JP6223371B2 - Pointing device, pointing method, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a pointing device and a pointing method for generating display information of a special display on a screen, in which a pointing object pointed from a first position can be recognized at a second position.

  Conventionally, various methods and apparatuses for detecting a pointing object pointed by a tool or a body part have been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1, a tool having predetermined three-color portions arranged at equal intervals on the same straight line is photographed by a video camera, and a pointing target pointed by the tool is photographed by the video camera. Proposes a method and an apparatus based on a video image obtained by the above. In Patent Document 2, a body part of a pointing person (user) is photographed by a plurality of video cameras, and a pointing object indicated by the body part is acquired by photographing a plurality of video cameras. Proposes a method and apparatus based on video.

  Various methods and apparatuses have been studied in order to make a pointing target observer (another user) recognize a pointing target pointed by a pointing person (user). For example, pointing is performed by irradiating the pointing object with light from a light irradiation device (projector) provided on a tool, a body part of the pointing person, or a wall that is used to point the pointing object. There is a method for causing a target observer (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “observer”) to recognize a pointing object. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a light spot 302 is irradiated by a projector 301 onto a pointing object Q1 pointed to by the hand of a pointing person U1.

  However, when the distance from the pointing person to the pointing object is long, or when the distance from the projector to the pointing object is long, the pointing object may not be accurately recognized by the observer due to the light spot irradiated by the light projector. is there. Although a method of displaying the pointing target on the computer screen is also conceivable, if the pointing target is not displayed in the computer screen, the pointing target cannot be recognized by the observer. In addition, when the object to be pointed is an object that is not suitable for light irradiation, such as a work of art or a living thing, a projector cannot be used.

  As a countermeasure, a light transmission type screen is installed between the pointing person and the pointing object, and a mark is displayed at a position where the straight line connecting the pointing person and the pointing object intersects the screen (intersection position). Conceivable. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a situation in which a mark M1 is displayed at a position where a straight line L1 connecting the position of the pointing person U1 and the position of the pointing target Q1 intersects the screen S1.

Japanese Patent No. 4709364 (Claim 2) Japanese Patent No. 3860550 (Claim 1, paragraph 0031, FIG. 1)

  However, when the position of the pointing person is different from the position of the pointing target observer, the thing recognized by the observer based on the mark displayed on the screen is different from the pointing object indicated by the pointing person. In other words, there is a problem that erroneous recognition (recognition trap) may occur. FIG. 3 shows a case where the pointing person U1 points to the pointing object Q1, but the observer U2 who recognizes the object through the mark M1 on the screen S1 erroneously recognizes that the object Q2 is the pointing object. ing.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and a special display on the screen that makes it possible to correctly recognize the pointing object pointed from the first position at the second position. An object of the present invention is to provide a pointing device and a pointing method capable of generating the display information.

  The pointing device according to the present invention enables the pointing object to be recognized at the second position when the pointing direction from the first position toward the pointing object is indicated at the first position. A pointing device that generates display information for special display, the first position information indicating the first position, the pointing operation information including information indicating the pointing direction, and the position of one or more pointing target candidates. A pointing target determining unit that determines which of the pointing target candidates is one of the pointing target candidates based on the third position information indicated, and outputs determination information indicating the determination result; A script including second position information indicating the position of the screen, the discrimination information, and information indicating the position of the screen. A display position of a special display for the second position, where a straight line for the second position from the second position toward the pointing object intersects the screen, A special display information generation unit that outputs information indicating a display position of the special display for the second position.

  According to the present invention, the display position of the special display for the second position where the straight line for the second position from the second position that is the position of the observer toward the pointing object intersects the screen is calculated. Then, information indicating the display position of the special display for the second position is output. Since the special display for the second position based on this information is displayed on the screen, the pointing object can be accurately recognized from the second position.

It is a figure which shows the example which irradiates a light spot to the pointing object pointed by the pointing person. It is a figure which shows the example which displays the mark which shows the pointing object pointed by the pointing person on a light transmissive screen. It is a figure which shows the example which the observer who recognized the thing through the mark of the light transmission type screen recognizes the pointing object erroneously. It is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of operation | movement of the pointing device by Embodiment 1 of this invention. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a pointing device according to a first embodiment. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a pointing target determination process of the pointing device according to the first embodiment. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for generating pointing user mark display information of the pointing device according to the first embodiment. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing for generating observer mark display information of the pointing device according to the first embodiment. 7 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of processing for generating observer mark display information of the pointing device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of operation | movement of the pointing device by Embodiment 2 of this invention. 6 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a pointing device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a screen assignment determination process of the pointing device according to the second embodiment. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing for generating observer mark display information of the pointing device according to the second embodiment. (A) And (b) is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of the other example of a production | generation process of the mark display information for observers of the pointing device by Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of an operation of the pointing device according to the second embodiment. (A) And (b) is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of operation | movement of the pointing device by Embodiment 3 of this invention. FIG. 10 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a pointing device according to a third embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of tracking processing of a pointing target of the pointing device according to the third embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of analysis processing of a pointing target of the pointing device according to the third embodiment. (A) And (b) is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of operation | movement of the pointing device by Embodiment 4 of this invention. FIG. 10 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a pointing device according to a fourth embodiment. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example of mark aggregation processing of the pointing device according to the fourth embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of operation | movement of the pointing device by Embodiment 5 of this invention. FIG. 10 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a pointing device according to a fifth embodiment. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of mark display switching processing of the pointing device according to the fifth embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows roughly the structure of the modification 1 of the pointing device by embodiment of this invention. FIG. 27 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of the pointing device of FIG. 26. It is a hardware block diagram which shows the modification 2 of the pointing device by Embodiment 1-5 of this invention.

<< 1 >> Embodiment 1
First, an outline of the pointing device 1 will be described. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the operation of the pointing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the pointing device 1 according to the first embodiment. The pointing device 1 is a device that can perform the pointing method according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the pointing device 1 is a position (first position) PU1 of the pointing person U1, and a pointing direction (for example, the pointing person U1) from the position PU1 of the pointing person U1 toward the pointing object (thing) Q1. When the pointing object Q1 is pointed with a tool or a finger), a special display such as the mark M2 on the screen S1 that enables the pointing object Q1 to be recognized at the position (second position) PU2 of the pointing object observer U2 Generate display information. The pointing person U1 is a user who indicates the pointing target Q1. The pointing target observer (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “observer”) is another user U2 who sees the pointing target Q1 pointed to by the pointing person U1.

As shown in FIG. 5, the pointing device 1 includes a pointing object determination unit 10 and a mark display information generation unit (special display information generation unit) 20. Pointing object determination unit 10 includes a pointing user location information (first location _{information) I 11} indicating the position (first position) PU1 pointing's U1, the pointing direction from the first position PU1 pointing object Q1 Pointing operation information I ₁₂ including pointing direction information to be indicated, and pointing object candidate information (third position information) indicating the positions of one or more pointing object candidates (Q 1 and Q 2 are shown as candidates in FIG. 4). ) based on the I _13, pointing object Q1 is determined which one in pointing candidate, and outputs the determination information I ₁₄ indicating the result of this determination.

Mark display information generation unit 20, the viewer position of U2 observer position information indicating a (second position) PU2 (second position information) I _23, determination information I ₁₄ outputted from the pointing object discriminating section 10 On the basis of the screen information I ₂₁ including information indicating the position of the screen S1, a straight line for the observer (second position for the second position) from the position U2 of the observer U2 (second position) PU2 to the pointing target Q1. The display position of the observer mark (second position mark) M2 as a special display for the observer, which is a position (intersection position) where the straight line L2 intersects the screen S1, is calculated, and the observer mark M2 is calculated. and it outputs the display information _{I 24.}

  Next, details of the pointing device 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the pointing target determination unit 10 is a pointing person position information acquisition unit (first position information) that acquires pointing person position information (first position information) indicating the position (first position) PU1 of the pointing person U1. Pointing operation information including pointing direction information indicating the pointing direction when the pointing direction is indicated by the first position information acquisition unit) 11 and the pointing person U1 at the position (first position) PU1 of the pointing person U1. And a pointing operation information acquisition unit 12 for acquiring. Examples of the operation in which the pointing person U1 points in the pointing direction include, for example, an operation in which the pointing person U1 points the tool in the pointing direction, an operation to input the pointing direction using the input device, and a pointing direction without using the tool and the device. There are movements such as extending fingers. In this specification, the case where the pointing person U1 is a human being will be described. However, an apparatus (for example, a machine or a robot) indicating a pointing object may be used instead of the pointing person U1.

The pointing target determination unit 10 includes a pointing target candidate information acquisition unit (third position information acquisition unit) 13 that acquires pointing target candidate information (third position information) indicating the positions of one or more pointing target candidates. And a pointing object analyzing unit 14. The pointing object analysis unit 14 includes the pointing operation information I 12 acquired and provided by the pointing operation information acquisition unit ₁₂ and the pointing person position information (first position) acquired and provided by the pointing person position information acquisition unit 11. information) I _11, based on a pointing object candidate information (third position information) I ₁₃ to be provided is obtained by the pointing object candidate information obtaining unit 13, either a pointing object Q1 is in the pointing candidate It analyzes whether, and outputs the results of this analysis as the determination information I _14.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the mark display information generation unit 20 acquires and provides screen information acquisition unit 21 that acquires and provides screen information and observer position information (second position information). An observer mark for calculating display information I ₂₄ including display position information of an observer position information acquisition unit (second position information acquisition unit) 23 and an observer mark (special display for the second position) M2. display position calculating section (second special display position calculation unit for position) 24, mark display information output unit for outputting the display information I ₂₄ of M2 (special display (special display for the second position) observer marks Information output unit) 25. The observer mark display position calculation unit 24 includes observer position information (second position information) I ₂₃ , discrimination information I ₁₄ output from the pointing object analysis unit 14 of the pointing object discrimination unit 10, and screen information I. ₂₁ is used to calculate the display position of the observer mark (special display for the second position) M2.

Further, the mark display information generation unit 20 performs pointing based on the pointing person position information (first position information) I ₁₁ , the determination information I ₁₄ output from the pointing target determination unit 10, and the screen information I _21. Pointer mark (point of intersection) where the straight line for the pointing person (straight line for the first position) L1 extending in the pointing direction from the position (first position) PU1 of the person U1 intersects the screen S1 (intersection position) calculating a special display) M1 display position for the first position, the special display) M1 mark display position for pointing who outputting display information I ₂₂ indicating the display position of a pointing's mark (first position A calculation unit (first display position calculation unit) 22 may be included.

The position information of the pointing person position information I ₁₁ , the observer position information I ₂₃ , the screen position information included in the screen information I ₂₁ , the position information of the pointing object Q 1 and the pointing object candidate Q 2 acquired in the first embodiment is, for example, GPS. (Global Positioning System). Further, a pointing operation information I ₁₂ may be obtained by calculating based on the direction information indicating a straight line up to the fingertip from the GPS position information of the fingertip of a pointing user U1 and pointing's elbows in the video information of the video camera . Further, the pointing operation information (information pointing operation) I ₁₂ is able to acquire pointing's GPS location information (e.g., near the center of the body) and a the GPS position information of the fingertip of the pointing user U1.

For example, the pointing person position information acquisition unit 11 illustrated in FIG. 5 acquires position information from a sensor provided in the pointing person U1. Specific examples of the “location information acquisition method by the pointing person location information acquisition unit 11” include the following (a1) to (a4). However, the “location information acquisition method by the pointing person location information acquisition unit 11” is not limited to the following example.
(A1) A method for acquiring information of a position sensor such as a GPS sensor carried by the pointing person U1.
(A2) A method of acquiring position information from a receiver or a receiving station that has received information such as an RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) tag carried by the pointing person U1 or a mobile phone.
(A3) A method of estimating or acquiring the position information of the pointing person U1 from detection information such as a pressure sensor or an infrared sensor embedded in the ground or floor.
(A4) A method in which the pointing person U1 himself inputs the position information of the pointing person U1 from the input device.

Specific examples of the “pointer position information (first position information)” include the following (b1) and (b2), for example. However, the “pointer position information (first position information)” is not limited to the following example.
(B1) Information indicating an absolute position such as latitude, longitude and altitude.
(B2) Position information specified by the direction and distance from the reference point whose position is known. For example, relative position information from a specific reference point such as “10 m east from the reference point”.
The pointing person position information is preferably the eye position of the pointing person U1. For this reason, it is desirable that the sensor for detecting the position information of the pointing person is installed near the eyes of the pointing person. However, when the sensor cannot be installed near the eyes, it is desirable to estimate the position of the eyes from the height of the pointing person input in advance. For example, the position of the pointing person's eye is subtracted from the height of the pointing person by a predetermined value (a value corresponding to the distance from the top of the pointing person's head to the eye, for example, 10 cm). It is desirable to set this position.

The pointing operation information acquisition unit 12 illustrated in FIG. 5 acquires pointing operation information related to the pointing operation performed by the pointing person. The “method for acquiring pointing operation information” includes the following (c1) and (c2). However, the “method for acquiring pointing operation information” is not limited to the following example.
(C1) A video obtained by photographing a tool provided with a plurality of detection portions arranged at equal intervals on the same straight line with a video camera and pointing a pointing object pointed by the tool by the video camera. A method of obtaining based on an image (the same method as in Patent Document 1).
(C2) A method in which a body part of a pointing person is photographed by one or a plurality of video cameras, and a pointing target pointed by the body part is obtained based on a video image obtained by photographing by the video camera ( The same method as in Patent Document 2).

Examples of “information acquired by the pointing operation” performed by the pointing person U1 include the following (d1) and (d2). However, “information acquired by pointing operation” is not limited to the following example.
(D1) Position information of the point where the pointing operation is performed.
(D2) Direction information pointed by the pointing operation.

The pointing target candidate information acquisition unit 13 illustrated in FIG. 5 acquires a list of pointing target candidates that are candidates that may correspond to the pointing target Q1 indicated by the pointing person U1. Examples of the “method for acquiring a list of pointing target candidates” include the following (e1) and (e2). However, the “method for acquiring a list of pointing target candidates” is not limited to the following example.
(E1) A method of acquiring a list of pointing target candidates by reading position information of pointing target candidates prepared in advance (for example, arrangement data of exhibits in a facility) like map data.
(E2) By creating data in which a position marker is attached in advance to an object that can be a pointing target, and when a pointing operation is performed by the pointing person U1, the position information of the object to which the position marker is attached is collected. To obtain a list of candidates for pointing.

Examples of “information included in the list of pointing target candidates” include the following (f1) to (f3). However, “information included in the list of candidates for pointing” is not limited to the following example.
(F1) Center position information of each pointing target candidate.
(F2) Bottom information of each pointing target candidate.
(F3) Height information of each pointing target candidate.

Pointing object analysis unit 14 shown in FIG. 5, the position information _{I 11} pointing's U1, and _{I 12} (the operation information of the pointing user _U1) pointing operation information, pointing object candidate information (third position _{information) I 13} based on the door, analyzes any Do a pointing object Q1 of the pointing candidate, and outputs the result of the analysis as the determination information I _14.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing of the pointing object analysis unit 14. First, in step ST 101, the pointing object analysis unit 14, the pointing user position information acquisition unit 11 acquires positional information _{I 11} pointing's U1. Next, in step ST102, the pointing object analyzing unit 14 sends the pointing operation information (pointing operation information such as the GPS position information of the fingertip of the pointing person U1 and the elbow to the fingertip from the pointing operation information acquisition unit 12). acquires direction _{information) I 12} showing a straight line. Next, in step ST103, the pointing object analysis unit 14 designates a predetermined distance as a search distance. As the search distance, a predetermined distance, a distance corresponding to a pointing target candidate, a distance input by a user, or the like can be used, and is determined to be 100 [m], for example.

Next, at step ST 104, the pointing object analysis unit 14, the pointing object candidate information obtaining unit 13, and mainly the position indicated by the positional information _{I 11} pointing user U1 acquired in step ST 101, set in step ST103 search Information on pointing target candidates existing within the search range (sphere) based on the distance is acquired.

  Next, in step ST105, the pointing object analyzing unit 14 extends a virtual straight line L1 along the pointing direction indicated by the pointing person U1. At this time, the straight line L1 is extended by 1 [m], for example. Next, in step ST106, the pointing object analysis unit 14 checks whether there is a pointing object candidate near the tip of the straight line L1 extended in step ST105. For example, a method for checking whether or not a pointing target candidate exists in a sphere having a radius of 0.5 [m] from the tip, or a radius of 0.5 [cm] and a length of 1 along the straight line L1 extended in step ST105 There is a method of checking whether or not a pointing target candidate exists in the [m] cylinder.

  Next, in step ST107, when the pointing target candidate investigated in step ST106 exists, the pointing target analysis unit 14 sets the pointing target candidate as the pointing target Q1, and ends the processing of the flowchart of FIG.

  If there is no pointing target candidate in step ST106, or if the straight line L1 extended in step ST105 exceeds the search distance determined in step ST103, the pointing target analysis unit 14 determines that there is no pointing target, The process of the flowchart of FIG. On the other hand, if there is no pointing target candidate in step ST106 and the straight line L1 extended in step ST105 is less than or equal to the search distance determined in step ST103, the pointing target analyzing unit 14 returns the process to step ST105. Further, the straight line L1 is extended to a predetermined length, and the process of step ST106 is performed. The search distance in step ST103, the distance to extend the straight line L1 in step ST105, and the distance to search for a pointing target candidate near the tip in step ST106 may be predetermined by the designer of the pointing device, It may be arbitrarily set by the pointing person U1.

The screen information acquisition unit 21 acquires screen information about a screen that displays a mark (special display) and supplies the screen information to each unit. Examples of the “method for acquiring screen information” include the following (g1) and (g2). However, the “method for acquiring screen information” is not limited to the following example.
(G1) A method of acquiring screen information by receiving operation input information of any of the designer of the pointing device 1, the pointing person U1, and the observer U2 to be pointed.
(G2) A method in which a sensor such as GPS is provided on the screen, and the screen information acquisition unit 21 acquires the GPS information when screen information is required.

Examples of screen information include the following (h1) to (h3). However, the screen information is not limited to the following example.
(H1) Position information of the center of the screen (for example, information such as latitude, longitude, and altitude).
(H2) Information indicating the physical size of the screen (for example, information indicating the size in meters).
(H3) Position information of the outline of the screen (for example, information such as latitude, longitude, and altitude).

Pointing's mark display position calculating unit 22, a positional information I ₁₁ pointing user U1, and the discrimination information I _14, based on the screen information I _21, on a screen viewed from a pointing user U1 pointing the pointing object Q1 The position of the pointing object Q1 is calculated. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing of the pointing person mark display position calculation unit 22. First, in step ST 201, a pointing's mark display position calculation unit 22 acquires position information _{I 11} indicating the position of the pointing user U1 pointing user position information acquisition unit 11 (PU1 in Figure 4). Next, in step ST <b> 202, the pointing person mark display position calculation unit 22 acquires the position information of the pointing target Q <b> 1 calculated by the pointing target analysis unit 14. Next, in step ST <b> 203, the pointing person mark display position calculation unit 22 acquires screen information I ₂₁ from the screen information acquisition unit 21. Next, in step ST204, the pointing person mark display position calculation unit 22 connects the position of the pointing person U1 acquired in step ST201 and the position of the pointing target Q1 acquired in step ST202 (first straight line) L1. Is calculated. Next, in step ST205, the pointing person mark display position calculation unit 22 calculates a position (intersection position) where the straight line L1 calculated in step ST204 intersects the screen S1 acquired in step ST203, and the flowchart of FIG. Terminate the process.

The observer position information acquisition unit 23 acquires the position of the observer who sees the pointing target using a sensor or the like. Examples of the “observer position information acquisition method” include the following (i1) to (i4). However, the “observer position information acquisition method” is not limited to the following example.
(I1) A method for acquiring information of a position sensor such as a GPS sensor carried by an observer.
(I2) A method of acquiring position information from a receiver or receiving station that has received information such as an RFID tag or a mobile phone carried by an observer.
(I3) A method of estimating or acquiring the position information of the observer from detection information such as a pressure-sensitive sensor or an infrared sensor embedded in the ground or floor.
(I4) A method in which the observer himself inputs his / her position information from the input device.

Specific examples of “observer position information (second position information)” include the following (j1) and (j2), for example. However, “observer position information (second position information)” is not limited to the following example.
(J1) Information indicating an absolute position such as latitude, longitude and altitude.
(J2) Position information specified by the direction and distance from the reference point whose position is known. For example, relative position information from a specific reference point such as “10 m east from the reference point”.
The observer position information is preferably the position of the observer's eyes. For this reason, it is desirable to equip the sensor for detecting the observer position information near the eyes of the observer. However, when the sensor cannot be installed near the eyes, it is desirable to estimate the position of the eyes from the height of the observer inputted in advance. For example, the position of the observer's eyes is a height obtained by subtracting a predetermined value (a value corresponding to the distance from the top of the observer's head to the eyes, for example, 10 cm) from the height of the observer. It is desirable to set this position.

Observer mark display position calculating unit 24, the viewer position information I _23, and the discrimination information I ₁₄ pointing object Q1, based on the screen information I _21, pointing object on the screen S1, viewed from the observer U2 The display position of the mark (special display) M2, which is the position of Q1, is calculated.

Next, a case where there are two observers will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing of the observer mark display position calculation unit 24. FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of processing of the observer mark display position calculation unit 24. First, in step ST 301, the viewer mark display position calculating unit 24 obtains the observer position information _{I 23} from the viewer position information acquisition unit 23 indicating the position PU2, PU3 observer U2, U3. Next, at step ST 302, the viewer mark display position calculating unit 24 acquires the determination information I ₁₄ as a pointing object information including position information of the pointing object Q1 calculated in the pointing object analysis unit 14. Next, in step ST303, the observer mark display position calculation unit 24 acquires screen information I ₂₁ (including the position information of the screen S1 in FIG. 9) from the screen information acquisition unit 21. Next, at step ST 304, the viewer mark display position calculating unit 24, from the position information _{I 23} observers U2, U3 acquired in step ST 301, the observer not subjected to processing in step ST305~ST306 below Choose one. Therefore, in step ST305, the observer mark display position calculation unit 24 creates straight lines (L2 and L3 in FIG. 9) connecting the position of the observer selected in step ST304 and the position of the pointing target acquired in step ST302. calculate. Next, in step ST306, the observer mark display position calculation unit 24 calculates a position (intersection position) where the straight line calculated in step ST305 (L2, L3 in FIG. 9) intersects the screen S1 acquired in step ST303. To do. Next, in step ST307, the observer mark display position calculation unit 24 confirms whether or not all the observers have been processed. The observer mark display position calculation unit 24 returns the process to step ST304 and selects one new observer when there remains an observer who is not a processing target. The observer mark display position calculation unit 24 ends the process of the flowchart of FIG. 8 when the processes for all the observers have been completed.

  The mark display information output unit 25 displays the mark display position (special display display position) on the screen S1 calculated by the mark display position calculation unit 22 and the observer mark display position calculation unit 24 by using the mark display position for the pointing person (first display). 1 special display for position 1) and display information of M1 and mark information for observer (special display for second position) M2 and M3 are output to screen S1. Based on the received display information, the screen S1 displays a pointing person mark display (special display for the first position) M1 and an observer mark display (special display for the second position) on the screen S1. M2 and M3 are displayed.

  As described above, according to the pointing device 1 and the pointing method according to the first embodiment, the second position for the pointing object Q1 from the second positions PU2 and PU3 that are the positions of the observers U2 and U3 is used. The display positions of the second position marks (special display) M2 and M3 where the straight lines L2 and L3 intersect the screen S1 are calculated, and the second position marks (special display) M2 and M3 are calculated. Output display information. Since the second position marks (special display) M2 and M3 based on this display information are displayed on the screen S1, the observers U2 and U3 accurately point the pointing object Q1 from the second positions PU2 and PU3. Can be recognized. As described above, according to the pointing device 1 and the pointing method according to the first embodiment, the pointing object Q1 is between the pointing person U1 indicating the pointing object Q1 and the observers U2 and U3 viewing the pointing object Q1. The merit that there is no recognition trap is obtained.

<< 2 >> Embodiment 2
FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the operation of the pointing device 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, a pointing person mark display (special display for the first position) M1 and an observer mark display (special display for the second position) M2 are displayed on a plurality of screens S1, S2, S3. The point that M3 is displayed is different from the first embodiment in which the pointing mark display M1 and the observer mark displays M2 and M3 are displayed on one screen S1. According to the second embodiment, since a plurality of screens S1, S2, and S3 are used, there is an advantage that a single pointing device 2 can cause more observers U2 and U3 to correctly recognize the pointing object Q1. is there. In particular, when a plurality of mark displays (special displays) M2 and M3 for a plurality of observers are displayed on one screen, the mark displays (special displays) M2 and M3 may overlap and become difficult to see. In the second embodiment, a mark for the pointing person U1 (special display for the first position) M1 is displayed on the screen S1, and a mark for the observer U2 (special display for the second position) is displayed on the screen S2. M2 is displayed, and the mark for the observer U3 (special display for the third position) M3 is displayed on the screen S3, so the number of observers assigned to one screen is reduced. The visibility is improved.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the pointing device 2 according to the second embodiment. The pointing device 2 is a device that can perform the pointing method according to the second embodiment. 11, components that are the same as or correspond to the components shown in FIG. 5 (Embodiment 1) are assigned the same reference numerals as in FIG. The pointing device 2 according to the second embodiment is different from the pointing device 1 according to the first embodiment in that the mark display information generation unit 20a includes a screen allocation determination unit 26. The screen assignment determination unit 26 performs a process of specifying a screen on which a mark for the designated observer is displayed based on the position information I ₂₃ of a certain observer and the plurality of screen information I ₂₁ .

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing of the screen allocation determination unit 26. First, in step ST401, the screen allocation determination unit 26 acquires the position information of a plurality of observers from the observer mark display position calculation unit 24. Next, in step ST402, the screen allocation determination unit 26 acquires screen information from the observer mark display position calculation unit 24. Next, in step ST403, the screen assignment determination unit 26 sets the distance D to ∞ (infinity) without any screen candidate. Next, in step ST404, the screen assignment determination unit 26 selects one screen that has not been processed in step ST405 described later, from the screens acquired in step ST402. Next, in step ST405, the screen allocation determination unit 26 calculates the distance D_tmp between the observer to be pointed and the screen. When the latitude of the observer to be pointed is L _AU , the latitude of the center of the screen is L _AS , the longitude of the position of the observer to be pointed is L _OU, and the longitude of the center of the screen is L _OS The distance D_tmp is calculated by the following equation, for example.
^{_{D_tmp = ((L AU -L AS}} ) 2 + (L OU -L OS) 2) 1/2

  Next, in step ST406, the screen allocation determination unit 26 compares D and D_tmp. If D <D_tmp, the process proceeds to step ST407. If D_tmp ≦ D, the process proceeds to step ST408. In step ST407, the screen assignment determination unit 26 sets the screen candidate to the screen selected in step ST404, and updates the value of D to the value of D_tmp. In step ST408, the screen allocation determination unit 26 checks whether all screens have been selected in step ST404. If the processing for all screens has been completed, the processing in FIG. Otherwise (when there is an unselected screen), the process returns to step ST404.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating processing of the observer mark display position calculation unit 24 according to the second embodiment. Steps ST501 to ST503 in FIG. 13 are the same processes as steps ST301 to ST303 in FIG. Steps ST504 and ST505 in FIG. 13 are the same processes as steps ST304 and ST305 in FIG. Step ST506 in FIG. 13 determines which screen of the plurality of screens is allocated to each of the plurality of viewers selected in step ST504 using the screen allocation determination unit 26. Step ST507 in FIG. 13 is the same process as step ST306 in FIG. 8, except that the screen determined in step ST506 is used as the screen to be processed. Step ST508 in FIG. 13 is the same processing as step ST307 in FIG. 8, except that the screen to be displayed and the position on the screen are the final output for each observer.

  The mark display information output unit 25 of the pointing device 2 according to the second embodiment displays the display screen and the position on the screen calculated by the mark display position calculation unit 22 for the pointing person and the mark display position calculation unit 24 for the observer. Output to the screen as mark display positions for the viewer and the viewer.

  The number of users (pointers and observers) assigned to one screen is not limited to one and may be two or more. When the process of FIG. 12 is adopted, when there are a plurality of observers near a specific screen, all the observers are assigned to the same screen. 14A and 14B are conceptual diagrams of an example of the second embodiment. FIG. 14A shows a case where the screen S1 is shared by the pointing person U1 and the observer U2. FIG. 14B shows a case where a plurality of viewers U2 and U3 share the screen S2. The sharing of the screen is not limited to two people, and may be shared by three or more people.

  In the above description, the case where the display surfaces of a plurality of screens face the same direction has been described, but the orientation of the screen display surface may be different, and the orientation of the screen display surface is variable. It may be. FIG. 15 illustrates a case where the orientation of the display surface of the screen S3 is in a different direction among the plurality of screens S1 to S3.

  As described above, according to the pointing device 2 and the pointing method according to the second embodiment, a user (pointing person and observer) who uses the screen is assigned to each of the plurality of screens. Since the number of users assigned to is reduced, visibility is improved. As a result, there is an advantage that a larger number of observers can be handled with one pointing device.

<< 3 >> Embodiment 3
FIG. 16 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the operation of the pointing device 3 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In the third embodiment, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, when the pointing person U1 points to the pointing object, the pointing object Q1 is automatically tracked. By making it possible to track the moving pointing object Q1, there is an advantage that it is not necessary for the pointing person U1 to continue to point to the pointing object Q1.

  FIG. 17 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the pointing device 3 according to the third embodiment. The pointing device 3 is a device that can perform the pointing method according to the third embodiment. 17, components that are the same as or correspond to the components shown in FIG. 5 (Embodiment 1) are given the same reference numerals as in FIG. The pointing device 3 according to the third embodiment is different from the pointing device 1 according to the first embodiment in that the pointing target determination unit 10a includes a pointing target tracking unit 15. FIG. 17 illustrates the case where the pointing target tracking unit 15 is added to the pointing device 1 of the first embodiment. However, the pointing target tracking unit 15 may be provided in the pointing device 2 of the second embodiment. good.

  The pointing target tracking unit 15 monitors the movement of the pointing target Q1 using the position information of the pointing target Q1. FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing of the pointing target tracking unit 15. First, in step ST601, the pointing object analysis unit 14 inputs the calculated position information of the pointing object Q1 to the pointing object tracking unit 15. In the following description, the input pointing object is also referred to as “P_indicated”. Next, in step ST <b> 602, the pointing target tracking unit 15 acquires information indicating the pointing target Q <b> 1 from the pointing target candidate information acquiring unit 30. In the following description, the acquired pointing object is also referred to as “P_now”. Next, in step ST603, the pointing target tracking unit 15 compares P_indicated and P_now. If P_indicated and P_now are the same as a result of the comparison, the pointing target tracking unit 15 advances the process to step ST606. If P_indicated and P_now are different, the pointing target tracking unit 15 advances the process to step ST604. In step ST604, the pointing target tracking unit 15 updates the value of P_indicated to the value of P_now. Next, in step ST605, the pointing target tracking unit 15 notifies the pointing target analyzing unit 14 of P_indicated updated in step ST604. In step ST606, the pointing target tracking unit 15 waits without performing processing until a predetermined time elapses. The standby process in step S606 corresponds to a process of inserting a sleep in general programming, and the standby time is a value such as 1 second or 10 seconds, for example. The predetermined time (standby time) may be a value set in advance by a designer of the pointing device, or may be a value arbitrarily set by a person using the pointing device such as a pointing person. After the fixed time has elapsed, the process transitions to step ST602.

  Next, the processing of the pointing object analysis unit 14 in the third embodiment will be described. FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing of the pointing target analysis unit 14 according to the third embodiment. First, in step ST701, the pointing object analysis unit 14 confirms the type of the operation trigger that triggers the operation. In step ST701, the pointing object analysis unit 14 performs processing when there is an input from the pointing operation information acquisition unit 12 (that is, when the pointing person U1 performs pointing that is an operation (operation) indicating the pointing object). When the transition is made to step ST702 and there is a notification from the pointing target tracking unit 15 (that is, when the pointing target is moved, this corresponds to step ST605 of FIG. 18), the process transitions to step ST711. The processing in steps ST702 to ST707 is the same as the processing in steps ST101 to ST106 in FIG. The process of step ST708 is the same as the process of step ST107 of FIG. 6, but in Embodiment 3, after the process of step ST708 is performed, the process transitions to step ST709. In step ST709, the pointing object analysis unit 14 registers the processing results (determined pointing objects) in steps ST702 to ST708 in the pointing object tracking unit 15. In step ST710, the pointing object analysis unit 14 outputs the processing results (determined pointing object) in steps ST702 to ST708 to the pointing person mark display position calculation unit 22 and the observer mark display position calculation unit 24. On the other hand, in step ST711, the pointing object analysis unit 14 receives the updated pointing object from the pointing object tracking unit 15. In step ST712, the pointing object analysis unit 14 outputs the pointing object received in step ST711 to the pointing person mark display position calculation unit 22 and the observer mark display position calculation unit 24.

  As described above, according to the pointing device 3 and the pointing method according to the third embodiment, since the pointing device 3 can track the movement of the pointing object Q1, the pointing person U1 performs a pointing operation indicating the pointing object. There is an advantage that it is not necessary to continue.

<< 4 >> Embodiment 4
FIG. 20 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the operation of the pointing device 4 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the fourth embodiment, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, when there are a plurality of observer mark displays in close proximity, a plurality of observer mark displays (for the second position) showing the pointing target Q1. The special display M10 differs from the first embodiment in that M2 and M3 are combined into one special display M10. In order to combine multiple observer mark displays into one, the number of observer mark displays (special display for the second position) M10 displayed on the screen S1 decreases, and the observers U2 and U3 There is an advantage that it is easy to grasp the displayed contents.

  FIG. 21 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of the pointing device 4 according to the fourth embodiment. The pointing device 4 is a device that can perform the pointing method according to the fourth embodiment. In FIG. 21, the same or corresponding components as those shown in FIG. 5 (Embodiment 1) are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. In the pointing device 4 according to the fourth embodiment, the mark display information generation unit 20b includes a mark aggregation unit 27, a pointing person mark display position calculation unit 22, an observer mark display position calculation unit 24, and a mark. The point that the display information output unit 25 uses the mark aggregation unit 27 is different from the pointing device 1 according to the first embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, the case where the mark aggregation unit 27 is added to the configuration of the first embodiment will be described. However, the mark aggregation unit 27 is added to the configuration of the second embodiment or the configuration of the third embodiment. May be.

  The mark aggregating unit 27 receives the position information of the pointing person mark display (special display) M1 and the position information of the observer mark displays (special display) M2 and M3, and displays the adjacent observer mark display (special display). ) M2 and M3 are combined to generate one mark display (special display) M10. FIG. 22 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing of the mark aggregation unit 27. First, in step ST801, the mark aggregating unit 27 receives the position of the pointing person mark display (special display) M1 on the screen S1 from the pointing person mark display position calculating unit 22. Next, in step ST802, the mark aggregating unit 27 receives the positions of the observer mark display (special display) M2 and M3 on the screen S1 from the observer mark display position calculating unit 24.

  Next, in step ST803, the mark aggregation unit 27 clears the confirmation list of the mark display (special display) W_1 handled in step ST804 described later. That is, the mark aggregating unit 27 sets the state where there is no observer mark display selected as the mark display (special display) W_1. In addition, the mark aggregation unit 27 performs processing for deleting a list of pairs of mark display (special display) W_1 and mark display (special display) W_2 used in step ST808 described later from the storage unit. That is, the mark aggregation unit 27 sets a state (initial state) in which the pair of the mark display (special display) W_1 and the mark display (special display) W_2 does not exist as a list of the storage unit.

  Next, in step ST804, the mark aggregating unit 27 selects one from the observer mark displays M2 and M3 received in step ST802. The selected observer mark display is referred to as a mark display (special display) W_1. Further, the mark aggregation unit 27 performs a process of adding the selected observer mark display to the confirmation list of the mark display (special display) W_1.

  Next, in step ST805, the mark aggregation unit 27 clears the confirmation list of the mark display (special display) W_2 handled in step ST806 described later. That is, the mark aggregating unit 27 sets the state where there is no mark display for the observer selected as the mark display (special display) W_2.

  Next, in step ST806, the mark aggregating unit 27 selects one from the observer mark displays received in step ST802. The selected observer mark display is referred to as a mark display (special display) W_2. Further, the mark aggregation unit 27 adds the selected observer mark display to the confirmation list of the mark display (special display) W_2.

Next, in step ST807, the mark aggregation unit 27 checks whether the distance between the mark display (special display) W_1 and the mark display (special display) W_2 is equal to or less than a certain distance (a preset reference distance). Mark aggregating unit 27, the X-coordinate of W_1 on the screen S1 and _{X W1,} the Y-coordinate of W_1 and _{Y W1,} the X-coordinate of W_2 on the screen S1 and _{X W2,} the Y coordinate of W_2 was _{Y W2} Sometimes, the distance D _W12 between the mark display (special display) W_1 and W_2 can be calculated by the following equation, for example.
D _W12 = ((X _W1 −X _W2 ) ² + (Y _W1 −Y _W2 ) ² ) ^1/2

  Further, the fixed distance used for the determination in step ST807 may be set to 10 [pixel] in the number of pixels, for example, or may be set to 5 [cm] using a unit of distance. The fixed distance may be determined in advance by the designer of the pointing device 4 or may be set by the pointing person U1 or the observers U2 and U3 inputting an arbitrary value.

  When the distance between the mark display (special display) W_1 and W_2 is equal to or less than a certain distance, the mark aggregation unit 27 considers that the mark display (special display) W_1 and W_2 are close to each other and performs the process in step ST808. If the distance exceeds a certain distance, the mark display (special display) W_1 and W_2 are regarded as not close to each other, and the process proceeds to step ST809.

  In step ST808, the mark aggregation unit 27 stores a pair of mark display (special display) W_1 and W_2 that is currently selected. Even when the mark display (special display) W_1 and W_2 pair is already stored, the mark aggregation unit 27 does not delete the existing pair, but adds and stores the pair.

  In step ST809, the mark aggregating unit 27 determines whether all the mark displays for observers are registered in the confirmation list for mark display (special display) W_2, and the mark aggregation unit 27 is not included in the confirmation list for mark display (special display) W_2. If the registered observer mark display remains, the process returns to step ST806, and if not, the process proceeds to step ST810.

  In step ST810, the mark aggregating unit 27 determines whether all observer mark displays are registered in the confirmation list of the mark display (special display) W_1, and when an unregistered observer mark display remains. Returns the process to step ST804, and if it does not remain, advances the process to step ST811.

In step ST811, the mark aggregating unit 27 aggregates the display of pairs stored in the storage unit. As a method of aggregation, any of the following methods (k1) to (k4) can be adopted. Any of the aggregation methods may be determined in advance by the designer of the pointing device, or may be selected by the pointing person U1 or the observers U2 and U3. However, the “method of aggregation” is not limited to the following example.
(K1) A pair of mark display (special display) A large graphic containing W_1 and W_2 is displayed.
(K2) Only the mark display (special display) W_1 is displayed and the mark display (special display) W_2 is not displayed.
(K3) Only the mark display (special display) W_2 is displayed, and the mark display (special display) W_1 is not displayed.
(K4) Mark display (special display) W_1 and W_2 are not displayed, and an observer mark display (other special display) is performed at the center of W_1 and W_2.

  The mark aggregation unit 27 transmits the result of performing the process of step ST811 to the mark display information output unit 25.

  In the above description, the processing of step ST811 has been described only as aggregating the mark display (special display) W_1 and W_2 for the observer, but the mark display (special display) W_1 and W_2 pair. If there is another pair of mark displays (special display) (for example, W_2 and W_3) having one of the mark display (special display) W_1 and W_2 in the list including the mark display (special display) Display) Three or more observer mark displays including W_1, W_2, and W_3 may be displayed together.

In the above description, it is determined in step ST807 whether or not to aggregate based on the position of the observer mark display on the screen S1, but the mark aggregating unit 27 performs the following method (m1). And (m2) may be adopted.
(M1) Based on the positions of the pointing person U1 and the observers U2 and U3, it is determined whether or not to aggregate (the pointing person and the observer are within 2 [m], etc.).
(M2) It is determined whether or not to aggregate based on the predetermined group information of the pointing person and the observer. For example, when grouping is performed by group action, the members of the group are collectively displayed as one observer mark.

  The processing of the pointing person mark display position calculation unit 22 in the fourth embodiment is the same as the processing of the pointing person mark display position calculation unit 22 in FIG. 5, but the final result is not the mark display information output unit 25 but the mark display information output unit 25. The only difference is that it is transmitted to the aggregation unit 27.

  The process of the observer mark display position calculation unit 24 in the fourth embodiment is basically the same as the process of the observer mark display position calculation unit 24 of FIG. 5, but the final result is output as mark display information. Only the point of transmission to the mark aggregation unit 27 instead of the unit 25 is different from the processing of the observer mark display position calculation unit 24 of FIG.

  The processing of the mark display information output unit 25 in the fourth embodiment is basically the same as the processing of the mark display information output unit 25 of FIG. It is different from the mark display information output unit 25 of FIG. 5 only in that it is received from the mark aggregation unit 27 instead of being received from the mark display position calculation unit 24 for the person.

  As described above, according to the pointing device 4 and the pointing method according to the fourth embodiment, the pointing device 4 is displayed on the screen S1 in order to display a plurality of observer mark displays together. There is an advantage that the number of marks displayed for the observer is reduced and the pointing person U1 and the observers U2 and U3 can easily grasp the displayed contents.

<< 5 >> Embodiment 5
FIG. 23 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the operation of the pointing device 5 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. The pointing device 5 according to the fifth embodiment limits the number of mark displays (special displays) displayed simultaneously among a plurality of mark displays (special displays) M1, M2, and M3. Different from the device 1. By limiting the number of mark displays (special displays) displayed at the same time, there is an advantage that the display on the screen S1 can be prevented from becoming complicated and the pointing observer can easily grasp the displayed contents.

  FIG. 24 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the pointing device 5 according to the fifth embodiment. The pointing device 5 is a device that can perform the pointing method according to the fifth embodiment. 24, components that are the same as or correspond to the components shown in FIG. 5 (Embodiment 1) are assigned the same reference numerals as in FIG. In the pointing device 5 according to the fifth embodiment, the mark display information generation unit 20c has a mark display switching unit (special) in order to limit the number of observer mark displays simultaneously displayed among a plurality of observer mark displays. The display switching unit 28 is different from the pointing device 1 according to the first embodiment. In the fifth embodiment, the case where the mark display switching unit 28 is added to the configuration of the first embodiment will be described. However, the mark display switching unit 28 may be replaced with the configuration of the second embodiment, the configuration of the third embodiment, In addition, any of the configurations of the fourth embodiment may be added.

  The mark display switching unit 28 receives the pointing person mark display information and the observer mark display information, and performs a switching process for sequentially displaying the plurality of mark display information one by one. FIG. 25 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing of the mark display switching unit 28. First, in step ST <b> 901, the mark display switching unit 28 receives position information on the screen S <b> 1 of the pointing person mark display from the pointing person mark display position calculation unit 22. Next, in step ST902, the mark display switching unit 28 receives position information on the screen S1 of the mark display for the observer from the mark display position calculation unit 24 for the observer. Next, in step ST903, the mark display switching unit 28 creates a display list used in steps ST904 to ST907 described later. That is, the mark display switching unit 28 combines the mark display information received in step ST901 and step ST902 into one list. In step ST904, the mark display switching unit 28 selects one mark display information from the display list. In step ST905, the mark display switching unit 28 transmits the selected mark display information to the mark display information output unit 25. In step ST906, the mark display switching unit 28 stands by without performing processing for a certain period of time. The waiting time may be determined in advance by the designer of the pointing device, such as 1 [second], or may be arbitrarily set by the pointing person U1 or the observers U2 and U3. In step ST907, the mark display switching unit 28 checks whether all mark displays included in the display list have been selected. If there is an unselected item, the process proceeds to step ST904, where the unselected item is selected. If not, the process proceeds to step ST903. When the process transitions to step ST903, the process is repeated from the creation of the display list. Therefore, the process of displaying the observer mark display one by one is repeated without being terminated.

  The processing of the pointing person mark display position calculation unit 22 in the fifth embodiment is basically the same as the processing of the pointing person mark display position calculation unit 22 of FIG. Instead, it is different from that of FIG. 5 only in that it is transmitted to the mark display switching unit 28.

  The processing of the observer mark display position calculation unit 24 in the fifth embodiment is basically the same as the processing of the observer mark display position calculation unit 24 of FIG. 5, but the processing result is displayed in the mark display information output unit 25. Instead, it is different from that of FIG. 5 only in that it is transmitted to the mark display switching unit 28.

  The processing of the mark display information output unit 25 in the fifth embodiment is basically the same as the processing of the mark display information output unit 25 of FIG. 5, but the information is used for the mark display position calculation unit 22 for the pointing person and the observer. Only the point received from the mark display switching unit 28 instead of the mark display position calculation unit 24 is different from that of FIG.

  In addition, in the mark display switching part 28 of Embodiment 5, the example which displays a mark display one by one in order was given. However, a plurality of (for example, two or three) mark displays may be performed at a time by selecting a plurality of observer mark displays in step ST904.

  As described above, according to the pointing device 5 and the pointing method according to the fifth embodiment, the pointing device 5 restricts the number of simultaneous display of a plurality of mark displays (special displays) on the screen S1. It is possible to avoid complicated display. For this reason, there exists an advantage that it becomes easy to grasp the contents displayed by the pointing person U1 and the observers U2 and U3.

  In the above description, the mark display is displayed on a light transmissive screen (light transmissive display device). However, the screen is not limited to the light transmissive screen. The screen may be a non-light transmissive screen, and the pointing object Q1 photographed by the video camera may be displayed on the screen. Such usage can also be realized by a device having a screen and a video camera provided on the back surface thereof, such as a smartphone or a tablet PC.

<< 6 >> Modification 1
FIG. 26 is a block diagram showing a first modification of the pointing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the pointing device 1 e, the information providing unit 70, and the screen 60 illustrated in FIG. 26 constitute a pointing system 100. In the pointing device 1 shown in FIG. 5 (Embodiment 1), the pointing target determination unit 10 includes a pointing person position information acquisition unit (first position information acquisition unit) 11, a pointing operation information acquisition unit 12, and a pointing device. It has a target candidate information acquisition unit (third position information acquisition unit) 13 and a pointing target analysis unit 14. In contrast, in the first modification shown in FIG. 26, the information providing unit 70 includes a pointing person position information acquisition unit (first position information acquisition unit) 71 corresponding to the pointing person position information acquisition unit 11, and a pointing device. A pointing operation information acquisition unit 72 corresponding to the operation information acquisition unit 12 and a pointing target candidate information acquisition unit (third position information acquisition unit) 73 corresponding to the pointing target candidate information acquisition unit 13 are provided. Information is provided to the pointing object determination unit 10a of the pointing device 1a.

  In the pointing device 1 shown in FIG. 5 (Embodiment 1), the mark display information generation unit 20 includes a screen information acquisition unit 21 and a pointing person mark display position calculation unit (pointing person special display position calculation unit). ) 22, an observer position information acquisition unit (second position information acquisition unit) 23, an observer mark display position calculation unit (observer special display position calculation unit) 24, and a mark display information output unit (special Display information output unit) 25. On the other hand, in the first modification shown in FIG. 26, the information providing unit 70 includes the screen information acquisition unit 74 corresponding to the screen information acquisition unit 21 and the observer position information corresponding to the observer position information acquisition unit 23. An acquisition unit (second position information acquisition unit) 75, and provides necessary information to the mark display information generation unit 20e of the pointing device 1e.

  FIG. 27 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the pointing device 1e. As illustrated in FIG. 27, the pointing target determination unit 10e includes first position information indicating a first position (for example, the position of the pointing person) and a pointing direction (for example, a direction pointed by the pointing person with a tool or a finger). ) And third position information indicating the position of one or more pointing target candidates from the information providing unit 70, and based on these information, the pointing target is any of the pointing target candidates. It has a pointing object analysis unit 14 that determines whether or not there is and outputs discrimination information indicating the result of the discrimination.

  The mark display information generation unit 20e includes a pointing person mark display position calculation unit (pointing person special display position calculation unit) 22 and an observer mark display position calculation unit (observer special display position calculation unit) 24. And a mark display information output unit (special display information output unit) 25. The mark display information generation unit 20e includes second position information indicating a second position (for example, the position of an observer), determination information output from the pointing target determination unit 10e, and information indicating a screen position. Based on the screen information, a second position special display (for example, a straight line L2 in FIG. 4) from the second position toward the pointing target intersects the screen. For example, the display position of M2) in FIG. 4 is calculated, and the display information of the special display for the second position is output.

  According to the modified example 1, as in the case of the first embodiment, it is possible to cause the observers U2 and U3 to accurately recognize the pointing object Q1.

  Further, the information providing unit 70 according to the first modification can be applied to the second to fifth embodiments.

<< 7 >> Modification 2
FIG. 28 is a hardware configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of Modification 2 of the pointing device 1 according to the first embodiment. A modification 2 of the pointing device 1 shown in FIG. 28 includes a memory 91 as a storage device that stores a program as software, and a processor 92 as an information processing unit that executes the program stored in the memory 91. ing. The operation of the modification of the pointing device 1 shown in FIG. 28 is the same as the operation of the pointing device 1 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG.

  When the apparatus shown in FIG. 28 realizes the processing in the pointing device 1 shown in FIG. 5, each configuration of the pointing device 1 shown in FIG. 5 causes the processor 92 to execute a program stored in the memory 91. This is realized. In addition, in order to implement | achieve each structure of the pointing device 1, although the case where the processor 92 and the memory 91 were used was illustrated, a part of each structure of the pointing device 1 is implement | achieved by the processor 92 and the memory 91, and the remaining part May be realized by a hardware circuit.

  28 performs the respective processes in the pointing device 2 shown in FIG. 11, the pointing device 3 shown in FIG. 17, the pointing device 4 shown in FIG. 21, and the pointing device 5 shown in FIG. In the case of realizing, as in the case of the pointing device 1, each configuration of the pointing devices 2 to 5 is realized by the processor 92 executing a program stored in the memory 91. In addition, although the case where the processor 92 and the memory 91 are used in order to realize each configuration of the pointing devices 2 to 5 is illustrated, a part of each configuration of the pointing devices 2 to 5 is realized by the processor 92 and the memory 91. The remaining part may be realized by a hardware circuit.

  The pointing device to which the present invention is applied is used when, for example, the pointing person pointing to the pointing object is a tour guide such as a zoo or a museum, and the pointing object observer is a tour participant who receives the explanation of the tour guide. be able to.

  1 to 5, 1e pointing device, 10, 10a, 10e pointing target determination unit, 11 pointing person position information acquisition unit (first position information acquisition unit), 12 pointing operation information acquisition unit, 13 pointing target candidate information acquisition unit ( 3rd position information acquisition unit), 14 pointing object analysis unit, 15 pointing object tracking unit, 20, 20a, 20b, 20c, 20e mark display information generation unit (special display information generation unit), 21 screen information acquisition unit, 22 Pointer mark display position calculation unit (first special display position calculation unit), 23 observer position information acquisition unit (second position information acquisition unit), 24 observer mark display position calculation unit (special for observer) Display position calculation unit), 25 mark display information output unit (special display information output unit) 26 screen allocation determination unit, 27 mark aggregation unit (special display aggregation unit), 28 mark display switching unit (special display switching unit), 60 screens, 70 information providing unit, U1 pointing person, U2, U3 observer, S1, S2 , S3 screen, Q1 pointing object, L1 straight line connecting pointing person and pointing object (straight line for first position), L2, L3 straight line connecting observer and pointing object (straight line for second position), M1 pointing person mark display (special display for the first position), M2, M3 observer mark display (special display for the second position), M10 mark display (special display).

Claims (11)

When the pointing direction from the first position toward the pointing object is indicated at the first position, the display information of the special display on the screen is generated so that the pointing object can be recognized at the second position. A pointing device,
The pointing target based on first position information indicating the first position, pointing operation information including information indicating the pointing direction, and third position information indicating the position of one or more pointing target candidates. Is a pointing target determination unit that determines which of the pointing target candidates is output, and outputs determination information indicating a result of the determination;
Based on the second position information indicating the second position, the discrimination information, and the screen information including information indicating the position of the screen, the second position from the second position toward the pointing target. Special display information generation for calculating a display position of the special display for the second position, which is a position where the straight line intersects the screen, and outputting information indicating the display position of the special display for the second position And
A pointing device comprising:   Based on the first position information, the determination information, and the screen information, the special display information generation unit includes a first position straight line extending in the pointing direction from the first position. A first display position calculation unit that calculates a display position of the special display for the first position that is a position intersecting the screen and outputs information indicating the display position of the special display for the first position; The pointing device according to claim 1. The pointing object determination unit
A first position information acquisition unit that acquires first position information indicating the first position;
A pointing operation information acquisition unit configured to acquire pointing operation information including information indicating the pointing direction when the pointing direction is pointed at the first position;
A third position information acquisition unit that acquires third position information indicating the position of the one or more pointing target candidates;
Based on the pointing operation information, the first position information, and the third position information, an analysis is made as to which of the pointing object candidates is the pointing object, and the result of the analysis is obtained. A pointing object analysis unit that outputs the discrimination information;
The pointing device according to claim 1, further comprising: The special display information generation unit
A screen information acquisition unit for acquiring the screen information;
A second position information acquisition unit for acquiring the second position information;
A second display position calculation unit that calculates a display position of the special display for the second position based on the second position information, the determination information, and the screen information;
A special display information output unit for outputting information indicating a display position of the special display for the second position;
The pointing device according to claim 1, further comprising: A special display on a plurality of screens that enables the pointing object to be recognized at a plurality of second positions when a pointing direction from the first position toward the pointing object is indicated at the first position. The pointing device for generating display information of
The said special display information generation part has a screen allocation judgment part which judges matching with these 2nd position and these screens, The any one of Claim 1 to 4 characterized by the above-mentioned. Pointing device. 6. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the pointing target determining unit includes a pointing target tracking unit that tracks the pointing target when the pointing target moves.   The special display information generating unit includes a special display aggregating unit that collectively replaces the plurality of special display for the observer with another special display when the plurality of special display for the observer exists close to a certain distance or less. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the pointing device is provided.   The special display information generation unit includes a special display switching unit that sequentially switches a plurality of special displays for observers and limits the number of the special displays for observers displayed simultaneously. The pointing device according to any one of the above.   The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the screen is a light transmissive display device. When the pointing direction from the first position toward the pointing object is indicated at the first position, the display information of the special display on the screen is generated so that the pointing object can be recognized at the second position. A pointing method,
The pointing target based on first position information indicating the first position, pointing operation information including information indicating the pointing direction, and third position information indicating the position of one or more pointing target candidates. Is a pointing target determination step of determining which of the pointing target candidates is output, and outputting determination information indicating a result of the determination;
Based on the second position information indicating the second position, the discrimination information, and the screen information including information indicating the position of the screen, the second position from the second position toward the pointing target. Special display information generation for calculating a display position of the special display for the second position, which is a position where the straight line intersects the screen, and outputting information indicating the display position of the special display for the second position Steps,
A pointing method characterized by comprising: Display information on a special display on the screen that enables the computer to recognize the pointing object at the second position when the pointing direction from the first position toward the pointing object is indicated at the first position. As a process to generate
The pointing target based on first position information indicating the first position, pointing operation information including information indicating the pointing direction, and third position information indicating the position of one or more pointing target candidates. Pointing object determination processing for determining which of the pointing target candidates is output, and outputting determination information indicating the determination result;
Based on the second position information indicating the second position, the discrimination information, and the screen information including information indicating the position of the screen, the second position from the second position toward the pointing target. Special display information generation for calculating a display position of the special display for the second position, which is a position where the straight line intersects the screen, and outputting information indicating the display position of the special display for the second position Processing,
A program for running

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