Remote instruction system, remote instruction method, and program product therefor
A remote instruction system includes an attention image outputting portion that projects an annotation image and an attention image from a projecting portion onto a captured area of an image capturing portion that captures an image of an object, the annotation image being created on the basis of the image captured, the attention image being provided for attracting attention to the annotation image.
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1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to a remote instruction system, by which an instruction can be given to an object from a remote site.
2. Related Art
There are systems by which communications are made between remote sites. For example, while an object at a remote site is being captured by a camera and such captured image is being transmitted to a monitoring site at another remote site, a pointer created based on the captured image (hereinafter, referred to as annotation image) is transmitted to the remote site and the annotation image is projected onto the object from a video projector. This allows a monitoring person to give an instruction, by use of the annotation image, not only to a telephone or the captured image but also to detailed portions of the object.
SUMMARYAn aspect of the present invention provides a remote instruction system including an attention image outputting portion that projects an annotation image and an attention image from a projecting portion onto a captured area of an image capturing portion that captures an image of an object, the annotation image being created on the basis of the image captured, the attention image being provided for attracting attention to the annotation image.
Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:
A description will now be given, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
Meanwhile, the remote terminal 3 includes: a display 13 that displays the image captured by the camcorder 7; and a mouse 15 used for giving an instruction to project the annotation image 8 to the object 5. The annotation image 8 is projected onto the object 5 located in a captured area 4, as shown in
Referring now to
A description will now be given of the operation of the remote instruction system configured as described above. The captured image of the object 5 captured by the camcorder 7 is transmitted from the server 1 through the network 2 to the remote terminal 3. Then, the captured image is displayed on the display 13. This allows an operator who operates the remote terminal 3 to give an instruction to draw a desired annotation image 8 by means of the mouse 15, according to the captured image displayed on the display 13.
The annotation image 8 instructed by the mouse 15 is transmitted from the remote terminal 3 through the network 2 to the server 1, and the annotation image 8 is projected onto the object 5 by the projector 9. While the annotation image 8 is being projected or after the annotation image 8 is projected, an attention image 10 is projected onto the object 5 by the projector 9.
Next, the attention image outputting portion 11 determines whether or not the annotation image 8 is finished drawing on the captured image (S3). If the annotation image 8 is finished drawing on the captured image (S3: Yes), the attention image outputting portion 11 makes the projector 9 stop projecting the annotation image 8 (S4), and makes the projector 9 start projecting the annotation image 8 (S5). Meanwhile, if the annotation image 8 is not finished drawing on the captured image (S1: No), processing returns to step S1.
The attention image 10 projected onto the object 5 by the attention image outputting portion 11 may be the images shown in
Next, the attention image outputting portion 11 determines whether or not the annotation image 8 is finished drawing on the captured image (S25). If the annotation image 8 is finished drawing on the captured image (S25: Yes), the attention image outputting portion 11 makes the projector 9 finish projecting the annotation image 8 (S26), and makes the projector 9 start projecting the attention image 10 (S27). Meanwhile, if the annotation image 8 is not finished drawing on the captured image (S25: No), processing returns to step S21.
Specifically, referring now to
Specifically, a description will be given with reference to
Next, a description will be given of a case where the object 5 has a complex structure.
Referring now to
If the object 5 is the circuit board 19 as described above, the attention image outputting portion 11 is capable of analyzing the complexity of the image captured by the camcorder 7 by means of differential histogram or the like, and changing the shape of the attention image 10 to be output according to the analysis results. For example, if the attention image 10 is a circle, it is desirable to change the number of the circles, to change the radius thereof in starting drawing, or to change the thickness thereof.
Specifically, the attention image 10 is projected onto the annotation image 8 projected onto the object 5. Referring to
Referring now to
As shown in
It should be appreciated that modifications and adaptations to those exemplary embodiments may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in the abode-described exemplary embodiments, the attention image outputting portion 11 is provided in the server 1. The attention image outputting portion 11, however, may be provided in the remote terminal 3, whereas the attention image outputting portion 11 in the server 1 applies the less network load than that provided in the remote terminal 3. A remote instruction method employed as an aspect of the present invention is realized with a Central Processing Unit (CPU), Read Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), and the like, by installing a program from a portable memory device or a storage device such as a hard disc device, CD-ROM, DVD, or a flexible disc or downloading the program through a communications line. Then the steps of program are executed as the CPU operates the program.
The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A remote instruction system comprising an attention image outputting portion that projects an annotation image and an attention image from a projecting portion onto a captured area of an image capturing portion that captures an image of an object, the annotation image being created on the basis of the image captured, the attention image being provided for attracting attention to the annotation image.
2. The remote instruction system according to claim 1, wherein the attention image outputting portion changes an output state of the attention image, while the attention image is being output.
3. The remote instruction system according to claim 1, wherein the attention image outputting portion projects the attention image to wholly include the annotation image, and then moves the attention image to concentrate on the annotation image.
4. The remote instruction system according to claim 1, wherein the attention image outputting portion changes an output state of the attention image according to the output state of the annotation image.
5. The remote instruction system according to claim 1, wherein the attention image outputting portion changes a shape of the attention image according to the shape of the annotation image.
6. The remote instruction system according to claim 1, wherein the attention image outputting portion does not project the attention image until a given period of time passes.
7. The remote instruction system according to claim 1, further comprising:
- a server that controls the image capturing portion and the projecting portion; and
- one or more remote terminals that receive the captured image from the server and give an instruction to project the annotation image,
- wherein the attention image outputting portion does not transmit the captured image to the one or more remote terminals, while the attention image is being projected onto the object.
8. The remote instruction system according to claim 7, wherein the attention image outputting portion displays the attention image on the remote terminal by which the annotation image is not instructed to project.
9. The remote instruction system according to claim 1, wherein the attention image outputting portion forms the attention image according to an area onto which the annotation image is projected.
10. A remote instruction system comprising projecting an annotation image and an attention image onto a captured area in which an image of an object is captured, the annotation image being created on the basis of the image captured, the attention image being provided for attracting attention to the annotation image.
11. A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for remote instruction, the process comprising projecting an annotation image and an attention image onto a captured area in which an image of an object is captured, the annotation image being created on the basis of the image captured, the attention image being provided for attracting attention to the annotation image.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 30, 2006
Publication Date: Jan 3, 2008
Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD. (Tokyo)
Inventor: Jun Shingu (Kanagawa)
Application Number: 11/589,176
International Classification: G06F 15/16 (20060101);