Pointing device, method for displaying point image, and program therefor

• US 20050162384A1
• Filed: 01/26/2005
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujinon Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujinon Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Junichi
• Application Number:
  US11/042,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20050162384A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/099 Arrangement of photoelectric elements in or on the camera

Abstract

A pointing device has an image indicating device; a photographing device provided in the image indicating device; an image movement detecting device for detecting a movement of a photographed image photographed by the photographing device; a calculating device for calculating a moving direction and a moving distance of a point image corresponding to the movement of the image; and a signal generating device for generating a signal for synthesizing the point image with a displayed image, wherein the position of the displayed point image is moved in accordance with the movement of the image photographed by the photographing device.

Claims

1. A pointing device comprising:

an image indicating device for operating a point image;

a photographing device for photographing, which is provided in the image indicating device;

an image movement detecting device for detecting a movement of a photographed image photographed by the photographing device;

a calculating device for calculating a moving direction and a moving distance of the point image corresponding to the movement of the photographed image; and

a signal generating device for generating a signal for synthesizing the point image with a displayed image,

wherein the position of the displayed point image is moved in accordance with the movement of the photographed image by the photographing device.

2. The pointing device according to claim 1,

wherein the pointing device has plural monitor points which are set within the photographed image;

the image movement detecting device stores first image data at one or more monitor points at a predetermined time,

compares second image data which is obtained at the plural monitor points after the predetermined time with the stored first image data,

detects difference between the first image data and the second image data based on the result of the comparison, and

calculates the moving direction and the moving distance of the photographed image based on the difference between the first image data and the second image data.

3. The pointing device according to claim 1,

wherein the monitor point is a set of pixels divided into a matrix.

4. The pointing device according to claim 1,

the pointing device further comprising:

a moving distance adjusting device for adjusting the moving distance of the point image corresponding to the moving distance of the photographed image.

5. The pointing device according to claim 1,

the pointing device further comprising:

a control signal generating device for generating a control signal for controlling a graphical user interface operating device.

6. A method for displaying a point image comprising:

an image movement detecting step for detecting a movement of a photographed image;

a calculating step for calculating a moving direction and a moving distance of a point image corresponding to the movement of the photographed image; and

a signal generating step for generating a signal for synthesizing the point image with a displayed image based on the result of calculation in the calculating step.

7. A pointing device comprising:

an image indicating device for operating a point image;

a photographing device for photographing, which is provided in the image indicating device;

an image movement detecting device for detecting a movement of a photographed image which is photographed by the photographing device within a photographed view;

a calculating device for calculating a moving direction and a moving distance of a point image corresponding to the movement of the photographed image; and

a signal generating device for generating a signal for synthesizing the point image with a displayed image,

wherein the image movement detecting device selects one or more regions as monitor points which have a gradation difference exceeding a predetermined level among each location of the photographed image.

8. The pointing device according to claim 7,

wherein the image movement detecting device selects monitor points from an image photographed in first photographing,

obtains a monitoring pattern of the monitor points selected from the image photographed in first photographing,

searches the monitoring pattern from an image photographed in second photographing performed after a predetermined period of time passes from the first photographing,

detects the positional change of the monitoring pattern within the photographed view by comparing the coordinates of the obtained monitoring pattern and the coordinates of the searched monitoring pattern, and

calculates a moving direction and a moving distance of the photographed image within the photographed view based on the result of detection of the positional change.

9. The pointing device according to claim 7,

the pointing device further comprising:

a moving distance adjusting device for adjusting a moving distance of the point image corresponding to the moving distance of the photographed image.

10. The pointing device according to claim 7,

the pointing device further comprising:

a control signal generating device for generating a control signal for controlling a graphical user interface operating device.

11. A method for displaying a point image, comprising:

an image movement detecting step for detecting a movement of a photographed image by a photographing device provided in an image indicating device;

a calculating step for calculating a moving direction and a moving distance of a point image corresponding to the movement of the photographed image; and

a signal generating step for generating a signal for synthesizing the point image with a displayed image based on the result of calculation in the calculating step,

wherein the image movement detecting step includes a step of selecting one or more regions as monitor points which have a gradation difference exceeding a predetermined level among each location of the photographed image.

12. The method for displaying a point image according to claim 11,

wherein the image movement detecting step includes steps of:

selecting monitor points from a first photographed image photographed in first photographing;

obtaining a monitoring pattern of the monitor points selected from the first photographed image photographed in first photographing;

searching the monitoring pattern from a second photographed image photographed in second photographing performed after a predetermined period of time passes from the first photographing;

detecting the positional change of the monitoring pattern within the photographed view by comparing the coordinates of the obtained monitoring pattern and the coordinates of the searched monitoring pattern; and

calculating a moving direction and a moving distance of the photographed image within the photographed view based on the result of detection of the positional change.

13. A pointing device comprising:

a photographing device for photographing;

a point image control mode for detecting the change of the directing direction of the photographing device based on a moving distance and a moving direction of an image photographed by the photographing device within a photographed view and determining a position of a point image on a display screen in accordance with the result of the detected change;

a photographed image display mode for displaying a photographed image by the photographing device on the display screen; and

a mode selecting signal generating device for generating a signal for selecting either the point image control mode or the photographed image display mode.

14. The pointing device according to claim 13,

wherein the pointing device further comprising:

a static image signal generating device for generating a signal for executing a static image processing for making a displayed image be static in the photographed image display mode.

15. The pointing device according to claim 13,

wherein the pointing device further comprising:

a display device for displaying an image photographed by the photographing device.

16. The pointing device according to claim 13,

the pointing device further comprising:

a moving distance adjusting device for adjusting a moving distance of the point image corresponding to the moving distance of the photographed image.

17. The pointing device according to claim 13,

the pointing device further comprising:

a control signal generating device for generating a control signal for controlling a graphical user interface operating device.

18. A program for a computer which controls so as to determine a position of a point image indicating a freely selected position on a display screen, comprising the steps of:

selecting a photographed image mode or a point image control mode, the photographed image display mode for displaying an image photographed by the photographing device on the display screen, the point image control mode for detecting a change of a directing direction of a photographing device based on a moving distance and a moving direction of a photographed image by the photographing device within a photographed view and determining the position of the point image on the display screen in accordance with the result of the detected change;

transmitting image data for displaying an image photographed by the photographing device on the display screen in a case in which the photographed image display mode is selected; and

transmitting image data for controlling the position of the displayed point image in a case in which the point image control mode is selected.