Image processing apparatus, information processing method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9924066-B2
Application number	US-201515122650-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2015
Priority date	May 2, 2014
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

An operability of a user in an image processing apparatus such as a camera scanner is improved. For this purpose, the image processing apparatus has: a pickup image obtaining unit for obtaining a pickup image on a stage through an imaging unit; a distance image obtaining unit for obtaining a distance image on the stage through a solid measuring unit; a detecting unit for detecting the putting of an object on the stage based on the obtained pickup image; a projecting unit for projecting an operation display regarding the reading of the object onto the stage through a projector when the putting of the object is detected; a recognizing unit for recognizing a gesture of the user on the stage based on the obtained distance image; and a reading unit for obtaining a read image of the object in accordance with the gesture to the projected operation display.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:
a projector configured to project an image on a stage;
a camera configured to capture an image on the stage;
a distance sensor configured to obtain a distance image;
at least one processor configured to implement instructions stored in at least one memory and execute a plurality of tasks, including:
a detecting task that detects an object place on the stage from the captured image;
a projecting task that controls the projector to project an operation display item regarding a reading of the object placed onto the stage according to the detecting task detecting the object placed on the stage;
a recognizing task that recognizes a gesture of a user on the stage from the obtained distance image; and
a reading task that obtains a read image of the object in accordance with the gesture recognized by the recognizing task to the operation item projected by the projector.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the projecting task projects the operation item for selecting a reading mode according to a shape of the object, and
the reading task obtains the read image of the object in the reading mode shown by the operation item selected by the gesture.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the reading task reads the object in one of a reading mode for reading a flat original, a reading mode for reading a book, or a reading mode for reading a solid object, and obtain the read image.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein in a case of the reading mode for reading a flat original, the reading task extracts the read image from the captured image including the object, and obtain the read image.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein in a case of the reading mode for reading a book, the reading task extracts the read image from the captured image including the object and corrects a distortion on the basis of the distance image including the object, and obtain the read image.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein in the case of the reading mode for reading the solid object, the reading task projects a solid shape measurement pattern onto the object through the projector while rotating the object by a turntable constructing the stage and combines a plurality of solid data obtained by reading the projected solid shape measurement pattern, and obtain the read image.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the reading task combines the solid data obtained by reading the projected solid shape measurement pattern and solid data of the object obtained through a solid measuring unit disposed at a position different from that of the camera, and obtain the read image.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:
the plurality of tasks includes a discriminating task that discriminates the shape of the object on the basis of the distance image of the object obtained by the distance-sensor, and
the projecting task projects the operation item for selecting the reading mode according to the shape of the object on the basis of a result of the discrimination by the discriminating task.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein in a case where the discriminating task discriminates the object as a solid object, the projecting task projects the operation item for selecting the reading mode of a book or the reading mode of a solid object.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein:
as the reading mode of an object, the projecting task projects the operation item for selecting the reading mode of a solid object or a reading mode of a document, and
when the reading mode of the document is selected and in a case where the discriminating task discriminates the object as:
a flat original, the reading task reads the object in the reading mode for reading a flat original, and obtains the read image; and
a solid object, the reading task reads the object in the reading mode for reading a book, and obtains the read image.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein in a case where the discriminating task discriminates the object as a solid object that is not a book, the projecting task projects the operation item for executing the reading in the reading mode for reading a solid object.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein in a case where the discriminating task discriminates the object as a flat original or a book, the reading task obtains the read image of the object without waiting for the recognition of the gesture.

13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein:
when a height of the object shown by the distance image of the object is equal to or less than a predetermined height, the discriminating discriminates the object as a flat original;
when the height of the object is higher than the predetermined height, the discriminating task discriminates the object as a solid object; and; and
when the object is discriminated as a solid object and a predetermined book discriminating condition is satisfied, the discriminating discriminates the object as a book.

14. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when a difference value between the captured image including the object obtained by the camera and a captured image of a background of the stage is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold value, the detecting task detects a putting of the object on the stage.

15. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the recognizing task recognizes the gesture of the user on the basis of a shape and a position of a hand of the user detected from the distance image obtained by the distance sensor.

16. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image processing apparatus is a camera scanner.

17. An information processing method executed by an image processing apparatus, the method comprising:
an image capturing step of capturing an image on a stage with a camera;
a distance image obtaining step of obtaining a distance image with a distance sensor;
a detecting step of detecting an object placed on the stage from the captured image;
a projecting step of projecting, with a projector, an operation item regarding a reading of the object placed onto the stage according to the detection of the object placed on the stage in the detecting step;
a recognizing step of recognizing a gesture of a user on the stage from the distance image obtained in the distance image obtaining step; and
a reading step of obtaining a read image of the object in accordance with the gesture recognized by the recognizing step to the operation item projected by the projecting step.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program executable by a computer to execute a method comprising:
an image capturing step of capturing an image on a stage with a camera;
a distance image obtaining step of obtaining a distance image with a distance sensor;
a detecting step of detecting an object placed on the stage from the captured image;
a projecting step of projecting, with a projector, an operation item regarding a reading of the object placed onto the stage according to the detection of the object placed on the stage in the detecting step;
a recognizing step of recognizing a gesture of a user on the stage from the distance image obtained in the distance image obtaining step; and

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Takahashi Katsuyuki
• Kosaka Ryo
• Oshima Soshi

Classifications

• H04N2201/045

  Mounting the scanning elements in a collapsible or foldable structure, e.g. for ease of transportation · CPC title

• G06F3/0426

  tracking fingers with respect to a virtual keyboard projected or printed on the surface (virtual keyboards on touch screens G06F3/04886) · CPC title

• H04N2201/0434

  specially adapted for scanning pages of a book · CPC title

• H04N2201/0436

  Scanning a picture-bearing surface lying face up on a support (H04N2201/0434 takes precedence; using cylindrical picture bearing surfaces H04N1/06; with manual scanning H04N1/107) · CPC title

• H04N1/19594 Primary

  using a television camera or a still video camera · CPC title