JP2002517018A - Image generating system having screen means and means for visually mixing received user images - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] The information presentation system has a computer on which an application program to be supplied to screen means for displaying an application generated image is loaded. The system also includes user input means for supplementing the application generated image with a user's signalization. In particular, it enables the user input means to receive a user image and visually mix the user image with the application generated image as a mixed image.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a computer-based information presentation system loaded with an application program to be supplied to screen means for displaying an application-generated image. The present invention relates to an information presentation system that also has supplementary user input means for supplementation. Such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,263. According to this, the user interaction takes place on a touch-sensitive surface, which is used to project the application-generated image onto it. This system is particularly expensive due to the need for such a generally large touch-sensitive surface, and furthermore, the range of acceptable types of input information is limited to those defined for the touch-sensitive surface. For example, it is not possible to input a color signal, and it is impossible to actually perform various expression techniques such as shading or underlining a sentence and various other things. Also, motion information is very limited and can only be entered in an incremental manner. The present inventors have recognized that there is an increasing demand for low-cost yet easy-to-use systems capable of inputting any and all user-defined image-based signalizations. This benefits user facilities such as those provided by so-called overhead projectors. Such overhead projectors can, in effect, see printed matter, things written with a felt pen, for example, and quite small ones. In the case of computer-generated images, it is welcome to instantly add handwritten notes to the image.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the objects of the present invention are, inter alia, annotations, pictures,
An object of the present invention is to allow a user to input an image such as a feature, an object, or a shape and various other images. Therefore, one of the points of the present invention is that the user input unit receives a user image and mixes the user image as a mixed image with the application generated image via a mixing unit. The feature is the information presentation system. In particular, the mixing of images will vastly widen the range of the degree of freedom of things that can be input. Other advantageous aspects of the invention are as set out in the dependent claims.

(Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows the outline of an information presentation system according to the present invention. This system is based on a computer 64 having a keyboard 66 and on which application programs are loaded. The application program can be provided by the memory 62 or by the network 60 or other means. The application program can generate an image that is displayed on a screen 76 via a projection-type subsystem 74 that operates with forward projection. However, the rear projection type can be realized by slightly changing the configuration. The projection subsystem is supplied with image information by a visual mixer subsystem 68, which is supplied by the computer on the left. In addition, the information presentation system has a camera 70 that captures user images, such as one that is autonomously presented on paper 72. The image produced by this camera is also sent to the mixer subsystem 68 so that the overall image on the screen 76 is a composite or mixed image. The camera 70 can capture characters or small objects written or printed on paper 72, moving objects such as a human hand while writing, and various other things. The camera 70 can be replaced with a computer controlled scanner that takes longer to get all the information from the paper 72 and does not actually represent the motion. However, a scanner can produce sharper and / or more delicate images.

FIG. 2 shows a Mixed Mode Document Camera according to the present invention.
It is a block diagram which shows the example of (). On the left, the line period from the computer is about
A 32 microsecond VGA or similar composite output signal is received at interface 20. This signal specifically includes the horizontal synchronization signal on line 28 and the vertical synchronization signal on line 24. In block 26, the line frequency is divided by two,
The line period should be approximately equal to a standard television line period of about 64 microseconds. Other standards require different adaptations. The upper part of the device is mainly equipped with a camera module 22, which is a brochure "M" published by Philips Electronics NV of Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
A commercially available Phil, as described in “onochrome Cameras & Modules”
ips VCM3300. The resolution of this module is 768 * 492 pixels. The vertical synchronization period is 16 milliseconds, and the horizontal synchronization period is 64 microseconds.
Although not described for brevity, the color module operates in a similar manner. Module 22 serves to prepare the camera image to be mixed with the VGA signal. To this end, the camera module 22 receives the horizontal and vertical synchronization signals and the detection signal from the H / V synchronization detector 30. If the latter detection signal actually exists, the camera synchronization is performed externally, otherwise it is performed internally. The output of the camera is a normal color video blanking and sync signal. The horizontal and vertical synchronization signals from the input interface 20 are sent to the output VGA interface 32. Block 34
In the standard processing procedure, the CVBS signal from the block 22 and the horizontal synchronization signal divided by a factor of 2 are used for preliminary correction for vignetting and other causes that cause uneven image illuminance. To receive. The next block 36 is an A / D converter that allows the camera output to be processed more conveniently. Block 38 comprises a FIFO storage mechanism. Change the relative dimensions of the camera image, change the color of the image, reverse black-white, filter the text through the text recognition function, change the standard method of another computer display, change the camera image Other processing mechanisms, such as transforming to emulate a computer-generated image, can similarly be successfully implemented by providing the appropriate number of processing functions here. Here, the images can be mixed at the driver level by software control. The equipment required for this is customary.

[0005] The output signal from the FIFO 38 is converted into an analog signal again in the D / A block 40,
Provided to an analog mixer module 44, which also includes a high speed switch for switching between the two image inputs. Block 44 operates under the control of block 42 comprising control circuitry and a mode switch. The user can select various modes described below. The composite mixed signal from block 44 is line bundle 46
To the output VGA interface 32 and displayed on a suitable projection display device.

[0006] The above system has the following additional features. The mixing of the images can be performed in such a way as to mix the video images. In a further refinement, the images can be mixed at the driver level under software control so that certain properties of each image affect the parameters of the actual mixing mechanism. A contrast detector for measuring the contrast of the camera can be provided. Thereby, the contrast with respect to the camera image and the computer-generated image can be enhanced. For example, in a dark computer image, the camera characters can be inverted white over black before compositing. If the computer image is to be highlighted in a particular color, the camera image can be corrected so that it does not include the computer color.

[0007] There are various operation modes as follows. In high-quality text mode, the computer signal is inverted as soon as the camera sees dark text. Thereby, the written text of the camera can be presented with high contrast without hindering the contrast of the VGA generated image. The second mode is a graphic mode in which a VGA signal and a camera signal are added together. Even in this mode, the strength of each of the two signals can be changed. It is preferred that a camera having the electronics necessary to carry out the invention be implemented in combination with a mixed mode document camera. The camera is preferably provided with an automatic contrast filtering control mechanism so that a variety of different types of writing pens and / or paper can be used. Four main modes are possible.

[0008] 1. VGA image mode blocks camera images. 2. In the text (text) mode, the text is displayed with priority over the VGA image by using the high-speed switch. 3. Graphic mode mixes camera images, such as photos, through VGA images. 4. Camera mode blocks the VGA image and displays only the camera image. Further, it is possible to execute a mode in which the screen area is divided into sub-screens and each of them takes a different mode.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a mixed mode document camera.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continuation of front page (71) Applicant Groenewoodseweg 1, 5621 BA Eindhoven, The Netherlands F-term (reference) 5B069 BB16 DD15 HA01 HA04 JA08 JA10 5C082 AA01 AA27 BA02 BA12 BA27 BB02 DA12 BA27 BB02 DA12 MM09

Claims (11)

[Claims] An information presentation system based on a computer loaded with an application program for supplying screen means for displaying an image generated by an application, wherein said image is an auxiliary user for supplementing a user's signalization to said image. In the information presentation system also having an input unit, the user input unit receives a user image, and the user image can be mixed visually as a mixed image with the application generated image via a mixing unit An information presentation system characterized by the following. 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said screen means comprises front or rear projection screen means. 3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said user input means comprises scanning means and data processing means for mixing converted signals derived from said scanning means. 4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said user input means comprises camera means for providing a user image to said mixing means. 5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said user input means can input a moving image. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mixing unit is a video mixing unit.
System. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the mixing means is software controlled to mix driver level images. 8. The system of claim 1, further comprising synchronization means for controlling the user input means in a slave mode with respect to the computer. 9. An image evaluation unit for evaluating an actually provided application generated image, and a contrast increasing unit for controlling a supplemental image to increase a contrast with the generated image. The system of claim 1, wherein: 10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a filter unit configured to filter the supplementary image before mixing. 11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising conversion means for converting a camera image into a computer-emulated image for user presentation in a camera-only mode.