit has been reached, it is next determined whether or not there is room for movement (S75). If the reduced image 22a is near the center, a sufficient space for displaying the captured image of the camera 10 cannot be secured. Therefore, the image 22a is moved in step S76 until it is determined in step S77 that the limit has been reached.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S75 that there is no movement allowance, or if it is determined in step S71 that there is no image determination allowance, the camera position is too close or conversely too far away, or the camera 10 Since the direction of is bad, a warning is issued (S72).

If it is determined in step S77 that the image 22a has reached the limit, a camera image is displayed in the empty area (S78). That is, the television image 22a is placed on the edge of the monitor screen 21, and the photographed image recorded in the camera 10 in the empty area and instructed as a candidate in step S18 is transferred and displayed (S78). As a result, the camera 10 can play back the captured image at the same time while the camera 10 refers to the TV image.

As described above, in one embodiment of the present invention, a place for family gathering or a television where many people easily gather is used, and a captured image captured by the camera 10 is displayed on the screen of the television. For this reason, it can be enjoyed by many people.

Further, when displaying a photographed image, the photographed image is switched in accordance with a change in a scene of commercial broadcasting. Since commercial broadcasting is rich in change even in a short time and does not get viewers bored, by linking to this commercial broadcasting, playback of captured images can also be monotonous playback display like a slide show. Absent.

Furthermore, since the camera 10 and the television 20 are connected by infrared communication, wireless communication, wireless LAN, or the like, the connection is simple, no special device is required, and the cost is low. It should be noted that although the lines are somewhat tangled, it is of course possible to connect them with a wired cable or the like.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the camera image is displayed during the commercial broadcast. At that time, the camera image is suddenly displayed using one of the two screens without being displayed on the entire screen. I am doing so. Therefore, the viewer can select which one to view.

Further, in the present embodiment, the camera 10 side monitors whether or not a television image such as a commercial can be determined based on the image on the monitor screen 21 of the television 10. And based on this monitoring result, by displaying a television image with the minimum size and position, it is possible to display a captured image of the camera 10 in a large size.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying the components without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the embodiment. For example, you may delete some components of all the components shown by embodiment. Furthermore, constituent elements over different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

It is a block diagram in the image display system concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure explaining selection of the similar image in the image display system concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure explaining switching of the reproduction | regeneration image according to an audio | voice in the image display system concerning one Embodiment of this invention. 1 is a block diagram mainly showing a server in an image display system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the camera control in the image display system concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the subroutine of a scene change in the image display system concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the television in the image display system concerning one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating a state in which the reproduction position and size of a television image are controlled in the image display system according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8A illustrates a state in which the television shifts the position of the image 22a. FIG. 8B shows a state in which the camera monitors the movement of the reproduced image on the television. It is a flowchart which shows the subroutine of the image position control in the image display system concerning one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Control part, 2 ... Imaging part, 3 ... Sound collection part, 4 ... Recording part, 5 ... Reproduction part, 5a ... Liquid crystal display part, 6 ... Operation determination , 7 ... Subject determination unit, 8 ... TV communication unit, 10 ... Camera, 11 ... Reception unit, 12 ... Reproduction unit, 15 ... Display switching unit, 16 ... Camera communication unit, 17 ... operation determination unit, 18 ... display & speaker unit, 20 ... TV, 21 ... monitor screen, 22a ... image (TV side), 22b ... image ( Camera side), 30 ... Broadcasting station, 31 ... Internet

Claims (13)

An image display system for combining and displaying an image displayed on a screen and an image taken by a camera,
An imaging unit that captures a first image and generates first image data;
A recording unit for recording the first image data;
The second image displayed on the screen is taken by the imaging unit, and third image data similar to the second image data representing the second image is searched from the first image data recorded in the recording unit. A search section to
A display control unit for displaying a third image representing the third image data searched by the search unit on the screen;
An image display system comprising: An image display method for combining and displaying an image displayed on a screen and an image taken by a camera,
Capturing a first image and generating first image data;
Recording the first image data;
Capturing a second image displayed on the screen by the imaging unit, and searching for third image data similar to the second image data representing the second image from the recorded first image data;
Displaying a third image representing the searched third image data on the screen;
An image display method comprising: In an image display system comprising an imaging device and a display device,
The imaging apparatus is
An imaging unit that captures a first image and generates first image data;
A recording unit for recording the first image data;
The display device
A receiving unit capable of receiving at least one of TV broadcast content and Internet content;
A display unit for displaying at least one of the television broadcast content and the Internet content received by the receiving unit;
A display device side communication unit for communicating with the imaging device;
With
The imaging apparatus further includes:
An imaging device side communication unit for communicating with the display device;
A search unit for searching for a similar image similar to the image from the first image data recorded in the recording unit based on an image of the screen of the display unit captured by the imaging unit;
An image display system comprising: transmitting the searched similar image to the display device side communication unit via the imaging device side communication unit, and displaying the similar image on the display unit.   The image according to claim 3, wherein the transmission of the similar image to the display device includes transmitting the next similar image when an image on the screen of the display unit captured by the imaging unit changes. Display system.   The image display system according to claim 3, wherein infrared communication or wireless LAN is provided between the display device side communication unit and the imaging device side communication unit.   4. The image display system according to claim 3, wherein the display unit is capable of displaying at least one of the television broadcast content and the Internet content, and capable of two-screen display for displaying the similar image. 5.   The position and size of at least one display area of the television broadcast content and the Internet content are set so as to maximize the space for displaying the similar image based on the screen image captured by the imaging unit. The image display system according to claim 3, wherein the image display system is controlled. A recording unit for recording captured image data captured by the imaging device;
An imaging unit that captures a screen of the display device and generates screen image data;
A search unit that searches the recording unit for photographed image data similar to the screen image data;
A transmission unit for transmitting the similar captured image data searched by the search unit to the display device;
An imaging apparatus comprising: A receiving unit capable of receiving at least one of TV broadcast content and Internet content;
A display unit capable of displaying at least one of the two contents received by the receiving unit;
A receiver that receives captured image data captured by the imaging device;
When the reception unit receives the captured image data, the display switching unit displays an image based on the captured image data together with at least one of the two contents.
An image display device comprising: A recording unit for recording a photographed image taken by the camera;
A display for displaying content images;
A search unit for searching for a photographed image similar to the content image from the recording unit;
A display control unit for displaying the captured image searched by the search unit together with the content image;
An image display device comprising:   The image display device according to claim 10, wherein the display control unit switches a similar image according to a change in a scene of the content image.   12. The image according to claim 11, wherein the scene is determined to have changed when the degree of coincidence of images in the content image becomes small or when the degree of coincidence of audio of the content image becomes small. Display device.   11. The image display device according to claim 10, wherein when displaying the similar image, the content image is reduced and moved to secure a display area of the similar image.