Electronic mirroring system

• US 8,848,048 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2011
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Non-Grid Inc.
• Original Assignee: Non-Grid Inc.
• Inventors: Koike, Hiroshi, Mori, Masanori, Matsumoto, Noriko
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRUONG, NGUYEN T
• Application Number:
  US13/120,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20120229616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 348/77
• US Class Current: 348/77
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An electronic mirroring system comprises a mirroring unit (12) consisted of a flat panel television (10) attached a touch panel (11), a front video camera (13), a rear video camera (14), and a main unit (21). A front image and a back image are displayed on the flat panel television (10) of the mirroring unit (12) simultaneously.

Claims

1. An electronic mirroring system for interlockingly simultaneously displaying images of a person as a subject taken from multiple directions, the electronic mirroring system comprising:

a mirroring unit including a display of i pixels in length by m pixels in width and a touch panel provided on the display, the mirroring unit being arranged in front of the subject;

a front video camera having a CCD of i pixels in length by m pixels in width and a wide-angle control for widening a view angle and being arranged on a side of the mirroring unit for taking a front image of the subject, the front video camera being configured to output a frame of an image taken without the wide-angle control as a first front image and another frame of an image taken with the wide-angle control as a second front image;

a rear video camera having a CCD of i pixels in length by m pixels in width and a wide-angle control for widening a view angle and being arranged behind the subject for taking a back image of the subject, the rear video camera being configured to output a frame of an image taken without the wide-angle control as a first back image and another frame of an image taken with the wide-angle control as a second back image;

a first unit configured to capture the first front image or the second front image outputted from the front video camera;

a second unit configured to capture the first back image or the second back image outputted from the rear video camera;

a third unit configured to output the first front image to the mirroring unit and display only the first front image on the display while stopping input of the first back image or the second back image;

an instruction reception unit configured to receive from a user an instruction for changing display from single display of the front image or the back image to simultaneous display of the front image and the back image;

a fourth unit configured to send a wide-angle control signal to the front video camera and the rear video camera in order to widen view angles while canceling the stopping of the input by the third unit in response to the instruction from the instruction reception unit for the simultaneous display;

a fifth unit configured to extract an image of a first range including the subject therein from the second front image and output the extracted image as an extracted front image in response to the instruction for the simultaneous display after the fourth unit sends the wide-angle control signal;

a sixth unit configured to extract an image of a second range including a back of the subject therein from the second back image and output the extracted image as an extracted back image in response to the instruction for the simultaneous display after the fourth unit sends the wide-angle control signal;

a seventh unit configured to change the extracted front image outputted from the fifth unit to a size of e pixels in length by h pixels in width smaller than the size of i pixels in length by m pixels in width of the display and display the changed image as a mirroring front image on a first area in the display; and

an eighth unit configured to change the extracted back image outputted from the sixth unit to a size of r pixels in length by s pixels in width smaller than the size of i pixels in length by m pixels in width of the display and display the changed image as a mirroring back image on a second area different from the first area in the display along with the mirroring front image in the display.

2. The electronic mirroring system according to claim 1, further comprising a ninth unit configured to set an about half area of the display of i pixels in length by m pixels in width as the first area and another about half area of the display of i pixels in length by m pixels in width as the second area for displaying the mirroring front image and the mirroring back image in a same size.

3. The electronic mirroring system according to claim 1, further comprising a tenth unit configured to set the size of r pixels in length by s pixels in width smaller than the size of e pixels in length by h pixels in width for simultaneously displaying the mirroring back image smaller than the mirroring front image.

4. The electronic mirroring system according to claim 1, further comprising an eleventh unit configured to set the size of e pixels in length by h pixels in width smaller than the size of r pixels in length by s pixels in width for simultaneously displaying the mirroring front image smaller than the mirroring back image.

5. The electronic mirroring system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a twelfth unit configured to create a stock area on a side of the display;

a thirteenth unit configured to display still images simultaneously taken from the mirroring front image and the mirroring back image on the display in response to a record instruction when the mirroring front image and the mirroring back image are being displayed on the display;

a fourteenth unit configured to store the still image of the mirroring front image and the still image of the mirroring back image being displayed in an image stock memory with linking each other in response to a stock instruction when the still images of the mirroring front image and the mirroring back image are being displayed on the display;

a fifteenth unit configured to reduce only the still image of the mirroring front image read from the image stock memory and display the reduced image as a selectable stock image on the stock area; and

a sixteenth unit configured to, upon every selection of stock images, change the still image of the mirroring front image of a selected stock image to the size of e pixels in length by h pixels in width, change the still image of the mirroring back image linked with the still image of the mirroring front image of the selected stock image to the size of r pixels in length by s pixels in width, and display both the still images as changed on the display.

6. The electronic mirroring system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a seventeenth unit configured to display a comparison area having frames on the display in response to a comparison instruction; and

an eighteenth unit configured to, upon every selection of stock images being displayed on the stock area, display a selected stock image by enlarging in a first frame of the comparison area, and display the still image of the mirroring back image linked with the still image of the mirroring back image of the selected stock image read from the image stock memory by enlarging in a second frame adjacent to the first frame.

7. The electronic mirroring system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a part video camera for taking an image of a part of the subject;

a nineteenth unit configured to capture a part image outputted from the part video camera;

a twentieth unit configured to display the captured part image on the display;

a twenty-first unit configured to display a still image taken from the part image in response to a record instruction;

a twenty-second unit configured to store the still image of the part image being displayed linked to the mirroring front image and the mirroring back image in the image stock memory in response to the stock instruction when the still image of the part image is being displayed; and

a twenty-third unit configured to, upon selection of the stock image, display the part image with at least one of the still image of the mirroring front image and the still image of the mirroring back image linked to the still image of the part image on the display.

8. The electronic mirroring system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a twenty-fourth unit configured to store at least one of the mirroring front image and the mirroring back image for a prescribed period in a moving image memory; and

a twenty-fifth unit configured to, upon simultaneous display of a front image and a back image of the subject, change the mirroring front image stored in the moving image memory to the size of e pixels in length by h pixels in width while changing the mirroring back image stored in the moving image memory to the size of r pixels in length by s pixels in width, and display both the changed images on the display, and, upon display of one of the mirroring front image and the mirroring back image of the subject, change one of the mirroring front image and the mirroring back image stored in the moving image memory within the size of i pixels in length by m pixels in width and display the changed image on the display.

9. The electronic mirroring system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first platform and a second platform configured to rotatably support the front video camera and the rear video camera respectively, the first platform and a second platform being movable horizontally;

a twenty-sixth unit configured to, upon simultaneous display of a front image and a back image of the subject, send a first platform control signal in order to move the first platform so that a central optical axis of the front video camera coincides with a vertical central axis of an area of the display for the front image; and

a twenty-seventh unit configured to, upon simultaneous display of the front image and the back image of the subject, send a second platform control signal in order to move the second platform so that a central optical axis of the back video camera coincides with a vertical central axis of another area of the display for the back image.

10. The electronic mirroring system according to claim 1, further comprising a twenty-eighth unit configured to slim the first front image and the first back image by reducing transversely.

11. The electronic mirroring system according to claim 1, further comprising a twenty-ninth unit configured to eliminate a glare from the first back image.

12. The electronic mirroring system according to claim 1, wherein the display of the mirroring unit is a flat panel television placed vertically or horizontally.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program to be executed by a computer in an electronic mirroring system including

a mirroring unit including a display of i pixels in length by m pixels in width and a touch panel provided on the display, the mirroring unit being arranged in front of the subject,

a front video camera having a CCD of i pixels in length by m pixels in width and a wide-angle control for widening a view angle and being arranged on a side of the mirroring unit for taking a front image of the subject, the front video camera being configured to output a frame of an image taken without the wide-angle control as a first front image and another frame of an image taken with the wide-angle control as a second front image, and

a rear video camera having a CCD of i pixels in length by m pixels in width and a wide-angle control for widening a view angle and being arranged behind the subject for taking a back image of the subject, the rear video camera being configured to output a frame of an image taken without the wide-angle control as a first back image and another frame of an image taken with the wide-angle control as a second back image,

the stored program which causes a computer to perform the steps of:

(a) storing the first front image or the second front image outputted from the front video camera in a first memory;

(b) storing the first back image or the second back image outputted from the back video camera in a second memory;

(c) outputting the first front image to the mirroring unit and displaying the first front image on the display while stopping an input of the first back image or the second back image;

(d) receiving from a user an instruction, via an instruction reception unit, for changing display from single display of the front image or the back image to simultaneous display of the front image and the back image;

(e) sending a wide-angle control signal to the front video camera and the rear video camera in order to widen view angles while canceling the stopping of the input in the step (c) in response to the instruction from the instruction reception unit for the simultaneous display;

(f) extracting an image of a first range including the subject therein from the second front image and outputting the extracted image as an extracted front image in response to the instruction for the simultaneous display;

(g) extracting an image of a second range including the back of the subject therein from the second back image and outputting the extracted image as an extracted back image in response to the instruction for interlocking display;

(h) changing the extracted front image outputted in the step (f) to a size of e pixels in length by h pixels in width smaller than the size of i pixels in length by m pixels in width of the display and displaying the changed image as a mirroring front image on a first area in the display; and

(i) changing the extracted back image outputted in the step (g) to a size of r pixels in length by s pixels in width smaller than the size of i pixels in length by m pixels in width of the display and displaying the changed image as a mirroring back image on a second area different from the first area in the display along with the mirroring front image in the display.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program according to claim 13, the stored program which causes a computer to perform further steps of:

(j) creating a stock area on a side of the display;

(k) displaying still images simultaneously taken from the mirroring front image and the mirroring back image on the display in response to a record instruction when the mirroring front image and the mirroring back image are being displayed on the display;

(l) storing the still image of the mirroring front image and the still image of the mirroring back image being displayed in an image stock memory with linking each other in response to a stock instruction when the still images of the mirroring front image and the mirroring back image are being displayed on the display;

(m) reducing only the still image of the mirroring front image read from the image stock memory and displaying the reduced image as a selectable stock image on the stock area;

(n) upon every selection of stock images, changing the still image of the mirroring front image of a selected stock image to the size of e pixels in length by h pixels in width, changing the still image of the mirroring back image linked with the still image of the mirroring front image of the selected stock image to the size of r pixels in length by s pixels in width, and displaying both the still images as changed on the display;

(o) displaying a comparison area having frames on the display in response to a comparison instruction; and

(p) upon every selection of stock images being displayed on the stock area, displaying a selected stock image by enlarging in a first frame of the comparison area, and displaying the still image of the mirroring back image linked with the still image of the mirroring front image of the selected stock image read from the image stock memory by enlarging in a second frame adjacent to the first frame.

15. A method for an electronic mirroring system including

a mirroring unit including a display of i pixels in length by m pixels in width and a touch panel provided on the display, the mirroring unit being arranged in front of the subject,

a front video camera having a CCD of i pixels in length by m pixels in width and a wide-angle control for widening a view angle and being arranged on a side of the mirroring unit for taking a front image of the subject, the front video camera being configured to output a frame of an image taken without the wide-angle control as a first front image and another frame of an image taken with the wide-angle control as a second front image, and

a rear video camera having a CCD of i pixels in length by m pixels in width and a wide-angle control for widening a view angle and being arranged behind the subject for taking a back image of the subject, the rear video camera being configured to output a frame of an image taken without the wide-angle control as a first back image and another frame of an image taken with the wide-angle control as a second back image,

the method comprising:

capturing the first front image or the second front image outputted from the front video camera;

capturing the first back image or the second back image outputted from the back video camera;

outputting the first front image to the mirroring unit and displaying only the first front image on the display while stopping input of the first back image or the second back image;

receiving an instruction from a user through an instruction reception unit for changing display from single display of the first front image or the first back image to simultaneous display of the front image and the back image;

sending a wide-angle control signal to the front video camera and the rear video camera in order to widen view angles while canceling the stopping of the input in response to the instruction from the instruction reception unit for the simultaneous display;

extracting an image of a first range including the subject therein from the second front image and outputting the extracted image as an extracted front image in response to the instruction for the simultaneous display;

extracting an image of a second range including the back of the subject therein from the second back image and outputting the extracted image as an extracted back image in response to the instruction for simultaneous display;

changing the extracted front image as outputted to a size of e pixels in length by h pixels in width smaller than the size of i pixels in length by m pixels in width of the display and displaying the changed image as a mirroring front image on a first area in the display; and

changing the extracted back image as outputted to a size of r pixels in length by s pixels in width smaller than the size of i pixels in length by m pixels in width of the display and displaying the changed image as a mirroring back image on a second area different from the first area in the display along with the mirroring front image in the display.