JP2010091955A - Image processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processing apparatus capable of correcting a display image coping with a change in an operator's eyeball position while reducing the operator's sense of incongruity. <P>SOLUTION: The image processing apparatus has a configuration having a correction means 3 in which image correction is not performed according to the high frequency component of the operator's eyeball position change data of an operator D. As a result, the unnecessary image correction can be suppressed. In this way, no execution of the image correction according to high frequency component makes the correction of the image be executed coping with the movement for ensuring the safety with a motion of nod by the operator D accompanied, and coping with the movement of moving objects (vehicles, airplanes or vessels, for example). Consequently, the unnecessary image correction is prevented and the operator's sense of incongruity can be reduced. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus including correction means for correcting a display image of a simulator.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, driving simulators used for driver training, automobile research and development, and the like are known that display a simulated view image as traveling on a preset simulated traveling path. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
JP-A-8-248872 JP 2002-52953 A JP-A-8-292394

  However, in the prior art described in Patent Document 1, the viewpoint position (viewpoint) of the display image is corrected in response to a change in the eyeball position (eyepoint) of the driver, so the driver moves his head as a safety confirmation action. Even when the driver's head moves according to the movement of the vehicle, the viewpoint position of the display image is corrected, which causes the driver to feel uncomfortable.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and can correct a display image in response to a change in the eyeball position of the operator while reducing an uncomfortable feeling of the operator. An object is to provide an image processing apparatus.

  An image processing apparatus according to the present invention is an image display apparatus including a display unit that displays a simulated video visually recognized by an operator, and a correction unit that corrects a display image by the display unit according to the eyeball position of the operator. Eyeball position measurement means for measuring the person's eyeball position change data, and the correction means does not correct the display image according to the high frequency component of the eyeball position change data.

  According to such an image display apparatus, since the display image of the simulator that displays the simulated video is not corrected according to the high frequency component of the eyeball position change data of the operator, unnecessary image correction can be suppressed. By not performing the correction according to the high frequency component, the image correction is not performed in response to the safety confirmation action accompanied by the operator's swinging motion or the movement of the moving body (for example, vehicle, airplane, ship). Unnecessary image correction can be suppressed and the operator's uncomfortable feeling can be reduced.

  Here, it is preferable that the correcting unit corrects the viewpoint position in the display image based only on the low frequency component of the eyeball position change data from which the high frequency component has been removed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to correct a display image in response to a change in the eyeball position of the operator while reducing the operator's uncomfortable feeling.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. In the present embodiment, a driving simulator provided with the image processing apparatus of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a driving simulator provided with an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  A driving simulator 1 shown in FIG. 1 is for causing an operator D (driver) to experience driving of a vehicle. A screen 2 that displays a simulated image visually recognized by the operator D, and a display displayed on the screen 2 An image processing device 3 that controls an image and a projector 4 that projects an image signal output from the image processing device 3 on a screen 2 are provided. These projector 4 and screen 2 constitute display means of the present invention. As the display means, other display means such as a liquid crystal display device may be used.

  The image processing apparatus 3 includes a CPU that performs arithmetic processing, a ROM and a RAM that serve as a storage unit 5, an input signal circuit, an output signal circuit, a power supply circuit, and the like. The image processing device 3 performs image processing and generates a display image to be displayed on the screen 2, and has a function of correcting the display image according to the eyeball position of the operator D.

  In the image display device 3, an eyeball position measurement unit 6 and a viewpoint processing unit (correction unit) 7 are constructed by executing a program stored in the storage unit 5. The storage unit 5 stores data related to the simulated video. The image display device 3 is electrically connected to a camera (eyeball position detection means) 8 that detects the eyeball position of the operator D.

  The eyeball position measurement unit 6 recognizes the line-of-sight direction of the operator D based on the detection signal output from the camera 8 and acquires eyeball position change data. The acquired eyeball position change data is output to the viewpoint processing unit 7.

  The viewpoint processing unit 7 performs image processing on the data related to the simulated video stored in the storage unit 5 and generates image data of the simulated video visually recognized by the operator D. The viewpoint processing unit 7 corrects the display image according to the viewpoint position of the operator D. For example, the position (Hv) of the viewpoint Pv in the display image is changed.

  In the viewpoint processing unit 7, for example, a high frequency component of 1 Hz or higher is removed from the eyeball position change data, and the display image is corrected based on the eyeball position change data from which the high frequency component has been removed.

  Next, the operation by the driving simulator 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure by the driving simulator. In FIG. 2, the step is abbreviated as S. First, in step 1, it is determined whether or not the operator (subject) D is seated on the seat. In step 2, the operator D waits for the operator D to be seated. When the operator D is confirmed to be seated, the eyeball position of the operator D is detected. Here, the face image of the operator D is acquired by the camera 8, and the eyeball position measurement unit 6 performs image processing to measure the change in the line-of-sight direction of the operator.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of the operator's face image, and is a schematic diagram showing an example of detection of the operator's line-of-sight position. The eyeball position measurement unit 6 detects the eyeball position (height X, lateral position Y, depth Z) as the line-of-sight position of the operator D. The height X is, for example, the vertical distance from the lower end of the face image frame to the eyeball, and the horizontal position Y is, for example, the horizontal distance from the side edge of the face image frame to the left eyeball. Yes, the depth Z is the distance in the front-rear direction from the reference position to the eyeball, and is calculated from the measured distance W with respect to the general average distance (65 mm) of the human binocular distance.

  Next, in step 3, the viewpoint processing unit 7 corrects the viewpoint (viewpoint: height, horizontal position, depth) Pv of the display image (screen video) according to the eyeball position of the operator D. Subsequently, in step 4, the viewpoint processing unit 7 outputs the image data to the projector 4, displays an image on the screen 2, and starts a simulated running by the driving simulator. Subsequently, in step 5, the eyeball position measurement unit 6 detects the eyeball position of the operator D.

  FIG. 4 is a graph showing detected eyeball position data. The horizontal axis represents time T, and the vertical axis represents eyeball position (height) He. A graph L1 indicated by a broken line is data before correction of the eyeball position (height) detected by the eyeball position measuring unit 6, and a graph L2 indicated by a solid line is a high-frequency component (for example, 1 Hz or more) using a moving average method. ) Is removed. The method for removing the high frequency component may be another method, for example, the high frequency component may be removed using FFT transform.

  Next, the viewpoint processing unit 7 detects the frequency component of the eyeball position of the driver and determines whether it is a high-frequency component associated with safety confirmation behavior or vehicle movement or a low-frequency component associated with a change in the posture of the operator. . In step 6, the viewpoint processing unit 7 generates eyeball position data (graph L2 in FIG. 4) from which high-frequency components are cut from the eyeball position data (graph L1 in FIG. 4).

  In step 7, the viewpoint processing unit 7 corrects the viewpoint Pv of the display image based on the eyeball position data of only the low frequency component (eyeball position data from which the high frequency component is cut). The viewpoint processing unit 7 performs filter processing and corrects and draws the viewpoint position of the display image based on only the change in the eyeball position (low frequency component) accompanying the change in the posture of the operator. And in the driving simulator 1, the process of step 5-step 7 is repeated.

  In such a driving simulator 1, since the display image of the simulator that displays the simulated video is not corrected according to the high frequency component of the eyeball position change data of the operator, unnecessary image correction can be suppressed. In addition, by not performing the correction according to the high frequency component, in response to the safety confirmation action accompanied by the operator's swing motion and the movement of the vehicle, the image correction is not performed, and unnecessary image correction is suppressed, An operator's uncomfortable feeling can be reduced.

  Further, since the eyeball position is measured and the viewpoint position Pv of the display image is corrected, the horizontal position on the display screen can be adjusted according to the height (sitting height) of the operator D and the posture change. Further, in the driving simulator 1 of the present embodiment, by performing image correction based only on the low-frequency component of the eyeball position change data, it is possible to eliminate the uncomfortable feeling caused by the time lag from the eyeball position measurement to screen drawing. it can. Accordingly, it is possible to perform correction in consideration of vestibular movement reflection (visual blur correction function) that occurs when a human head moves.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was concretely demonstrated based on the embodiment, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment. In the above embodiment, the case where the image processing apparatus of the present invention is applied to a driving simulator has been described. However, the image processing apparatus of the present invention may be applied to other apparatuses. For example, the present invention may be applied to a device that displays a simulated video for simulating the operation of other moving objects (airplanes, ships, railways).

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the eyeball position measurement part 6 and the viewpoint process part 7 are comprised by the same CPU, it is good also as a structure provided with an eyeball position measurement apparatus and a viewpoint processing apparatus, respectively.

It is a schematic block diagram of the driving simulator provided with the image processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure by a driving simulator. It is an outline figure showing an example of an operator's face picture, and showing an example of detection of a gaze position of an operator. It is a graph which shows the detected eyeball position data.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Driving simulator, 2 ... Screen, 3 ... Image processing apparatus, 4 ... Projector, 5 ... Memory | storage part, 6 ... Eyeball position measurement part, 7 ... Viewpoint processing part (correction means), 8 ... Camera.

Claims (2)

In an image display device comprising display means for displaying a simulated video visually recognized by an operator, and correction means for correcting a display image by the display means in accordance with the eyeball position of the operator,
Having eyeball position measuring means for measuring the eyeball position change data of the operator;
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the correction unit does not correct the display image according to a high frequency component of eyeball position change data.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the correction unit corrects a viewpoint position in the display image based only on a low frequency component of the eyeball position change data from which the high frequency component has been removed.