INFORMATION DISPLAY SYSTEM, INFORMATION DISPLAY APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROVISION APPARATUS AND NON-TRANSITORY STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20120140040A1
• Filed: 12/07/2011
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: SAKURAI, Keiichi, Nakajima, Mitsuyasu, Yamaya, Takashi, Yoshihama, Yuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,058,686 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

The utility of a service using AR is improved. The information display apparatus which applies an information display according to augmented reality (AR) acquires a reference image for matching with a subject in a captured image and scale information which shows a scale of the subject in the reference image from an information provision apparatus. Then, an inputter-outputter of the information display apparatus displays the captured image as well as a distribution of the reference images by a scale of the subject. On this distribution display, a guide display according to the scale of the subject in the captured image is performed. This guide display moves on the distribution display corresponding to a change of an angle of view. Accordingly, it is easily set the angle of view by which the matching using the acquired reference image can be performed appropriately, and the convenience improves.

Claims

1. An information display system for displaying information comprising:

an information display apparatus which includes an imaging unit; and

an information provision apparatus;

wherein the information display apparatus comprises;

a key information acquiring unit which acquires key information corresponding to a subject in a captured image captured by the imaging unit; and

a key information transmitting unit which transmits the key information to the information provision apparatus,

wherein the information provision apparatus comprises;

a reference image storage unit which stores (i) reference images including reference subjects and (ii) scale information of the reference subjects and superimposing information corresponding to the reference images, respectively; and

an information providing unit which selects at least one of the reference images based on the key information, and which provides to the information display apparatus (i) the at least one selected reference image and (ii) the scale information and the superimposing information corresponding to the at least one selected reference image;

wherein the information display apparatus further comprises;

a guide displaying unit which displays guide information based on (i) the scale information corresponding to the at least one selected reference image, and (ii) scale information of the subject in the captured image;

an image matching unit which matches the subject in the captured image with the at least one selected reference image in accordance with the displayed guide information; and

a superimposed displaying unit which superimposes and displays the superimposing information corresponding to the at least one selected reference image based on a matching result matched by the image matching unit on the captured image.

2. An information display apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit;

a communicating unit which communicates with an external apparatus; and

a displaying unit;

wherein the communicating unit comprises;

data acquiring unit which acquires data from the external apparatus, the data including (i) reference images including reference subjects and (ii) scale information of the reference subjects and superimposing information corresponding to the reference images, respectively;

wherein the displaying unit comprises;

a guide displaying unit which displays a guide information based on (i) the scale information acquired by the data acquiring unit and (ii) scale information of a subject in a captured image captured by the imaging unit;

an image matching unit which matches the subject in the captured image with the reference images in accordance with the displayed guide information; and

a superimposed displaying unit which superimposes and displays the superimposing information based on a matching result matched by the image matching unit on the captured image.

3. The information display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the guide displaying unit further comprises:

a distribution displaying unit which displays a distribution of the reference images based on the scale information acquired by the data acquiring unit,

wherein the guide information corresponds to the distribution displayed by the distribution displaying unit.

4. The information display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the guide displaying unit changes the displayed guide information based on a change of an angle of view for the captured image by the imaging unit.

5. The information display apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising

a scale calculating unit which calculates a real scale corresponding to one pixel in the captured image,

wherein the distribution displaying unit displays the distribution of the reference images according to real scales that corresponds to one pixel in the reference images indicated by the scale information, and

the guide displaying unit displays the guide information according to the real scale calculated by the scale calculating unit.

6. The information display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the imaging unit is a stereo camera, and

the scale calculating unit calculates the real scale based on a distance to the subject obtained by the stereo camera.

7. An information provision apparatus comprising:

a communicating unit which communicates with an information display apparatus including an imaging unit; and

an information storage unit which stores information provided to the information display apparatus,

wherein the information storage unit comprises

data recording unit which records data including (i) reference images including reference subjects and (ii) scale information of the reference subjects and superimposing information corresponding to the reference images, respectively,

wherein the communicating unit comprises

an information providing unit which provides the data recorded by the data recording unit to the information display apparatus, based on key information corresponding to a subject in a captured image captured by the imaging unit.

8. The information provision apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising

a scale calculating unit which calculates real scales corresponding to one pixel in the reference images,

wherein the data recording unit records the real scales as the scale information.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a program for causing a computer of an information display apparatus including an imaging unit, a communicating unit which communicates with an external apparatus and a displaying unit to perform functions comprising:

acquiring data from the external apparatus, the data including (i) reference images including reference subjects and (ii) scale information of the reference subjects and superimposing information corresponding to the reference images, respectively;

displaying a guide information based on (i) the scale information of the reference subjects and (ii) scale information of a subject in a captured image captured by the imaging unit;

matching the subject in the captured image with the reference images; and

superimposing and displaying the superimposing information based on a result of the matching on the captured image.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a program for causing a computer of an information provision apparatus including a communicating unit which communicates with an information display apparatus including an imaging unit and an information storage unit to perform functions comprising:

storing data in the information storage unit including (i) reference images including reference subjects and (ii) scale information of the reference subjects and superimposing information corresponding to the reference images, respectively; and

providing the data to the information display apparatus, based on key information corresponding to a subject in a captured image captured by the imaging unit transmitted from the information display apparatus.