Pointing position detection device, presentation system, and method, and computer-readable medium

• US 6,512,507 B1
• Filed: 03/26/1999
• Issued: 01/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Furihata, Takeshi, Nakamura, Junichi, Hiramatsu, Kazunori, Yoneno, Kunio
• Primary Examiner(s): Saras, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anyaso, Uchendu O.
• Application Number:
  US09/276,817
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/175, 345/9, 348/61, 348/207, 353/122
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pointing position detection device that can automatically sense a pointing position within a display region. This pointing position detection device comprises a CCD camera acquiring an image of a display region in which an image has been displayed; a binary-data processing section for detecting a pointing position of a shadow region or an actual image region that is an image region of a pointing image included within an image-acquisition area, based on an image-acquisition signal of the CCD camera 14; and a pointing coordinates detection section.

Claims

1. A pointing position detection device comprising:

image-acquisition means for acquiring an image of a display region in which an image is displayed;

reference-value setting means for setting a reference value for separating an image region of a pointing image included within said display region, from an image-acquisition signal of said image-acquisition means; and

position detection means for detecting a pointing position from said image region of said pointing image, by comparing said image-acquisition signal and said reference value and thus extracting said image region of said pointing image,

wherein said reference-value setting means is configured to be capable of modifying said reference value.

2. A presentation system comprising:

a projector that displays an image in a display region;

image-acquisition means for acquiring an image of the display region;

position detection means for detecting a pointing position from an image region of a pointing image included within said display region based on an image-acquisition signal of said image-acquisition means; and

cursor control means for controlling a position of a cursor relative to the image region included within the image displayed by the projector, based on the detected pointing position relative to the display region.

3. The presentation system as defined in claim 2, wherein said position detection means captures a rod-shaped image region as said image region of said pointing image, based on the continuous shape of said image region included within said display region, and detects a tip position of said image region as said pointing position.

4. The presentation system as defined in claim 2, wherein said cursor control means displays a plurality of cursors simultaneously within said display region and controls a position of each of the cursors independently.

5. The presentation system as defined in claim 2, wherein said cursor control means controls a cursor position to indicate the detected point position, at a position having no overlap with said image region of said pointing image.

6. The presentation system as defined in claim 2, wherein said cursor control means controls a cursor size to be displayed according to a tip size of an image region of said pointing image having a rod like shape.

7. The presentation system as defined in claim 2, wherein said cursor control means comprises position-fixing means for fixedly displaying said cursor at a desired position within said display region.

8. The presentation system as defined in claim 2, wherein said image display means comprises an image projection means for projecting an image on a screen, and is disposed in such a manner as to project an image from in front of or behind said screen.

9. The presentation system as defined in claim 8, comprising a polarizing plate which is provided in a light path of said image-acquisition means and which absorbs light projected from an image projection means.

10. The presentation system as defined in claim 2, wherein said image-acquisition means freely adjusts an image-acquisition area with respect to said display region.

11. The presentation system as defined in claim 2, further comprising illumination means for illuminating a low-brightness level region of said display region.

12. The presentation system as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

function input means to which a predetermined function is allocated; and

means for performing data processing according to a function being input.

13. A presentation system comprising:

image display means for displaying an image;

image-acquisition means for acquiring an image of a display region in which an image is displayed;

reference-value setting means for setting a reference value for separating an image region of a printing image included within said display region from an image-acquisition signal of said image-acquisition means;

position detection means for detecting a pointing position from said image region of said pointing image, by comparing said image-acquisition signal and said reference value and thus extracting said image region of said pointing image; and

cursor control means for controlling a position of a cursor included within the image displayed by said image display means, based on said detected pointing position,

wherein said reference-value setting means is configured to be capable of modifying said reference value.

14. The presentation system as defined in claim 13, further comprising:

calibration pattern image generation means for displaying a predetermined calibration pattern image from said image display means to said display region,

wherein said reference-value setting means automatically sets a reference value for extracting said image region of said pointing image, based on data of said calibration pattern image and said image-acquisition signal.

15. The presentation system as defined in claim 14, wherein said reference-value setting means divides said display region into a plurality of regions and sets an individual reference value for each of the divided regions.

16. The presentation system as defined in claim 14, wherein said calibration pattern image generation means displays a predetermined calibration pattern image formed by combining a plurality of regions having different brightnesses on said display region.

17. The presentation system as defined in claim 14, further comprising:

indication means for setting a reference value,

wherein, when a reference-value setting instruction is input by said indicating means;

said calibration pattern image generation means causes the display of a calibration pattern image from said image display means on said display region; and

said reference-value setting means automatically sets a reference value for extracting said image region of said pointing image, based on data of said calibration pattern image and said image-acquisition signal.

18. A computer useable information embodied on computer-readable medium comprising:

information for detecting a pointing position of an image region of a pointing image included in a display region, based on an image-acquisition signal of said display region; and

information for controlling a position of a cursor relative to the image region included within an image displayed by a projector that displays the image in the display region, based on the detected pointing position relative to the display region.

19. The computer useable information embodied on computer-readable medium is defined in claim 18, wherein said information for controlling a cursor comprises information for controlling a cursor position to indicate the detected pointing position, at a position having no overlap with said image region of said pointing image.

20. The computer useable information embodied on computer-readable medium as defined in claim 18, wherein said information for controlling a cursor comprises information for controlling a cursor size to be displayed according to a tip size of said image region of said pointing image having a rod like shape.

21. The computer useable information embodied on computer-readable medium as defined in claim 18, wherein said information for controlling a cursor comprises position-fixing information for fixedly displaying said cursor at a desired position within said display region.

22. A computer useable information embodied on computer-readable medium for controlling a presentation system comprising:

reference-value setting information for setting a reference value for separating an image region of a pointing image included within a display region from an image-acquisition signal of image-acquisition means;

position detection information for detecting a pointing position from said image region of said pointing image, by comparing said image-acquisition signal and said reference value and thus extracting said image region of said pointing image; and

cursor control information for controlling a position of a cursor included within an image displayed by image display means, based on the detected pointing position,

wherein said reference-value setting information comprises information for modifying said reference value.

23. The computer useable information embodied on computer-readable medium as defined in claim 22, further comprising calibration pattern control information for displaying a predetermined calibration pattern image from said image display means to said display region,

wherein said reference-value setting information comprises information for automatically setting a reference value for extracting an image region of said pointing image, based on data of said calibration pattern image and said image-acquisition signal.

24. The computer useable information embodied on computer-readable medium as defined in claim 23, wherein said reference-value setting information comprises information for dividing said display region into a plurality of regions and automatically setting an individual reference value for each of the divided regions.

25. A cursor position control method comprising:

an image display step of displaying an image in a display region;

an image-acquisition step of acquiring an image of the display region;

a position detection step of detecting a pointing position of an image region of a pointing image included within said display region from an image-acquisition signal of said image-acquisition means; and

a cursor control step of controlling a position of a cursor relative to an image region included within the image, based on the detected pointing position relative to the display region.

26. A pointing position detection method comprising:

an image-acquisition step of acquiring an image of a display region in which an image is displayed; and

a position detection step of comparing an image-acquisition signal with a reference value for separating an image region of a pointing image and thus extracting said image region of said pointing image, then detecting a pointing position from said image region of said pointing image,

wherein said position detection step comprises a step of modifying said reference value for separating said image region of said pointing image included within said display region from said image-acquisition signal of an image-acquisition means.

27. A method of detecting a pointing position for a presentation, comprising:

an image-acquisition step of acquiring an image of a display region in which an image is displayed; and

a position detection step of comparing an image-acquisition signal with a reference value for separating an image region of a pointing image and thus extracting said image region of said pointing image, then detecting a pointing position from said image region of said pointing image; and

a cursor control step of controlling a position of a cursor included within an image displayed by an image display means, based on said detected pointing position,

wherein said position detection step comprises a step of modifying said reference value for separating said image region of said pointing image included within said display region from said image-acquisition signal of an image-acquisition means.