Image projection system and image projection method

Abstract

To provide an image projection system and the like that can improve a user's visibility of a projected image.SOLUTION: A controller 15 of an image projection system 1 obtains a viewpoint position Pe as the average value of the viewpoint positions of all occupants of a passenger vehicle 2 on the basis of the image captured by a camera 11, and controls a center position Pc of a moving image projected from a projector 13 onto a screen unit 30 on the basis of the viewpoint position Pe.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image projection system for projecting an image onto a projection surface. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional image projection system for projecting an image onto the projection surface of a screen is described in Patent Document 1. In this image projection system, when the projection surface of the screen is not flat, and a user sets a value via a slide bar, this value is substituted for an undefined value in an approximation formula to calculate a correction value for the image to be projected. Then, the image corrected using this correction value is projected onto the projection surface of the screen from the projection device, resulting in an image that matches the shape of the projection surface being projected onto the projection surface. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-320662 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The conventional image projection system described above does not take into consideration the positional relationship between the projection surface and the user, which can reduce the user's visibility of the projected image. This problem is particularly noticeable when the user is in a situation where it is difficult to change their position relative to the projected image, such as when they are sitting in a chair or when there are many other users around them.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an image projection system and the like that can improve the user's visibility of a projected image. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the image projection system of claim 1 is characterized by comprising: a screen unit having a projection surface formed by combining multiple different surfaces; a viewpoint position acquisition unit that acquires the viewpoint position of a user facing the screen unit; a projection device that projects an image onto the screen unit and is capable of changing the projection position of the image; and a control device that controls the projection position of the image onto the screen unit by the projection device based on the viewpoint position of the user acquired by the viewpoint position acquisition unit.

[0007] According to this image projection system, the user's viewpoint position facing the screen unit is acquired, and the projection position of the image onto the screen unit by the projection device is controlled based on the acquired user's viewpoint position. This allows the image projection position to be controlled to an optimal position for the user to view the image based on the user's viewpoint position, thereby improving the user's visibility of the projected image. As a result, for example, even under conditions where it is difficult for the user to change their position relative to the projected image, high visibility of the projected image can be ensured. Note that, in this specification, "acquiring the user's viewpoint position" includes detecting the user's viewpoint position using a sensor or estimating / calculating the user's viewpoint position based on other parameters.

[0008] In the present invention, it is preferable that the user is made up of a plurality of users, and the viewpoint position acquisition unit acquires the viewpoint position of the user as an average value of the viewpoint positions of the plurality of users.

[0009] According to this image projection system, the user's viewpoint position is acquired as the average of the viewpoint positions of the multiple users. Therefore, when multiple users view an image, the projection position of the image is controlled based on the average of the viewpoint positions of the multiple users. This makes it possible to control the projection position of the image to an optimal position that minimizes the amount of change in the line of sight of each user when the multiple users view the image. This improves the visibility of the multiple users when they view the projected image.

[0010] In the present invention, it is preferable that the projection device is provided in a passenger vehicle, the user is a passenger of the passenger vehicle, and the projection surface is configured by combining multiple surfaces arranged within the passenger vehicle.

[0011] Generally, since occupants in a passenger vehicle are seated in seats and cannot move freely, when the occupants try to view a projected image on a projection surface configured by combining multiple surfaces arranged in the passenger vehicle, the user's visibility of the projected image is likely to decrease. In contrast, with this image projection system, the projection position of the image onto the screen unit by the projection device is controlled based on the user's viewpoint position, so that high visibility of the projected image can be ensured even when the user views the projected image on the screen unit in the passenger vehicle.

[0012] In the present invention, it is preferable that the vehicle further comprises a camera that captures an image of a user inside the vehicle, and the viewpoint position acquisition unit acquires the viewpoint position of the user based on an image captured by the camera.

[0013] This image projection system can accurately acquire the user's viewpoint position by acquiring the user's viewpoint position based on the image captured by the camera, thereby further improving the user's visibility of the projected image even inside a passenger vehicle.

[0014] In the present invention, the seat of the passenger vehicle is configured so that the seat position can be changed, and is further provided with a seat position detection device that detects the seat position, which is the position of the seat of the passenger vehicle in which the user is seated, and it is preferable that the viewpoint position acquisition unit acquires the user's viewpoint position based on the seat position.

[0015] Generally, since passengers in a passenger vehicle are seated in seats, the user's viewpoint position is highly correlated with the seat position. Therefore, with this image projection system, the user's viewpoint position is acquired based on the seat position, so that the user's viewpoint position can be acquired with high accuracy. This further improves the user's visibility of the projected image even inside the passenger vehicle.

[0016] In the present invention, the seat of the passenger vehicle is configured so that the angle of the seat backrest can be changed, and further includes a seat angle detection device that detects the seat angle, which is the angle of the backrest of the seat of the passenger vehicle in which the user is seated, and it is preferable that the control device controls the projection position of the image onto the screen unit by the projection device based on the user's viewpoint position and seat angle.

[0017] Generally, when the posture of an occupant changes due to a change in the angle of the seatback of a passenger vehicle, this can cause the occupant's line of sight when viewing a projected image to deviate from the optimal direction, potentially reducing the user's visibility. In contrast, this image projection system controls the projection position of an image onto a screen unit by a projection device based on the user's viewpoint position and seat angle, so that even if the occupant's posture changes, the projection position of the image can be controlled to a position where the user can view the image while maintaining their line of sight in the optimal direction. As a result, high visibility of the projected image can be ensured for the user.

[0018] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the image projection method according to claim 8 is an image projection method in which an image is projected onto a screen unit having a projection surface formed by combining a plurality of different surfaces by a projection device capable of changing the projection position of the image, and is characterized by executing an acquisition step in which a viewpoint position acquisition unit acquires the viewpoint position of a user facing the screen unit, and a control step in which a control device controls the projection position of the image onto the screen unit by the projection device based on the viewpoint position of the user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image projection system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the viewpoint position when one passenger is seated in the rear seat of a passenger vehicle. [Figure 2B] FIG. 1 is a front view showing the viewpoint position when one passenger is seated in the rear seat of a passenger vehicle. [Figure 3A] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the viewpoints of two passengers seated in the rear seats of a passenger vehicle. [Figure 3B] FIG. 1 is a front view showing the viewpoints of two passengers seated in the rear seats of a passenger vehicle. [Figure 4A] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the viewpoints of four passengers seated in the front and rear seats of a passenger vehicle. [Figure 4B] FIG. 1 is a front view showing the viewpoints of four passengers seated in the front and rear seats of a passenger vehicle. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the screen portion when passengers are seated only in the rear seats of the passenger vehicle. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a video and audio control process. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing how a moving image is projected onto a screen unit when two passengers are seated in the left and right rear seats. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a moving image is projected onto a screen unit when one passenger is seated in the right rear seat. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image projection system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a video and audio control process according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the seat angle and the like. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing how moving images are projected onto a screen unit when passengers are seated only in the rear seats. [Figure 13]FIG. 11 is a bird's-eye view showing an indoor event venue to which an image projection system according to a third embodiment is applied. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image projection system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] 11 is a flowchart showing a video and audio control process according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, an image projection system 1 (see FIG. 1) according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the image projection system 1 according to this embodiment is applied to a passenger vehicle 2, and is used to project moving images onto a screen in the passenger vehicle 2 while outputting audio.

[0021] The passenger vehicle 2 is a four-seater minivan type, and is equipped with left and right front seats 2a, 2b and left and right rear seats 2c, 2d (see Figures 2A to 4A). Each of these seats 2a to 2d is configured so that its position can be changed in the front-to-rear direction within a predetermined range, and the angle of the backrest (the angle of the backrest relative to the seat surface) can be changed.

[0022] In the following description, an occupant M seated in at least one of the four seats 2a to 2d will be referred to as a "user M," the right side in FIGS. 2A to 4A will be referred to as the "right," and the left side will be referred to as the "left."

[0023] In the case of this passenger vehicle 2, the interior walls of the vehicle compartment (that is, the surfaces of the left and right doors, the ceiling and floor) are configured in a color (for example, white) that allows the moving images to be projected with high visibility.

[0024] 1, the image projection system 1 includes a remote control 10, a camera 11, a plurality of speakers 12 (only one is shown), a plurality of projectors 13 (only one is shown), and a controller 15. In this embodiment, the projector 13 corresponds to the projection device, and the controller 15 corresponds to the control device.

[0025] The remote control 10 is a portable electric circuit device that allows the user M to control the operating state of the image projection system 1, and is configured to be able to communicate with the controller 15. When the remote control 10 is operated by the user M, it transmits an operation signal indicating the operating state to the controller 15.

[0026] Camera 11 is provided at the upper front portion of the vehicle interior (for example, near the rearview mirror) and is configured to be able to communicate with controller 15. When camera 11 receives a command signal from controller 15, which will be described later, it captures an image of the vehicle interior (not shown) that includes the faces of all users in the vehicle interior, and transmits an image signal including the image of the vehicle interior to controller 15.

[0027] The plurality of speakers 12 are provided at a plurality of predetermined positions in the vehicle cabin, and are electrically connected to the controller 15. The output of each of the plurality of speakers 12 is controlled by a control signal from the controller 15, thereby generating a three-dimensional sound image. At this time, the output of each speaker 12 is controlled so that the sound image is generated at an optimal position for the user M.

[0028] The plurality of projectors 13 are provided at a plurality of predetermined positions within the vehicle cabin, respectively, and are electrically connected to the controller 15. The output of each of the plurality of projectors 13 is controlled by a control signal from the controller 15. As a result, for example, a moving image is projected onto a screen unit within the vehicle cabin (see FIGS. 7 and 8). At this time, as will be described later, the output of each projector 13 is controlled so that the center position Pc (see FIGS. 7 and 8) when the moving image is projected onto the screen unit is the optimum position for user M to view the moving image.

[0029] The controller 15 is configured, for example, by a microcomputer equipped with a CPU, memory, storage, input / output interface, etc., and executes the video and audio control process described below. In this video and audio control process, the output states of the multiple speakers 12 and the multiple projectors 13 are controlled according to the operation state of the remote control 10 by the user M, as described below.

[0030] 1, the controller 15 also functions as a viewpoint position acquisition unit 16. The viewpoint position acquisition unit 16 acquires the viewpoint position of the user M based on the image in the image signal from the camera 11. The method and principle of acquiring the viewpoint position of the user M in the viewpoint position acquisition unit 16 will be described below.

[0031] The viewpoint position acquisition unit 16 acquires the viewpoint positions of all users from the vehicle interior image using a predetermined face detection algorithm (a face detection algorithm using a cascade classifier that uses Haar-like features of OpenCV). In this embodiment, since the passenger vehicle 2 is a four-seater vehicle, the number N of all users is one of the values ​​1 to 4, and N viewpoint positions are acquired, as shown in FIGS. 2A to 4A.

[0032] When considering projecting a moving image at a position that is easy to view for all N users without changing their line of sight as much as possible, it is possible to calculate the average value of the N viewpoint positions and use this to control the center position when projecting the moving image onto the screen.

[0033] For the above reasons, in this embodiment, the viewpoint position Pe is calculated as the average value of N viewpoint positions. Specifically, the space inside the vehicle cabin is expressed as a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system with a predetermined position (for example, the center position) of the passenger vehicle 2 as the origin, and the coordinates of the viewpoint position of the i-th (i=1 to N) user M among N people are calculated as (x i ,y i ,z i ), the coordinate values ​​(x, y, z) of the viewpoint position Pe are calculated by the following equations (1) to (3).

[0034]

number

[0035]

number

[0036]

number

[0037] 2A and 2B, when one user M is seated only in the right rear seat 2d, the viewpoint position of this user M is calculated as viewpoint position Pe. Also, when two users M are seated in the left and right rear seats 2c and 2d, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the position midway between the viewpoint positions of the two users M is calculated as viewpoint position Pe.

[0038] 4A and 4B, when four users M are seated in four seats 2a to 2d, the viewpoint position Pe is calculated as the midpoint between the viewpoint positions of the four users M. In the video and audio control process described later, the center position Pc (see FIGS. 7 and 8) of the moving image projected onto the screen unit is controlled based on the viewpoint position Pe calculated as described above.

[0039] Next, the screen unit onto which the moving image is projected will be described. In the present embodiment, since the passenger vehicle 2 is a four-seater, there are two cases where the user M is seated in at least one of the rear seats 2c, 2d (see FIGS. 2A and 3A), and where the user M is seated in at least one of the front seats 2a, 2b and at least one of the rear seats 2c, 2d (see FIG. 4A). In these cases, as described below, the screen unit is configured in different states under these two conditions.

[0040] First, the screen unit 30 when the user M is seated only in the rear seat will be described with reference to Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 5, the screen unit 30 includes a front screen unit 31, a left screen unit 32, a right screen unit 33, an upper screen unit 34, and a lower screen unit 35, and these five screen units 31 to 35 form five different projection surfaces.

[0041] The front screen portion 31 is a detachable or storable sheet-like member that is the same color as the interior wall surface of the vehicle compartment. The front screen portion 31 is disposed so as to extend vertically between the ceiling and floor of the vehicle compartment, separating the left and right front seats 2a, 2b from the left and right rear seats 2c, 2d.

[0042] The left and right screen sections 32 and 33 are each made up of the left and right rear doors and the left and right rear side windows that are concealed by a shielding sheet. The shielding sheet is made up of the same color as the interior walls of the vehicle compartment. Furthermore, the upper screen section 34 is made up of the ceiling of the vehicle compartment, and the lower screen section 35 is made up of the floor of the vehicle compartment.

[0043] In addition, the left and right screen sections 32, 33 may be constructed from sheets that cover the entire inner surfaces of the left and right doors, the upper screen section 34 may be constructed from a sheet that covers the ceiling of the passenger compartment, and the lower screen section 35 may be constructed from a sheet that covers the floor of the passenger compartment.

[0044] On the other hand, when the user M is seated in at least one of the left and right front seats 2a, 2b, and at least one of the left and right rear seats 2c, 2d, a screen unit 40 shown in Figures 4A to 4B is used instead of the screen unit 30. This screen unit 40 includes a front screen unit 41, a left screen unit 42, a right screen unit 43, an upper screen unit 44, and the like.

[0045] The front screen portion 41 is a detachable sheet-like member that is made of the same color as the interior wall surface of the passenger compartment and is positioned to extend vertically between the ceiling of the passenger compartment and the dashboard panel so as to cover the front window of the passenger vehicle 2.

[0046] The left screen portion 42 and the right screen portion 43 are each composed of a portion including the left and right front and rear doors and the left and right front and rear side windows that are concealed by a shielding sheet, etc. Furthermore, the upper screen portion is composed of the ceiling of the vehicle compartment.

[0047] Next, the video and audio control process executed by the controller 15 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. This video and audio control process is for outputting audio while projecting a moving image onto the screen unit 30 or the screen unit 40, and is executed by the controller 15 at a predetermined control cycle.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 6, in the video and audio control process, first, it is determined whether or not the viewpoint position Pe has been calculated (Fig. 6 / STEP 1). If this determination is positive (Fig. 6 / STEP 1...YES), and the viewpoint position Pe has been calculated, the process proceeds to STEP 7, which will be described later.

[0049] On the other hand, if this determination is negative (FIG. 6 / STEP 1...NO), and the viewpoint position Pe has not yet been calculated, it is determined whether or not the calculation condition is met (FIG. 6 / STEP 2). In this case, when the calculation command from the remote control 10 is received by the controller 15 in response to the operation of the remote control 10 by the user M, it is determined that the calculation condition is met, and otherwise it is determined that the calculation condition is not met.

[0050] If the determination is negative (FIG. 6 / STEP 2...NO), and the calculation condition is not satisfied, the process ends. On the other hand, if the determination is positive (FIG. 6 / STEP 2...YES), and the calculation condition is satisfied, it is determined whether or not the command signal has been transmitted (FIG. 6 / STEP 3).

[0051] This command signal is a signal transmitted from controller 15 to camera 11 in order to instruct camera 11 to capture an image of the interior of the vehicle that includes the faces of all users in the vehicle. If this determination is positive (FIG. 6 / STEP 3...YES) and the command signal has already been transmitted to camera 11, the process proceeds to STEP 5, which will be described later.

[0052] On the other hand, if this determination is negative (FIG. 6 / STEP 3...NO), and the command signal has not yet been transmitted to the camera 11, the command signal is transmitted to the camera 11 (FIG. 6 / STEP 4).

[0053] As described above, when a command signal is sent to camera 11, or when a command signal has already been sent to camera 11 at the previous or previous control timing, it is determined whether or not an image signal has been received from camera 11 (Figure 6 / STEP 5).

[0054] If this determination is negative (FIG. 6 / STEP 5...NO), and an image signal is not received from the camera 11, the process ends.

[0055] On the other hand, if this determination is positive (FIG. 6 / STEP 5...YES) and an image signal is received from the camera 11, a calculation process for the viewpoint position Pe is executed (FIG. 6 / STEP 6). In this calculation process, the coordinate values ​​(x, y, z) of the viewpoint position Pe are calculated by the above-mentioned method. That is, by a predetermined image recognition process, the coordinate values ​​(x, y, z) of the viewpoint positions of all N users are calculated from the vehicle interior image in the image signal. i ,y i ,z i ) is acquired, and then the coordinate values ​​(x, y, z) of the viewpoint position Pe are calculated using the above-mentioned equations (1) to (3).

[0056] Next, an output control process is executed (FIG. 6 / STEP 7). In this output control process, the output state of audio from the multiple speakers 12 and the output state of moving images from the multiple projectors 13 (play, stop, pause, etc.) are controlled based on the operation of the remote control 10 by the user M and the viewpoint position Pe.

[0057] In this case, as will be described below, the center position Pc of the moving images when the moving images are projected onto the screen unit 30 or the screen unit 40 from the multiple projectors 13 is controlled based on the viewpoint position Pe.

[0058] For example, when two users M are seated in the left and right rear seats 2c and 2d (as shown in FIG. 3A), the center position Pc of the moving image is controlled to be near the center of the front screen unit 31 of the screen unit 30, as shown in FIG. 7. In this embodiment, the center position Pc of the moving image corresponds to the projection position of the image.

[0059] On the other hand, when one user M is seated in the right rear seat 2d (as shown in Figure 2A), the center position Pc of the moving image is controlled to be shifted to the right from the center of the front screen portion 31 of the screen unit 30, as shown in Figure 8.

[0060] Furthermore, although not shown, even when user M is seated in both the front and rear seats, the center position Pc of the moving image when projected onto the screen unit 40 is controlled based on the viewpoint position Pe so that it is at a position that is easy for all users to see without changing their line of sight as much as possible.

[0061] As described above, according to the image projection system 1 of the first embodiment, the viewpoint position Pe is calculated based on the image captured by the camera, and the center position Pc of the moving image when the moving image is projected onto the screen units 30 and 40 by the projector 13 is controlled based on this viewpoint position Pe. The coordinate values ​​(x, y, z) of this viewpoint position Pe are calculated by the coordinate values ​​(x, y, z) of the viewpoint positions of all users according to the above-mentioned equations (1) to (3). i ,y i ,z i ) is calculated as the average value of the viewpoint position Pe, and by controlling the center position Pc when projecting the moving image onto the screen units 30, 40 based on such viewpoint position Pe, this center position Pc can be controlled to an optimal position so that the amount of change in the line of sight of each user M is small when multiple users M view the image.

[0062] This makes it possible to improve the visibility of the multiple users M even when multiple users M are viewing the moving image. As a result, even when the user M is seated in a seat of the passenger vehicle 2 and is therefore under conditions where it is difficult to change his / her position relative to the moving image, it is possible to ensure high visibility of the moving image for the user M.

[0063] In the first embodiment, the controller 15 is configured to have the functionality of the viewpoint position acquisition unit 16. Alternatively, a controller separate from the controller 15 may be provided, and this separate controller may have the functionality of the viewpoint position acquisition unit 16, with data of the viewpoint position Pe acquired by this separate controller being input to the controller 15.

[0064] Furthermore, the first embodiment is an example in which the image projection system 1 projects a moving image with sound, but instead, the image projection system 1 may be configured to project a moving image or a still image without sound.

[0065] Furthermore, although the first embodiment is an example in which the user M controls the operating state of the image projection system 1 by operating the remote control 10, instead of this, a configuration may be adopted in which a smartphone capable of wireless communication with the controller is used, and the user M controls the operating state of the image projection system 1 by operating the smartphone. Also, instead of the remote control 10, a configuration may be adopted in which an operation panel is provided inside the vehicle, and the user M controls the operating state of the image projection system 1 by operating the operation panel.

[0066] While the first embodiment is an example in which a minivan-type vehicle is used as the passenger vehicle, a wagon-type or sedan-type vehicle may be used instead. Also, the number of seats in the passenger vehicle is not limited to four as in the first embodiment, but may be three or less or five or more.

[0067] Furthermore, the image projection system 1 of the first embodiment is an example in which the center position Pc of the moving image is controlled as the projection position of the moving image based on the viewpoint position Pe, but the image projection system 1 may also be configured to control a predetermined position other than the center position Pc as the projection position of the moving image based on the viewpoint position Pe when projecting the moving image onto the screen units 30, 40.

[0068] An image projection system 1A (see FIG. 9) according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The image projection system 1A according to the second embodiment has the same configuration as the image projection system 1 according to the first embodiment, with some exceptions, and therefore the following description will focus on the differences. The same components as those in the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 9, the image projection system 1A of this embodiment is applied to a passenger vehicle 2, similar to the image projection system 1 of the first embodiment, and is intended to output audio while projecting moving images onto the screen unit 30 or the screen unit 40 inside the passenger vehicle 2.

[0070] This image projection system 1A includes four seat sensors 14 (only one shown) instead of the camera 11 of the image projection system 1 of the first embodiment, and these four seat sensors 14 are provided on the four seats 2a to 2d, respectively. In this embodiment, the seat sensor 14 corresponds to a seat angle detection device and a seat position detection device.

[0071] The seat sensor 14 detects whether or not the user M is seated in a seat, the seat angle θ, and the seat position, and outputs detection signals representing these to the controller 15. Based on the detection signal from the seat sensor 14, the controller 15 obtains whether or not the user M is seated in each seat, the seat angle θx of each seat, and the seat position of each seat.

[0072] In this case, the seat angle θx of each seat is acquired as the angle of the backrest (for example, the angle along the line Lx in FIG. 11) relative to a reference angle position (for example, the angle along the reference line Lb in FIG. 11). Also, the seat position of each seat is acquired as the current position relative to the forward-most position serving as a reference (neither is shown).

[0073] Moreover, the controller 15 has a function as a viewpoint position acquisition unit 16A instead of the viewpoint position acquisition unit 16 of the first embodiment. The viewpoint position acquisition unit 16A acquires the viewpoint position Pe based on the detection signal of the seat sensor 14, as will be described below.

[0074] Specifically, the seat position of the seat where the user M is seated is detected. Then, for example, if only one user M is seated, the viewpoint position Pe is calculated based on the seat position of that seat. On the other hand, if multiple users M are seated, the coordinate values ​​(x i ,y i ,z i ) are calculated, and the coordinate values ​​(x i ,y i ,z i ) into the above-mentioned equations (1) to (3), the coordinate values ​​(x, y, z) of the viewpoint position Pe are calculated.

[0075] Next, the video and audio control process in the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. In this video and audio control process, when compared with the video and audio control process in Fig. 6, the processes in steps 11 and 12 are executed in the same manner as the processes in steps 1 and 2 in Fig. 6, but the calculation process of the viewpoint position Pe and the output control process are different in content, and these points will be described below.

[0076] In this video and audio control process, in the process of calculating the viewpoint position Pe (FIG. 10 / STEP 13), the viewpoint position Pe is calculated based on the detection signal of the seat sensor 14 by the above-described method.

[0077] Furthermore, in the output control process (FIG. 10 / STEP 14), as described above, the output state of audio from the multiple speakers 12 and the output state of moving images from the multiple projectors 13 (play, stop, pause, etc.) are controlled based on the operation of the remote control 10 by the user M and the viewpoint position Pe.

[0078] At this time, as will be described below, the center position Pc of the moving images when the moving images are projected onto the screen unit 30 or the screen unit 40 from the multiple projectors 13 is controlled.

[0079] First, the seat angle θ is calculated. In this case, for example, if only one user M is seated, the seat angle θx of that seat is calculated as the seat angle θ. On the other hand, if multiple users M are seated, the seat angle θ is calculated as the average value of the seat angles θx of the multiple seats where the multiple users M are seated.

[0080] Then, based on the seat angle θ and the viewpoint position Pe, the center position Pc of the moving images when the moving images are projected from the plurality of projectors 13 onto the screen unit 30 or the screen unit 40 is controlled.

[0081] For example, as shown in FIG. 11, when two users M (only one shown) are seated in the left and right rear seats 2c, 2d and the backrests of the left and right rear seats 2c, 2d are reclined backwards, the center position Pc of the moving image is controlled to be positioned on the upper screen unit 34 side, as shown in FIG. 12.

[0082] Although not shown, when a screen unit 40 is used, the center position Pc of the moving image when the moving image is projected onto the screen unit 40 from multiple projectors 13 is controlled based on the seat angle θ and the viewpoint position Pe using a similar method as described above.

[0083] As described above, according to the image projection system 1A of the second embodiment, the seat angle θ and the seat position are detected by the seat sensor 14, the viewpoint position Pe is calculated based on the seat position, and the center position Pc of the moving image when the moving image is projected onto the screen unit 30 (or the screen unit 40) by the projector 13 is controlled based on the viewpoint position Pe and the seat angle θ.

[0084] Generally, when the posture of user M is changed in accordance with a change in the angle of the seat back of passenger vehicle 2, this may cause the line of sight of user M when viewing a moving image to deviate from the optimal direction, potentially reducing the visibility of user M. In response to this, according to this image projection system 1A, the center position Pc of the moving image when projected by projector 13 onto screen unit 30 (or screen unit 40) is controlled based on viewpoint position Pe and seat angle θ.

[0085] This allows the center position Pc of the moving image to be controlled to a position where the user M can view the moving image while maintaining the optimal line of sight even when the user M's posture changes. As a result, high visibility of the projected moving image for the user M can be ensured.

[0086] The second embodiment is an example in which a seat sensor 14 is used, but instead, a sensor that detects whether or not a user M is seated in a seat (e.g., a seating sensor), a sensor that detects the seat angle, which is the angle of the seat backrest (e.g., a seat angle sensor), and a sensor that detects the position of the seat (e.g., a seat position sensor) may be used in combination.

[0087] Furthermore, although the second embodiment is an example in which the viewpoint position Pe and the seat angle θ are calculated using the seat sensor 14, it is also possible to configure the system so that the viewpoint position Pe is calculated using the camera 11 and the seat angle θ is calculated using the seat sensor 14. In that case, for example, in the output control process (STEP 14) of FIG. 10, the center position Pc of the moving image may be controlled based on the viewpoint position Pe calculated based on the image signal from the camera 11 and the seat angle θ calculated based on the detection signal from the seat sensor 14.

[0088] Furthermore, the second embodiment is an example in which the viewpoint position Pe is calculated based on the seat position, and the center position Pc of the moving image is controlled based on this viewpoint position Pe and the seat angle θ. Alternatively, the configuration may be such that the viewpoint position Pe is calculated based on the seat position, and the center position Pc of the moving image is controlled based on this viewpoint position Pe.

[0089] On the other hand, the second embodiment is an example in which the seat angle θx of each seat is obtained as the angle of the backrest relative to a reference angle position along the reference line Lb in Figure 11, but the reference angle position may also be set to an angle position along the seat surface or the floor surface of the passenger vehicle 2.

[0090] An image projection system according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Note that the image projection system 1B (see FIG. 14) of the third embodiment has the same configuration as the image projection system 1 of the first embodiment, with some exceptions, and therefore the following description will focus on the differences. Furthermore, the same components as those of the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0091] The image projection system 1B of this embodiment is applied to an event venue 50 shown in Fig. 13, which is provided with a screen unit 60. The screen unit 60 includes a front screen unit 61, a left screen unit 62, and a right screen unit 63.

[0092] These three screen units 61 to 63 form three projection surfaces that are different from one another, and are configured in a color (for example, white) that allows the moving images to be projected in a highly visible state.

[0093] The image projection system 1B of this embodiment is for outputting audio while projecting moving images onto a screen unit 60, and as shown in FIG. 14, instead of the remote control 10 and camera 11 of the image projection system 1 of the first embodiment, it is equipped with K (K≧1) beacon tags 17 (only one is shown) and beacon receivers 18.

[0094] The beacon receiver 18 performs BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy: registered trademark) communication with the K beacon tags 17. The K beacon tags 17 are placed at K users M (K=7 in the example shown in FIG. 13 ) within the event venue 50, respectively, and transmit detection signals indicating the viewpoint positions of the K users M to the beacon receiver 18. The controller 15 receives the detection signals from the K beacon tags 17 via the beacon receiver 18.

[0095] The controller 15 has a function as a viewpoint position acquisition unit 16B. The viewpoint position acquisition unit 16B acquires coordinate values ​​(x, i ,y i ,z i ), and calculates the coordinate values ​​(x, y, z) of the viewpoint position Pe using the formulas (1) to (3) above, where the value N is replaced with the value K.

[0096] Next, the video and audio control process in the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 15. In this video and audio control process, first, a calculation process of the viewpoint position Pe is executed (Fig. 15 / STEP 21). In this calculation process, the viewpoint position Pe is calculated based on the detection signals from the K beacon tags 17 by the above-mentioned method.

[0097] Furthermore, in the output control process (FIG. 15 / STEP 22), the output state of audio from the plurality of speakers 12 and the output state of moving images from the plurality of projectors 13 are controlled based on the viewpoint position Pe. At this time, the center position (not shown) of the moving images when the moving images are projected onto the screen unit 60 from the plurality of projectors 13 is controlled based on the viewpoint position Pe.

[0098] By the above output control process, for example, as shown in Figure 13, when seven users M move from the position indicated by the two-dot chain line to the position indicated by the solid line, the viewpoint position Pe changes from the position indicated by the two-dot chain line to the position indicated by the solid line, and accordingly, the center position (not shown) of the moving image when projected onto the screen unit 60 changes, and the center position of the sound image also changes.

[0099] As described above, according to the image projection system 1B of this embodiment, the viewpoint position Pe is calculated based on the detection signals from the K beacon tags 17, and the center position of the moving image when the moving image is projected onto the screen unit 60 by the projector 13 is controlled based on this viewpoint position Pe. The coordinate values ​​(x, y, z) of this viewpoint position Pe are calculated by replacing the value N in the above-mentioned equations (1) to (3) with the value K, and are expressed as the coordinate values ​​(x, y, z) of the viewpoint positions of all users. i ,y i ,z i ) is calculated as the average value of the viewpoint position Pe. Therefore, by controlling the center position of the moving image based on such viewpoint position Pe, it is possible to control the center position of the moving image to an optimal position that minimizes the amount of change in the line of sight direction of each user M when multiple users M view the image. This makes it possible to improve the visibility of multiple users M even when multiple users M view the projected image.

[0100] Although the third embodiment is an example in which the beacon tag 17 and the beacon receiver 18 are used to calculate the viewpoint position Pe, a smartphone or an indoor camera may be used instead. When using smartphones, the viewpoint positions of the K users M may be acquired based on the GPS information of the K smartphones installed at the K users M, and the viewpoint position Pe may be calculated as the average value of these acquired positions.

[0101] On the other hand, when an indoor camera is used, the viewpoint positions of K users M are obtained based on the image captured by the indoor camera using a predetermined face detection algorithm (a face detection algorithm using a cascade classifier that uses OpenCV Haar-like features), and the viewpoint position Pe is calculated as the average value of these. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 1. Image projection system 2 Passenger vehicles Seats around 2a-2d 11 Camera 13 Projector (projection device) 15 Controller (control device) 16 Viewpoint position acquisition unit M User 30 Screen section 40 Screen section Pe viewpoint position Pc Center position (projection position of the image) 1A Image Projection System 14 Seat sensor (seat angle detection device, seat position detection device) 16A Viewpoint position acquisition unit θ seat angle 1B Image Projection System 16B Viewpoint position acquisition unit 60 Screen section

Claims

1. a screen unit having a projection surface formed by combining a plurality of mutually different surfaces; a viewpoint position acquisition unit that acquires a viewpoint position of a user facing the screen unit; a projection device that projects an image onto the screen unit and is capable of changing the projection position of the image; a control device that controls a projection position of the image onto the screen unit by the projection device based on the viewpoint position of the user acquired by the viewpoint position acquisition unit; An image projection system comprising:

2. 2. The image projection system according to claim 1, The user is composed of a plurality of users, The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein the viewpoint position acquisition unit acquires the viewpoint position of the user as an average value of the viewpoint positions of the plurality of users.

3. 3. The image projection system according to claim 1, the projection device is provided in a passenger vehicle, the user is a passenger of the passenger vehicle, An image projection system, wherein the projection surface is configured by combining a plurality of surfaces arranged inside the passenger vehicle.

4. 4. The image projection system according to claim 3, Further, a camera is provided to capture an image of the user inside the passenger vehicle. The image projection system is characterized in that the viewpoint position acquisition unit acquires the viewpoint position of the user based on an image captured by the camera.

5. 5. The image projection system according to claim 4, The seat of the passenger vehicle is configured so that the angle of the backrest of the seat can be changed, The vehicle further includes a seat angle detection device that detects a seat angle, which is the angle of the backrest of the seat on which the user is seated, The image projection system is characterized in that the control device controls the projection position of the image onto the screen unit by the projection device based on the user's viewpoint position and the seat angle.

6. 4. The image projection system according to claim 3, The seat of the passenger vehicle is configured so that the position of the seat can be changed, a seat position detection device for detecting a seat position where the user is seated; The image projection system is characterized in that the viewpoint position acquisition unit acquires the viewpoint position of the user based on the seat position.

7. 7. The image projection system according to claim 6, The seat of the passenger vehicle is configured so that the angle of the backrest of the seat can be changed, a seat angle detection device that detects a seat angle, which is the angle of the backrest of the seat in which the user is seated; The image projection system is characterized in that the control device controls the projection position of the image onto the screen unit by the projection device based on the user's viewpoint position and the seat angle.

8. 1. An image projection method for projecting an image onto a screen unit having a projection surface formed by combining a plurality of mutually different surfaces, using a projection device capable of changing the projection position of the image, an acquisition step of acquiring a viewpoint position of a user facing the screen unit by a viewpoint position acquisition unit; a control step of controlling, by a control device, a projection position of the image onto the screen unit by the projection device based on the viewpoint position of the user; 2. An image projection method, comprising:

Images