JP2012099034A - Color vision auxiliary apparatus, color vision auxiliary method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a color vision auxiliary apparatus etc., which can convert a wide-range of colors included in an image so that a person who has color blindness can distinguish them, smoothly perform color conversion of the image, or convert the colors in a mode in which features of the original colors are reflected.SOLUTION: A control part 1 selects a number of color zones, obtained by dividing a visible color region in a color space, one by one, in order. The control part 1 also specifies a part, having a color belonging to a currently selected color zone, in an image that video data obtained by imaging by a video input part 4 represents, converts the video data such that the color of the part is converted into a color that the person who has color blindness distinguishes as a color different from the color, and makes a video output part 5 display a color image that the converted image data represents.

Description

  The present invention relates to a color vision assistance device, a color vision assistance method, and a program.

  As a method for enabling color-blind persons to distinguish color pairs that are perceived as the same color due to color blindness as color different from each other, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, A technique for converting a part of the color of an image to be visually recognized by a person with abnormal color vision has been performed. As a rule for color conversion, for example, the one disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 is considered.

JP 2006-252356 A

K. Rasche, R. Geist, and J. Westall, Detail preserving reproduction of color images for monochromats and dichromats, IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, vol. 25, No. 3, pp. 22-30, May / June 2005.

  However, when color conversion is performed all at once in order to make it possible to discriminate confusion colors for the entire image, it is necessary to eliminate all the confusion colors included in the screen and generate new confusion colors by conversion. There is also a need to avoid the calculation, and the calculation for determining the conversion result satisfying such a condition is enormous. For this reason, it becomes difficult to determine, it is necessary to limit the range of colors to be converted, and furthermore, a processor or the like that performs processing for determining the conversion result needs to have a very high computing power. Or when the image to be converted changes every moment, such as when displaying a moving image, the calculation may not be able to follow the change. In addition, since the color after conversion can be very different from the original color, it is difficult for the color-blind person to transmit the characteristics of the original color sufficiently correctly.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and can convert a wide range of colors included in an image so that it can be distinguished by a person with color blindness, or can smoothly convert the color of an image, or the original color It is an object of the present invention to provide a color vision assisting device, a color vision assisting method, and a program for enabling color conversion in a manner reflecting the above characteristics.

In order to achieve the above object, a color vision assisting apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention provides:
A color zone selection means for sequentially selecting a plurality of color zones that form a plurality of portions within a region occupied by visible colors in the color space;
Video data acquisition means for acquiring video data representing a color image;
Of the color image represented by the video data acquired by the video data acquisition means, the color zone selection means specifies a part having a color belonging to the color zone that is currently selected, and the color of the specified part is Conversion means for converting the video data so as to be converted into another color that is identified as a color different from the color by the color blind person;
Video display means for displaying a color image represented by the converted video data;
Consists of.

The video data acquisition unit may repeatedly perform a process of acquiring the video data representing a color image of the target object by imaging an external target object.
In this case, for example, each time the video data acquisition unit acquires the video data, the color zone selection unit newly selects a color zone different from the currently selected color zone in response to the acquisition. Each time the color zone selecting unit newly selects a color zone, the converting unit performs the conversion on the latest video data acquired by the video data acquiring unit in response to the selection. You may do it.

  Each color zone is, for example, a line in a region occupied by a visible color in the color space, and two colors corresponding to two points on the same line are perceived as the same color by the color blind person. It suffices if it occupies a position in the color space that divides a plurality of lines having the relationship of being performed at the boundary inside and outside the color zone.

  The color zone is a color perception in which a region occupied by a visible color in the color space is a surface formed in the color space by a set of colors specified in advance as colors that can be perceived by a color blind person in the same manner as a normal color blind person. The plurality of portions obtained by being divided by a surface group including a surface and a surface parallel to the color perception surface may be used.

  The conversion means is obtained by converting the color of the specified portion of the color image represented by the video data acquired by the video data acquisition means into another color having lightness substantially equal to the color of the portion. As described above, the video data may be converted.

  Alternatively, the conversion unit converts the color of the specified portion of the color image represented by the video data acquired by the video data acquisition unit into another color having a chromaticity substantially equal to the color of the portion. The video data may be converted so as to be obtained.

In addition, the color vision assistance method according to the second aspect of the present invention includes:
A color zone selection step for sequentially selecting a plurality of color zones that form a plurality of portions within a region occupied by visible colors in the color space;
A video data acquisition step of acquiring video data representing a color image;
Of the color image represented by the video data acquired in the video data acquisition step, the color zone selecting means specifies a part having a color belonging to the color zone that is currently selected, and the color of the specified part is A conversion step of converting the video data so as to be converted to another color that is identified as a color different from the color by the color blind person;
A video display step for displaying a color image represented by the converted video data;
Consists of.

A program according to the third aspect of the present invention is:
A computer equipped with a display device for displaying color images
A color zone selection means for sequentially selecting a plurality of color zones that form a plurality of portions within a region occupied by visible colors in the color space;
Video data acquisition means for acquiring video data representing a color image;
Of the color image represented by the video data acquired by the video data acquisition means, the color zone selection means specifies a part having a color belonging to the color zone that is currently selected, and the color of the specified part is Conversion means for converting the video data so as to be converted into another color that is identified as a color different from the color by the color blind person;
Video display means for displaying a color image represented by the converted video data;
To function as.

  According to the present invention, a wide range of colors included in an image can be converted so as to be discriminated by a color blind person, or color conversion of an image can be performed smoothly, or color conversion can be performed in a manner reflecting the characteristics of the original color. A color vision assistance device, a color vision assistance method, and a program for realizing the above are realized.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the color vision assistance tool which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process which the color vision assistance tool of FIG. 1 performs. It is a figure which shows the range which a color zone occupies in LMS space. It is a figure which shows the range which a color zone occupies on the u'v 'chromaticity diagram of a CIELV color system. It is a figure which shows the other example of the range which a color zone occupies on the u'v 'chromaticity diagram of a CIELV color system.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, taking a color vision assisting tool as an example.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the color vision assist tool includes a control unit 1, a main storage unit 2, an external storage unit 3, a video input unit 4, a video output unit 5, and a timer 6. Yes. The main storage unit 2, the external storage unit 3, the video input unit 4, the video output unit 5 and the timer 6 are all connected to the control unit 1.

  The control unit 1 is composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), for example. For example, the control unit 1 reads and executes a program stored in the external storage unit 3 to perform processing described later. Do.

  The main storage unit 2 is configured by a memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), for example, and provides a storage area serving as a work area for the control unit 1.

  The external storage unit 3 is configured by a storage device such as a hard disk device, for example, and stores the above-described program, for example. The external storage unit 3 reads these programs stored in its own storage area in accordance with instructions supplied from the control unit 1 and supplies them to the control unit 1, and also stores the programs in accordance with instructions supplied from the control unit 1. The data supplied from the control unit 1 is stored in the area.

  The video input unit 4 is provided with an imaging device configured by, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or the like. The video input unit 4 generates video data representing a color image of a subject (target object) in its field of view in response to a control signal supplied from the control unit 1 (that is, images the target object). The generated video data is supplied to the control unit 1. This video data is data representing a target as a set of pixels (or other image obtained by subdividing an image of the target into a set of minute areas occupied by substantially the same color).

  The video output unit 5 is composed of a liquid crystal display, for example, and displays a color image having contents instructed by a signal supplied from the control unit 1 on its own display screen.

  The timer 6 is composed of, for example, a crystal oscillator or the like, and continuously performs a process of generating a predetermined clock signal at regular time intervals and supplying it to the control unit 1. A circuit that generates a clock signal for driving the control unit 1 may perform the function of the timer 6.

  Next, the operation of the color vision assist tool will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing processing executed by the color vision assistance tool.

  When the process is started, the control unit 1 first supplies a control signal for instructing imaging to the video input unit 4. In response to the control signal, the video input unit 4 performs color imaging on the target in its own field of view, and supplies video data representing the color image of the target as a set of pixels to the control unit 1. The control unit 1 acquires this video data and stores it temporarily, for example, by storing it in the storage area of the main storage unit 2 (FIG. 2, step S1), and moves the process to step S2. Note that if the processing of step S5 described later has already been performed, and there is image data that is currently displayed by the video output unit 5, this image data is also temporarily stored until the processing proceeds to step S5 again. Shall be maintained.

  In step S <b> 2, the control unit 1 determines which range of colors is to be subjected to the processing in step S <b> 4 described below for converting the color of the pixels. Specifically, the color range is determined by, for example, selecting one of a plurality of blocks, that is, color zones described below. The color zone is an area occupied by the entire point corresponding to a color that can be perceived by a normal color senser in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional space (color space) for representing colors by coordinate values (hereinafter referred to as a visible color area). ) Is divided into a plurality of regions (or by cutting out a plurality of portions).

  In this regard, in this color vision assisting tool, as shown in FIG. 3, a solid corresponding to the visible color region in the LMS space is arranged in a sufficiently large number of planes arranged at predetermined intervals in parallel with the color perception plane described later. The processing is performed on the assumption that each of a plurality of sections formed by carving out a plane group consisting of a single color zone. FIG. 3 illustrates a case where a total of six color zones from “# 1” to “# 6” are set in order from the near side toward the paper surface. The LMS space is the intensity of stimulation received by each of the L cone, M cone and S cone, which are the three types of cone cells constituting the human retina (the L axis direction component and the M axis direction component, respectively). And a S-axis direction component) is a color space composed of a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system representing colors.

  In the LMS space, the color perception surface is “black” (that is, a color in which all the stimuli received by the three types of cone cells are all 0), and “the stimuli received by the three types of cone cells are equal to each other. Among the three colors, the first plane including three points corresponding to the three colors of “the color having the maximum stimulus” and “the color having a wavelength of 475 nm”, and among these three colors, the “color having a wavelength of 475 nm” This is a folding plane composed of a second plane including three points corresponding to the three colors replaced with “575 nm color”. In FIG. 3, each color corresponds to “black”, “the color with the maximum stimulation among the colors that the three types of pyramidal cells receive are equal to each other”, “the color with the wavelength 475 nm”, and “the color with the wavelength 575 nm”. The reference symbols “K”, “E”, “α”, and “β” are respectively attached to the points.

  On the other hand, the visible color region in the LMS space is, for example, “white”, “blue”, “yellow”, “red”, “magenta”, “green” and “cyan” added to the above “black” as shown in the figure. It can be generally expressed as a hexahedron having apexes of eight points corresponding to a total of eight colors. In FIG. 3, reference symbols “W”, “B”, “Y”, “R”, and “point” corresponding to the colors “white”, “blue”, “yellow”, “red”, “magenta”, “green”, and “cyan”, respectively. “M”, “G”, and “C” are attached.

Here, the desirable division of the color zone will be described. The color zone is a confusion color line (within the visible color region) where the boundary between the color zone and the outside of the color zone is within the visible color region for a plurality of types of color blindness. The two colors corresponding to any two points on this line are divided into lines that are perceived by the color blind person as the same color, that is, a mixed color) (For example, if the confusion color line is a straight line, it is desirable to set one confusion color line into two half lines and one line segment). In addition, for each type of color vision abnormality, many confusion color lines exist in the visible color area and form one confusion color line group, and the color zone corresponds to each confusion color line group. It is desirable to divide as many confusion color lines as possible contained in the color line group.
If color zones are defined so as to have such a relationship, and then the processing described below for converting the color of the pixel for each color zone is performed, the confusion colors caused by the above-mentioned multiple types of color vision abnormalities are Any of these types of color blindness can be perceived as different colors.

  On the other hand, the method of dividing the color zone of FIG. 3 employed by this color vision assisting tool will be described. First, both the above-mentioned “color of wavelength 475 nm” and “color of wavelength 575 nm” are both type 1 color blind persons (ie , A color blind person who has an abnormality in the L cone) and a type 2 color blind person (that is, a color blind person who has an abnormality in the M cone). (For example, H. Brettel, F. Vienot, and JD Mollon, Computerized simulation of color appearance for dichromats, J. Opt. Soc. Am. A, vol. 14, no. 10, pp. 2647-2655, Oct. 1997). Similarly, a color represented by a point on the color perception surface can be normally perceived by any one of type 1 and type 2 color blind persons. On the other hand, the color represented by a point that is not on the color-perceptive surface is a point projected on the color-perceptive surface to these color-blind people (along the L-axis direction if it is a type 1 color-blind person). The projected point is a color corresponding to the projected type point 2).

In LMS space, the confusion color lines of type 1 and type 2 color blind persons are a set of straight lines parallel to the L axis or the M axis, respectively, while the color perception plane is parallel to either the L axis or the M axis. Therefore, a straight line on the color perception plane or a plane parallel to the color perception plane does not belong to any of these confused color line groups. Therefore, it can be said that the color zones in FIG. 3 are set so as to divide the confusion color lines in the visible color region for the type 1 and type 2 color vision abnormalities, respectively.
When the color zone separation method shown in FIG. 3 is used, the video input unit 4 corresponds to the same part of the target object when the target object is imaged outdoors in the daytime or when it is imaged in a dark environment such as indoors. It is difficult for a situation in which the pixels to belong to different color zones.

Note that a surface group consisting of a color perception surface in the LMS space and a surface parallel to the color perception surface passes through a certain point on the u'v 'chromaticity diagram of the CIELV color system, for example, as shown in FIG. Adjacent ones are approximately represented as a straight line group consisting of a plurality of straight lines taking a predetermined angle (angle represented as “Δθ” in FIG. 4) (in this case, the color at a wavelength of 475 nm is “blue”, The color at a wavelength of 575 nm is equated to “yellow”, and “the color with the maximum stimulation among the colors that the three types of pyramidal cells receive are equal to each other” is “white”. The color perception surface is assumed to be equated with a plane in the LMS space). In the color zone, a region surrounded by a spectrum locus on the u′v ′ chromaticity diagram representing the chromaticity of the color of the visible color region (a figure with a reference symbol “V” in FIG. 4) It is expressed as a wedge-shaped section formed by cutting two adjacent ones. FIG. 4 illustrates a case where a total of six color zones from “# 1” to “# 7” are set in order from the red side (right side toward the paper surface) of the visible color region.
When the control unit 1 performs a calculation using a color parameter, it is optional to use a coordinate value of any coordinate system as the parameter. For example, an appropriate value is used from the viewpoint of increasing the efficiency and speed of the calculation. obtain. Therefore, the coordinate value in the three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system in the LMS space as shown in FIG. 3 may be used as a parameter, the u'v 'chromaticity diagram of the CIELV UV color system as shown in FIG. The coordinate value in the two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system of the xy chromaticity diagram of the system may be used as a parameter.

In addition, when the process in step S2 is performed for the second time or later, the control unit 1 selects a color zone different from the color zone selected in the most recent previous process in step S2.
More specifically, it is assumed that the total number of color zones is n (n is a natural number), and further, for example, as shown in FIG. (N = 6 in the example of FIG. 3 and numbers 1 to 6 are color zones # 1 to # 6, respectively). For example, in the first processing of step S2, the first color zone is selected and the latest If the kth color zone (k is a natural number less than (n-1)) has been selected in the previous step S2, the (k + 1) th color zone is selected, and the nth color is selected last time. In such a case, the number n may be sequentially selected so as to make a round of n times, such as selecting No. 1.

  Returning to the description of FIG. 2, after selecting the color zone, the control unit 1 rewrites the temporarily stored video data (steps S3 to S4). Specifically, a pixel having a color belonging to the selected color zone is specified from the pixels represented by the video data (step S3), and the color of the specified pixel is changed to the original color (before conversion). A process of rewriting the temporarily stored video data so as to obtain a color converted to another color having a brightness substantially equal to (color) is performed (step S4).

More specifically, in step S4, the control unit 1 determines that the color of the pixel after conversion includes, for example, “a point in the LMS space corresponding to the original color of the pixel and a confusion color line including the point. A predetermined distance from the point in the LMS space along an intersection line between a plane perpendicular to the plane and a plane including a set of points corresponding to colors having the same brightness including the point (constant brightness plane) The color of the pixel is converted by rewriting the video data so that the color corresponding to the point that has been moved only is obtained (this method is hereinafter referred to as the “constant brightness method”).
By performing the conversion using the constant brightness method, the color of the pixel to be converted is converted to a color that has the same brightness as the original color and corresponds to a point that is not on the same confused color line as the original color. The It is known that the surface with constant lightness is a surface substantially parallel to the S axis in the LMS space, while the confusion color line for the type 1 color vision abnormality is parallel to the L axis and the type 2 color vision abnormality. Is known to be parallel to the M axis. Therefore, the moving direction from the point corresponding to the color before conversion is parallel to the S axis. For this reason, when the control unit 1 performs calculation using the coordinate value of the LMS space as a parameter, according to the constant brightness method, only the S-axis direction component of the parameter representing the color to be converted changes. There is an advantage that the calculation can be simplified by using.
In addition, when performing the processing of steps S3 to S4, the coordinate value of which coordinate system the control unit 1 uses as the color parameter is arbitrary. For example, it is appropriate from the viewpoint of improving the efficiency and speed of calculation. Can be used. Therefore, the control unit 1 may use the coordinate value in another color space as a parameter in addition to the coordinate value in the LMS space or the CIEUV space.

  When the temporarily stored video data is rewritten, the control unit 1 continuously supplies the video output unit 5 with a signal instructing to display an image represented by the rewritten video data. While the signal is supplied, the video output unit 5 acquires this signal and displays an image represented by this signal (step S5). If the video data to be displayed by the video output unit 5 in the previous processing in step S5 is temporarily stored, the control unit 1 deletes the old video data in step S5.

  On the other hand, when the control unit 1 starts the process of displaying an image on the video output unit 5 in step S5, for example, the control unit 1 repeatedly refers to the clock signal supplied by the timer 6, for example, for a predetermined time from the start of the process of step S5 (for example, , 1/15 [second]) has elapsed (step S6). If it has not elapsed, the process of step S6 is performed again. If it has been determined that the period has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S1. Return to.

  As a result of performing the processing described above, this color vision assistance tool images a target object, and for the obtained video data, a combination of colors that are confused for a type 1 or type 2 color blind person, An image represented by the video data is displayed after conversion into a combination of colors that can be identified as different colors.

In this color vision assistance tool, the conversion of the color in the image represented by the video data is performed in a time division manner for each color zone. At that time, neither processing for specifying what color is present in the image as a color that does not belong to the color zone nor processing for specifying or determining the presence or absence of confusion colors in the image is required.
For this reason, this color vision auxiliary tool can perform processing at a higher speed than the case of using a method of converting all the confusion colors in the image at once. In other words, unlike the case where all the confusion colors in the image are converted at once, the number of pairs to be determined as converted color pairs becomes enormous, making it difficult to determine or the color to be converted Problems such as having to limit the range of the are difficult to occur. In addition, the calculation capability necessary for the color vision assistance tool to perform color conversion is sufficient if the calculation for one color zone can be completed within a visually acceptable time. It does not require the ability to convert all the confusion colors in the represented image all at once in the time.
Since color conversion processing at high speed can be realized in this way, this color vision auxiliary tool converts the color of a moving image by performing the above-described processing of repeatedly capturing video data and converting and displaying the color each time. It is also possible to easily perform the display operation in real time.

  In the example described above, the pixel color conversion is performed by the constant brightness method (that is, in a manner in which the brightness does not change before and after the conversion). Therefore, the brightness information of the pixel is transmitted to the color blind person without any change. As a result, the impression given to the normal color sense person by the image before the conversion is not significantly impaired and is also shared by the abnormal color sense person, and the converted image becomes a natural image even when viewed from the normal color sense person.

In addition, the structure of this color vision assistance tool is not restricted to the above-mentioned thing.
For example, the color zone setting mode is not limited to the above. The color zone is arbitrary as long as it is set as a portion that occupies a position that divides a plurality of confusion color lines in the visible color region. The inner and outer boundaries of the color zone do not necessarily need to be a bent plane, and may be formed of, for example, a plane, a curved surface, a straight line, a curved line, a bent straight line, or a combination thereof.
The plurality of color zones may partially overlap each other in the color space. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, each color zone when represented on the u'v 'chromaticity diagram of the CIELV color system is an intersection of straight lines that cut out the spectrum locus on the u'v' chromaticity diagram. May be set so that adjacent ones overlap each other at a predetermined angle with respect to the center of the image, or three or more color zones may overlap.

  Further, the color zone does not necessarily have to be set so as to divide confusion color lines for a plurality of types of color vision abnormalities, and color vision abnormalities other than type 1 and type 2 (for example, abnormalities in S cones). It may be set to divide confusion color lines for a type 3 color vision abnormality, such as a type 3 color vision abnormality, or an acquired color vision abnormality).

  Further, the pixel color conversion does not necessarily have to be performed by the constant brightness method. Therefore, for example, in step S4, the control unit 1 determines that the color of the pixel after conversion is “along a direction perpendicular to a constant brightness plane including a point in the CIELV space or CIELAB space corresponding to the original color of the pixel, The color of the pixel may be converted so that the color corresponds to a point corresponding to a point moved by a predetermined distance from the point in the CIELV space or CIELAB space (this method is referred to as “constant chromaticity method” below). Call).

By performing the conversion using the constant chromaticity method, the color of the pixel to be converted becomes a color corresponding to a point having the same chromaticity as the original color and not on the same confused color line as the original color. Converted. In the constant chromaticity method, since the chromaticity of the pixel does not change before and after conversion, for example, a phenomenon in which a red flower image is converted into a blue flower image does not occur. For this reason, the impression that the pre-conversion image gives to the normal color perception is shared with the abnormal color perception without being greatly impaired, and the converted image becomes a natural image even when viewed from the normal color perception. In that respect, there is also an advantage over the constant brightness method.
In addition, when the processes of steps S3 to S4 are performed by the constant chromaticity method, it is arbitrary which coordinate system the control unit 1 uses as a parameter representing the color in the case of the above-described constant brightness method. It is the same.

In addition, the timing at which the control unit 1 performs processing for causing the video input unit 4 to perform imaging (step S1), the timing for performing processing for changing the selection of the color zone (step S2), and processing for converting the color of the pixels (steps S3 to S3) The setting of the timing for performing S4) is arbitrary.
Therefore, the control unit 1 does not necessarily need to change the selection of the color zone every time an image is taken. For example, the control unit 1 performs a process of converting the color of a pixel every time an image is taken, while changing the color zone. The processing may be automatically performed without being synchronized with the timing of imaging or the start of processing for converting the color of a pixel. If the color zone is automatically changed so as to cover the entire visible color area as a target of color conversion in a certain time, for example, even if the user does not know in advance the target to distinguish colors In other words, the target can be “lifted” (to be found) in a certain time.

In addition, the control unit 1 does not need to instruct the video input unit 4 to capture a new image every time the process of converting the pixel color for one color zone is performed, and the video obtained by one imaging The processing of steps S3 to S4 may be performed a plurality of times on the data for different color zones each time.
In this case, the rewriting of the video data is performed on, for example, the pixel whose color is identified as the pixel having the color belonging to the selected color zone, while the color is converted in the last previous step S4. Can be done by returning to the original color. The process of returning the pixels to the original color is performed, for example, on the main storage unit 2 or the external storage unit 3 before starting the process of the first step S4 on video data (unconverted data) that has not been rewritten once. This can be done by storing in advance in the storage area and referring to this unconverted data.

Further, the control unit 1 is information (for example, the order of the color zone, the color zone, and the color zone corresponding to which color pixel corresponding to the current color zone is displayed on the video output unit 5). (A numerical value indicating a position occupied by in the color space) may be displayed.
By performing such display, it is possible to obtain information that is difficult to obtain simply by visually recognizing the image. For example, if a user who is a color blind person is able to discriminate a certain color during color conversion for a certain color zone, which color is the confusion color (more specifically, For example, if you convert the color for a certain color zone and display the image, the user will be able to visually recognize the shape of the flower in that image. It becomes easy to grasp based on.

In addition, the color vision assist tool may include a user input unit. The user input unit is connected to the control unit 1 and includes a touch pad or the like, and supplies data in accordance with a user operation to the control unit 1.
In this case, when the user input unit supplies data specifying the color zone to the control unit 1 according to the user's operation, the color vision assistance tool responds to this data and the color belonging to the color zone specified by this data. It is good also as what performs the process of step S3-S5 by making this pixel into the object of conversion.
In this way, by accepting the specification of the color zone by the user and performing the color conversion for the specified color zone, for example, the color zone that the color blind person felt that the color discrimination was particularly difficult In order to perform color conversions intensively or to search for targets that the user has not yet distinguished, the user can select a color zone to which the colors that such targets are expected to belong belong. It is possible to use interactively, such as specifying and letting this color assist tool convert colors.

  The above-described user input unit and video output unit 5 transparently display an image on its own display screen, for example, and when the display screen is pressed, data indicating the position of the pressed portion is displayed on the control unit 1. You may be comprised from the touchpad etc. which are supplied to. In this case, when the user presses a part of the display screen that is displaying an image and data indicating the position of the part is supplied to the control unit 1 in response to the data, Information indicating the color of the pixel displayed in the part pressed by the user (for example, the name of the color or a parameter indicating the color) may be displayed on the display screen.

  In addition, this color vision assisting tool may read out the information as a voice instead of displaying the information as characters (or displaying the information as characters). In this case, the color vision assist tool may include a known speech synthesizer for performing speech synthesis in response to an instruction supplied from the control unit 1, for example.

  In addition, the video input unit 4 does not necessarily acquire video data by imaging a target, and may acquire existing video data from the outside, for example. In this case, the video input unit 4 is, for example, a recording medium drive for reading video data from an external recording medium (for example, flash memory, CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), etc.). It is only necessary to provide a device or an interface circuit such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus). Alternatively, a television receiving circuit that acquires image data by receiving and demodulating a television signal may be provided (or the color vision auxiliary tool according to the present embodiment is incorporated in the television receiver, and The television receiver may perform the functions of the video input unit 4 and the video output unit 5). Further, the processor constituting the control unit 1 may perform the function of the video input unit 4. Further, the color vision assisting tool is incorporated in an arbitrary data browsing device that holds data and displays this data as a color video, such as an electronic book reader or a digital textbook, and the data browsing device includes the video input unit 4 and the video output unit 5. You may perform the function.

The color vision assistance tool according to the present embodiment has been described above, but this color vision assistance tool can also be realized using a normal computer system.
For example, a program for executing the above-described processing performed by the control unit 1 is stored and distributed on a CD-ROM, DVD or other computer-readable recording medium, and the program is distributed to a display device such as a liquid crystal display. The above-described color vision assisting tool can be configured by installing it in a computer provided.

Further, the program may be stored in a disk device or the like included in a predetermined server device on a communication network such as the Internet, and may be downloaded onto a computer by being superimposed on a carrier wave, for example. Furthermore, the above-described processing can also be achieved by starting and executing a program while transferring it via a communication network.
In addition, when the above functions are realized by sharing an OS (Operating System), or when the functions are realized by cooperation between the OS and an application, only the part other than the OS may be stored in a medium and distributed. Alternatively, it may be downloaded to a computer.

1 Control Unit 2 Main Storage Unit 3 External Storage Unit 4 Video Input Unit 5 Video Output Unit 6 Timer

Claims (8)

A color zone selection means for sequentially selecting a plurality of color zones that form a plurality of portions within a region occupied by visible colors in the color space;
Video data acquisition means for acquiring video data representing a color image;
Of the color image represented by the video data acquired by the video data acquisition means, the color zone selection means specifies a part having a color belonging to the color zone that is currently selected, and the color of the specified part is Conversion means for converting the video data so as to be converted into another color that is identified as a color different from the color by the color blind person;
Video display means for displaying a color image represented by the converted video data;
A color vision auxiliary device comprising the above. The video data acquisition means repeatedly performs a process of acquiring the video data representing a color image of the target object by imaging an external target object,
Each time the video data acquisition unit acquires the video data, the color zone selection unit newly selects a color zone different from the color zone that is currently selected in response to the acquisition,
The conversion means performs the conversion for the latest video data acquired by the video data acquisition means in response to the selection every time the color zone selection means newly selects a color zone.
The color vision auxiliary device according to claim 1. Each color zone is a line in an area occupied by a visible color in the color space, and two colors corresponding to two points on the same line are perceived by the color blind person as the same color. A position that divides a plurality of lines in the relationship at the boundary inside and outside the color zone respectively occupies a position in the color space.
The color vision auxiliary device according to claim 1 or 2. The color zone is a color perception in which a region occupied by a visible color in the color space is a surface formed in the color space by a set of colors specified in advance as colors that can be perceived by a color blind person in the same manner as a normal color blind person. Forming the plurality of portions obtained by being divided by a surface group consisting of a surface and a surface parallel to the color perception surface;
The color vision auxiliary device according to claim 1, 2 or 3. The conversion means is obtained by converting the color of the specified portion of the color image represented by the video data acquired by the video data acquisition means into another color having lightness substantially equal to the color of the portion. The video data is converted so that
The color vision auxiliary device according to claim 4. The conversion means converts the color of the specified portion of the color image represented by the video data acquired by the video data acquisition means into another color having a chromaticity substantially equal to the color of the portion. Converting the video data so that it becomes
The color vision auxiliary device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A color zone selection step for sequentially selecting a plurality of color zones that form a plurality of portions within a region occupied by visible colors in the color space;
A video data acquisition step of acquiring video data representing a color image;
Of the color image represented by the video data acquired in the video data acquisition step, the color zone selecting means specifies a part having a color belonging to the color zone that is currently selected, and the color of the specified part is A conversion step of converting the video data so as to be converted to another color that is identified as a color different from the color by the color blind person;
A video display step for displaying a color image represented by the converted video data;
A method for assisting color vision, comprising: A computer equipped with a display device for displaying color images
A color zone selection means for sequentially selecting a plurality of color zones that form a plurality of portions within a region occupied by visible colors in the color space;
Video data acquisition means for acquiring video data representing a color image;
Of the color image represented by the video data acquired by the video data acquisition means, the color zone selection means specifies a part having a color belonging to the color zone that is currently selected, and the color of the specified part is Conversion means for converting the video data so as to be converted into another color that is identified as a color different from the color by the color blind person;
Video display means for displaying a color image represented by the converted video data;
Program to function as.

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