Image display method and device, image display system, server, program, and recording medium

• US 7,583,265 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2006
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Shiraishi, Atsushi, Hattori, Shinji, Wakamiya, Yosuke, Kumakiri, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): PAPPAS, PETER
• Application Number:
  US11/460,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20070030283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 345/427, 345/653, 345/672
• US Class Current: 345/427
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/54 Browsing; Visualisation therefor

Abstract

An image display method for displaying, after imaging, a plurality of image data each relating to attribute data, includes: disposing a reference image object for indication of each of the plurality of image data at a position based on any one of the corresponding attribute data in a virtual horizontal plane in a virtual three-dimensional (3D) space; selecting one or more of the image data from the plurality of image data; disposing a viewing image object for indication of the selected image data at a position of any of the corresponding reference image objects moved in a direction of a normal or a substantially normal to the virtual horizontal plane; setting a field of view in the virtual 3D space; and imaging the virtual 3D space in the field of view set in the setting the field of view.

Claims

1. An image display method for displaying, after imaging, a plurality of image data each relating to attribute data, comprising:

disposing a plurality of reference image objects, on a display device, each corresponding to each of the plurality of image data at a position based on any one of the corresponding attribute data in one virtual horizontal plane in a virtual three-dimensional (3D) space;

selecting one or more of the image data from the plurality of image data on the display device;

disposing, on the display device, a viewing image object for indication of the selected image data at a position of any of the corresponding reference image objects moved in a direction of a normal to the virtual horizontal plane, a distance of the viewing image object from the virtual horizontal plane is determined based on the other of the corresponding attribute data;

setting a field of view in the virtual 3D space on the display device;

imaging, on the display device, the virtual 3D space in the field of view set in the setting the field of view, the disposing of the viewing image object and the imaging are performed at predetermined time intervals; and

calculating, with a computer processor, a path along which the viewing image object is disposed at the respective time intervals, and which swings around the position of any of the corresponding reference image objects moved in the direction of the normal to the virtual horizontal plane, a swing width or a swing cycle of the path is determined based on the other of the corresponding attribute data.

2. The image display method according to claim 1, wherein

the viewing image object is disposed to derive orthogonality between a virtual display plane and the virtual horizontal plane.

3. The image display method according to claim 1, wherein

the viewing image object is disposed after being enlarged compared with the reference image object.

4. The image display method according to claim 3, wherein

an enlargement ratio of the viewing image object is determined based on the other of the corresponding attribute data.

5. The image display method according to claim 4, wherein

the other attribute data is about a significance level of the image data.

6. The image display method according to claim 1, further comprising:

disposing, on the display device, a text object for display of the attribute data over or in the vicinity of any of the corresponding reference image objects or the viewing image object.

7. The image display method according to claim 1, further comprising:

projecting, on the display device, a projection object for indication of a projection position of the viewing image object on the virtual horizontal plane.

8. The image display method according to claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring, with the computer processor, input information about the attribute data; and

performing, with the computer processor, a search of the image data relating to the input information, wherein

in the selecting the data, the image data found in the performing the search is selected.

9. The image display method according to claim 1, wherein

the setting the field of view and the selecting the data are performed based on setting conditions in storage.

10. The image display method according to claim 1, wherein

the setting the field of view is performed at the predetermined time intervals, and

the setting the field of view is performed based on a path along which a point of sight moves at each of the time intervals in the field of view, and which goes around the virtual 3D space.

11. The image display method according to claim 1, wherein

when first and second of the plurality of image data are selected in the selecting the data, the setting the field of view is performed at the predetermined time intervals, and

the method further comprises:

calculating, with a controller, a path along which a point of sight moves at each of the time intervals in the field of view, and which extends from a first point facing a viewing image object corresponding to the first image data to a second point facing a viewing image object corresponding to the second image data.

12. An image display device for displaying, after imaging, a plurality of image data each relating to attribute data, comprising:

a reference image disposition section that disposes a plurality of reference image objects each corresponding to each of the plurality of image data at a position based on any one of the corresponding attribute data in one virtual horizontal plane in a virtual three-dimensional (3D) space;

a data selection section that selects one or more of the image data from the plurality of image data;

a viewing image disposition section that disposes a viewing image object for indication of the selected image data at a position of any of the corresponding reference image objects moved in a direction of a normal to the virtual horizontal plane, a distance of the viewing image object from the virtual horizontal plane is determined based on the other of the corresponding attribute data;

a field of view setting section that sets a field of view in the virtual 3D space;

an imaging section that images the virtual 3D space in the field of view set in the field of view setting section, the disposing of the viewing image object and the imaging are performed at predetermined time intervals; and

a calculating section that calculates a path along which the viewing image object is disposed at the respective time intervals, and which swings around the position of any of the corresponding reference image objects moved in the direction of the normal to the virtual horizontal plane, a swing width or a swing cycle of the path is determined based on the other of the corresponding attribute data.

13. A server in an image display system for displaying over a network, after imaging, a plurality of image data each relating to attribute data, comprising:

a memory region that generates a virtual three-dimensional (3D) space;

a reference image disposition section that disposes a reference image object for indication of each of the plurality of image data at a position based on any one of the corresponding attribute data in one virtual horizontal plane in the virtual 3D space;

a viewing image disposition section that disposes, at a first predetermined time interval, a viewing image object for indication of the selected image data at a position of any of the corresponding reference image objects moved in a direction of a normal to the virtual horizontal plane;

an imaging section that images, at a second predetermined time interval, the virtual 3D space in the field of view set in the field of view setting section;

a distance determining section that determines a distance of the viewing image object from the virtual horizontal plane based on the other of the corresponding attribute data, the disposing of the viewing image object and the imaging are performed at predetermined time intervals; and

a calculating section that calculates a path along which the viewing image object is disposed at the respective time intervals, and which swings around the position of any of the corresponding reference image objects moved in the direction of the normal to the virtual horizontal plane, the calculating section calculates a swing width or a swing cycle of the path that is determined based on the other of the corresponding attribute data.