Image display system capable of displaying and scaling images on plurality of image sources and display control method therefor

• US 7,148,909 B2
• Filed: 05/21/1999
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Yuichi, Aratani, Shuntaro, Miyamoto, Katsuhiro, Yui, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amini, J.
• Application Number:
  US09/316,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20020175924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,762 Days
• Field of Search: 345/115, 345/127, 345/132, 345/158, 345/629, 345/660
• US Class Current: 345/660
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/04 Changes in size, position or resolution of an image
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A multiple image display system includes a selection portion to select areas on a screen of a display portion at which input images are to be displayed, detection portions disposed at least at three different points to detect locations of the areas on the screen, and a display control portion to scale input images so that the images are displayed in a size corresponding to a calculated scaling magnification, as well as an image display method and a memory medium applicable to the multiple image display system. This image display system permits expanding and contracting images urgently even during presentation.

Claims

1. A display system capable of displaying on a display screen of display means a plurality of images input from image sources, comprising:

input means which inputs position information of the images on the display screen;

selection means which selects one of a plurality of images displayed on the display screen by designating a display area;

confirmation selection means which allows an operator to select a display layout among a superposition layout and an imaginary display space layout with displaying a message for selection of the layout on the display screen; and

display control means which calculates a scaling magnification for the selected image on the basis of the position information, and displays the selected image in a size corresponding to the scaling magnification and a non-selected image, in the selected display layout.

2. The display system according to claim 1, further comprising communication means which transmits data input by said input means to a display system main unit, wherein said display control means calculates a scaling magnification for display data relative to input image data on the basis of horizontal resolution and a number of vertical lines of the input image data and said detected display location data so that the input images are displayed on scales corresponding to the scaling magnification.

3. The display system according to claim 1, further comprising measuring means for measuring the position information, wherein said input means comprises selection side transmission/reception means which transmits and receives infrared rays, counting means which counts an infrared ray propagation time between said input means and said measuring means which is a target, and control means which issues data with identification codes and detects the location of said input means and said target measurement means, and wherein said measuring means comprises detection side transmission/reception means which transmits and receives infrared rays and comparison means which repeats reception data to said selection means when the identification codes transmitted from said input means are coincident, and is disposed on a horizontal axis and a vertical axis of the screen.

4. The display system according to claim 1, wherein said input means is capable of designating a point and another point on a diagonal of a rectangular frame as a start point and a terminal point of a display selection range on the screen.

5. The display system according to claim 1, further comprising memory means which stores a layout frame indicating a display selection range, wherein said display control means displays display screen data and layout frame data in a superposed condition on the screen.

6. The display system according to claim 1, wherein said confirmation selection means is voice data input/output means.

7. The display system according to claim 1, wherein said display control means displaces a display location without changing size of a display selection range when the display selection range is superposed on a display area for another input image already displayed.

8. The display system according to claim 7, wherein said display control means allows an imaginary space to be displayed when a boundary of a frame memory for a display screen is exceeded in displacement of said display location.

9. The display system according to claim 1, wherein the image sources include at least one of computers, work stations, digital TVs and video scopes.

10. A display system capable of displaying images on a display screen of display means, comprising:

input means in space in front of said display means, which inputs position information of the images on the display screen, and which includes determining means which determines a moving distance of said input means;

measuring means which measures a distance between a position in space of said input means and a target window displayed on the screen of the display means;

selection means which selects one of a plurality of images displayed on the display screen; and

display control means which calculates a scaling magnification for the selected image on the basis of the moving distance derived from an output of said measuring means, and displays the layout frame of the target window for the selected image with a locus of tracing the scaling magnification and the selected image in a size corresponding to a scaling magnification on the basis of the determined moving distance.

11. The display system according to claim 10, wherein said display control means calculates the scaling magnification on the basis of a reference table representing a relationship between the moving distance and the scaling magnification.

12. The display system according to claim 10, comprising:

detection side transmission/reception means which transmits and receives infrared rays;

comparison means which repeats reception data to said input means when identification codes returned from said input means are coincident; and

detection means which are disposed at least at three different points on the display means, wherein said measuring means measures a distance from said input means to the input image by calculating distances to said detection means.

13. An image display method applicable to a display system capable of displaying on a display screen of display means a plurality of images input from image sources, comprising:

an input step to allow input means to input position information of the images on the display screen;

a selecting step to allow selection means to select one of a plurality of images displayed on the display screen by designating a display area;

a confirmation selection step of providing confirmation selection means to allow an operator to select a display layout among a superposition layout and an imaginary display space layout with displaying a message for selection of the layout on the display screen; and

a display control step to allow display control means to calculate a scaling magnification for the selected image on the basis of the position information, and to display the selected image in a size corresponding to the scaling magnification and a non-selected image, in the selected display layout.

14. The image display method according to claim 13, further comprising a communication step to transmit selection data obtained at said input step to a display system main unit, wherein a scaling magnification for display data relative to input image data is calculated at said display control step on the basis of horizontal resolution and a number of vertical lines of the input image data and the detected display location data so that the input images are scaled and displayed in a size corresponding to the scaling magnification.

15. The image display method according to claim 13, further comprising a measuring step to allow measuring means to measure the position information, wherein said input step comprises a selection side transmission/reception step to transmit and receive infrared rays, a counting step to count an infrared ray propagation time between the input means and the measuring means which is a target, and a control step to issue data with identification codes and detect locations of the input means and the target measuring means, and said detection step comprises a detection side transmission/reception step to transmit and receive infrared rays, a comparison step to repeat reception data to said input step when the identification codes transmitted from said input step are coincident, and wherein the measurement means used at said measurement step is disposed on a horizontal axis and a vertical axis of the screen of the display.

16. The image display method according to claim 13, wherein a point and another point on a diagonal of a rectangular frame can be designated as a start point and a terminal point of a display selection range on the screen at said input step.

17. The image display method according to claim 13, further comprising a memory step to store a layout frame indicating the display selection range, wherein display screen data and layout frame data are displayed in a superposed condition on the screen at said display control step.

18. The image display method according to claim 13, wherein said confirmation and selection are performed using voice data input/output means at said confirmation selection step.

19. The image display method according to claim 13, wherein the display location is displaced without changing a size of the display selection range at said display control step when the display selection area superposes on a display area of another input image already displayed.

20. The image display method according to claim 19, wherein an imaginary space is displayed at said display control step when a boundary of a frame memory for the display screen is exceeded in displacement of the display location.

21. The image display method according to claim 13, wherein the image sources include at least one of a computer, a work station, a digital TV and a video scope.

22. An image display method capable of displaying images on a display screen of display means, comprising:

an input step to allow input means in space in front of the display means to input position information of the images on the display screen and to allow determining means to determine a moving distance of the input means;

a measuring step to measure a distance between a position in space of the input means and a target window displayed on the screen of the display means;

a selecting step to select one of a plurality of images displayed on the display screen; and

a display control step to allow display control means to calculate a scaling magnification for the selected image on the basis of the moving distance from an output of said measuring means, and to display the layout frame of the target window for the selected image with a locus of tracing the scaling magnification and the selected image in a size corresponding to a scaling magnification on the basis of the determined moving distance.

23. The image display method according to claim 22, wherein the scaling magnification is calculated at said display control step on the basis of a reference table representing a relationship between the moving distance and the scaling magnification.

24. The image display method according to claim 22, further comprising:

a detection side transmission/receiving step to transmit and receive infrared rays; and

a detection step having a comparison step to repeat reception data to said input step when identification codes transmitted from said input step are coincident, wherein detection means is used at said detection step and is disposed at least at three different points on the display means, and distances from the input means to the input images are measured at said distance measuring step by calculating a distance to each of the detection means.

25. A storage medium storing a program to execute an image display method applicable to a display system capable of displaying on a display screen of display means a plurality of images inputted from image sources and legible by a computer, wherein said image display method comprises:

an input step to input position information of the images on the display screen with input means;

a selecting step to allow selection means to select one of a plurality of images displayed on the display screen by designating a display area;

a confirmation selection step of providing confirmation selection means to allow an operator to select a display layout among a superposition layout and an imaginary display space layout with displaying a message for selection of the layout on the display screen; and

a display control step to allow display control means to calculate a scaling magnification for the selected image on the basis of the position information, and to display the selected image in a size corresponding to the scaling magnification and a non-selected image, in the selected display layout.

26. The storage medium according to claim 25, wherein said image display step further comprises a measuring step to allow measuring means to measure the position information, and wherein said input step comprises a selection side transmission/reception step to transmit and receive infrared rays, a counting step to count an infrared ray propagation time between the input means and the measuring means which are targets, and a control step to issue data with identification codes and detect locations of the input means and the target measuring means, and said measuring step comprises a detection side transmission/reception step to transmit and receive infrared rays and a comparison step to repeat reception data to said input step when the identification codes transmitted from said input step are coincident, and the measuring means used at said measuring step is disposed on a horizontal axis and a vertical axis of the screen of the display.

27. A storage medium storing a program to execute an image display method applicable to a display system capable of displaying images on a display screen of display means, wherein said image display method comprises:

an input step to allow input means in space in front of the display means to input position information of the images on the display screen and to allow determining means to determine a moving distance of the input means;

a measuring step to measure the distances between a position in space of the input means and a target window displayed on the screen of the display means;

a selecting step to select one of a plurality of images displayed on the display screen; and

a display control step to allow display control means to calculate a scaling magnification for the selected image on the basis of the moving distance derived from an output of said measuring means, and to display the layout frame of the target window for the selected image with a locus of tracing the scaling magnification and the selected image in a size corresponding to a scaling magnification on the basis of the determined moving distance.

28. The storage medium according to claim 27, further comprising a detection side transmission/reception step to transmit and receive infrared rays and a detection step having a comparison step to repeat reception data to said selection step when identification codes transmitted from said input step are coincident, wherein detection means is used at said detection step and is disposed at least at three different points on the display means, and distances from said input means to input images are measured at said distance measuring step by calculating a distance to each of the detection means.