Information display apparatus and information display method for superimposing additional information on an image

• US 9,704,455 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2014
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Ishii, Yousuke, Sakurai, Yasuki, Oishi, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Sams, Michelle L
• Application Number:
  US14/283,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20140368541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/50 Lighting effects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/92 based on global image properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/88 for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/73 Colour balance circuits, e.g. white balance circuits or colour temperature control camera processing pipelines for colour balance H04N23/88

Abstract

An information display apparatus includes an image pick-up unit configured to picking up an image, a display unit configured to display the image picked up by the image pick-up unit, a first correcting unit configured to correct the image picked up by the image pick-up unit to generate a first image, a second correcting unit configured to correct the image picked up by the image pick-up unit to generate a second image, a recognizing unit configured to recognize the second image generated by the second correcting unit, and a display control unit configured to display an additional information according to a result of the recognition performed by the recognizing unit with superimposing the additional information on the first image generated by the first correcting unit on the display unit.

Claims

1. An information display apparatus comprising:

an image pick-up unit which comprises an image pick-up element, the image pick-up unit being configured to pick up an image;

a display unit which comprises a display device, the display unit being configured to display the image picked up by the image pick-up unit; and

a processor configured to implement at least;

a first correcting unit configured to correct the image picked up by the image pick-up unit to generate a first image;

a second correcting unit configured to correct the image picked up by the image pick-up unit to generate a second image;

a recognizing unit configured to recognize the second image generated by the second correcting unit and generate a result of the recognition;

a display control unit configured to display, on the display unit, an additional information according to the result of the recognition of the second image performed by the recognizing unit, the additional information being superimposed on the first image generated by the first correcting unit; and

a sensor configured to detect brightness in photographic environments,

wherein the first correcting unit comprises;

a first adjuster configured to adjust a correction amount of the image picked up by the image pick up unit in accordance with a result of the detection performed by the sensor; and

a first corrector configured to correct the image picked up by the image pick-up unit based on the correction amount adjusted by the first adjusting section,

wherein the second correcting unit comprising;

a second adjuster configured to adjust a correction amount of the image picked up by the image pick up unit until a predetermined reference image is recognized by the recognizing unit; and

a second corrector configured to correct the image picked up by the image pick-up unit based on the correction amount adjusted by the second adjuster, and

wherein the second adjuster is configured to;

store a table designating a relation between the detection result of the sensor and the correction amount when the reference image had been recognized by the recognizing unit,

read out the correction amount according to the detection result of the sensor from the table, and

set the correcting amount read out from the table as a default value of the correction amount of the image picked up by the image pick up unit.

2. The information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second adjuster determines an adjusting method of the correction amount of the image in accordance with the recognition result of the recognizing unit when at least two correction amounts differing from each other are set.

3. The information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

each of the first and second correcting unit is configured to correct white balance and exposure of the image picked up by the image pick up unit.

4. The information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the image pick-up unit is configured to pick up an image of a field device.

5. The information display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the recognizing unit is configured to recognize a marker placed on the field device.

6. The information display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the marker comprises:

a graphic for recognizing the marker; and

information assigned uniquely to the marker.

7. The information display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the recognizing unit is configured to extract an edge of the image generated by the second correcting unit where brightness of the second image generated by the second correcting unit is sharply changed at the edge.

8. The information display apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the recognizing unit is configured to recognize the graphic from the edge extracted by the recognizing unit.

9. The information display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the recognizing unit is configured to compare a predetermined reference image with an image of the information assigned uniquely to the marker surrounded by the graphic recognized by the recognizing unit, and determine if the image of the information assigned uniquely to the marker matches the reference image.

10. The information display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the additional information includes work support information for supporting workers.

11. The information display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the work support information includes information for maintenance work of the field device.

12. The information display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a setting unit configured to set a first mode in which the additional information is superimposed on the first image or a second mode in which the additional information is not superimposed on the first image.

13. The information display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory that stores the additional information; and

a managing unit configured to manage the additional information stored in the memory.

14. The information display apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

a communicating unit configured to receive additional information from a server; and

to supply the additional information to the managing unit.

15. The information display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

the managing unit is configured to receive the additional information received from the communicating unit and replace the additional information supplied from the communicating unit for the additional information stored in the memory.

16. A control device comprising:

a processor configured to implement at least;

a first correcting unit configured to correct an image to generate a first image;

a second correcting unit configured to correct the image to generate a second image;

a recognizing unit configured to recognize the second image generated by the second correcting unit;

a display control unit configured to display, on a display unit, an additional information according to a result of the recognition performed by the recognizing unit with the additional information superimposed on the first image generated by the first correcting unit; and

a sensor configured to detect brightness in photographic environments,

wherein the first correcting unit comprises;

a first adjuster configured to adjust a correction amount of the image in accordance with a result of the detection performed by the sensor; and

a first corrector configured to correct the image based on the correction amount adjusted by the first adjusting section,

wherein the second correcting unit comprising;

a second adjuster configured to adjust a correction amount of the image until a predetermined reference image is recognized by the recognizing unit; and

a second corrector configured to correct the image based on the correction amount adjusted by the second adjuster, and

wherein the second adjuster is configured to;

store a table designating a relation between the detection result of the sensor and the correction amount when the reference image had been recognized by the recognizing unit,

read out the correction amount according to the detection result of the sensor from the table, and

set the correcting amount read out from the table as a default value of the correction amount of the image.

17. An information display method comprising:

picking up an image by an image pick-up unit which comprises an image pick-up element;

correcting, by a processor, the image picked up by the image pick-up unit to generate a first image;

correcting, by the processor, the image picked up by the image pick-up unit to generate a second image;

recognizing the second image by the processor;

displaying, by the processor, on a display unit, an additional information according to a result of the recognition with the additional information superimposed on the first image;

detecting, by a sensor, brightness in photographic environments;

adjusting, by the processor, a correction amount of the image in accordance with a result of the detection performed by the sensor;

correcting, by the processor, the image picked up by the image pick-up unit based on the correction amount adjusted by the processor;

adjusting, by the processor, a correction amount of the image picked up by the image pick up unit until a predetermined reference image is recognized by the processor;

correcting, by the processor, the image picked up by the image pick-up unit based on the correction amount adjusted by the processor;

storing, by the processor, a table designating a relation between the detection result of the sensor and the correction amount when the reference image had been recognized by the processor;

reading out, by the processor, the correction amount according to the detection result of the sensor from the table; and

setting, by the processor, the correcting amount read out from the table as a default value of the correction amount of the image picked up by the image pick up unit.