Image projection system and image projection method

Abstract

To provide an image projection system and an image projection method capable of properly irradiating an object to be projected with projection light.SOLUTION: An image projection system includes an image projection device for irradiating an object to be projected with projection light to project an image, a detector for detecting a direction in which an object to be detected of the object to be projected is directed, and an information processing device for determining whether the direction of the projection light is within a prescribed angle including the direction in which the object to be detected is directed on the basis of information showing the direction in which the object to be detected detected by the detector is directed, and displaying whether the image projection device is located at a proper position at which the direction of the projection light is outside the prescribed angle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image projection system and an image projection method.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a technique of projection mapping in which an image is projected from a projector onto a building or the like. The projection target of projection mapping may be a person. For example, if makeup is projected onto a person's face, a large number of colors of makeup can be tried without actually applying it, and if it is projected onto clothing, a large number of patterns and color designs can be tried without actually wearing it. However, since a person moves, if the projection is not adjusted according to the movement, the projected image will shift from the desired projection position. Therefore, there is a technique called dynamic projection mapping that can track a person's movement and project an image according to the person's movement.

[0003] As such a projection mapping technique, it includes a movable projection unit capable of moving the projection position, a position detection unit for detecting the position of the item to be searched, a field of view detection unit for detecting the field of view, and a control unit. If the person searching indicates the item to be searched, the position detection unit detects the position of the item to be searched, the field of view detection unit detects the field of view of the person searching, and if the item to be searched is within the projection range of the projection unit, it projects directly onto the item to be searched, and if the item to be searched is not within the projection range of the projection unit, it projects guiding information for guiding the person searching to the item to be searched within the field of view of the person searching (for example, Patent Document 1).

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when performing projection mapping from an image projection device onto a projection target, when the projection target is a person (the person to be projected), there is a problem that the person to be projected feels dazzled by the projection light from the image projection device.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide an image projection system and an image projection method capable of appropriately irradiating a projection target with projection light.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the present invention includes an image projection device that projects an image by irradiating a projection target with projection light, a detector that detects a direction in which a detection target of the projection target faces, and based on information indicating the direction in which the detection target detected by the detector faces, determines whether the direction of the projection light is within a predetermined angle including the direction in which the detection target faces, and an information processing device that displays whether the image projection device is at an appropriate position where the direction of the projection light is outside the predetermined angle.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately irradiate a projection target with projection light.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the image projection system and the image projection method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Also, the present invention is not limited by the following embodiments, and the constituent elements in the following embodiments include those that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art, substantially the same ones, and those within the so-called equivalent range. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, changes, and combinations of the constituent elements can be made without departing from the gist of the following embodiments.

[0010] (Regarding Dynamic Projection Mapping) FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining dynamic projection mapping. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the viewing angle of a person. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the arrangement of a projector where the person to be projected feels dazzled. While referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the outline of dynamic projection mapping will be explained.

[0011] Dynamic projection mapping is, for example, when the object to be projected is a person, a projection mapping that can track the movement of the person and project an image according to the movement of the person. In this case, the components required for projection mapping onto a person, that is, dynamic projection mapping, are, as shown in FIG. 1, a projector 200, a mirror 20, and a person to be projected 10 (the human being to be projected). As shown in FIG. 1, projection light is projected by the projector 200 onto at least either the face or the body of the mirror 20, and the person to be projected 10 confirms the state where the projection light is projected using the mirror 20 placed in front of the eyes. In the example shown in FIG. 1, it is an example of the case where projection light for makeup is projected onto the face of the person to be projected 10 or projection light for clothes is projected onto the body. However, for example, when used for stage performances and the like, the mirror 20 may not be necessary.

[0012] In addition, in order to project an image from the projector 200 onto the person 10 to be projected, the person 10 to be projected and the projector 200 often face each other. In such a positional relationship, when the projector 200 irradiates (projects) the projection light toward the face of the person 10 to be projected or a body part close to the face, if the direction of the projection light of the projector 200 (irradiation direction, projection direction) enters the visual field of the person 10 to be projected, the person 10 to be projected will feel dazzled. There is a viewing angle in the human visual field. As shown in FIG. 2, the viewing angle is said to be approximately 115 degrees on each of the left and right sides in the left - right direction, approximately 60 degrees on the upper side and approximately 75 degrees on the lower side in the up - down direction. Here, FIG. 3 shows an example of the arrangement of the projector 200a when the direction of the projection light enters within such a viewing angle. In such an arrangement of the projector 200a, even when the projector 200a is not in front of the eyes of the person 10 to be projected, the person 10 to be projected will feel dazzled. Here, the viewing angle is an example of the "predetermined angle".

[0013] Hereinafter, in this embodiment, the arrangement and control of the projector 200 for reducing the dazzle felt by the person 10 to be projected will be described.

[0014] (Overall Configuration and Operational Outline of the Image Projection System) FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the image projection system according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the projector and the line - of - sight detector of the image projection system according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation when the direction of the projection light of the projector enters the viewing angle in the image projection system according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the operation when the direction of the projection light of the projector coincides with the line of sight in the image projection system according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the projector when the person to be projected is looking at a mirror and when not looking at a mirror in the image projection system according to the embodiment. With reference to FIGS. 4 to 8, the overall configuration and operational outline of the image projection system 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0015] The image projection system 1 shown in Fig. 4 is a system that realizes dynamic projection mapping capable of detecting the line of sight of a person, which is an example of the direction in which the object to be detected faces, and projecting an image according to the movement of the person. As shown in Fig. 4, the image projection system 1 includes a PC (Personal Computer) 100, a projector 200, and a line-of-sight detector 300.

[0016] The PC 100 is an information processing device that issues operation commands and the like to the projector 200 and the line-of-sight detector 300. Note that the PC 100 is not limited to being a PC, and may be an information processing device such as a workstation or a server device, for example.

[0017] The projector 200 is an image projection device that irradiates projection light of an image for realizing dynamic projection mapping in response to a command from the PC 100.

[0018] The line-of-sight detector 300 is an example of a detector, and is a device that detects the line of sight of the person to be projected 10 in response to a command from the PC 100. The line-of-sight detector 300 outputs information indicating the direction in which the object to be detected faces, that is, the line-of-sight information of the detected line of sight of the person to be projected 10, to the PC 100. Note that the line-of-sight detector 300 may use a method of photographing the face with a camera and determining the line of sight from the photographed image.

[0019] With such a configuration of the image projection system 1, the person to be projected 10 can confirm, in the mirror 20, an image projected onto his or her face or a body part near the face by the projection light irradiated by the projector 200 toward his or her face or a body part near the face.

[0020] Also, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the projector 200 is installed such that the direction of the projection light irradiated by the projector 200 is outside the viewing angle of the person 10 to be projected. Note that it may be placed on either side in the vertical direction of the viewing angle of the person 10 to be projected (the upper side in the example shown in FIG. 5), but since the human face has irregularities, it is desirable to install it at a position where shadows such as those of the nose are less likely to occur. In this way, even when the projector 200 is installed such that the direction of the projection light irradiated by the projector 200 is outside the viewing angle of the person 10 to be projected, projection mapping onto the person 10 to be projected can be performed without problems, and since the direction of the projection light is outside the viewing angle, the person 10 to be projected does not feel dazzled. Details of the installation method of the projector 200 will be described later with reference to FIG. 13.

[0021] However, even when the projector 200 is installed in the above-described manner, if the person 10 to be projected moves their face, the direction of the projection light of the projector 200 will enter the field of view, and the person will feel dazzled. Therefore, in the image projection system 1 according to the present embodiment, the line of sight of the person 10 to be projected is detected, and the brightness of the projection light of the projector 200 is controlled according to the movement of the line of sight. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the image projection system 1 includes a line-of-sight detector 300 that can detect the line of sight of the person 10 to be projected. As shown in FIG. 6, when the direction of the projection light enters within the viewing angle of the person 10 to be projected, or as shown in FIG. 7, when the line of sight of the person 10 to be projected is directed in the direction of the projection light, the projector 200 performs control to dim the brightness of the projection light. Here, as a method for dimming the brightness of the projection light, for example, there are methods such as reducing the amount of light of the projection light, turning off some of the light sources of the projector 200, or projecting a black image. Thereby, even if the direction of the projection light of the projector 200 enters the viewing angle of the person 10 to be projected or the line of sight of the person 10 to be projected is directed in that direction, the dazzle felt by the person 10 to be projected can be reduced. Details of the control operation of the brightness of the projection light of the projector 200 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 12, 14, and 15.

[0022] In the case of projection mapping performed while the person 10 to be projected views the mirror 20, as shown in Fig. 8(a), when the person 10 to be projected turns their line of sight away from the mirror 20 as shown in Fig. 8(b) from the state where the person 10 to be projected is looking at the mirror 20, the projector 200 stops irradiating the projection light. As a result, since the irradiation of the projection light of the projector 200 can be stopped at unnecessary timings, wasteful power consumption can be reduced. The details of the operation of stopping the projection light of the projector 200 will be described later with reference to Fig. 12.

[0023] (Hardware Configuration of the PC) Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the PC according to the embodiment. The hardware configuration of the PC 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 9, the PC 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 701, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 702, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 703, an auxiliary storage device 705, a media drive 707, a display 708, a network I / F 709, a keyboard 711, a mouse 712, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) drive 714, and an external device connection I / F 715.

[0025] The CPU 701 is an arithmetic unit that controls the overall operation of the PC 100. The ROM 702 is a non-volatile storage device that stores programs for the PC 100. The RAM 703 is a volatile storage device used as a work area for the CPU 701.

[0026] The auxiliary storage device 705 is a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive) that stores various data, programs, and the like. The media drive 707 is a device that controls the reading and writing of data to a recording medium 706 such as a flash memory according to the control of the CPU 701.

[0027] The display 708 is a display device such as a liquid crystal or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) that displays various information such as a cursor, a menu, a window, characters, or an image.

[0028] The network I / F 709 is an interface for data communication with an external device via a network such as the Internet. The network I / F 709 is, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card) that supports Ethernet (registered trademark) and is capable of communication compliant with TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / IP (Internet Protocol) or the like. Note that the network I / F 709 may be a wireless communication interface compliant with Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or the like.

[0029] The keyboard 711 is an input device for performing operations such as inputting characters, numbers, selecting various instructions, and moving the cursor. The mouse 712 is an input device for selecting and executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, and moving the cursor.

[0030] The DVD drive 714 is a device that controls the reading and writing of data to a DVD 713 such as a DVD-ROM or a DVD-R (Digital Versatile Disk Recordable) as an example of a removable storage medium.

[0031] The external device connection I / F 715 is an interface conforming to a standard such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) for data communication with external devices. The external device connection I / F 715 performs data communication with, for example, the projector 200 and the gaze detector 300.

[0032] The above-described CPU 701, ROM 702, RAM 703, auxiliary storage device 705, media drive 707, display 708, network I / F 709, keyboard 711, mouse 712, DVD drive 714, and external device connection I / F 715 are communicably connected to each other by a bus 710 such as an address bus and a data bus.

[0033] Note that the hardware configuration of the PC 100 shown in FIG. 9 is merely an example, and it is not necessary to include all the components shown in FIG. 9, or other components may be included.

[0034] Also, in the example shown in FIG. 9, the PC 100 is configured to perform data communication with the projector 200 and the gaze detector 300 via the external device connection I / F 715, but it is not limited thereto. For example, the PC 100 may perform data communication with at least one of the projector 200 or the gaze detector 300 via the network I / F 709.

[0035] (Hardware Configuration of Projector) FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a projector according to an embodiment. With reference to FIG. 10, the hardware configuration of the projector 200 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 10, the projector 200 includes a CPU 801, a ROM 802, a RAM 803, a media I / F 807, an operation unit 808, a power switch 809, a network I / F 811, an LD (Laser Diode) drive circuit 814, an LD light source 815, a projection device 816, a projection lens 817, an external device connection I / F 818, a fan drive circuit 819, and a cooling fan 820.

[0037] The CPU 801 is an arithmetic unit that controls the operation of the entire projector 200. The ROM 802 is a non-volatile memory device that stores programs used to drive the CPU 801. The RAM 803 is a volatile memory device used as a work area for the CPU 801.

[0038] The media I / F 807 is an interface circuit that controls the reading or writing (storage) of data to and from a media 806 such as a flash memory.

[0039] The operation unit 808 is provided with various keys, buttons, and LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), etc., and is used to perform various operations other than turning the power of the projector 200 on / off by the user. For example, the operation unit 808 receives instruction operations such as an operation to adjust the size of the projected image, an operation to adjust the color tone, a focus adjustment operation, a keystone adjustment operation, etc., and outputs the received operation content to the CPU 801.

[0040] The power switch 809 is a switch for switching the on / off of the power of the projector 200.

[0041] The network I / F 811 is an interface circuit for performing data communication using a communication network such as the Internet.

[0042] The LD drive circuit 814 is a drive circuit that controls the lighting and extinguishing of the LD light source 815 under the control of the CPU 801. When the LD light source 815 is lit under the control of the LD drive circuit 814, it irradiates projection light onto the projection device 816.

[0043] Based on the image data obtained via the external device connection I / F 818 and the like, the projection device 816 modulates the projection light from the LD light source 815 by a spatial light modulation method to obtain modulated light (projection light), and projects the modulated light as an image onto the projection surface of the screen through the projection lens 817. As the projection device 816, for example, a liquid crystal panel or a DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) or the like is used.

[0044] The LD drive circuit 814, the LD light source 815, the projection device 816, and the projection lens 817 function as a projection unit (projection means) that projects an image by projection light onto the projection surface based on the image data as a whole.

[0045] The external device connection I / F 818 is an interface of a standard such as USB for data communication with an external device. The external device connection I / F 818 receives, for example, a control signal and image data from the PC 100.

[0046] The fan drive circuit 819 is connected to the CPU 801 and the cooling fan 820, and is a drive circuit for driving / stopping the drive of the cooling fan 820 based on a control signal from the CPU 801. The cooling fan 820 is a fan device that exhausts the air inside the projector 200 by being rotated by the fan drive circuit 819 and cools the inside of the projector 200.

[0047] The CPU 801, the ROM 802, the RAM 803, the media I / F 807, the operation unit 808, the power switch 809, the network I / F 811, the LD drive circuit 814, the projection device 816, the external device connection I / F 818, and the fan drive circuit 819 are electrically connected by a bus 810 such as an address bus and a data bus so that data communication with each other is possible.

[0048] When power supply power is supplied, the CPU 801 starts according to a control program pre-stored in the ROM 802, gives a control signal to the LD drive circuit 814 to turn on the LD light source 815, and gives a control signal to the fan drive circuit 819 to rotate the cooling fan 820 at a predetermined rated rotational speed. Also, when the supply of power supply power is started, the projector 200 becomes in a state where the projection device 816 can display an image. Further, when the power switch 809 is turned off, a power-off signal is sent from the power switch 809 to the CPU 801. When the CPU 801 detects the power-off signal, the CPU 801 gives a control signal to the LD drive circuit 814 to turn off the LD light source 815. After that, when a predetermined time has elapsed, the CPU 801 gives a control signal to the fan drive circuit 819 to stop the cooling fan 820 and ends its own control process.

[0049] Note that the hardware configuration of the projector 200 shown in FIG. 10 shows an example, and it is not necessary to include all the components shown in FIG. 10, or other components may be included.

[0050] Also, in the example shown in FIG. 10, the projector 200 is shown to be configured to perform data communication with the PC 100 via the external device connection I / F 818, but it is not limited thereto. For example, the projector 200 may perform data communication with the PC 100 via the network I / F 811.

[0051] (Hardware Configuration of the Line-of-Sight Detector) FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the line-of-sight detector according to the embodiment. With reference to FIG. 11, the hardware configuration of the line-of-sight detector 300 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 11, the line-of-sight detector 300 includes a control unit 901, a detection unit 902, and an external device connection I / F 903.

[0053] The control unit 901 is a controller that controls the operation of the entire line-of-sight detector 300.

[0054] The detection unit 902 is a device that detects the line of sight of the person 10 to be projected. The detection unit 902 transmits line-of-sight information indicating the detected line of sight to the PC 100 via the external device connection I / F 903.

[0055] The external device connection I / F 903 is an interface of a standard such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) that performs data communication with an external device. The external device connection I / F 903 performs data communication with, for example, the PC 100.

[0056] The above-described control unit 901, detection unit 902, and external device connection I / F 903 are communicably connected to each other by a bus 910 such as an address bus and a data bus.

[0057] Note that the hardware configuration of the line-of-sight detector 300 shown in FIG. 11 is an example, and it is not necessary to include all the components shown in FIG. 11, or other components may be included.

[0058] Also, in the example shown in FIG. 11, the line-of-sight detector 300 is configured to perform data communication with the PC 100 via the external device connection I / F 903, but it is not limited thereto, and for example, it may perform data communication with the PC 100 via a network I / F (not shown).

[0059] (Configuration and Operation of Functional Blocks of Image Projection System) FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of functional blocks of an image projection system according to an embodiment. With reference to FIG. 12, the configuration and operation of the functional blocks of the image projection system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 12, the PC 100 of the image projection system 1 includes a communication unit 101, a line-of-sight information acquisition unit 102 (acquisition unit), a visual field specification unit 103 (specification unit), a determination unit 104, a projection control unit 105, and an operation input unit 106.

[0061] The communication unit 101 is a functional unit that performs data communication with the projector 200 and the line-of-sight detector 300 via the external device connection I / F 715.

[0062] The line-of-sight information acquisition unit 102 is a functional unit that acquires line-of-sight information about the line of sight of the projected person 10 detected by the line-of-sight detector 300 via the communication unit 101.

[0063] The visual field specification unit 103 is a functional unit that specifies the visual field angle of the projected person 10 based on the line-of-sight information acquired by the line-of-sight information acquisition unit 102.

[0064] The determination unit 104 is a functional unit that determines whether the direction of the projection light of the projector 200 is within the visual field angle of the projected person 10 specified by the visual field specification unit 103. Further, the determination unit 104 determines whether the line of sight of the projected person 10 is directed toward the mirror 20 based on the line-of-sight information acquired by the line-of-sight information acquisition unit 102.

[0065] The projection control unit 105 is a functional unit that controls the brightness of the projection light of the projector 200. Specifically, when the determination unit 104 determines that the direction of the projection light is outside the visual field angle of the projected person 10, the projection control unit 105 controls the projection light to have a normal brightness. Here, the normal brightness refers to, for example, the brightness when there is no particular restriction as the brightness used for projection mapping on the projected person 10. On the other hand, when the determination unit 104 determines that the direction of the projection light is within the visual field angle of the projected person 10, or when the determination unit 104 determines that the line of sight of the projected person is directed toward the direction of the projection light, the projection control unit 105 performs control to make the brightness of the projection light darker than the normal brightness.

[0066] Further, when the determination unit 104 determines that the line of sight of the person to be projected 10 is not directed toward the mirror 20, the projection control unit 105 stops irradiating the projector 200 with projection light. In this case, stopping the irradiation of the projection light includes, for example, methods such as setting the light amount of the projection light to zero, turning off the light source of the projector 200, and shielding the projection light of the projector 200. Thereafter, when the determination unit 104 determines that the line of sight of the person to be projected 10 is directed toward the mirror 20, the projection control unit 105 resumes irradiating the projector 200 with projection light. As a result, it is possible to stop the irradiation of the projection light of the projector 200 at unnecessary timings, and thus it is possible to reduce wasted power consumption.

[0067] The operation input unit 106 is a functional unit that receives operation inputs from the user. The operation input unit 106 is realized by the keyboard 711 and the mouse 712 shown in FIG. 9.

[0068] The above-described communication unit 101, line-of-sight information acquisition unit 102, viewing field specification unit 103, determination unit 104, and projection control unit 105 are realized, for example, by a program being executed by the CPU 701 shown in FIG. 9. Note that at least a part of the communication unit 101, line-of-sight information acquisition unit 102, viewing field specification unit 103, determination unit 104, and projection control unit 105 may be realized by a hardware circuit such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0069] Note that each functional part of the PC100 shown in FIG. 9 conceptually shows the functions and is not limited to such a configuration. That is, each functional part of the PC100 does not necessarily have to be configured as a clear software module as the blocks shown in FIG. 9, and it suffices that the functions of each functional part are realized as a whole when a program is executed on the PC100. For example, a plurality of functional parts illustrated as independent functional parts in the PC100 shown in FIG. 9 may be configured as one functional part. On the other hand, the functions of one functional part of the PC100 shown in FIG. 9 may be divided into a plurality of functions and configured as a plurality of functional parts.

[0070] (Flow of the projector installation operation) FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow when installing the projector of the image projection system according to the embodiment. With reference to FIG. 13, the flow when installing the projector 200 will be described.

[0071] <Step S11> First, the user installs the projector 200. Then, the process proceeds to Step S12.

[0072] <Step S12> Next, the user determines whether the direction of the projection light of the projector 200 is within the viewing angle of the person 10 to be projected. Note that the line-of-sight information acquisition unit 102 of the PC 100 acquires line-of-sight information via the communication unit 101, the viewing angle identification unit 103 identifies the viewing angle of the person 10 to be projected based on the line-of-sight information acquired by the line-of-sight information acquisition unit 102, the determination unit 104 determines whether the direction of the projection light of the projector 200 is within the viewing angle of the person 10 to be projected identified by the viewing angle identification unit 103, and the PC 100 may display the determination result on the display 708. Further, the PC 100 may display whether the installation position of the projector 200 is appropriate as the determination result. In this case, it is assumed that the installation position of the projector 200 where the direction of the projection light is outside the viewing angle is appropriate. When it is determined that the direction of the projection light of the projector 200 is within the viewing angle of the person 10 to be projected (step S12: Yes), the process proceeds to step S13, and when it is determined that the direction of the projection light is outside the viewing angle of the person 10 to be projected (step S12: No), the process proceeds to step S14.

[0073] <Step S13> The user moves the installation position of the projector 200 so that the direction of the projection light of the projector 200 is outside the viewing angle of the person 10 to be projected. Then, the process proceeds to step S14.

[0074] <Step S14> The user starts irradiating the projection light of the projector 200 toward the face of the person 10 to be projected or a body part close to the face by operating the operation input unit 106 of the PC 100, and projects an image.

[0075] (Flow of operation for controlling the brightness of projection light in the image projection system) FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of an operation for controlling the brightness of projection light of the image projection system according to the embodiment. FIG. 15 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of an operation for controlling the brightness of projection light of the image projection system according to the embodiment. The flow of an operation for controlling the brightness of projection light in the image projection system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15.

[0076] First, with reference to FIG. 14, an overview of the operation of controlling the brightness of the projection light in the image projection system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0077] <Step S21> When the image projection system 1 is performing projection matching on the subject 10, the subject 10 moves their line of sight. Then, the process proceeds to step S22.

[0078] <Step S22> The line-of-sight detector 300 detects the line of sight of the subject 10 in response to a command from the PC 100, and outputs the line-of-sight information of the detected line of sight of the subject 10 to the PC 100. Then, the line-of-sight information acquisition unit 102 of the PC 100 acquires the line-of-sight information via the communication unit 101. Then, the process proceeds to step S23.

[0079] <Step S23> The field-of-view specifying unit 103 of the PC 100 specifies the field-of-view angle of the subject 10 based on the line-of-sight information acquired by the line-of-sight information acquisition unit 102. Then, the determination unit 104 of the PC 100 determines whether the direction of the projection light of the projector 200 is within the field-of-view angle of the subject 10 specified by the field-of-view specifying unit 103. If the direction of the projection light of the projector 200 is within the field-of-view angle of the subject 10 (step S23: Yes), the process proceeds to step S24, and if the direction of the projection light is outside the field-of-view angle of the subject 10 (step S23: No), the process proceeds to step S25. Also, when the direction of the projection light is outside the field-of-view angle of the subject 10 (step S23: No) and the projection light of the projector 200 is controlled to be dim, the projection control unit 105 of the PC 100 returns the projection light of the projector 200 to its original normal brightness.

[0080] <Step S24> The projection control unit 105 of the PC 100 causes the projector 200 to perform control to make the brightness of the projection light darker than the normal brightness. Then, the process proceeds to step S25.

[0081] <Step S25> The projection control unit 105 starts irradiating the projector 200 with projection light toward the face of the subject 10 or a body part close to the face, and projects an image.

[0082] Thereafter, the processes of steps S21 to S25 described above are repeated.

[0083] Next, while referring to FIG. 15, paying attention to the flow of each data, the details of the operation for controlling the brightness of the projection light in the image projection system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0084] <Step S31> The operation input unit 106 of the PC 100 receives an operation input for starting detection from the user to the line-of-sight detector 300.

[0085] <Step S32> Then, the communication unit 101 of the PC 100 transmits an instruction for detecting the line of sight of the subject 10 to the line-of-sight detector 300. Then, the line-of-sight detector 300 receives the detection instruction.

[0086] <Steps S33 to S35> The line-of-sight detector 300 detects the line of sight of the subject 10 and outputs the line-of-sight information of the detected line of sight of the subject 10 to the PC 100.

[0087] <Step S36> The visual field specifying unit 103 of the PC 100 specifies the visual field angle of the subject 10 based on the line-of-sight information acquired by the line-of-sight information acquisition unit 102.

[0088] <Step S37> The determination unit 104 of the PC 100 determines whether the direction of the projection light of the projector 200 is within the viewing angle of the person 10 to be projected identified by the viewing angle identification unit 103. The PC 100 determines whether the projector 200 is in an appropriate position where the direction of the projection light is outside the viewing angle, and displays it on the display 708, for example. If the direction of the projection light of the projector 200 is within the viewing angle of the person 10 to be projected, the process proceeds to step S38. If the direction of the projection light is outside the viewing angle of the person 10 to be projected, the process proceeds to step S40. Also, when the direction of the projection light is outside the viewing angle of the person 10 to be projected and the projection light of the projector 200 is controlled to be dim, the projection control unit 105 returns the projection light of the projector 200 to its original normal brightness.

[0089] <Step S38> The projection control unit 105 of the PC 100 transmits an instruction to dim the brightness of the projection light to the projector 200 via the communication unit 101. Then, the projector 200 receives the instruction.

[0090] <Step S39> The projector 200 dims the brightness of the projection light to be lower than the normal brightness according to the received instruction.

[0091] <Step S40> The projection control unit 105 transmits an instruction to project an image by irradiating the projection light toward the face of the person 10 to be projected or a body part close to the face via the communication unit 101 to the projector 200. Then, the projector 200 receives the instruction.

[0092] <Step S41> The projector 200 projects an image by irradiating the projection light toward the face of the person 10 to be projected or a body part close to the face according to the received instruction.

[0093] Thereafter, the processes of steps S32 to S41 described above are repeated.

[0094] As described above, in the image projection system 1 according to the present embodiment, the projector 200 irradiates the projection target person 10 with projection light to project an image, the gaze detector 300 detects the gaze of the projection target person 10, and the PC 100 determines whether the direction of the projection light is within the viewing angle of the projection target person 10 based on the gaze detected by the gaze detector 300, and the projector 200 is configured to display whether the projection light is at an appropriate position outside the viewing angle. As a result, when performing projection mapping from the image projection device to a person, the glare felt by the projection target person can be reduced.

[0095] Further, in the image projection system 1 according to the present embodiment, the PC 100 includes a gaze information acquisition unit 102 that acquires gaze information of the gaze of the projection target person 10 detected by the gaze detector 300, and a projection control unit 105 that controls the brightness of the projection light of the projector 200 based on the gaze information acquired by the gaze information acquisition unit 102. Specifically, the PC 100 further includes a viewing angle specifying unit 103 that specifies the viewing angle of the projection target person 10 based on the gaze information acquired by the gaze information acquisition unit 102, and a determination unit 104 that determines whether the direction of the projection light of the projector 200 is within the viewing angle specified by the viewing angle specifying unit 103. When the determination unit 104 determines that the direction of the projection light is within the viewing angle, the projection control unit 105 is configured to make the brightness of the projection light of the projector 200 darker than the normal brightness. As a result, when performing projection mapping from the image projection device to a person, the glare felt by the projection target person can be reduced.

[0096] In the above-described embodiment, an example was given in which the object to be projected was the person to be projected (a person), and the object to be detected was the line of sight of the person to be projected. However, the object to be projected and the object to be detected are not limited to this. The object to be projected may be, for example, a part close to the face other than the face of a person, or may be an intervening object installed between the image projection device and the person. Here, as an example of the intervening object, there is a face-exposing panel in the shape of a signboard for souvenir photos seen at tourist spots or the like. For example, it can also be applied to a face-exposing panel in which the surrounding (background) image excluding the part of the hole for face exposure formed in the panel can be changed to an arbitrary image. Further, the object to be detected may be, in addition to the line of sight, for example, a part close to the eyes or another part set as the object to be detected. When the person to be projected (a person) is wearing glasses, for example, the frame of the glasses may be set as the object to be detected. Further, the technology of the above-described image projection system 1 can be used, for example, for makeup simulation using projection mapping, stage production, etc. Also, since it feels dazzling even when projected onto the body instead of the face, it can also be used for projection mapping onto the body, for example, when projecting onto clothes.

[0097] Further, as the uses of the projector 200, it can be used in various scenes such as for business use (projection display for business, meetings, presentations, etc.), for home use, for medical use (projection display of monochrome medical images such as X-ray images of X-rays and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) images), for public use (projection display of various guides, advertisements, signage, etc. in public places, stores, transportation facilities), for installation in factories, etc. Also, the projector 200 has a projection mode corresponding to each use (color mode, video mode, image mode, medical mode for projecting medical images, public mode for projecting guides / signage outdoors or in stores, etc.), and in response to the change of the mode, the driving method or the control of the driving amount such as the light source, power, cooling, output, etc. may be automatically changed.

[0098] Also, in the above-described embodiment, when at least any one of the functional units of the PC 100 is realized by executing a program, the program is provided by being pre-installed in a ROM or the like. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the program executed by the PC 100 may be recorded and provided on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R (Compact Disk-Recordable), or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) in an installable format or an executable format file. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the program executed by the PC 100 may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet, and provided by being downloaded via the network. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the program executed by the PC 100 may be configured to be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the program executed by the PC 100 has a module configuration including at least any one of the above-described functional units, and as actual hardware, the CPU 701 reads and executes the program from the above-described storage devices (for example, the ROM 702, the auxiliary storage device 705, etc.), so that each of the above-described functional units is loaded and generated on the main storage device (RAM 703).

[0099] Aspects of the present invention are as follows. <1> An image projection apparatus that irradiates a projection target with projection light to project an image, A detector that detects a direction in which a detection target of the projection target is facing, Based on information indicating the direction in which the detection target detected by the detector is facing, it is determined whether the direction of the projection light is within a predetermined angle including the direction in which the detection target is facing, and the information processing apparatus that displays whether the image projection apparatus is in an appropriate position where the direction of the projection light is outside the predetermined angle, An image projection system including the above. <2>The information processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit that acquires information indicating the direction in which the detected object is facing, detected by the detector; and the image projection system according to <1> above, further includes a projection control unit that controls the brightness of the projection light of the image projection apparatus based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit. <3>The information processing apparatus further includes a specifying unit that specifies a predetermined angle including the direction in which the detected object is facing, based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit; a determination unit that determines whether the direction of the projection light of the image projection apparatus is within the predetermined angle specified by the specifying unit; and when the determination unit determines that the direction of the projection light is within the predetermined angle, the projection control unit makes the brightness of the projection light of the image projection apparatus darker than the normal brightness, and the image projection system according to <2> above. <4>When the determination unit determines that the detected object of the object to be projected faces in the direction of the projection light, the projection control unit makes the brightness of the projection light of the image projection apparatus darker than the normal brightness, and the image projection system according to <3> above. <5>When the determination unit determines that the direction of the projection light is outside the predetermined angle, the projection control unit returns the brightness of the projection light of the image projection apparatus to the normal brightness, and the image projection system according to <3> or <4> above. <6>The image projection system includes a mirror disposed to face the object to be projected, the determination unit determines whether the detected object of the object to be projected faces the mirror, based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit; and when the determination unit determines that the detected object of the object to be projected does not face the mirror, the projection control unit stops irradiating the projection light to the image projection apparatus, and the image projection system according to any one of <3> to <5> above. <7>If the determination unit determines that the detection target of the object to be projected is facing the mirror, the image projection system according to <6> above, in which the projection control unit resumes irradiation of the projection light to the image projection device. <8>The object to be projected is a person to be projected, and the image projection system according to any one of <1> to <7> above. <9>The detection target is the line of sight of the person to be projected, and the predetermined angle is the viewing angle of the person to be projected, and the image projection system according to <8> above. <10>An image projection step of irradiating an object to be projected with projection light from an image projection device to project an image; A detection step of detecting the direction in which the detection target of the object to be projected is facing; Based on the information indicating the direction in which the detection target detected in the detection step is facing, it is determined whether the direction of the projection light is within a predetermined angle including the direction in which the detection target is facing, and the image projection device determines whether the projection light is in an appropriate position outside the predetermined angle. An information processing step of displaying whether or not; An image projection method including:

Explanation of Signs

[0100] 1 Image projection system 10 Person to be projected 20 Mirror 100 PC 101 Communication unit 102 Line-of-sight information acquisition unit 103 Viewing angle specifying unit 104 Determination unit 105 Projection control unit 106 Operation input unit 200, 200a Projector 300 Line-of-sight detector 701 CPU 702 ROM 703 RAM 705 Auxiliary storage device 706 Recording medium 707 Media drive 708 Display 709 Network I / F 710 Bus 711 Keyboard 712 Mouse 713 DVD 714 DVD Drive 715 External Device Connection I / F 801 CPU 802 ROM 803 RAM 806 Media 807 Media I / F 808 Operation Unit 809 Power Switch 810 Bus 811 Network I / F 814 LD Drive Circuit 815 LD Light Source 816 Projection Device 817 Projection Lens 818 External Device Connection I / F 819 Fan Drive Circuit 820 Cooling Fan 901 Control Unit 902 Detection Unit 903 External Device Connection I / F 910 Bus

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0101]

Patent Document 1

Claims

1. An image projection device that irradiates a projection target with projection light to project an image, a detector that detects the direction in which a detection target of the projection target faces, based on information indicating the direction in which the detection target of the projection target faces, which is detected by the detector, determines whether the direction of the projection light is within a predetermined angle including the direction in which the detection target faces, and an information processing device that displays whether the image projection device is at an appropriate position where the direction of the projection light is outside the predetermined angle, An image projection system including the above.

2. The information processing device, an acquisition unit that acquires information indicating the direction in which the detection target of the projection target faces, which is detected by the detector, The image projection system according to claim 1, further comprising a projection control unit that controls the brightness of the projection light of the image projection device based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit.

3. The information processing device, a specifying unit that specifies a predetermined angle including the direction in which the detection target faces based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, a determination unit that determines whether the direction of the projection light of the image projection device is within the predetermined angle specified by the specifying unit, further comprising, The projection control unit dims the brightness of the projection light of the image projection device to be darker than the normal brightness when the determination unit determines that the direction of the projection light is within the predetermined angle. The image projection system according to claim 2.

4. The projection control unit dims the brightness of the projection light of the image projection device to be darker than the normal brightness when the determination unit determines that the detection target of the projection target faces in the direction of the projection light. The image projection system according to claim 3.

5. The projection control unit returns the brightness of the projection light of the image projection device to the normal brightness when the determination unit determines that the direction of the projection light is outside the predetermined angle. The image projection system according to claim 3 or 4.

6. The image projection system includes a mirror disposed to face the projection target, The determination unit determines whether the detection target of the projection target faces the mirror based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit The image projection system according to claim 3, wherein when the determination unit determines that the detection target of the object to be projected is not facing the mirror, the projection control unit stops the irradiation of the projection light by the image projection device.

7. The image projection system according to claim 6, wherein when the determination unit determines that the detection target of the object to be projected is facing the mirror, the projection control unit resumes the irradiation of the projection light by the image projection device.

8. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein the object to be projected is a person to be projected.

9. The image projection system according to claim 8, wherein the detection target is the line of sight of the person to be projected, and the predetermined angle is the viewing angle of the person to be projected.

10. An image projection step of irradiating projection light from an image projection device onto an object to be projected to project an image; A detection step of detecting the direction in which the detection target of the object to be projected is facing; Based on the information indicating the direction in which the detection target detected in the detection step is facing, determining whether the direction of the projection light is within a predetermined angle including the direction in which the detection target is facing, and an information processing step of displaying whether the image projection device is at an appropriate position where the direction of the projection light is outside the predetermined angle; An image projection method including the above.

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