Image marking method and apparatus

• US 8,449,122 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2009
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGRS Engineering Lab Limited
• Original Assignee: IGRS Engineering Lab Limited
• Inventors: Luo, Jia
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, SULTAN U.
• Application Number:
  US12/505,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20110012925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 353/30, 353/31, 353/40, 353/42, 353/69, 353/70, 353/71, 353/98, 353/99, 353/122, 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/169, 345/87, 345/127, 345/131, 345/173, 345/180, 345/207, 348/14.01, 348/14.03
• US Class Current: 353/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0386 for light pen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3179 Video signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3194 including sensor feedback

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for marking an image projected onto a surface includes capturing a second image from the surface, detecting the existence of a marking point in the second image, and modifying the first image by placing a graphic element at a location corresponding to a location of the marking point in the second image.

Claims

1. A method for marking a first image projected to a surface, comprising:

capturing, by an image capturing component of an image device, a second image from the surface;

detecting a marking point in the second image, wherein the marking point is generated by a marking device, placed on a viewing path between the image capturing component and the surface, emitting light toward the image capturing component; and

generating a third image by placing a graphic element in the first image at a location corresponding to a location of the marking point in the second image.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

projecting the third image to the surface to replace the first image.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

capturing a fourth image from the surface, on which the third image is displayed;

detecting a second marking point in the fourth image;

generating a fifth image by placing a second graphic element in the fourth image; and

projecting the fifth image to the surface to replace the third image.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the first image and the third image are generated by an image projecting component of the image device, and the fourth image is captured by the image capturing component of the image device.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

calibrating the image device by aligning a viewing field of the image capturing component with a projecting field of the image projecting component.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the detected marking point is perceived by the image capturing component as a point reflected from the surface.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the marking device emits the light when a tip of the marking device is being pressed against the surface.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the detecting of the marking point comprising filtering the light emitted by the marking device.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the detecting of the marking point comprising finding a difference between the first image and the second image, the marking point being associated with the difference.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the detecting comprising identifying pixels in the second image that have different colors comparing to corresponding pixels in the first image.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method is embodied in a machine-readable medium as a set of instructions which, when executed by an image processor, cause the image processor to perform the method.

12. A method for marking a first image projected to a surface, comprising:

capturing a second image from the surface;

detecting a marking point in the second image, the marking point being associated with a difference detected by comparing the first image and the second image;

determining a location of the marking point in the second image;

modifying the first image to generate a third image by placing a graphic element at a location corresponding to the location of the marking point in the second image; and

projecting the third image to the surface to replace the first image.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the graphic element is associated with a degree of transparency.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising receiving a request to enter a marking mode prior to the capturing.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the marking point is generated by a human-invisible light source.

16. A system configured to mark an image, comprising:

an image projecting component configured to project a first image to a surface;

an image capturing component configured to capture a second image from the surface; and

an image processor coupled with the image projecting component part and the image capturing component, wherein the image processor is configured to detect a marking point in the second image and to modify the first image to generate a third image by adding a graphic element at a location corresponding to a location of the marking point in the second image, the marking point being associated with a difference detected by comparing the first image and the second image.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, further comprising a filter coupled with the image capturing component to detect the marking point from the second image.

18. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the marking point corresponds to a point on the surface that is identified by a light beam and within the boundary of the first image.

19. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the marking point is generated by a marking device, placed on a viewing path between the image capturing component and the surface, emitting light toward the image capturing component.

20. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the image processing component is further configured to detect the marking point by finding pixels in the second image that have different colors comparing to corresponding pixels in the first image.