JP2018125819A - Control device, control method, program, and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem in which: when a plurality of projectors cooperate to project images, setting of the shape of a projection image is complicated.SOLUTION: A control device controls a projection system including a plurality of projectors, and comprises: detection means that detects respective projectable areas of the plurality of projectors; and setting means that analyzes the projectable areas detected by the detection means, and sets a projection area based on the shape of a content to be projected from the maximum area when the plurality of projectors cooperate to project images.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for setting a projection area when performing stack projection or multi-projection in a projection system using a plurality of projectors (projectors).

  A method called stack projection or multi-projection is known in a projection system in which a plurality of projectors cooperate to form one projection region by overlapping at least a part of the projection region. In these stack projections or multi-projections, at least a part of the images projected by the projectors overlap, and it is necessary to align the positions of the projected images of the projectors.

  In some cases, the projector cannot be installed at a position facing the projection surface. In this case, geometric distortion called trapezoidal distortion occurs on the projection surface. In order to solve this, a function of correcting trapezoidal distortion called keystone correction (keystone correction) by signal processing may be used.

  When stack projection or multi-projection is performed, it is preferable to achieve both strict alignment of projection images and trapezoidal correction. However, the work is very complicated and takes a lot of time.

  Patent Document 1 describes a system that automatically performs superimposition area alignment and trapezoidal correction in multi-projection and stack projection.

JP-A-9-326981

  However, in a system such as Patent Document 1, each projector calculates a projection area in which the single projection area is maximized, so that the shape of the projection image after correction is the projection image. It does not correspond to the shape of the original content image. Specifically, even if the content image is rectangular, the projection image does not become rectangular, a projection image lacking a part of the content image is projected, or the aspect ratio differs between the projection image and the content image. There was a thing.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, an object of the present invention is to simplify the setting of a projection area as much as possible when a projection area is formed by superimposing at least a part of the projection area using a plurality of projectors. And

  Another object of the present invention is to make the shape of the projection region correspond to the shape of the content image when a projection region is formed by superimposing at least a part of the projection region using a plurality of projectors.

  In order to solve the above problem, a control device that controls a projection system including a plurality of projectors detects a projectable area of each of the plurality of projectors, and analyzes each projectable area detected by the detection means. And setting means for setting a projection area based on the shape of the content to be projected from the maximum area when a plurality of projectors project in cooperation.

  In the method described in the present invention, the shape of the projection area when projection is performed by a plurality of projectors can be easily determined, and in particular, the lack of the projection image or the shape of the projection area can be matched with the aspect ratio of the projection image. That is, the corrected projected image can have the same shape as the content image.

Stack projection system configuration diagram Multi-projection system configuration diagram System block diagram Detailed block diagram of image processing unit Illustration for dimming process Illustration for explaining transformation process Automatic correction flowchart Figure showing the menu screen Diagram for explaining automatic correction of stack projection Flow chart for automatic correction of stack projection The figure for demonstrating the automatic correction process of multi projection Flow chart for automatic correction processing for multiple projection Diagram explaining the orientation of the rectangle in the screen surface

  Hereinafter, although embodiment of this invention is described, this invention is not limited to these embodiment, A various deformation | transformation and change are possible within the range of the summary.

[Example 1]
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The configuration of the automatic alignment system of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a system that performs automatic alignment in a projection system in which two projectors project in cooperation.

  In FIG. 1, all or most of the projected images projected from each of the two projectors overlap on the screen. Such a projection form is called stack projection. Stack projection is used for improving brightness and 3D display of projected images. The projector 100a and the projector 100b project one image on the screen 900 by superimposing and displaying the images. In addition, the projector 100a, the projector 100b, and the PC 200 are connected via a LAN so that they can communicate with each other. The connection format may be wired or wireless as long as it can communicate with each other.

  The PC 200 supplies a video signal to the projector 100a through the video cable 300a. Further, the PC 200 supplies a video signal to the projector 100b through the video cable 300b. The format of the video signal may be any format such as HDMI (registered trademark), DVI, or VGA.

  The imaging device 400 is connected to the PC 200 via a USB cable or a LAN cable. The projection plane is photographed based on the photographing instruction from the PC 200, and the photographed image is transmitted to the PC 200. The imaging apparatus 400 only needs to be able to capture images based on instructions from the PC 200, and the type of camera is not limited. There may be a plurality of imaging devices 400.

  FIG. 2 shows a form in which a part of the projected image is overlaid on the projection surface of four projectors in order to increase the screen size and resolution. The superimposition portion is made inconspicuous by performing dimming processing (edge blending) on the superimposition portion of the projection surface. Details of the dimming process will be described later. Such a projection form is called multi-projection. In this configuration, four projectors are connected to one PC via video cables 300a, 300b, 300c, and 300d. The connection format of the video cable and the LAN cable is the same as that of the stack projection shown in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, stack projection using two projectors as shown in FIG. 1 will be described, but the number and arrangement of projectors and cameras are not limited thereto.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating main configurations of the projector 100, the PC 200, the video cable 300, and the imaging device 400 that constitute the image correction system. The configuration of the image correction system will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the projector 100 will be described.

  The projector 100 according to the present embodiment includes a CPU 101, a RAM 102, a ROM 103, a projection unit 104, a projection control unit 105, a VRAM 106, an operation unit 107, a network IF 108, an image processing unit 109, a video input unit 110, and a light source control unit 111. Reference numeral 112 denotes an internal bus for connecting the above blocks.

  The CPU 101 controls each operation block of the projector 100.

  The RAM 102 temporarily stores a control program and data as a work memory.

  The ROM 103 is for storing a control program describing the processing procedure of the CPU 101.

  The projection unit 104 is for projecting an image instructed by a projection control unit 105 described later, and includes a liquid crystal panel, a lens, and a light source (not shown).

  The projection control unit 105 reads image data stored in the VRAM 106 and issues a projection instruction to the projection unit 104.

  The VRAM 106 is an area for storing an image projected by the projection unit 104.

  The operation unit 107 receives an instruction from the user and transmits an instruction signal to the CPU 101. For example, it consists of a switch and a dial. The operation unit 107 may receive a signal from a remote controller (not shown) and send an instruction signal corresponding to the received signal to the CPU 101.

  The network IF 108 is for performing network communication with an external device. In the present embodiment, the network IF 108 is used for communication with the PC 200.

  The image processing unit 109 performs processing for changing the number of frames, the number of pixels, the image shape, and the like on the video signal received from the video input unit 110, which will be described later, and transmits the video signal to the projection control unit 105. It consists of a microprocessor. Further, the image processing unit 109 does not have to be a dedicated microprocessor. For example, the CPU 101 may execute the same processing as the image processing unit 109 by a program stored in the ROM 103. The image processing unit 109 can execute functions such as frame thinning processing, frame interpolation processing, resolution conversion processing, OSD superimposition processing such as menus, distortion correction processing (keystone correction processing), and edge blending. In addition to the video signal received from the video input unit 110, the image processing unit 109 can perform the above-described change processing on the image or video reproduced by the CPU 101. Details of the image processing unit 109 will be described later.

  The video input unit 110 receives a video signal from an external device. For example, the video input unit 110 is a composite terminal, an S video terminal, a D terminal, a component terminal, an analog RGB terminal, a DVI-I terminal, a DVI-D terminal, HDMI (registration). Trademark) terminal. When an analog video signal is received, the received analog video signal is converted into a digital video signal. Then, the received video signal is transmitted to the image processing unit 109. Here, the external device may be any device such as a personal computer, a camera, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a hard disk recorder, or a game machine as long as it can output a video signal. In this embodiment, a PC 200 and a video cable 300 are used as external devices.

  The light source control unit 111 controls on / off of a light source (not shown) and the amount of light, and includes a control microprocessor. Further, the light source control unit 111 does not have to be a dedicated microprocessor. For example, the CPU 101 may execute the same processing as the light source control unit 111 by a program stored in the ROM 103. A light source (not shown) outputs light for projecting an image on a screen, and may be, for example, a halogen lamp, a xenon lamp, a high-pressure mercury lamp, or a laser light source.

  Next, the PC 200 that also functions as a control device that executes automatic correction processing will be described.

  The PC 200 of this embodiment includes a CPU 201, a RAM 202, a ROM 203, an operation unit 204, a display unit 205, a network IF 206, a video output unit 207, and a communication unit 208. Reference numeral 209 denotes an internal bus for connecting the above blocks.

  The CPU 201 controls each operation block of the PC 100.

  The RAM 202 temporarily stores a control program and data as a work memory.

  The ROM 203 is for storing various control programs describing the processing procedure of the CPU 201. The projection image automatic correction processing program and the display control program such as the menu screen described in the specification of the present application are stored in the ROM 203. However, these programs may be stored in, for example, a hard disk instead of the ROM 203, and the DVD may be stored in various recording media such as a magneto-optical disk.

  The operation unit 204 receives an instruction from the user and transmits an instruction signal to the CPU 201. For example, it consists of a mouse, keyboard, touch panel and the like.

  A display unit 205 displays image data and a UI screen. The display unit 205 is, for example, a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel.

  A network IF 206 is for performing network communication with an external device. In the present embodiment, communication is performed with the projector 100 connected to the LAN. In the present embodiment, the projection apparatus 100 is controlled by LAN communication. However, the communication method is not limited to LAN communication, and other communication methods may be used. For example, serial communication (RS-232) may be used. In that case, it connects with the projection apparatus 100 via the communication part 208 mentioned later.

  The video output unit 207 transmits a video signal to an external device. For example, the video output unit 207 is a composite terminal, S video terminal, D terminal, component terminal, analog RGB terminal, DVI-I terminal, DVI-D terminal, HDMI ( Registered trademark) terminal. In the present embodiment, the display unit 205 is described as displaying a UI screen for allowing the user to perform correction processing. However, the UI screen is displayed on an external device connected to the video output unit 207. It may be in the form.

  The communication unit 208 is for transmitting and receiving a signal including a photographing instruction and an exposure correction instruction and a photographed image to and from the imaging apparatus 400. For example, transmission and reception are performed according to a standard such as USB (Universal Serial Bus). In this embodiment, the PC 200 and the imaging device 400 are described as being connected by USB via the communication unit 208. However, as long as the imaging device can be controlled by a network, the PC 200 and the imaging device 400 may be connected by LAN via the network IF 206.

  Next, the configuration of the present embodiment will be described in detail.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram for explaining in detail the internal configuration of the image processing unit 109 of FIG.

  The image processing unit 109 includes various image processing units 109a, an OSD superimposing unit 109b, a dimming processing unit 109c, and a deformation processing unit 109d.

  As described above, the original image signal sig01 is input from the video input unit 110, the network IF 108, and the like. The timing signal sig02 is a timing signal such as a vertical synchronization signal, a horizontal synchronization signal, and a clock synchronized with the original image signal sig01, and is supplied from the supply source of the original image sig01. Each block in the image processing unit 109 operates based on the timing signal sig02. However, the timing signal may be regenerated and used inside the image processing unit 109.

  The various image processing units 109a can output the image processing signal sig03 generated by inputting the original image signal sig01 and performing various image processings in cooperation with the CPU 101 to the OSD superimposing unit 109b. Various image processing includes acquisition of statistical information including image signal histogram and APL, IP conversion, frame rate conversion, resolution conversion, γ conversion, color gamut conversion, color correction, edge enhancement, and the like. The details of these image processes are well known and will not be described.

  The OSD superimposing unit 109b superimposes the user menu and operation guide information as an OSD image on the image processing signal sig03 in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 101, and outputs the generated OSD superimposing signal sig04 to the dimming processing unit 109c. can do.

  The dimming processing unit 109c performs edge blending dimming processing on the OSD superimposed signal sig04 received from the OSD superimposing unit 109b in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 101 of the projector 100. Then, the generated superimposed portion dimming signal sig05 can be output to the deformation processing unit 109d. As the dimming process, a gain is applied so as to gradually diminish from the boundary with the non-superimposed area toward the end in the multi-projection superimposed area.

  FIG. 5 shows a projection image dimming method by edge blend processing. FIG. 5A shows a projection image of one projector. The projected image 500a is composed of a non-overlapping area 510a and a superimposed area 520a. FIG. 5B shows a projected image 500b, a non-superimposed area 510b, and a superimposed area 520b from another projector.

  530a and 530b shown in FIG. 5C are gains applied to the OSD superimposed signal sig04 by the light reduction processing unit 109c of the projector 100. Gains that are 1.0 times in the non-overlapping areas 510a and 510b, and that in the overlapping areas 520a and 520b are set to 1.0 at the boundary with the non-overlapping area and 0 at the projected image edge, depending on the position in the horizontal direction. To do. In the figure, the gain is a straight line, but it may be an S-shaped curve.

  FIG. 4D shows a projected image after synthesis. The overlapping area 540 is an overlapping of the overlapping areas 520 a and 520 b of the projector 100. When a uniform image is projected, the luminance of the superimposing region 540 is equal to that of the non-superimposing regions 510a and 510b, so that the boundary is not noticeable.

  In the case of multi-projection as shown in FIG. 2, the edge blending process by the light reduction processing unit 109c is performed.

  The deformation processing unit 109d can perform a deformation process on the superimposition dimming signal sig05 based on a deformation formula, and can output a post-deformation image signal sig06. Since keystone correction can be realized by projective transformation, parameters for projective transformation are input from the CPU 101 of the projector 100. If the coordinates of the original image are (xs, ys), the coordinates (xd, yd) of the post-deformation image are expressed by Equation 1.

  Here, M is a 3 × 3 matrix, which is a projective transformation matrix from the original image input from the CPU 101 of the projector 100 to the transformed image. xso and yso are the coordinates of one vertex of the original image indicated by the solid line in FIG. 6, and xdo and ydo correspond to the vertex (xso, yso) of the original image of the transformed image indicated by the one-dot chain line in FIG. It is the coordinate value of the vertex to perform.

From the CPU 101 of the projector 100, an inverse matrix M ⁻¹ of the matrix M of Expression 1 and offsets (xso, yso), (xdo, ydo) are input and correspond to the transformed coordinate values (xd, yd) according to Expression 2. The coordinates (xs, ys) of the original image are obtained.

  If the coordinates of the original image obtained based on Equation 2 are integers, the pixel values of the original image coordinates (xs, ys) may be used as the pixel values of the converted coordinates (xd, yd) as they are. However, since the coordinates of the original image obtained based on Expression 2 are not always integers, the pixel values of the post-deformation coordinates (xd, yd) are obtained by interpolation using the values of the surrounding pixels. The interpolation method may be bilinear, bicubic, or any other interpolation method. When the coordinates of the original image obtained based on Expression 2 are outside the range of the original image area, the pixel value is black or the background color set by the user.

  In this manner, pixel values are obtained for all the converted coordinates, and a converted image is created.

  In the above description, the matrix 101 and its inverse matrix M-1 are input from the CPU 101 of the projector 100 to the image processing unit 109. However, only the inverse matrix M-1 is input and the inside of the image processing unit 109 is input. The matrix M may be obtained by Alternatively, only the matrix M may be input to the image processing unit 109 and the inverse matrix M−1 may be obtained inside the image processing unit 109.

  In the present embodiment, description will be made assuming that the deformation process is performed by projective transformation, but the method of the deformation process is not limited to the projective conversion, and other methods may be used.

  Next, the flow of automatic correction will be described using FIG. This flow is started when the user instructs the CPU 201 to execute a program via the operation unit 204 of the PC 200. In the processing flow of FIG. 7, the flow start condition is described as when the user instructs execution of the program via the operation unit 204 of the PC 200, but the start condition is not limited to this.

  For example, the processing flow of FIG. 7 may be periodically executed using a Linux (registered trademark) Cron, a Windows task scheduler, or the like. In this case, if the projection mode information and the correction target projector information are stored in the RAM 202 or the ROM 203 of the PC 200, S701 and S702 can be omitted.

  First, the CPU 201 of the PC 200 displays a menu screen that prompts the user to set the projection mode on the display unit 205 (S701). A menu screen that prompts the user to set the projection mode is shown in FIG. The user operates the pull-down menu 801 on this menu screen to select the projection mode. As the projection mode, stack projection or multi-projection can be selected. In the stack projection or multi-projection, the number and arrangement can be set. Regarding the number and arrangement, not only those shown in the pull-down menu 801 in FIG. 8A but also other modes may be selected. After the projection mode is selected, when the user presses the enter button 802 on the menu screen 800, the CPU 201 of the PC 200 stores the projection mode information in its own RAM 202, and the process proceeds to S702.

  In this embodiment, a pull-down menu is used to select the projection mode, but the selection method is not limited to this. For example, a GUI may be used to input from a radio button or a check box, or a CUI may be used. Alternatively, a setting file including projection mode information may be stored in advance in the ROM 103 of the PC 100, and the CPU 101 may be caused to acquire the projection mode from the setting file on the ROM 103.

  After setting the projection mode, the CPU 201 of the PC 200 displays a menu screen that prompts the user to set the correction target projector on the display unit 205 (S702). FIG. 8B shows a menu screen that prompts the user to set the correction target projector. In the display area 811, the projection mode information set in S701 is displayed. The user inputs the IP address of the projector to be corrected in the text boxes 812 to 815. If there are two projectors to be corrected, the user inputs the IP address in the text boxes 812 and 813 and does not input anything in the other text boxes. Recognize When the user presses the enter button 816 on the menu screen 810 after inputting the IP address, the CPU 201 of the PC 200 stores the IP address information of the projection target projector in its own RAM 202, and the process proceeds to S703.

  The IP address input method is not limited to the text box format, and other formats such as a check box may be used. You may make it input in CUI. Alternatively, a setting file including the IP address of the projector to be projected may be stored in advance in the ROM 103 of the PC 100, and the CPU 101 may acquire the IP address from the setting file on the ROM 103.

  After the setting of the projection mode and the correction target projector is completed, the CPU 201 of the PC 200 selects a corresponding correction processing method based on the projection mode information stored in its own RAM 202 (S703), and executes the correction process.

  An automatic correction process (S704) in stack projection using the two projection apparatuses shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram on the screen 900 for explaining the stack projection automatic correction processing. In FIG. 9, the screen 900 is a plane. In FIG. 9, the projectable areas 901 a and 901 b of the projectors 100 a and 100 b are surrounded by solid lines. If each projector is directly facing the screen, the projectable areas 901a and 901b are rectangular, but here, since each projector is not facing the screen, the projectable areas 901a and 901b are each trapezoidal. It has become.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the PC 200 in the stack projection automatic correction process. When the stack projection automatic correction process is started, the PC 200 detects a projectable region of all projectors to be corrected (S1001). That is, the projectable areas 901a and 901b of the projector 100a and the projector 100b as shown by the solid line in FIG. 9 are detected. Detecting a projectable area means that the coordinates of each point in the projectable area are stored in the RAM 202 of the PC 200. In order to detect a projectable region, position information and direction information of the projector 100, the screen 900, and the imaging device 400, and optical information of the projector 100 and the imaging device 400 are acquired in advance. The position information and direction information of the projector, the screen, and the imaging device are information on the position and orientation in which these devices are arranged. The position information and the direction information may be any information as long as the position and orientation of the projector 100, the screen 900, and the imaging device 400 can be expressed in one coordinate system. The optical information of the projector and the imaging device is information related to optics such as the focal length of lenses of these devices, and is mainly information related to geometric optics.

  In order to acquire position information, direction information, and optical information of each device, it is possible to obtain known information from the RAM 202 of the PC 200 and read it by the CPU 201 of the PC 200. Alternatively, even if not all information is known, position information, direction information, or optical information of each device can be acquired. Specifically, there is a method in which a projection image such as a test image is projected from each projector 100 onto the screen 900, the imaging device 400 captures the projection image, and the CPU 201 of the PC 200 analyzes the captured projection image data. is there. Position information, direction information, or optical information obtained by analysis is stored in the RAM 202 of the PC 200. As described above, a method for acquiring position information, direction information, or optical information by projection and imaging is publicly known, and the details are omitted. The CPU 201 of the PC 200 can calculate the coordinates of a region that can be projected using the position information, the direction information, and the optical information, and store the coordinates in the RAM 202.

  For example, when the coordinates described above are expressed by one XYZ coordinate system, it is necessary to determine the directions of the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis. For example, one of a plurality of projectors is installed. Orientation can be a reference. For example, the upper and lower surfaces of the external shape of the projector can be used as the reference surface. Hereinafter, for the sake of explanation, the horizontal direction of the projector 100a is set as the X axis, the height direction is set as the Y axis, and the vertical direction Z axis as shown in FIG. The method of setting the axis is not limited to this. Also, the coordinate system may be set based on an apparatus or device other than the projector, such as the imaging apparatus 400 or the screen 900. If the screen 900 is rectangular, the sides of the screen may be used as a reference. If a level is used, the horizontal level can be used as a reference.

  Next, the projectable area detected in S1001 is analyzed, and the maximum area rectangle 902 (dotted line in FIG. 9) within the projectable area in FIG. 9 is calculated (S1002 in FIG. 10). Here, the rectangle refers to a rectangle when the screen 900 is viewed from the normal direction. The rectangle is in the same plane as the screen 900 which is a plane. Thus, first, the normal direction of the rectangle is determined so as to coincide with the normal direction of the screen 900.

  Next, the orientation of the rectangle in the plane of the flat screen 900 is determined. In the screen plane, the directions of the sides of the rectangle can be variously determined, such as the rectangle 1301 and the rectangle 1302 in FIG.

  In this embodiment, the orientation of the rectangle is determined so that the rectangle has a side parallel to the direction (x in FIG. 9) orthogonal to the X axis that is the horizontal direction of the projector 100a described above. When the X axis of the XYZ coordinate system is set in a different direction, the direction of the rectangle is determined so that the rectangle has a side parallel to the direction in which the X axis is orthogonally projected on the screen 900.

  In this way, after determining the orientation of the rectangle, the rectangle is determined within the projectable region. Specifically, first, A0 and A3 which are left vertices of the projectable area 901a of the projector 100a in FIG. 9, and B0 and B3 which are left vertices of the projectable area 901b of the projector 100b are extracted. Next, among these four vertices, the vertex on the rightmost side, that is, the rightmost side in the x direction is selected. In the case of FIG. 9, B3 is selected. A part of the straight line passing through B3 and perpendicular to the x direction in the plane of the screen 900 is the left side of the largest rectangle (dotted line). Similarly, the right side is determined from the leftmost of the four vertices of A1, A2, B1, and B2, the upper side is determined from the bottom of the four vertices of A0, A1, B0, and B1, and the four vertices of A2, A3, B2, and B3 are determined. The lower side is determined from the uppermost side. The term “upper and lower” here refers to the direction perpendicular to the x-axis in the plane of the screen 900 and is the same as the upper and lower in FIG. The rectangle with four sides determined in this way is set as the maximum rectangular range that can be projected by all projectors.

  Next, the aspect ratio between the maximum rectangle 902 determined in this way and the content image is compared (S1003). The aspect ratio of the maximum rectangle 902 is the ratio of the length of the horizontal side to the vertical side, that is, the ratio of the length of the upper side and the right side described above. The aspect ratio of the content image is the aspect ratio of the image that is the source of projection. A ratio such as 16: 9 or 4: 3 is used for the aspect ratio of the content image. In order to acquire the aspect ratio of the content image, there is a method of sending the original image signal sig01 input to the projector to the CPU 201 of the PC 200 via the LAN. Alternatively, the CPU 201 can use the value by storing the aspect ratio of the content image in the RAM 202.

  Based on the result of comparison in S1003, the shape and position of the projection are then determined (S1004). In the present embodiment, projection is performed without changing the ratio of content images, and the projected image is displayed to the user. Therefore, as in the corrected projection region 903 in FIG. 9 (broken line in FIG. 9), the shape is rectangular and the aspect ratio is the same as that of the content image. When the maximum rectangle 902 is longer than the content image, the length of the lower side of the corrected projection area 903 is made the same as the length of the lower side of the maximum rectangle. In that case, as shown in FIG. 9, the left side and the right side of the projection region 903 after correction overlap with the left side and the right side of the largest rectangle 902, respectively. If the positions of the upper side and the lower side are determined so that the midpoint of the left side of the corrected projection area 903 is the same as the midpoint of the left side of the largest rectangle 902, the position of the projection area 903 after correction is unique. It is decided. When the maximum rectangle 902 is longer than the content image, the length of the left side of the corrected projection area 903 is set to be the same as the length of the left side of the maximum rectangle. In this case, the lower side and the upper side of the corrected projection area 903 overlap with the lower side and the upper side of the largest rectangle 902, respectively. If the positions of the left and right sides are determined so that the midpoint of the lower side of the corrected projection area 903 is the same as the midpoint of the lower side of the largest rectangle 902, the position of the corrected projection area 903 is unique. It is decided. Further, when the aspect ratio of the largest rectangle 902 and the content image is the same, the corrected projection area 903 can have the same shape and the same position as the largest rectangle 902.

  As described above, the corrected projection area 903 having the same shape as the content image can be determined regardless of the aspect ratio of the largest rectangle 902. In determining the position of the projection region 903 after correction, it may be arranged at an arbitrary position inside the maximum rectangle 902 instead of the center of the maximum rectangle 902. For example, it may be arranged at the end of the largest rectangle 902. Alternatively, the distance between the vertex of the largest rectangle 902 and the vertex of the corrected projection area 903 may be determined to be equal to the length obtained by multiplying the length of the side of the largest rectangle 902 by a specific ratio. . In this way, it is only necessary to determine a position determination method in advance. In the method described above, the corrected projection area 903 is maximized inside the largest rectangle 902, but the present invention is not limited to this. In some cases, it is preferable for the user to have a larger projection area because it is easier for the user to see. In this case, by determining in advance a method for determining the size of the projection area 903 after correction, it is possible to perform display that is preferable for the user. The size of the corrected projection area 903 may be determined relative to the size of the largest rectangle 902 or may be determined from the absolute length of a known coordinate system.

  As described above, the shape, size, and position of the corrected projection area 903 are determined in S1004. That is, the coordinates of the corrected projection area 903 are determined.

  Next, a projection area for each projector is determined based on the corrected projection area 903 (S1005). In the stack projection of the two projectors described in this embodiment, both the projectors 100a and 100b project the entire projection region 903 after correction.

  Next, correction for each projector is executed based on the projection area for each projector determined in S1005 (S1006). Since the projectable area of each projector and the corrected projection area are calculated, the keystone correction amount for each projector can be calculated based on the relative positions thereof. The keystone correction amount calculated by the CPU 201 of the PC 200 can be sent to the deformation processing unit 109d of the projector via the LAN. The deformation processing unit 109d of the projector can perform keystone correction on the input original image signal sig01 and project the corrected image.

  Alternatively, correction for each projector can be performed without performing keystone correction in the deformation processing unit 109d of the projector. Based on the keystone correction amount calculated by the CPU 201 of the PC 200, the image output from the video output unit 207 of the PC is subjected to keystone correction, and then the image is sent to the video input unit 110 of the projector to be the original image signal sig01. use. The difference between the two methods is that the place where the keystone correction is performed is a projector or a PC.

  As described above, the automatic correction process (S704) in the stack projection using the two projectors is completed. If the content image is reproduced and projected after such automatic correction processing, the shape of the projected image on the screen becomes rectangular. In the present embodiment, the outer shape of the set of projected pixels is close to a rectangle. The aspect ratio when the outer shape is regarded as a rectangle is substantially the same as the aspect ratio of the content image. In this embodiment, when the screen or the projector is distorted, the shape of the projected image may be deviated from the rectangle before and after the correction. However, the present invention can be used as appropriate within the scope of the present invention.

[Example 2]
Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In the second embodiment, automatic correction in multi-projection using two projectors is shown. In FIG. 2, the system configuration does not include the projectors 100c and 100d, and has two projectors 100a and 100b. The other device configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment. The block diagram of the apparatus is the same as shown in FIGS.

  7 is the same as S701 to S703 in FIG. 7 except that the projection mode is multi-projection. In step S <b> 705, automatic multi-projection correction processing is executed.

  The multi-projection automatic correction processing will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram on the screen 900 for explaining the multi-projection automatic correction processing. In FIG. 11, the screen 900 is a plane. In FIG. 11, the projectable areas 1101a and 1101b of the projectors 100a and 100b are shown surrounded by solid lines.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the PC 200 in the multi-projection automatic correction process. When the automatic correction processing for multi-projection is started, the PC 200 detects a projectable area of all projectors to be corrected (S1201). Since the processing content in S1201 is the same as the processing S1001 in stack projection, a description thereof will be omitted.

  Next, the maximum rectangle 1102 (dotted line in FIG. 11) within the projectable area in FIG. 11 is calculated (S1202 in FIG. 12). The method for determining the orientation of the rectangle in step S1202 is the same as that in step S1002 in stack projection, and is therefore omitted.

  After determining the orientation of the rectangle, the rectangle is maximized within the projectable region. In the determination method of the four sides of the maximum rectangle 1102, the determination method of the upper side and the lower side of FIG.

  The method for determining the left side and the right side in FIG. 11 is different from S1103 of stack projection. In order to determine the left side, first, A0 and A3 which are left vertices of the projectable area 1101a of the projector 100a in FIG. 11 are extracted. Next, of these two vertices, the vertex which is the rightmost side, that is, the rightmost side in the x direction is selected. In the case of FIG. 11, A3 is selected. A part of the straight line passing through A3 and perpendicular to the x direction in the plane of the screen 900 is the left side of the largest rectangle (dotted line). Similarly, the right side is determined from the leftmost side of the two vertices B1 and B2. It can be said that the rectangle with four sides determined in this way is maximized in a range that can be projected as a multi-projection.

  Next, the aspect ratio between the maximum rectangle 1102 determined in this way and the content image is compared (S1203). Since the content of the process in S1203 is the same as the process S1003 in the stack projection, the description is omitted.

  Based on the result of S1203, next, the shape and position of the projection are determined (S1204). In S1204, the shape, size, and position of the corrected projection area 1103 are determined. That is, the coordinates of the corrected projection area 1103 are determined. In the case of the multi-projection described in the present embodiment, the corrected projection area 1103 is formed from a superimposed area and a non-superimposed area of the projection of each projector.

  Next, based on the results of S1201 and S1204, the overlapping area 1104 is determined (S1205). The overlapping area 1104 is rectangular, and one side of the rectangle is oriented in parallel with one side of the projection area 1103 after correction. Further, the overlapping area 1104 is a common area of the projectable area 1101a and the projectable area 1101b, and is located inside the corrected projection area 1103. Within such a range, the overlapping region 1104 can be maximized as shown in FIG. As described above, the superimposed region 1104 can be determined, and other corrected projection regions 1103 can be determined as non-superimposed regions.

  Next, a projection area for each projector is determined (S1206). In the multi-projection with two projectors described in the present embodiment, the projector 100a projects the overlapping region 1104 and the non-overlapping region on the left side thereof. 100b projects the overlapping region 1104 and the non-overlapping region on the right side thereof.

  Next, correction for each projector is executed based on the projection area for each projector determined in S1206 (S1207). The process performed in S1207 is different from the process S1006 in stack projection in that the edge blend process shown in FIG. Since it is the same about other than that, it abbreviate | omits.

  As described above, the automatic correction process (S705) in the multi-projection using the two projectors is completed. If the content image is reproduced and projected after such automatic correction processing, the shape of the projected image on the screen becomes rectangular.

  In the second embodiment, the number of projectors has been described as two, but the present invention is applied using the same concept regardless of the number and arrangement.

[Other Embodiments]
It goes without saying that the object of the present invention can also be achieved by supplying a storage medium storing software program codes for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments to the apparatus. At this time, the computer (or CPU or MPU) including the control unit of the supplied apparatus reads and executes the program code stored in the storage medium.

  In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the program code itself and the storage medium storing the program code constitute the present invention.

  As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a flexible disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

  Further, the OS (basic system or operating system) running on the apparatus performs part or all of the processing based on the instruction of the program code described above, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing. Needless to say, cases are also included.

  Further, the program code read from the storage medium may be written into a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the apparatus or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, and the functions of the above-described embodiments may be realized. Needless to say, it is included. At this time, based on the instruction of the program code, the CPU or the like provided in the function expansion board or function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing.

  As described above, the embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and can be omitted, replaced, and changed without departing from the gist of the invention.

100, 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d Projector 109 Image processing unit 109c Dimming processing unit 109d Deformation processing unit sig01 Original image signal 200 PC
201 CPU
202 RAM
204 Operation Unit 205 Display Unit 300 Video Cable 400 Imaging Device 540 Superimposition Area 800 Projection Mode Setting Screen 810 Correction Target Projector Setting Screen 900 Screen 901 Projectable Area 902 Maximum Rectangle 903 Corrected Projection Area 1101 Projectable Area 1102 Maximum Rectangle 1103 Projected area after correction

Claims (8)

A control device for controlling a projection system including a plurality of projectors,
Detecting means for detecting a projectable region of each of the plurality of projectors;
Analyzing each projectable area detected by the detection means, and setting means for setting a projection area based on the shape of the content to be projected from among the maximum areas when the plurality of projectors project in cooperation. A control device comprising:   The control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an instruction unit that instructs the plurality of projectors to correct a shape of a projection image based on the projection area. Furthermore, an imaging device for capturing a projected image on the screen is provided,
The control device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects the projectable region by analyzing an image acquired by the imaging device by photographing.   4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit sets, as the projection area, an area that is rectangular when viewed from the normal direction of the screen. 5.   5. The control device according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the images projected by the plurality of projectors overlap each other. A control method for controlling a projection system including a plurality of projectors,
A detecting step of detecting a projectable area of each of the plurality of projectors;
Analyzing each projectable region detected in the detection step, and setting a projection region based on the shape of the content to be projected from among the maximum regions when the plurality of projectors project in cooperation. A control method comprising: A program for controlling a projection system including a plurality of projectors,
When the computer reads and executes,
A detecting step of detecting a projectable area of each of the plurality of projectors;
A setting step of executing each of the projectable regions detected in the detection step and setting a projection region based on the shape of the content to be projected from the maximum region when the plurality of projectors project in cooperation. A program that makes it possible.   A storage medium storing the program according to claim 7 so as to be readable by a computer.

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