Image management apparatus and system, and method for controlling display of captured image

• US 10,147,160 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2016
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Mitsui, Satoshi, Nagafuchi, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US15/270,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20170091899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/153 using elastic snapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00381 Input by recognition or interpretation of visible user gestures manual input means, e.g. digitisers, writing tablets H04N1/00392; gesture input to computers G06F3/017; recognition algorithms G06V40/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00496 Constructional details of the interface or console not otherwise provided for, e.g. rotating or tilting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3245 of image modifying data, e.g. handwritten addenda, highlights or augmented reality information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay

Abstract

An image management apparatus controls a display of a captured image, the apparatus being connected to a communication terminal through a network. The apparatus includes a receiver and circuitry. The receiver receives, from the communication terminal, an instruction for displaying a drawn image drawn by a user on a captured image while the captured image is being displayed to the user, the captured image being a full spherical panoramic image. The circuitry generates an attachment image containing the drawn image, and attaches the attachment image containing the drawn image to the captured image, the attachment image containing the drawn image being a planar image.

Claims

1. An image management apparatus for controlling a display of a captured image, the apparatus connected to a communication terminal through a network, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver to receive, from the communication terminal, an instruction for displaying a drawn image drawn by a user on a captured image while the captured image is being displayed to the user, the captured image being a full spherical panoramic image; and

circuitry to

generate an attachment image containing the drawn image, and

attach the attachment image containing the drawn image to the captured image, the attachment image containing the drawn image being a planar image,

wherein the circuitry is configured to attach the attachment image to the captured image along a normal of a straight line passing through a center of the drawn image and a reference position, the reference position representing a point of view from which a predetermined area of the captured image is within a field of view.

2. The image management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the circuitry is further configured to apply processing to the attachment image to make a portion in the attachment image other than the drawn image transparent.

3. The image management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the straight line intersects with a boundary of the captured image at a first intersection point and a second intersection point, the first intersection point being farther from the reference position than the second intersection point, and

the circuitry is further configured to set the normal of the straight line at a position that is obtained by moving the first intersection point to an inner side of the captured image by a predetermined distance along the straight line.

4. An image communication system, comprising:

the image management apparatus of claim 1; and

a communication terminal that displays, on a display, the captured image attached with the attachment image.

5. An image management system for controlling a display of a captured image, comprising one or more processors configured to:

receive, from a communication terminal, an instruction for displaying a drawn image drawn by a user on a captured image while the captured image is being displayed to the user, the captured image being a full spherical panoramic image;

wherein

generate an attachment image containing the drawn image; and

attach the attachment image containing the drawing image to the captured image, the attachment image having the drawn image being a planar image wherein

the one or more processors are configured to attach the attachment image to the captured image along a normal of a straight line passing through a center of the drawn image and a reference position, the reference position representing a point of view from which a predetermined area of the captured image is within a field of view.

6. A method for controlling a display of a captured image, comprising:

receiving, from a communication terminal, an instruction for displaying a drawn image drawn by a user on a captured image while the captured image is being displayed to the user, the captured image being a full spherical panoramic image;

generating an attachment image containing the drawn image; and

attaching the attachment image containing the drawn image to the captured image, the attachment image containing the drawn image being a planar image, wherein

the attaching step includes attaching the attachment image to the captured image along a normal of a straight line passing through a center of the drawn image and a reference position, the reference position representing a point of view from which a predetermined area of the captured image is within a field of view.