JPH06174450A - Movement space measuring device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a movement space measuring device capable of continuously measuring the movement space of a user such as a toilet stool or a bath tub and capable of automatically measuring the position size of the movement space. CONSTITUTION:The image signal photographed by a video camera 2 and including a user 8 is fed to an image processor 3, and the contour line of the user 8 is extracted at the preset time interval. The outside portion of multiple contour lines is extracted, and the size of the movement space partitioned by the outside contour line is calculated based on the scale data inputted in advance. The calculated size data are outputted from image output devices 4, 5 together with multiple contour lines.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a motion space measuring device suitable for measuring the motion space of a person who uses equipment such as a toilet bowl or a bathtub.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Grasping the spatial relationship between human motion and the equipment used is essential for equipment development. The space required for the user to operate using the device is the operating space,
A device for measuring it is a motion space measuring device.

As a motion space measuring device, a device using a strobe camera and a device using a video camera are conventionally known. A conventional motion space measuring apparatus using a strobe camera attaches a marker to a feature point near a human joint, photographs this with a strobe camera, and later obtains the locus of the point.

[0004]

However, the conventional motion space measuring device using a stroboscopic camera is not practical because it takes a lot of time to read the coordinates of the marker points obtained by stroboscopic photography.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object thereof is to continuously measure the operation space from the start to the end of the operation of interest and to automatically determine the position dimension of the operation space. An object is to provide a motion space measuring device capable of measuring.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a motion space measuring apparatus according to the present invention uses a video camera to capture a motion monitor signal obtained by capturing a motion of a person who is using a device or the like. A background image including the equipment that uses the signal related to the extracted contour line by extracting the contour line of at least a person who is using the equipment in this image processing apparatus. In the measuring device configured to perform measurement related to the motion space by outputting the signal together with the signal to the image output device, the image processing device extracts the contour line at a predetermined time interval, and the outer contour line of the plurality of contour lines is extracted. Is extracted and the dimension of the operation space partitioned by the outer contour line is calculated based on the scale data input in advance, and the calculated dimension data is combined with the plurality of contour lines or their outer contour lines. Characterized by being configured to output to the image output apparatus.

[0007]

The image processing apparatus extracts the contour lines of the user at predetermined time intervals and extracts the outer contour lines of the plurality of contour lines. Then, the dimension of the operation space partitioned by the outer contour line is calculated based on the scale data input in advance, and the calculated dimension data is output to the image output device together with the plurality of contour lines or their outer contour lines. Therefore, the size of the operation space can be automatically measured. Also,
By designating a specific position of the device being used as a reference position for dimension measurement, the operating space dimension from the reference position can be obtained.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a motion space measuring apparatus according to the present invention. The motion space measuring device 1 includes an image processing device 3 that performs image signal processing on a video signal 2a obtained by imaging with a video camera 2, a display device 4 or a printer device 5 as an image output device, or both of them. , 5 and.

The image processing apparatus 3 is composed of a personal computer having a personal computer (personal computer) body 3a and a keyboard 3b. Image processing hardware and image processing programs are incorporated in the personal computer main body 3a.

Then, the image processing apparatus 3 extracts a contour line of the user at predetermined time intervals based on an image pickup signal of a user of a device such as a toilet bowl, and temporarily stores each extracted contour line. , The outer contour lines of the plurality of contour lines are extracted, and the dimensions of the operation space partitioned by the outer contour lines are calculated based on the scale data input in advance,
The calculated dimension data is output to the image output devices 4 and 5 together with the plurality of contour lines or their outer contour lines.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a specific example of the image processing apparatus. The image processing device 3 includes a background image storage unit 31, a scale image / data storage unit 32, a contour line extraction unit 33, a contour line data storage unit 34, an outer contour line extraction unit 35, and a motion space dimension calculation unit. 36,
The output image synthesizing means 37.

The background image storage means 31 stores a background image in which the user is not shown, and the background image storage means 31 is composed of, for example, a video RAM. It should be noted that when capturing a background image in which the user is not captured, it is preferable that nothing is captured in the background. When taking a background image including the toilet bowl 6 and the like shown in FIG. 1, it is desirable that there be no difference in color and brightness between the background and the toilet bowl 6 and the like.

The scale image / data storage means 32 stores the images of the scales 7a and 7b shown in FIG. 1 (a) as scaling images, or the unit scale data of the scales 7a and 7b fetched as scaling images, and the dimensions. The measurement reference position designation data and the like are stored. The unit scale data, the reference position designation data, and the like are configured so that they can be input with a mouse, a keyboard, or the like.

It should be noted that a cursor (not shown) displayed on the display device 4 is provided in a space for picking up images of the scales 7a, 7b, etc. without actually taking an image with the video camera 2, and a cursor key such as a keyboard or a pointing device such as a mouse. It is also possible to specify a unit section by moving it using a device and input dimension data of the unit section from the keyboard 3b. In addition, the cursor may be moved in a similar manner to specify the reference point for dimension measurement, for example, at the center position of the toilet seat of the toilet bowl 6.

The contour line extracting means 33 determines a predetermined operation monitor signal obtained by picking up the image of the toilet bowl 6 and its user 8 shown in FIG. 1 by the video camera 2 and the background image signal stored in the background image storing means 31. The contour line of the user 8 is extracted by making a comparison for each time interval.

When the contour line extracting means 33 is configured to compare the background image with the monitor image showing the user and binarize and extract a portion having a certain difference in brightness, the user Should have a brightness that is as different as possible from the background (for example, wear dark clothing). 2
The contour line may be extracted using a method other than the binarization.

The contour line data storage means 34 is configured to store the contour line data output from the contour line extraction means 33 every predetermined time in association with the time series.

The outer contour line extraction means 35 extracts those outer contour line data based on the plurality of contour line data 34a stored in the contour line data storage means 34.

The operation space dimension calculating means 36 calculates the dimension of the operation space partitioned by the outer contour line based on the reference points and the scale data stored in the scale image / data storing means 32.

The output image synthesizing means 37 includes an image based on the background image signal 31a stored in the background image storage means 31 and a contour line based on a plurality of contour line data 34a stored in the contour line data storage means 34. The image and the outer contour line data 35 stored in the outer contour line extraction means 35.
Outer contour image based on a and motion space dimension calculation means 3
Data output from 6 and data related to dimension display 3
The size display image based on 6a is generated, and a video signal obtained by combining these images is output.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an output example of the image processing result of the image processing apparatus. In this figure, the horizontal movement range of the movement of the head of the user 8 with the central position of the toilet seat of the toilet 6 as a reference point is output together with the measured dimensions thereof.

As described above, the motion space measuring apparatus 1 according to the present invention captures the background image and then the scaling image, or inputs the scale data and then captures the motion of the user. A measurement of the user's operating space is made.

Although FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which one video camera 2 picks up images in one direction, the movement of the user can be 3
It is necessary to take images from three directions in order to understand the dimensions. Also, by recording the user's operation on a video tape recorder and supplying the image signal reproduced at a reduced reproduction speed to the image processing device 3, a general-purpose personal computer or the like whose processing speed is not so high is used. Even the image processing device 3 that has been used can measure the operation space.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a life monitor device using the motion space measuring device according to the present invention. The life monitor device 51 realizes safety monitoring of patients, elderly people, and physically handicapped persons such as hospitals and public facilities. The space such as the bathroom 52 and the toilet 53, which cannot be monitored by normal video shooting, is a human contour line. It is designed to monitor only by extracting.

The video outputs of the video cameras 54, 55 for monitoring the bathroom 52, the toilet 53, etc. are input to the respective operating space measuring devices 56, 57. A monitor image when there is no human is registered in advance in each of the motion space measuring devices 56 and 57, and the contour line of the human is extracted based on the difference between the registered image and the current monitor image and is extracted. The registered image signals 56a and 57a including the contour line are supplied to the monitoring center 58.

Data indicating the human motion range in a normal use state is registered in advance in each motion space measuring device 56, 57. Then, if a contour line or an envelope or a contour surface of a plurality of contour lines appears in a place that should not normally appear, such as the floor, and if it does not move for a relatively long time, it can be determined that the patient has fallen to the floor, Abnormal signal 5
6b and 57b are issued to the monitoring center 58.

The monitoring center 58 includes a plurality of monitor televisions 5.
9 and an alarm device 60 for issuing an alarm based on the abnormal signals 56b and 57b.

With the above-mentioned structure, the life monitor device 51 monitors the usage state of the user such as the bathroom 52 and the toilet 53 while observing the privacy of the human being, and the user's operating space is different from usual. In that case, it can be automatically detected and promptly issued.

This operation space measuring device is a so-called water application system, for example, a washbasin height, a sitting toilet height, a urinal height, a shower height, a storage kitchen counter height according to the body size. It can be applied to the automatic setting system of, the system to instruct a proper approach to the Japanese-style toilet, the system for proper hot water filling depending on the bathing posture, the system for monitoring swimming action in the pool, and the system for instructing appropriate action. it can. Furthermore, it is also possible to analyze the daily motions and tasks of humans other than around water, analyze postures and collect data, and analyze the movements of complicated objects such as human silhouettes.

[0030]

As described above, the motion space measuring apparatus according to the present invention extracts the contour lines of the user of the equipment or the like at predetermined time intervals and extracts the outer contour lines of the plurality of contour lines. Then, the dimension of the operation space partitioned by the outer contour line is calculated based on the scale data input in advance, and the calculated dimension data is output to the image output device together with the plurality of contour lines or their outer contour lines. Therefore, the size of the operation space can be automatically measured.
Further, by designating a specific position of the device being used as a reference position for dimension measurement, it is possible to obtain the operating space dimension from the reference position.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a motion space measuring apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram showing a specific example of an image processing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an output example of an image processing result of the image processing apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a block configuration diagram of a living activity monitoring device using the motion space measuring device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Motion space measuring device 2 Video camera 3 Image processing device 4 Output device (display device) 5 Output device (printer device) 6 Toilet bowl which is the target device 7 Scale for inputting the size of the motion space 8 User 31 Background Image storage means 32 Scale image / data storage means 33 Contour line extraction means 34 Contour line data storage means 35 Outer contour line extraction means 36 Motion space dimension calculation means 37 Output image composition means

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An operation monitor signal obtained by picking up an operation of a person using a device with a video camera is supplied to an image processing apparatus configured by using a computer, and the image processing apparatus uses at least the apparatus. It is possible to measure the motion space by extracting the contour line of the person who is using the etc. and outputting the signal related to the extracted contour line to the image output device together with the background image signal including the device using the extracted contour line. In the motion space measuring device, the image processing device extracts the contour lines at predetermined time intervals, extracts outer contour lines of a plurality of contour lines, and divides the motion space into the outer contour lines. Is calculated based on pre-input scale data, and the calculated dimension data is output to the image output device together with the plurality of contour lines or their outer contour lines. Operating space measuring device for the butterflies.