Remote supporting apparatus, remote supporting system, remote supporting method, and program product therefor

• US 7,590,662 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2006
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Tokai, Kiwame
• Primary Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US11/583,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20080010317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 707100-102, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00286 with studio circuitry, devices or equipment, e.g. television cameras television studio circuitry, devices or equipment per se H04N5/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/195 the array comprising a two-dimensional array or a combination of two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/19594 using a television camera or a still video camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/42 Systems for two-way working , e.g. conference systems H04N1/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3245 of image modifying data, e.g. handwritten addenda, highlights or augmented reality information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

A remote supporting apparatus including a first receiving unit that receives information about a first annotation image from another device, a projecting unit that projects an image on a predetermined projection region in cooperation with the another device in accordance with the information about the first annotation image received from the first receiving unit, a recording unit that records an image of the projection region, a first transmitting unit, a second transmitting unit, a second receiving unit, and a displaying unit that displays an image in accordance with the information about the recorded image received by the second receiving unit.

Claims

1. A remote supporting apparatus comprising:

a first receiving unit that receives information about a first annotation image from another device;

a projecting unit that projects an image on a first predetermined projection region in cooperation with the another device in accordance with the information about the first annotation image received from the first receiving unit;

a recording unit that records the image of the first predetermined projection region;

a first transmitting unit that transmits image information about the image of the first predetermined projection region recorded by the recording unit, as image information about the image of the first predetermined projection region to be displayed on the another device, to the another device;

a second transmitting unit that transmits information about a second annotation image to be projected on a second predetermined projection region at a site at which the another device is placed;

a second receiving unit that receives information about a recorded image of the second predetermined projection region at the site at which the another device is placed, the information being received from the another device; and

a displaying unit that displays an image in accordance with the information about the recorded image of the second predetermined projection region received by the second receiving unit.

2. The remote supporting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a selecting unit that selects at least a part of the image of the first predetermined projection region recorded by the recording unit of the another device and displayed on the display unit,

wherein the projecting unit projects the part of the image selected by the selecting unit on the first predetermined projection region.

3. The remote supporting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a generating unit that generates a combined image having a drawn version of the first annotation image superimposed on the first annotation image contained in the image of the first predetermined projection region recorded by the recording unit,

wherein the first transmitting unit transmits image information about the combined image generated by the generating unit to the another device.

4. The remote supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the first receiving unit receives the first annotation image information from the another device and a first drawing instruction to project the image in accordance with the first annotation image information; and

the projecting unit projects the image in accordance with the first annotation image information received by the first receiving unit on the first predetermined projection region in accordance with the first drawing instruction received by the first receiving unit.

5. The remote supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second transmitting unit transmits the second annotation image information and a second drawing instruction to project an image in accordance with the second annotation image information.

6. The remote supporting apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a generating unit that generates the second drawing instruction in accordance with an operation instruction from a user, wherein the first transmitting unit transmits the second drawing instruction generated by the generating unit.

7. The remote supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the remote supporting apparatus is formed with a server and a client;

the server is communicably connected to a client in the another device; and

the client is communicably connected to a server in the another device.

8. A remote supporting system comprising a plurality of remote supporting apparatuses performing communications based on images, each of the plurality of remote supporting apparatuses including:

a first receiving unit that receives information about a first annotation image from another device;

a projecting unit that projects an image on a first predetermined projection region in cooperation with the another device in accordance with the information about the first annotation image received from the first receiving unit;

a recording unit that records the image of the first predetermined projection region;

a first transmitting unit that transmits image information about the image of the first predetermined projection region recorded by the recording unit, as image information about the image of the first predetermined projection region to be displayed on the another device, to the another device;

a second transmitting unit that transmits information about a second annotation image to be projected on a second predetermined projection region at a site at which the another device is placed;

a second receiving unit that receives information about a recorded image obtained by recording an image of the projection region at the site at which the another device is placed, the information being received from the another device; and

a displaying unit that displays an image in accordance with the information about the recorded image of the second predetermined projection region received by the second receiving unit.

9. A remote supporting method comprising:

receiving information about a first annotation image from another device;

projecting an image on a first predetermined projection region in cooperation with the another device in accordance with the information about the first annotation image received in the step of receiving the first annotation image information;

recording the image of the first predetermined projection region;

transmitting image information about the image of the first predetermined projection region recorded in the step of recording the image of the first predetermined projection region, as image information about the image of the first predetermined projection region to be displayed on the another device, to the another device;

transmitting information about a second annotation image to be projected on a second predetermined projection region at a site at which the another device is placed;

receiving information about the recorded image obtained by recording the image of the projection region at the site at which the another device is placed, the information being received from the another device; and

displaying an image in accordance with the information about the recorded image of the second predetermined projection region received in the step of receiving the recorded image.

10. The remote supporting method according to claim 9, further comprising selecting a part of the image of the first predetermined projection region recorded by a recording unit of the another device and displayed in the step of displaying an image,

wherein the step of projecting the image includes projecting the part of the image selected in the selecting step on the first predetermined projection region.

11. The remote supporting method according to claim 9, further comprising:

generating a combined image having a drawn version of the first annotation image superimposed on the first annotation image contained in the image of the first predetermined projection region recorded in the step of recording the image of the projection region; and

transmitting image information about the combined image to the another device.

12. The remote supporting method according to claim 9, wherein:

the step of receiving the first annotation image information includes receiving the first annotation image information from the another device and a first drawing instruction to project the image in accordance with the first annotation image information; and

the step of projecting the image includes projecting the image in accordance with the first annotation image information on the first predetermined projection region in response to the first drawing instruction received in the step of receiving the first annotation image information.

13. The remote supporting method according to claim 9, wherein the step of transmitting the second annotation image information includes transmitting the second annotation image information and a second drawing instruction to project an image in accordance with the second annotation image information.

14. A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for remote support, the process comprising:

receiving information about a first annotation image from another device;

projecting an image on a first predetermined projection region in cooperation with the another device in accordance with the information about the first annotation image received in the step of receiving the first annotation image information;

recording an image of the first predetermined projection region;

transmitting image information about the image of the first predetermined projection region recorded in the step of recording an image of the first predetermined projection region, as image information about the image of the first predetermined projection region to be displayed on the another device, to the another device;

transmitting information about a second annotation image to be projected on a second predetermined projection region at a site at which the another device is placed;

receiving information about the recorded image obtained by recording the image of the projection region at the site at which the another device is placed, the information being received from the another device; and

displaying an image in accordance with the information about the recorded image of the second predetermined projection region received in the step of receiving the recorded image.