PROJECTION APPARATUS, PROJECTION SYSTEM, AND PROJECTION METHOD

• US 20140015861A1
• Filed: 06/13/2013
• Published: 01/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: TAKEMOTO, Ryo
• Granted Patent: US 9,196,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/641
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

A projection apparatus includes: a receiving unit that receives, from a drawing device, drawing position information indicating a drawing designated position on a projection surface and drawing request information; a first generating unit that generates image data to be projected onto the projection surface using the drawing position information received in a receiving period, over which the drawing request information is being received; a judgement-value calculating unit that calculates a drawing failure period, over which the drawing position information is not received in the receiving period; a pattern storage unit that stores multiple types of pattern images; a second generating unit that generates interpolation image data of a portion corresponding to the drawing failure period using one of the pattern images that is similar to the image data; and a projecting unit that projects the image data interpolated with the interpolation image data.

Claims

1. A projection apparatus that performs projection onto a projection surface, the projection apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit that receives drawing position information and drawing request information transmitted from a drawing device for projecting image data onto the projection surface, the drawing position information indicating a drawing designated position on the projection surface, the drawing request information requesting that drawing be performed;

a first generating unit that generates the image data to be projected onto the projection surface using the drawing position information that is received in a receiving period, over which the drawing request information is being received;

a judgement-value calculating unit that calculates a drawing failure period, over which the drawing position information is not received in the receiving period;

a pattern storage unit that stores multiple types of pattern images;

a second generating unit that generates interpolation image data of a portion corresponding to the drawing failure period using one pattern image of the pattern images, the one pattern image being similar to the image data generated by the first generating unit; and

a projecting unit that projects the image data generated by the first generating unit interpolated with the interpolation image data generated by the second generating unit.

2. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an interpolation determining unit that determines whether or not to generate the interpolation image data by interpolating a missing drawn line portion corresponding to the drawing failure period, based on a value of the drawing failure period, wherein

when it is determined that the interpolation image data is to be generated by interpolating the portion, the second generating unit generates the interpolation image data of the portion using the one pattern image similar to the image data generated by the first generating unit.

3. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the pattern storage unit stores multiple types of graphic-object pattern images, and

the second generating unit generates the interpolation image data of the portion of a graphic object corresponding to the drawing failure period using one pattern image of the pattern images, the one pattern being similar to the image data of the graphic object generated by the first generating unit.

4. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the pattern storage unit stores multiple types of line pattern images, and

the second generating unit generates the interpolation image data of the line corresponding to the drawing failure period using one pattern image of the pattern images, the one pattern being similar in shape to the line drawn immediately before and after the drawing failure period.

5. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a selection accepting unit, wherein

the projecting unit projects the multiple types of pattern images stored in the pattern storage unit,

the selection accepting unit accepts selection of a pattern image from among the projected pattern images from the drawing device, and

the second generating unit generates the interpolation image data corresponding to the drawing failure period using the selected pattern image.

6. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the pattern storage unit stores priorities of the pattern images on a pattern-image-by-pattern-image basis, and

the second generating unit generates the interpolation image data corresponding to the drawing failure period using one pattern image of the pattern images, the one pattern image that is highest in priority.

7. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a history storage unit that stores history records about past uses of the pattern images by the second generating unit in generating the interpolation image data, wherein

the second generating unit generates the interpolation image data corresponding to the drawing failure period using one pattern image of the pattern images, the one pattern image being largest in number of the history records.

8. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a deleting unit that, when instructed by the drawing device, deletes the interpolation image data projected by the projecting unit.

9. The projection apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a deleting unit that deletes the image data generated by the first generating unit when the interpolation determining unit determines that generating the image data by interpolating the missing drawn portion corresponding to the drawing failure period is impracticable.

10. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the projecting unit projects an indication that interpolation is impracticable when the interpolation determining unit determines that generating the image data by interpolating the portion, which is a missing drawn portion, corresponding to the drawing failure period is impracticable.

11. A projection system including a drawing device for projecting image data onto a projection surface and a projection apparatus that performs projection onto the projection surface, the projection system comprising:

a receiving unit that receives drawing position information and drawing request information transmitted from the drawing device, the drawing position information indicating a drawing designated position on the projection surface, the drawing request information requesting that drawing be performed;

a first generating unit that generates the image data to be projected onto the projection surface using the drawing position information that is received in a receiving period, over which the drawing request information is being received;

a judgement-value calculating unit that calculates a drawing failure period, over which the drawing position information is not received in the receiving period;

a pattern storage unit that stores multiple types of pattern images;

a second generating unit that generates interpolation image data of a portion corresponding to the drawing failure period using one pattern image of the pattern images, the one pattern image being similar to the image data generated by the first generating unit; and

a projecting unit that projects the image data generated by the first generating unit interpolated with the interpolation image data generated by the second generating unit.

12. The projection system according to claim 11, further comprising

an interpolation determining unit that determines whether or not to generate the interpolation image data by interpolating a missing drawn line portion corresponding to the drawing failure period, based on a value of the drawing failure period, wherein

when it is determined that the interpolation image data is to be generated by interpolating the portion, the second generating unit generates the interpolation image data of the portion using the one pattern image similar to the image data generated by the first generating unit.

13. The projection system according to claim 11, wherein

the pattern storage unit stores multiple types of graphic-object pattern images, and

the second generating unit generates the interpolation image data of the portion of a graphic object corresponding to the drawing failure period using one pattern image of the pattern images, the one pattern being similar to the image data of the graphic object generated by the first generating unit.

14. The projection apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the pattern storage unit stores multiple types of line pattern images, and

the second generating unit generates the interpolation image data of the line corresponding to the drawing failure period using one pattern image of the pattern images, the one pattern being similar in shape to the line drawn immediately before and after the drawing failure period.

15. The projection system according to claim 11, further comprising

a selection accepting unit, wherein

the projecting unit projects the multiple types of pattern images stored in the pattern storage unit,

the selection accepting unit accepts selection of a pattern image from among the projected pattern images from the drawing device, and

the second generating unit generates the interpolation image data corresponding to the drawing failure period using the selected pattern image.

16. The projection system according to claim 11, wherein

the pattern storage unit stores priorities of the pattern images on a pattern-image-by-pattern-image basis, and

the second generating unit generates the interpolation image data corresponding to the drawing failure period using one pattern image of the pattern images, the one pattern image that is highest in priority.

17. The projection system according to claim 11, further comprising

a history storage unit that stores history records about past uses of the pattern images by the second generating unit in generating the interpolation image data, wherein

the second generating unit generates the interpolation image data corresponding to the drawing failure period using one pattern image of the pattern images, the one pattern image being largest in number of the history records.

18. The projection system according to claim 11, further comprising a deleting unit that, when instructed by the drawing device, deletes the interpolation image data projected by the projecting unit.

19. The projection apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a deleting unit that deletes the image data generated by the first generating unit when the interpolation determining unit determines that generating the image data by interpolating the missing drawn portion corresponding to the drawing failure period is impracticable.

20. A projection method that performs projection onto a projection surface, the projection method comprising:

receiving, by a receiving unit, drawing position information and drawing request information transmitted from a drawing device for projecting image data onto the projection surface, the drawing position information indicating a drawing designated position on the projection surface, the drawing request information requesting that drawing be performed;

generating, by a first generating unit, the image data to be projected onto the projection surface using the drawing position information that is received in a receiving period, over which the drawing request information is being received;

calculating, by a judgement-value calculating unit, a drawing failure period, over which the drawing position information is not received in the receiving period;

storing, by a pattern storage unit, multiple types of pattern images;

generating, by a second generating unit, interpolation image data of a portion corresponding to the drawing failure period using one pattern image of the pattern images, the one pattern image being similar to the image data generated by the first generating unit; and

projecting, by a projecting unit, the image data generated by the first generating unit interpolated with the interpolation image data generated by the second generating unit.