WO2017163805A1

WO2017163805A1 - Image providing apparatus, image display system, image providing method, and program

Info

Publication number: WO2017163805A1
Application number: PCT/JP2017/008347
Authority: WO
Inventors: 高明小野; 貴行戸口; 志生高畑; 鈴木　貴之
Original assignee: シャープ株式会社
Priority date: 2016-03-25
Filing date: 2017-03-02
Publication date: 2017-09-28
Also published as: JP2017173763A

Abstract

The present invention improves the visibility of an object in an image provided from an image providing apparatus, when the image is displayed on a sub-screen of a display apparatus. An external device (2) is provided with: a size information acquisition unit (21) that acquires, from a television (1), size information indicating the size of a display region in which an image is displayed; and an arrangement changing unit (22) that changes the arrangement of an object included in the image to an arrangement corresponding to the size of the display region.

Description

Image providing apparatus, image display system, image providing method, and program

The present invention relates to an image providing device that provides an image to a display device such as a television receiver.

Some recent television receivers (hereinafter referred to as “TV”) have a multi-screen display function. Here, the multi-screen display function refers to a function of providing a plurality of display areas (hereinafter referred to as “child screens”) in a television screen and displaying different images on each child screen. In addition, the number of image providing devices such as STB (Set Top Box), recorders, and smartphones that provide content to a TV is increasing, and an image provided from the image providing device may be displayed on a sub screen of the TV ( For example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2). In Patent Documents 3 and 4, there are techniques for adjusting the size of an object in an image and the size of a sub-screen that displays an image so that the object in the image displayed on the sub-screen can be recognized. It is disclosed.

Japanese Patent Gazette "Patent No. 5059549 (published May 21, 2009)" Japanese Patent Publication “Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-215318 (published on November 17, 2014)” Japanese Patent Publication “JP 2013-89047 A (published May 13, 2013)” Japanese Patent Gazette “Patent No. 5526652 (published on Feb. 24, 2011)”

By the way, when an image provided from the image providing device is displayed on a sub-screen of a television, there is a problem that the visibility of an object in the image is lowered. This is because the image providing apparatus sets the number and arrangement of objects included in the image on the assumption that the image is displayed on the full screen on the television. A recording list screen in which recording titles are arranged, a menu screen in which menu items are arranged, and the like are typical examples of images in which the visibility is lowered when displayed on a sub-screen.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its object is to improve the visibility of an object in an image when an image provided from the image providing device is displayed on a sub-screen of the display device. There is to make it.

In order to solve the above-described problem, an image providing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention provides an image providing apparatus that provides an image to a display device, and the display device displays size information indicating a size of a display area for displaying the image. A size information acquisition unit acquired from the above, and an arrangement changing unit that refers to the size information and changes the arrangement of the objects included in the image to an arrangement corresponding to the size of the display area.

An image display system according to an aspect of the present invention includes a display device that displays an image, and an image providing device that provides the image to the display device, and the image providing device displays the image. A size information acquisition unit that acquires size information indicating the size of the display area from the display device and the size information are referred to, and the arrangement of the objects included in the image is changed to an arrangement according to the size of the display area. An arrangement changing unit.

An image providing method according to an aspect of the present invention provides a size information acquisition step of acquiring size information indicating a size of a display area for displaying the image from the display device in an image providing method for providing an image to a display device; A layout changing step of referring to the size information and changing the layout of the object included in the image to a layout corresponding to the size of the display area.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to improve the visibility of an object in an image when an image provided from the image providing device is displayed on a child screen of the display device.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the image display system which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the example which the television which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention displays the image transmitted from the external apparatus. It is a schematic diagram which shows the conditions for the television which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention to transmit multiscreen information to an external apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows a process when an external apparatus is connected to the television in the multi-screen display based on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows a process when the multiscreen setting of a television is changed in the state which the external apparatus is connected to the television which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the priority of arrangement | positioning of the setting item which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a screen figure which shows the example of the transmission image of an external device, and the display image in a television in case the external device which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention is STB. It is a screen figure which shows the example of the transmission image of an external apparatus, and the display image in a television in case the external apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention is a recorder. It is a screen figure which shows the example of the transmission image of an external device, and the display image in a television in case the external device which concerns on Embodiment 5 of this invention is a smart phone.

Embodiment 1
Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described in detail.

(Configuration of image display system 100)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image display system 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the image display system 100 includes a television (display device) 1 and an external device (image providing device) 2. A television 1 and an external device 2 are connected via a connection cable 3. The television 1 is a device that displays an output image from the television 1 itself and a transmission image from the external device 2.

The external device 2 is an image providing device that provides an image to the connected television 1. The external device 2 includes a size information acquisition unit 21, an arrangement change unit 22, and an image transmission unit 23. The size information acquisition unit 21 acquires multi-screen information (size information) indicating the size of the display area for displaying an image from the television 1. The multi-screen information according to the present embodiment is information indicating the size of a display area for displaying an image provided from the external device 2 to the television 1, and may be information indicating the size as an absolute value. It may be information indicating the size as a relative value, or other information that can calculate the size.

The arrangement changing unit 22 refers to the acquired multi-screen information and changes the arrangement of the menu (object) included in the image to an arrangement corresponding to the size of the display area. The menu is a setting item related to the external device 2 and includes, for example, image adjustment, image quality adjustment, brightness adjustment, and the like. The image transmission unit 23 transmits an image including the arranged menu to the television 1.

The connection cable 3 is a cable that connects the external connection terminal of the TV 1 and the external connection terminal of the external device 2, and transmits control information from both connected devices. For example, HDMI CEC (High-Definition Multimedia Interface-Consumer Electronics Control) using an HDMI (registered trademark, High-Definition Multimedia Interface) cable can be used.

(Outline of processing of TV 1 and external device 2)
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example in which the television 1 according to the present embodiment displays an image transmitted from the external device 2. As shown in FIG. 2, first, the television 1 notifies the external device 2 of multi-screen information. The external device 2 transmits an image having an arrangement according to the multi-screen information acquired from the television 1 to the television 1.

The television 1 has a main screen 11 and a sub screen 12. The main screen 11 is the entire television screen and is the largest display area. The sub-screen 12 is a display area provided in the television screen, and can be set to a predetermined size and a predetermined position. When the multi-screen information indicates the size of the main screen 11 that is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, the external device 2 transmits an image based on a normal menu arrangement to the television 1. When the multi-screen information indicates the size of the child screen 12 that is smaller than the predetermined value, the external device 2 transmits an image based on the menu arrangement obtained by changing the normal menu arrangement to the television 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing conditions for the television 1 according to the present embodiment to transmit multi-screen information to the external device 2. As shown in FIG. 3, first, the television 1 is displaying the content image transmitted from the external device 2 on the full screen (parent screen 11) (S1). When the size of the display area of the external device 2 changes in the television 1 (S2), the television 1 notifies the external device 2 of the multi-screen information (S3).

When the size of the display area of the external device 2 in the television 1 changes (S2), there are three ways. First, the television 1 displays the content image of the external device 2 and the recording list and menu screen of the external device 2 (S2-1). Second, the television 1 displays the content image of the external device 2 and other content images (S2-2). Third, the display of the recording list and menu screen of the external device 2 in (S2-1) and the display of other content images in (S2-2) are switched, or the screen of the external device 2 is set to a different size. This is the case of switching.

(Processing details of TV 1 and external device 2)
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing when the external device 2 is connected to the television 1 that is displaying a multi-screen according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, when the external device 2 is connected to the television 1, in the external device 2, the size information acquisition unit 21 displays the vertical size of the TV screen and the vertical size of the external image display area. The television 1 is inquired about (the absolute size of the display area) (S401). The television 1 receives the inquiry from the external device 2, and notifies the external device 2 of the vertical size (unit is pixel) of the television screen and the display vertical size (unit is pixel) of the external image as multi-screen information (S402). ). The unit of size including the vertical size of the TV screen and the display vertical size of the external image is not limited to pixels, but other units (for example, actual size displayed, number of inches, etc.) Also good. The actual size of the child screen may be indicated by data of a combination of the actual size of the television screen, the number of pixels of the television screen, and the number of pixels of the child screen.

In the external device 2, the size information acquisition unit 21 receives the vertical size of the TV screen and the display vertical size of the external image from the TV 1, and acquires the display vertical size (S403). Then, the arrangement changing unit 22 determines whether or not the display vertical size is smaller than a predetermined value (S404). When the display vertical size is smaller than the predetermined value (YES in S404), the layout changing unit 22 changes the menu layout (S405).

Specifically, the arrangement changing unit 22 refers to the display vertical size, and changes the number N of menus (objects) arranged vertically in the image according to the display vertical size (vertical size of the display area). The number N is calculated by Equation 1.

N = screen display size (vertical) ÷ (setting item height + vertical margin) Equation 1
(N is rounded down after the decimal point. The unit of each parameter on the right side is pixel.)
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the priority order of the menu arrangement according to the present embodiment. The arrangement changing unit 22 arranges the menu items with priority from the menu items that are selected more frequently. As shown in FIG. 6A, when the number N arranged vertically is 1 (that is, arranged in one row), the arrangement changing unit 22 arranges from the left to the right from the highest priority. As shown in FIG. 6B, when the number N arranged vertically is 2 or more (that is, arranged in two or more rows), the arrangement changing unit 22 arranges the ones with higher priority in the left column first. To do.

6A, when the user places the cursor on a menu M3 that is partially displayed on the screen, the image is scrolled to the left so that the entire menu M3 is displayed. As processing in this case, an image scrolled to the left is created so that the entire menu M3 is displayed, and transmitted to the television 1. The television 1 receives images from the external device 2 and displays them.

In FIG. 6B, when the user places the cursor on the menu M5 or the menu M6 partially displayed on the screen, the entire menu M5, 6 is displayed by the same processing as described above. The image is scrolled to the left.

Although FIG. 6 shows a horizontally long screen, a vertically long screen may be used. In that case, the arrangement changing unit 22 refers to the display horizontal size, which is the horizontal size of the display area, and changes the number N of menus included in the image horizontally according to the display horizontal size.

In S404 of FIG. 4, when the display vertical size is not smaller than the predetermined value, that is, when the display vertical size is equal to or larger than the predetermined value (NO in S404), the arrangement changing unit 22 maintains the normal menu arrangement (S406). ).

Further, the image transmission unit 23 transmits an image including the arranged menu to the television 1 (S407). The television 1 receives the image from the external device 2 and displays the image in the display area of the external device 2 (S408).

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing processing when the multi-screen setting of the television 1 is changed in a state where the external device 2 is connected to the television 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, when the multi-screen setting of the television 1 is changed, the television 1 notifies the external device 2 of the setting change of the multi-screen (S501). When the external device 2 receives a notification of setting change of the multi-screen from the television 1, the size information acquisition unit 21 in the external device 2 inquires the television 1 about the vertical size of the TV screen and the display vertical size of the external image (S502). ). The TV 1 receives the inquiry from the external device 2 and notifies the external device 2 of the vertical size of the TV screen and the display vertical size of the external image as multi-screen information (S503).

In the external device 2, the size information acquisition unit 21 receives the vertical size of the TV screen and the display vertical size of the external image from the TV 1, and acquires the display vertical size (S504). Then, the arrangement changing unit 22 determines whether or not the display vertical size is smaller than a predetermined value (S505). When the display vertical size is smaller than the predetermined value (YES in S505), the arrangement changing unit 22 changes the arrangement of the menu (S506). Specifically, the same processing as that described using Expression 1 is performed in S405 of FIG.

In S505 of FIG. 5, when the display vertical size is not smaller than the predetermined value, that is, when the display vertical size is equal to or larger than the predetermined value (NO in S505), the arrangement changing unit 22 maintains the normal menu arrangement (S507). ).

Further, the image transmission unit 23 transmits an image including the arranged menu to the television 1 (S508). The television 1 receives an image from the external device 2 and displays the image in the display area of the external device 2 (S509).

In the above description, the configuration in which the size information acquisition unit 21 receives the vertical size of the TV screen and the display vertical size of the external image from the TV 1 as the multi-screen information (size information) is taken as an example. Does not limit the present embodiment. The size information acquisition unit 21 may be configured to receive any of the following information (A) to (C) as multi-screen information (size information).
(A) Horizontal size of TV screen and horizontal size of external image display area (B) Horizontal size of TV screen and x coordinate of left and right sides of external image display area (C) Vertical size of TV screen Also, the y-coordinates of the upper and lower sides of the display area of the external image Information that can be used to calculate the image size by combining them can be used as size information, as in (B) and (C) above. .

[Embodiment 2]
In the second embodiment of the present invention, the arrangement changing unit 22 of the external device 2 determines whether to change the menu arrangement using conditions different from those in the first embodiment. The multi-screen information according to the present embodiment is a reduction ratio (relative size) of a display area for displaying an image provided from the external device 2 to the television 1 with respect to the overall screen size of the television 1.

Specifically, in the external device 2, the size information acquisition unit 21 acquires, from the TV 1, as a multi-screen information, a reduction ratio of the display vertical size of the external image with respect to the vertical size of the TV screen. And the arrangement | positioning change part 22 changes the arrangement | positioning of a menu, when the acquired reduction rate is smaller than predetermined value. Note that the reduction ratio can be calculated by Equation 2.

Reduction ratio [%] = (Display size of external image / Vertical size of TV screen) × 100 Expression 2
Note that the external device 2 may acquire from the TV 1 the reduction rate of the display horizontal size of the external image with respect to the horizontal size of the TV screen. The reduction ratio may be indicated by data of a combination of the number of pixels on the television screen and the number of pixels on the child screen.

[Embodiment 3]
The third embodiment of the present invention relates to display of a menu screen including a plurality of icons (objects) each corresponding to a menu item when the external device 2 is an STB. FIG. 7 is a screen diagram illustrating an example of a transmission image of the external device 2 and a display image on the television 1 when the external device 2 according to the present embodiment is an STB.

7A, when the STB menu screen is displayed on the main screen 11 of the television 1, the menu screen transmitted from the STB to the television 1 is a standard menu screen. As shown in FIG. 7B, when the STB menu screen is displayed on the child screen 12 of the television 1, the menu screen transmitted from the STB to the television 1 has a different icon arrangement from the standard menu screen. The menu screen is displayed.

As a process corresponding to the above, the STB size information acquisition unit 21 acquires multi-screen information indicating the size of the display area for displaying the menu screen from the television 1. Then, the STB arrangement changing unit 22 refers to the multi-screen information and changes the arrangement of the icons included in the menu screen to an arrangement corresponding to the size of the display area.

[Embodiment 4]
The fourth embodiment of the present invention relates to display of a recording list screen including a plurality of thumbnail images (objects) each corresponding to a recording title when the external device 2 is a recorder. FIG. 8 is a screen diagram illustrating an example of a transmission image of the external device 2 and a display image on the television 1 when the external device 2 according to the present embodiment is a recorder.

As shown in FIG. 8A, when the recording list screen of the recorder is displayed on the main screen 11 of the television 1, the recording list screen that the recorder transmits to the television 1 is a standard menu screen. As shown in FIG. 7B, when the recording list screen of the recorder is displayed on the sub-screen 12 of the television 1, the recording list screen transmitted from the recorder to the television 1 has a standard menu screen in which thumbnail images are arranged. Different menu screen.

As processing corresponding to the above, the size information acquisition unit 21 of the recorder acquires multi-screen information indicating the size of the display area for displaying the recording list screen from the television 1. Then, the recorder arrangement changing unit 22 refers to the multi-screen information and changes the arrangement of the thumbnail images included in the recording list screen to an arrangement corresponding to the size of the display area.

[Embodiment 5]
The fifth embodiment of the present invention relates to display of a home screen including a plurality of icons (objects) each corresponding to an application when the external device 2 is a smartphone. FIG. 9 is a screen diagram illustrating an example of a transmission image of the external device 2 and a display image on the television 1 when the external device 2 according to the present embodiment is a smartphone.

As shown in FIG. 9A, when the home screen of the smartphone is displayed on the main screen 11 of the television 1, the home screen that the smartphone transmits to the television 1 has a portrait mode layout. As shown in FIG. 9B, when the home screen of the smartphone is displayed on the child screen 12 of the television 1, the home screen transmitted from the smartphone to the television 1 has a landscape mode layout.

As a process corresponding to the above, the size information acquisition unit 21 of the smartphone acquires multi-screen information indicating the size of the display area for displaying the home screen from the television 1. And the arrangement | positioning change part 22 of a smart phone refers to multiscreen information, and changes the arrangement | positioning of the icon contained in a home screen to the arrangement | positioning according to the size of a display area. In changing the menu layout, the menu layout may be set using automatic layout software that performs variable grid layout. For example, the “layout manager” of the widget toolkit is used as the automatic arrangement software.

[Example of software implementation]
The control block (placement changing unit 22) of the external device 2 may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like, or by software using a CPU (Central Processing Unit). It may be realized.

In the latter case, the external device 2 includes a CPU that executes instructions of a program that is software that implements each function, a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which the program and various data are recorded so as to be readable by a computer (or CPU), or A storage device (these are referred to as “recording media”), a RAM (Random Access Memory) for expanding the program, and the like are provided. And the objective of this invention is achieved when a computer (or CPU) reads the said program from the said recording medium and runs it. As the recording medium, a “non-temporary tangible medium” such as a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, a programmable logic circuit, or the like can be used. The program may be supplied to the computer via an arbitrary transmission medium (such as a communication network or a broadcast wave) that can transmit the program. The present invention can also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission.

[Summary]
An image providing apparatus (external device 2) according to aspect 1 of the present invention is an image providing apparatus that provides an image to a display device (television 1). In the image providing apparatus, size information indicating a size of a display area for displaying the image is displayed on the display device. A size information acquisition unit (21) acquired from the above, and a layout change unit (22) that refers to the size information and changes the layout of the objects included in the image to a layout corresponding to the size of the display area. I have.

According to the above configuration, when an image provided from the image providing device is displayed on the sub-screen of the display device, the visibility of the object in the image can be improved.

In the image providing apparatus according to aspect 2 of the present invention, in the aspect 1, when the image providing apparatus is connected to a display device, or when the size of the display area is changed, the arrangement changing unit is The arrangement of objects included in the image may be changed.

According to the above configuration, the arrangement of the objects included in the image can be changed at an appropriate timing.

In the image providing apparatus according to aspect 3 of the present invention, in the

aspect

1 or 2, the arrangement changing unit refers to the size information, and sets the number of objects arranged vertically in the image to the vertical size of the display area. It may be changed accordingly.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to avoid a decrease in visibility when objects are arranged vertically.

In the image providing device according to aspect 4 of the present invention, in the above aspects 1 to 3, the size information may be a relative size of the display area with respect to the size of the entire screen of the display device.

According to the above configuration, the determination process itself is simplified because it does not depend on the size of the entire screen of the display device.

In the image providing apparatus according to aspect 5 of the present invention, in the above aspects 1 to 3, the size information may be an absolute size of the display area.

According to the above configuration, processing can be performed so that an object in the image is not deformed and cannot be determined according to the size of the entire screen of the display device.

An image display system (100) according to aspect 6 of the present invention includes a display device (television 1) that displays an image, and an image providing device (external device 2) that provides the image to the display device. The image providing device refers to the size information acquisition unit (21) that acquires the size information indicating the size of the display area for displaying the image from the display device, and the size information, and the object included in the image An arrangement changing unit (22) for changing the arrangement to an arrangement corresponding to the size of the display area.

The image providing method according to aspect 7 of the present invention is the image providing method for providing an image to a display device (television 1), wherein the size information indicating the size of the display area for displaying the image is acquired from the display device. An acquisition step; and an arrangement changing step of changing the arrangement of the objects included in the image to an arrangement corresponding to the size of the display area with reference to the size information.

The image providing apparatus according to each aspect of the present invention may be realized by a computer. In this case, the image providing apparatus is operated on each computer by causing the computer to operate as each unit (software element) included in the image providing apparatus. The control program for the image providing apparatus realized in this manner also falls within the scope of the present invention.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, a new technical feature can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

1 TV (display device)
11 Parent screen 12 Child screen 2 External device (image providing device)
21 Size information acquisition unit 22 Arrangement change unit 23 Image transmission unit 100 Image display system

Claims

In an image providing device for providing an image to a display device,
A size information acquisition unit that acquires size information indicating a size of a display area for displaying the image from the display device;
An arrangement change unit that refers to the size information and changes the arrangement of the objects included in the image to an arrangement according to the size of the display area.
An image providing apparatus.
When the image providing device is connected to the display device, or when the size of the display area is changed,
The arrangement changing unit changes an arrangement of objects included in the image;
The image providing apparatus according to claim 1.
The arrangement changing unit refers to the size information, and changes the number of objects arranged vertically in the image according to the vertical size of the display area.
The image providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is an image providing apparatus.
The size information is a relative size of the display area with respect to the size of the entire screen of the display device.
The image providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image providing apparatus is an image providing apparatus.
The size information is an absolute size of the display area.
The image providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image providing apparatus is an image providing apparatus.
A display device for displaying an image;
An image providing device for providing the image to the display device,
The image providing apparatus is
A size information acquisition unit that acquires size information indicating a size of a display area for displaying the image from the display device;
An arrangement change unit that refers to the size information and changes the arrangement of the objects included in the image to an arrangement according to the size of the display area.
An image display system characterized by that.
In an image providing method for providing an image to a display device,
A size information acquisition step of acquiring size information indicating a size of a display area for displaying the image from the display device;
A layout change step of referring to the size information and changing the layout of the object included in the image to a layout corresponding to the size of the display area.
An image providing method characterized by the above.
A program for causing a computer to function as the image providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the program causes the computer to function as the size information acquiring unit and the arrangement changing unit.