WO2006092399A1

WO2006092399A1 - Method for marking an image content, and marking device

Info

Publication number: WO2006092399A1
Application number: PCT/EP2006/060338
Authority: WO
Inventors: Colin Estermann; Hubert JÄGER; Robert Kutka; Christian Winkler
Original assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 2005-03-04
Filing date: 2006-02-28
Publication date: 2006-09-08
Also published as: DE102005010031A1; EP1853989A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for marking an image content in at least one initial image with a marking object in a marking position. According to said method, at least one control image comprising an indicator object is generated, the indicator object is detected from the control image, an indicator position of the indicator object is determined, and the marking position is generated from the indicator position. The invention further relates to a marking device for carrying out the disclosed method. Said marking device can be produced with the aid of two apparatuses.

Description

description

Method for marking an image content and marking device

The invention relates to a method according to the preamble of claim 1 and a marking device according to the preamble of claim 8.

In recent years, the number of terminals that can take pictures and / or moving picture sequences and store them digitally on a storage medium has risen sharply. A particularly large increase can be seen in mobile phones, which have been able to capture photos and short shots since the introduction of the MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) standard

To send or receive moving picture sequences to an MMS receiver. Here, photos are compressed according to the JPEG standard (JPEG = Joint Picture Expert Group) and moving picture sequences according to the ITU H.263 standard (ITU = International Telecommunications Union). In the following, the terms photo and image are used synonymously.

Precisely because of the introduction of these technologies in a mobile telephone, a user is able to create a photo and / or a moving image sequence at any desired location and at any time and to transmit it to a recipient. Here, for example, the request is an image resolution, i. the number of pixels of a photo to enlarge. Today's mobile phones already offer an image resolution of, for example, 1.3 million pixels. In contrast to the increase in image resolution, new devices should have an ever smaller housing volume. This requires, inter alia, that the size of a screen of the mobile phone is limited due to the housing volume.

Furthermore, before sending an image or a moving image sequence should be one or more image content, eg a specific person, to be marked. This can be communicated to the recipient particularly important image locations visually.

For marking the recorded image could be transmitted to a personal computer with graphics program, provided there with the desired markers and then sent back to the recipient. However, this has the disadvantage that a personal computer is required for post-processing and since this is not available at any place or at any time, a sending of marked images with some delay is going on.

Furthermore, a mobile telephone could be equipped with a touch-sensitive screen with which marks can be inserted within the recorded image by touching the screen. However, this proves to be disadvantageous because a touch-sensitive screen increases the manufacturing costs of a mobile phone and is not particularly useful for small screens.

Finally, tags can also be entered via a keypad of a cellular phone. This proves to be inefficient in practice, since both the handling for an inexperienced user is not intuitive and the navigation using the keyboard is time-consuming.

The object underlying the invention is to specify a method and a marking device which makes it possible to mark picture contents in pictures or moving picture sequences in a simple and efficient manner.

This object is achieved on the basis of the method according to the preamble of claim 1 by its characterizing features. Furthermore, this object is achieved by a marking device starting from the preamble of claim 8 by its characterizing features. In the method for marking an image content in at least one output image at a marking position with a marking object, at least one control image is generated, wherein the control image comprises a pointer object, the pointer object is detected from the control image and a pointer position of the pointer object is determined, and from the pointer position Marking position generated.

The method according to the invention makes it possible to mark the image content at the marking position in the output image in a simple and cost-effective manner, because apart from a camera which is required to record the control image, no additional input aids, such as a touchscreen, are required. Therefore, a mobile phone implementing the image-marking method of the present invention can be manufactured inexpensively. Furthermore, the use of the method according to the invention is uncomplicated for a user since only a pointer object is picked up and the marking position is determined therefrom.

Preferably, the pointer position is calculated as a relative position with respect to height and width of the control image and the marker position generated from the pointer position and from a height and width of the output image. In this case, the marking position can be determined in a particularly simple manner. Furthermore, the use of relative position information makes it possible to generate the marking position as a function of any desired height and width of the output image.

If the pointer object is preferably initialized before the control image is recorded, then the pointer object can be set individually, for example by a user. If, in a preferred embodiment, at least one test image is created, a test object moving in front of a background image is determined from the test image and the pointer object is initialized using the test object, the pointer object can be generated individually from a freely definable object, such as a hand with an extended index finger become.

Alternatively, the second pointer object may be assigned an image of a hand or a stylus or a hand with a stylus. This allows different predefined pointer objects to be initialized.

If an image of an arrow, an image of a point or a sequence of letters is preferably assigned to the marking object, different image contents can be visually distinguished by means of different marking objects.

Preferably, at least one of the control images is created in a first device and the pointer position is determined, the pointer position is transferred from the first to a second device, the marker position is generated from the pointer position in the second device and a marked output image is created using the marker object the method according to the invention can be carried out by two users on two devices in such a way that one of the users transmits the pointer position to the other user and the other user displays this pointer position at the marking position by means of the marking object. As a result, a marking of at least one image content can take place even if the two users are far away.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a marking device for image marking with a first means for producing an output image, a second means for generating at least one control image, wherein the control image is a Zeigerob- a third means for detecting the pointer object and for determining a pointer position of the second pointer object, a fourth means for generating a marking position by means of a respective pointer position, and a fifth means for producing a marked output image by marking an image content of the output image at the marking position with a marker object. By using the marking device, the inventive method for marking an image content can be performed.

Preferably, the marking device comprises a transmission means for transmitting a marked output image to a reproduction device. As a result, the marked starting image can be represented by a device other than the marking device.

Alternatively, the marking device comprises a first device with the second and third means and with a transmission means for transmitting at least one pointer position to a second device, and the second device with a receiving means for receiving at least one pointer position from the first device, and with the first, fourth and fifth means. Hereby, an application of the method according to the invention can also be carried out over long distances by two devices.

Further details and advantages of the invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the attached Figures 1 to 7 with reference to several embodiments. The features shown there and also the features already described above can be essential to the invention not only in the combination mentioned, but also individually or in other combinations. In detail show:

FIG. 1 shows a flow chart for carrying out the method according to the invention; Figure 2 with sub-figures a to d different pictures, which illustrate the implementation of the method according to the invention in more detail;

FIG. 3 shows a marking device for carrying out the method according to the invention;

FIG. 4 shows an alternative marking device which, with a first and a second device, is the inventive device

Process realized;

FIG. 5 shows a further marking device consisting of a first and a second device, this device arrangement being suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention;

Figure 6 shows a first and second mobile device, comprising a first and second device;

Figure 7 shows a first mobile device, which together with a

Personal computer is suitable, the inventive

Conduct proceedings;

Elements with the same function and mode of operation are provided in FIGS. 1 to 7 with the same reference numerals. This does not apply to the first and second devices Gl, G2.

A mobile telephone user wants to record his wife and both children in a photo with his mobile phone MG1, mark one of the children with an arrow and send this marked recording to a recipient, eg to the grandmother. For this purpose, according to the method according to the invention in accordance with FIG. 1, an output image AB is recorded in a step S, for example with a camera K of the mobile radio telephone MG 1. In sub-figure 2a, such an output image AB is exemplified, this output image AB the woman and the shows two children. The recorded output image AB is stored, for example, on a memory card in the mobile phone. Instead of taking the output image AB with the camera this can be loaded from an image archive, the image archive is stored, for example, on a computer in the mobile network or on the memory card of the mobile phone.

In a following step S12, the output image AB is displayed on a screen of the mobile telephone MG1 in order to set a marking object MO in place of one of the children in the output image AB in one of the following steps.

For example, an arrow for marking the left child should be set to a position in the output picture AB (= middle person in the output picture AB). For this purpose, one or more control images SB are recorded, for example by means of the camera of the mobile radio telephone, wherein at least one of these control images SB comprises a pointer object ZO. For example, serves as a pointer object ZO a hand with an outstretched index finger. Part 2b shows such a control image SB.

Thereafter, the pointer position ZP (= local position), for example, the index finger tip, determined within the control image SB. In this case, the pointer position ZP is e.g. the distance from the upper left corner of the control image SB to the determined pointer position ZP index finger tip indicated. As a measure of the distance, a number of pixels can be used. For example, an image size of the control image 200 x 100 pixels. The distance of the pointer position ZP to the left edge of the image is 150 pixels and to the upper edge of the image of the control image SB 50 pixels. Thus ZP = (150; 50). Here, the pointer position ZP is given in absolute values. This is shown by way of example in FIG. 2b.

The pointer position ZP can also be reproduced with a relative position instead of the absolute position. Here, the pointer position ZP is relative to, for example, to the left and the upper edge with respect to the width and height of the control image SB. For example. For the above example, the relative position is calculated to 150 pixels to 200 pixels = 75% to the left edge or 50 pixels to 100 points = 50% to the upper edge. Thus ZP = (75%, 50%). Basically, the relative position indicates the location of the pointer object ZO in relation to the height and width of the control image SB, with the height and width of the control image SB corresponding to 100%, respectively.

The recording of the control image SB, which includes the pointer object ZO, is in step S13 and the detection of the pointer object ZO and the localization of the pointer position ZP of the pointer object ZO in the control image SB is shown in step S14 in FIG. The recording of at least one control image SB can take place before a background different from the original image AB image background, since only the pointer object ZO and the pointer position ZP is evaluated in the control image SB. In subfigure 2b, this is exemplified. In this case, the control image SB in the image background shows a house and as a pointer object ZO a hand with an outstretched index finger.

Furthermore, this subfigure 2b shows a mobile telephone MG1, on whose screen the output image AB is displayed. To the

Performing the marking of the image content in the output image AB, the respective pointer position ZP is determined during the recording of a sequence of control images SB. From the respective pointer position ZP, a respective marking position MP related to the output image AB is calculated. After the marker position MP is determined (step S15), it can be displayed on the position control screen in step S19 by means of a marker object MO.

If a plurality of control images SB are recorded, the respective pointer position ZP and thus the associated marking position MP are determined in each control image SB and in real time played back on the screen using the marker object MO. As shown in step S18, steps S13, S14, S15, and S19 may be repeated for every second captured image SB.

The determination of the marking position MP taking into account the pointer position ZP according to step S15 will now be explained in more detail. The marker position MP is generated from the pointer position ZP and from a height and width of the output image AB. Thus, the width and height of the output image AB is 100 x 100 pixels and the pointer position in relative position ZP = {75%; 50%}. From this, the marker position MP can be calculated by multiplying the relative position of the pointer position ZP by the width or height of the output image AB to 75% × 100 pixels = 75 pixels and 50% × 100 pixels = 50 pixels. Thus, the marker position MP at the image location is 75 pixels horizontally and 50 pixels vertically. This is shown graphically in the subfigure 2c by means of dashed lines.

In a further step S16 of FIG. 1, a marked output image AB 'is generated from the output image AB and the marking object MO. For this purpose, the marking object MO is superimposed on the output image AB at the marking position MP. In the subfigure 2c, the marker object MO is an arrow directed to the left child. Thus, the marker object displays on the image content, i. on the left child. In addition to an arrow representation, a point or one or more letters or another object suitable for marking can also be used as marking object MO.

Furthermore, instead of just one control image SB, a plurality of control images SB can also be analyzed. For example. For example, ten control images SB are picked up and one of these ten control images SB is selected to detect the pointer object ZO. In this selected control image SB, the pointer object ZO and the pointer position ZP is determined. The inclusion of several Control images SB are depicted in step S17 in FIG. 1, with the last recorded control image SB being used for detection.

In an alternative extension of the method according to the invention, a plurality of pointer positions ZP and associated marking positions MP can be determined which mark one or more image contents in the marked output image AB '. Thus, for example, a sequence of ten control images SB is recorded, in which the pointer object ZO moves in a circle. After the respective pointer positions ZP have been determined from the ten control images SB, an associated marker position MP is calculated for each pointer position ZP. Thereafter, a marker object MO is inserted into the marked output image AB 'at each of the ten marker positions MO. This is illustrated by way of example in subfigure 2d. Here, the marker object MO is represented in the form of a dot, and the ten marker positions MP mark a dotted circle around the left child in the marked output image AB '.

In addition to the possibility that an identical marking object MO is applied to all marking positions MP in the marked output image AB ', it is possible in an alternative variant (not shown) of the method according to the invention that a different marking object MO is displayed at each marking position MP, such as a string of letters. In an additional embodiment variant of the method according to the invention, the individual marking objects MO can be connected automatically. Thus, image contents in the marked output image AB 'are marked with an arbitrary border.

FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment marking device MV for carrying out the method according to the invention. The marking device MV comprises a first means for producing at least one output image AB. With help of a second means M2 at least one control image SB is generated, which comprises a pointer object ZO. This output image AB is supplied to a third means M3 for determining the pointer object ZO and a pointer position ZP of the pointer object ZO in the control image SB. Furthermore, one or more output images AB and the associated pointer positions ZP are transferred to a fourth means M4 for generating in each case a marking position MP belonging to the respective output image AB. Thereafter, one or more output images AB and the respectively associated marking position ZP are transmitted to the fifth means M5 for marking the output image AB at the at least one marking position MP. After that, the fifth means M5 creates a marked output image AB 'in such a way that a marking object MO is superimposed on the output image AB at the position defined by the marking position MP. This marked output image AB 'can be displayed on a screen BS of the marking device MV.

One or more marked output images AB 'can be transmitted by means of a transmission means SM via a transmission channel UE from the marking device MV to a reproduction device. After receiving at least one of the marked images AB ', the reproduction device can display this on a screen or store it in a memory element for later processing.

The pointer object ZO can be fixed or dynamically generated with the aid of the following description. A first aid Y1 generates one or more test images TB, wherein at least one of these test images TB comprises a test object TO. With the aid of the second aid Y2, the test object TO, such as, for example, a hand with an outstretched index finger, is determined and transferred to the third means M3. The third means initializes the pointer object ZO with the test object TO. In the example according to FIG. 3, the method according to the invention for marking an image content in a marking device MV has been carried out. In one embodiment, the marking device MV is divided into two devices G1, G2, which together implement the method according to the invention. Two variants for the marking device MV with two devices G1, G2 will be explained below.

FIG. 4 shows a first embodiment variant for the marking device MV with two devices G1, G2. The first device Gl corresponds to the marking device MV from FIG. 3, the first device having no fifth means and no screen BS. In this case, the first device Gl sends a bit stream BT via the transmission medium UE. This bitstream BT comprises at least one pointer position ZP and the output image AB. This bit stream BT consists, for example, of a single data packet, which has advantageously been formed according to the standard MMS. According to FIG. 4, a receiving module EM of the second device G2 receives the bit stream BT and extracts the data contained therein, such as e.g. the pointer position ZP and the output image AB. These are fed to a mixing module MM, which generates the marked output image AB '. This marked output image AB 'corresponds to the output image AB, but at the marking position MP the marking object MO has been superimposed on the output image AB. This marked output image AB 'can be reproduced on a screen BS.

Based on Figure 5, a second embodiment is presented below. The marking device VM initially comprises a first device Gl which has the first and third means M1, M3. The first means Ml receives at least one control image SB. The recorded control images SB are sent to the third means M3 for determining the respective pointer position ZP. The third means M3 passes at least one pointer position ZP to the transmitting means SM on. There- According to the at least one pointer position ZP is transmitted to the second device G2 of the marking device VM.

According to FIG. 5, the second device G2 has the receiving device EM for accepting the at least one pointer position ZP. Furthermore, the second device G2 comprises via the first means M1 for recording an output image AB, which is transferred to the fourth and fifth means M4, M5. In the fourth means M4, the respectively associated marking position MP in the output image AB is determined on the basis of at least one pointer position ZP, which is coded, for example, in the form of a relative position specification. This marking position MP is transferred to the fifth means M5, the fifth means M5 generating the marked output image AB 'by superposition of the marking object MO at the marking position MP and the output image AB. The marked output image AB 'is displayed on a screen BS.

When using both devices G1, G2 according to FIG. 4 or 5, it may be expedient in practice to determine the pointer position Z0 in the third means M3 to make the initial image AB to be marked available to the first device G1. For this purpose, the second device G2 sends the output image AB to the first device Gl, which this initial image AB z. On his screen. During the recording of the control image SB or during determination of the pointer position ZP, that position in the output image AB in which the pointing position ZP or the calculated marking position MP would come to a standstill can be represented in the first device G1. With the aid of this procedure, the selection of the pointer position ZP with respect to the marking position in the initial image can be controlled.

FIG. 6 shows the mobile telephone MG 1, which comprises the marking device MV. Furthermore, the first mobile telephone MG 1 may include a camera K for receiving one or more output images AB and / or control images SB. Alternatively, the mobile phone MGl the first device Gl and a second mobile phone MG2, the second device G2. Both mobile telephones MG1 and MG2 can exchange data, such as the pointer position ZP or also the marked output image AB ', via the transmission channel UE. The mobile radio telephone MG1 can exchange the data (= bitstream BT) with the second mobile radio telephone MG2 directly, that is without a base station of a mobile radio network. In another embodiment, for exchanging data with the second mobile radio telephone MG2, the mobile radio telephone MG1 uses a transmission channel UE which is realized with the aid of a mobile radio network, for example a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) network.

In FIG. 7, the first mobile radio device MG1 exchanges the data with a computer PC. The mobile device MG1 in this case comprises the first device Gl and the computer PC, the second device G2. First of all, the mobile telephone MG1 sends the data via the transmission channel UE to a base station BS, which forwards the data to the computer PC, for example via a LAN connection (Local Area Network). Instead of a LAN network or a wireless transmission channel UE, the computer PC and the first mobile device MG1 can also send data via a further wired network, such as an ISDN (Integrated Digital Subscriber Network).

Claims

claims

1. A method for marking an image content in at least one output image (AB) at a marking position (MP) with a marking object (MO), characterized in that a) at least one control image (SB) is generated, wherein the control image (SB) is a pointer object (ZO), b) the pointer (ZO) is detected from the control image (SB) and a pointer position (ZP) of the pointer object (ZO) is determined, c) the marker position (MP) is generated from the pointer position (ZP).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that

the pointer position (ZP) is calculated as relative position with respect to height and width of the control image (SB),

- The marker position (MP) from the pointer position (ZP) and from a height and width of the output image (AB) is generated.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pointer object (ZO) is initialized before recording the control image (SB).

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that - at least one test image (TB) is created,

a test object (TO) moving from an image background (BH) is determined from the test image (TB),

- the pointer object (ZO) is initialized using the test object (TO).

5. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that s the pointer object (ZO) is assigned an image of a hand and / or a stylus and / or a hand with a stylus.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the marking object (MO) an image of an arrow, an image of a point or a sequence of letters is assigned.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that

at least one of the control images (SB) is created in a first device (G1) and the pointer position (ZP) is determined,

the pointer position (ZP) is transmitted from the first to a second device,

in the second device (G2), the marking position (MP) is generated from the pointer position (ZP) and a marked output image (AB ') is created with the aid of the marking object (MO).

8. marking device (MV) for image marking, in particular according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by, a) a first means (Ml) for creating an output image (AB), b) a second means (M2) for generating at least one control image (SB c) a third means (M3) for detecting the pointer object (ZO) and for determining a pointer position (ZP) of the pointer object (ZO), d) a fourth means (M4) for Generate a marker position (MO) using a respective pointer position

(ZP), e) a fifth means (M5) for creating a marked

Output image (AB ') by marking an image content of the output image (AB) at the marking position (MP) with a marker object (MO).

9. marking device (MV) according to claim 8, characterized by, a transmitting means (SM) for transmitting a marked output image (AB ') to a playback device.

10. marking device (MV) according to claim 8, characterized by,

a first device (Gl) with the second and third means (M2, M3) and with a transmitting means (SM) for transmitting at least one pointer position (ZP) to a second device (G2),

- The second device (G2) having a receiving means (EM) for receiving at least one pointer position (ZP) from the first device (Gl), and with the first, fourth and fifth means (Ml, M4, M5).