Information processing method and information processing apparatus

• US 20060071945A1
• Filed: 09/26/2005
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Anabuki, Mahoro
• Granted Patent: US 7,760,242 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/633
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 involving reference images or patches

Abstract

An information processing method includes steps of: acquiring arrangement information indicating the position or the position and orientation of an index arranged in a physical space; capturing an image in the physical space; detecting the index from the captured image; and calculating the position and/or orientation of a viewpoint of the captured image based on the arrangement information and the detected index.

Claims

1. An information processing method comprising steps of:

acquiring arrangement information indicating a position or the position and orientation of an index arranged in a physical space;

capturing an image in the physical space;

detecting the index from the image; and

calculating the position and/or orientation of a viewpoint of the image based on the arrangement information and the index.

2. The information processing method according to claim 1,

wherein the arrangement information is information indicating the position or the position and orientation in a world coordinate system, and

wherein calculating the position and/or orientation of the viewpoint of the captured image is performed in the world coordinate system.

3. The information processing method according to claim 1,

wherein the arrangement information is acquired from an image captured by a capture unit whose position and orientation in the world coordinate system are known.

4. The information processing method according to claim 1,

wherein the arrangement information is acquired based on an output from an index arrangement measuring unit that measures the position or the position and orientation of the index.

5. The information processing method according to claim 1,

wherein the position or the position and orientation of the index in the physical space is variable.

6. A program executing the information processing method according to claim 1.

7. A storage medium storing the program according to claim 6.

8. An information processing method comprising steps of:

projecting an index on a physical space;

acquiring arrangement information indicating a position or the position and orientation of the index;

capturing an image in the physical space;

detecting the index from the image; and

calculating the position and/or orientation of a viewpoint of the image based on the arrangement information and the index.

9. The information processing method according to claim 8, further comprising changing a projection condition of the index.

10. A program executing the information processing method according to claim 8.

11. A storage medium storing the program according to claim 10.

12. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a first shooting unit configured to shoot a physical space;

an index detecting unit configured to detect an index in an image in the physical space shot by the first shooting unit;

an index-arrangement-information detecting unit configured to detect arrangement information indicating a position or the position and orientation of the index in the physical space;

an index-arrangement calculating unit configured to calculate the position or the position and orientation of the index in the physical space based on the arrangement information; and

a viewpoint position-orientation calculating unit configured to calculate the position and/or orientation in the physical space of a viewpoint of the first shooting unit from a detection result by the index detecting unit and a calculation result by the index-arrangement calculating unit.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the index-arrangement-information detecting unit includes a second shooting unit, and

wherein the index detecting unit is configured to detect the arrangement information of the index from an image captured by the second shooting unit.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the second shooting unit includes a plurality of image capturing units.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the second shooting unit is fixed in the physical space.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the index-arrangement-information detecting unit includes an index-arrangement measuring unit configured to measure the position or the position and orientation of the index.

17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the index is a real object whose position or position and orientation in the physical space is variable.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the index is capable of autonomous movement in the physical space.

19. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a shooting unit configured to shoot a physical space;

an index detecting unit configured to detect an index in an image in the physical space shot by the shooting unit;

an index-image generating unit configured to hold arrangement information indicating a position or the position and orientation of the index in the physical space and to generate an image of the index;

an index projecting unit configured to project the image of the index at the position or the position and orientation indicated by the arrangement information; and

a viewpoint position-orientation calculating unit configured to calculate the position and/or orientation in the physical space of a viewpoint of the shooting unit from a detection result by the index detecting unit and the arrangement information held by the index-image generating unit.

20. The information processing apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising an index-arrangement-information input unit configured to change the arrangement information indicating the position or the position and orientation of the index in the physical space, held by the index-image generating unit, based on an external input.

21. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a shooting unit configured to shoot a physical space;

an index detecting unit configured to detect an index in an image in the physical space shot by the shooting unit;

an index-image generating unit configured to hold arrangement information indicating a position or the position and orientation of the index in the physical space and to generate an image of the index;

an index display unit configured to display the image of the index at the position or the position and orientation indicated by the arrangement information; and

a viewpoint position-orientation calculating unit configured to calculate the position and/or orientation in the physical space of a viewpoint of the shooting unit from a detection result by the index detecting unit and the arrangement information held by the index-image generating unit.

22. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a shooting unit configured to shoot a physical space;

an index detecting unit configured to detect an index in an image in the physical space shot by the shooting unit;

an index-image generating unit configured to hold arrangement information indicating a position or the position and orientation of the index in the physical space and to generate an image of the index;

an index projecting unit configured to project the image of the index at the position or the position and orientation indicated by the arrangement information;

an index display unit configured to display the image of the index at the position or the position and orientation indicated by the arrangement information; and

a viewpoint position-orientation calculating unit configured to calculate the position and/or orientation in the physical space of a viewpoint of the shooting unit from a detection result by the index detecting unit and the arrangement information held by the index-image generating unit.