Information processing apparatus recognizing certain object in captured image, and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016012599-A1
Application number	US-201514750986-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 25, 2015
Priority date	Jul 9, 2014
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes an image obtaining unit configured to obtain an input image, an extraction unit configured to extract from the input image one or more regions corresponding to one or more objects included in a foreground of the operation surface in accordance with the reflected positional information and positional information of the operation surface in the space, a region specifying unit configured to specify an isolation region, which is not in contact with a boundary line which defines a predetermined closed region in the input image, from among the one or more regions extracted by the extraction unit, and a recognition unit configured to recognize an adjacency state of a predetermined instruction object relative to the operation surface in accordance with the positional information reflected from the portion corresponding to the isolation region as specified by the region specifying unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An information processing apparatus comprising:
an image obtaining unit configured to obtain an input image on which positional information in a space including an operation surface as a portion of a background is reflected; an extraction unit configured to extract one or more regions corresponding to one or more objects included in a foreground of the operation surface from the input image in accordance with the positional information reflected on the input image obtained by the image obtaining unit and positional information of the operation surface in the space; a region specifying unit configured to specify an isolation region which is not in contact with a boundary line which defines a predetermined closed region in the input image from among the one or more regions extracted by the extraction unit; and a recognition unit configured to recognizes an adjacency state of a predetermined instruction object relative to the operation surface in accordance with the positional information reflected on the isolation region in the input image in a portion corresponding to the isolation region specified by the region specifying unit.

2 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the image obtaining unit obtains a range image having pixel values representing distances to an object in the space from a range image sensor as the input image.

3 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the extraction unit extracts a region including an image of the object existing in the foreground of the operation surface by subtracting positional information representing the background from the positional information reflected on the input image obtained by the image obtaining unit.

4 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an updating unit configured to update positional information representing the background using the positional information reflected on the isolation region specified by the region specifying unit, wherein the recognition unit determines whether the adjacency state of the predetermined instruction object relative to the operation surface is regarded as a touch state in accordance with the positional information reflected on the region including an image of the predetermined instruction object among the regions extracted by the extraction unit and positional information representing the background updated by the updating unit.

5 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the updating unit updates information on the background by synthesizing the positional information reflected on the isolation region among the regions extracted by the extraction unit with the positional information of the operation surface.

6 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the operation surface corresponds to a table surface in a tabletop interface system, and the updating unit determines the isolation region as a region corresponding to a solid object mounted on the table and updates positional information representing a height of the operation surface so that the table surface and the solid object are included in the operation surface.

7 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the updating unit initializes, when the positional information reflected on the isolation region specified by the region specifying unit is changed in the input image, information representing a portion corresponding to the isolation region in the information representing the background.

8 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the case where the positional information reflected on the isolation region is changed corresponds to a case where the positional information reflected on the isolation region in the input image obtained by the image obtaining unit is different from positional information reflected on the isolation region which is lately detected in a latest predetermine period of time.

9 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the updating unit initializes, when the positional information reflected on the isolation region is changed in the input image and the changed isolation region overlaps with an isolation region which is lately extracted before the change, information representing a portion corresponding to the isolation region in the information representing the background.

10 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the boundary line which defines the predetermined closed region corresponds to a contour of the operation surface included in the input image.

11 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an interpolation unit configured to perform interpolation using positional information obtained from the isolation region when positional information of a portion of the isolation region is not obtained from the input image obtained by the image obtaining unit.

12 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a position specifying unit configured to specify an operation position instructed by the predetermined instruction object in accordance with a shape of a region which is not the isolation region among the regions extracted by the extraction unit, wherein the recognition unit recognizes an instruction in accordance with positional information of the operation position specified by the position specifying unit.

13 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein
the recognition unit detects a touch of the predetermined instruction object on the operation surface when the positional information of the operation position specified by the position specifying unit and the positional information of the operation surface represent that a distance from the predetermined instruction object to the operation surface is smaller than a predetermined distance.

14 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the recognition unit detects a touch of the predetermined instruction object on the operation surface in accordance with adjacency state between the predetermined instruction object and the operation surface represented by the positional information reflected on a region which is not the isolation region among the regions extracted from the input image by the extraction unit and the information on the background.

15 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a specifying unit configured to specify an operation position instructed by the predetermined instruction object in accordance with a shape of a region which is not the isolation region among the regions extracted by the extraction unit, wherein the updating unit updates the information on the background while setting, as a portion of a three-dimensional shape of the operation surface, the positional information reflected on the isolation region which is not in contact with the boundary line which defines the predetermined closed region in the input image among the regions extracted by the extraction unit, and the recognition unit detects a touch of the predetermined instruction object on the operation surface when the three-dimensional positional information of the operation position specified by the specifying unit and a three-dimensional shape of the operation surface represent that a distance from the predetermined instruction object to the operation surface is smaller than a predetermined distance.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Kuboyama Hideo

Classifications

• H04N23/631

  Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters · CPC title

• H04N23/61

  based on recognised objects · CPC title

• G06T7/0046 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F3/0346

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title

• G06T1/0007

  Image acquisition · CPC title