Electronic conference system, electronic conference controller, information terminal device, and electronic conference support method

Abstract

There is provided an electronic conference system, including a display controller that arranges and displays a marker for specifying a display position on a display screen of a display apparatus which placed in a conference room, a unit that obtains information concerning the display position of each marker included in an image capturing range obtained by capturing an image of a portion of the display screen by a conference participant using an information terminal device and that specifies an image capturing region on the display screen based on the information concerning the display position of each marker that is obtained, and a unit that combines image data displayed on the display apparatus at the time of image capturing performed using the information terminal device having an image capturing function with display data, to be displayed in the image capturing region that is specified, to generate a screen image.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 schematically shows an overall structure of an electronic conference system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block structural diagram of the electronic conference system of the first exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a view showing an example setting of information concerning a display position of a marker stored and managed by a marker management section in the first exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a conceptual view showing a positional relationship between a large display and each marker in the first exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a view showing a screen example when markers are displayed on the large display in the first exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a view showing a screen display example of conference reference materials displayed on the large display in the first exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 7A, FIG. 7B, and FIG. 7C show a transition of a display screen of a mobile phone in the first exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a conceptual view when a conference participant captures an image of a portion on a screen of the large display in the first exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B show example contents of electronic mail messages to be transmitted to a display information management server in the first exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a view showing an example screen display after a display process on the large display is performed in the first exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing processes to be executed by a display information combining section in the first exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a view showing an example data structure of a display link table in the first exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 13 a conceptual view for explaining the setting content of display position information of image data to be additionally displayed in the first exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 14 schematically shows an overall structure of an electronic conference system according to a second exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a conceptual view when a conference participant captures an image of a portion on a screen of a copy source large display in the second exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 16 is a view showing an example screen display of a copy destination large display in the second exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 17A, FIG. 17B, and FIG. 17C show a transition of a display screen of a mobile phone in the second exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 18 is a conceptual view when a conference participant captures a portion of an image on a screen of a copy destination large display in the second exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 19 shows an example content of an electronic mail message to be transmitted to a display information management server in the second exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 20 is a view showing an example screen display after a paste process on the large display is performed in the second exemplary embodiment; and

FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing processes executed by a display information combining section in the second exemplary embodiment.

Claims

1. An electronic conference system, comprising: a display;an information terminal device having an image capturing function;a display controller that controls the display to display an image and a marker for specifying a display position on a screen of the display;a marker management unit that stores information concerning the display position of the marker;an image capturing data obtaining unit that obtains image capturing data generated by capturing, when the marker is displayed, an image of at least a part of the screen using the information terminal device;an specification unit that specifies the display position of the marker included in the image capturing data based on the information stored in the marker management unit;a display data obtaining unit that obtains display data to be displayed; anda display image combining unit that displays the display data at a position of the screen, the position corresponding to the specified display position of the marker.

2. A computer readable recording medium storing an electronic conference support program causing a computer connected to a display to execute a process comprising: controlling the display to display an image and a marker for specifying a display position on a screen of the display;storing information concerning the display position of the marker;obtaining image capturing data generated by capturing, when the marker is displayed, an image of at least a part of the screen using an information terminal device having an image capturing function;specifying the display position of the marker included in the image capturing data based on the stored information;obtaining display data to be displayed; anddisplaying the display data at a position of the screen, the position corresponding to the specified display position of the marker.

3. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 2, wherein; displaying the display data includes combining the display data with an image which is being displayed on the screen.

4. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 2, wherein the display data is an image data captured by the information terminal device.

5. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 2, the process further comprising: detecting approach of a user who has the information terminal device to the screen, anddisplaying the marker in the screen image displayed on the screen such that an image of the marker can be captured, when approach of the user is detected.

6. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 2, wherein the information concerning the display position of the marker is formed of identification information of the marker, information for specifying image data displayed on the display when the marker is displayed on the screen, and information for specifying the display position of the marker on the display screen, in association with each other.

7. An electronic conference apparatus comprising: a display controller that controls the display to display an image and a marker for specifying a display position on a screen of the display;a marker management unit that stores information concerning the display position of the marker;an image capturing data obtaining unit that obtains image capturing data generated by capturing, when the marker is displayed, an image of at least a part of the screen using an information terminal device having an image capturing function;an specification unit that specifies the display position of the marker included in the image capturing data based on the information stored in the marker management unit;a display data obtaining unit that obtains display data to be displayed; anda display image combining unit that displays the display data at a position of the screen, the position corresponding to the specified display position of the marker.

8. A computer readable recording medium storing an electronic conference support program causing a computer mounted in an information terminal device having an image capturing function to execute a process comprising: generating image capturing data when an image of at least a portion of a screen of a display apparatus is captured, with a marker being displayed over the screen for specifying a display position on the screen;causing a user of the information terminal device to designate the image capturing data and information indicating display data to be displayed at the display position specified by the marker which is included in the image capturing data; andtransmitting the designated image capturing data and the information indicating the display data.

9. An information terminal device, comprising: an image capture processing unit that generates image capturing data when an image of at least a portion of a screen of a display used in an electronic conference system is captured, with a marker being displayed over the screen for specifying a display position on the screen;a display information generation unit that causes a user of the information terminal device to designate the image capturing data and information indicating display data to be displayed at the display position specified by the marker which is included in the image capturing data; anda display information transmission unit that transmits the designated image capturing data and the information indicating the display data to a display information management computer included in the electronic conference system.

10. An electronic conference supporting method, comprising: displaying a marker for specifying a display position on a screen of a display used in an electronic conference system on the screen;generating image capturing data by capturing, when the marker is displayed on the screen, an image of at least a portion of the screen using an image capturing function provided with an information terminal device;accepting the image capturing data and information indicating display data to be displayed at the display position specified by the marker which is included in the image capturing data;generating and transmitting display information including the image capturing data and the information indicating the display data;specifying an image capturing region of the image capturing data on the screen based on information concerning the display position of the marker which is stored in a marker management unit;displaying the display data at a position of the screen, the position corresponding to the specified image capturing region.

11. An electronic conference system, comprising: a copy source display;a copy destination display;an information terminal device having an image capturing function;a copy source display controller that controls the copy source display to display an image and a marker for specifying a display position on a screen of the copy source display on the screen;a copy destination display controller that controls the copy destination display to display an image and a marker for specifying a display position on a screen of the copy destination display on the screen;a copy source marker management unit that stores information concerning the display position of the marker displayed on the copy source display;a copy destination marker management unit that stores information concerning the display position of the marker displayed on the copy destination display;a copy source image obtaining unit that obtains copy source image capturing data which is generated, when the marker is displayed on the screen of the copy source display, by capturing an image of at least a portion of the screen using an information terminal device having an image capturing function;a copy source image capturing region specification unit that specifies a captured range of the copy source image capturing data based on the marker included in the copy source image capturing data and the information stored in the copy source marker management unit;a copy destination image obtaining unit that obtains copy destination image capturing data which is generated, when the marker is displayed on the screen of the copy destination display, by capturing an image of at least a portion of the screen using an information terminal device having an image capturing function;a copy destination image capturing region specification unit that specifies a captured range of the copy destination image capturing data based on the marker included in the copy destination image capturing data and the information stored in the copy destination marker management unit;a paste image extraction unit that retrieves, from a memory, image data displayed on the copy source display at the time of image capturing performed, and extracts, as paste image data, image data in a portion of the retrieved image data corresponding to the image capturing region specified by the copy source image capturing region specification unit; anda display image combining unit that combines image data being displayed on the copy destination display with the paste image data to be displayed in the image capturing region specified by the copy destination image capturing region specification unit to generate a screen image to be displayed on the copy destination display.

12. A computer readable recording medium storing an electronic conference support program causing a computer to execute a process comprising: controlling a copy destination display used in an electronic conference system to display an image and a marker for specifying a display position on a screen of the copy destination display on the screen;storing information concerning the display position of the marker displayed on the copy destination display;obtaining, from a copy source marker management unit, information concerning the display position of the marker included in an image capturing range of copy source image capturing data obtained, when the marker is displayed in a superimposed manner on a screen of a copy source display, by capturing an image of the screen using an information terminal device having an image capturing function, and specifying an image capturing range on the display screen based on the information concerning the display position of the marker that is obtained;obtaining, from the information that is stored and managed, information concerning the display position of the marker included in an image capturing range of copy destination image capturing data obtained, when the marker is displayed in a superimposed manner on a screen of a copy source display, by capturing an image of the screen using an information terminal device having an image capturing function, and specifying an image capturing range on the display screen based on the information concerning the display position of the marker that is obtained;retrieving, from a memory, image data displayed on the copy source display at the time of image capturing performed, and extracting, as paste image data, image data in a portion of the retrieved image data corresponding to the specified image capturing range; andcombining image data displayed on the copy destination display apparatus with the paste image data to be displayed in the image capturing range specified by the stored information concerning the display position of a marker displayed on the copy destination display, to generate a screen image to be displayed on the copy destination display.

13. An electronic conference control apparatus, comprising: a copy source display;a copy destination display;an information terminal device having an image capturing function;a copy source display controller that controls the copy source display to display an image and a marker for specifying a display position on a screen of the copy source display on the screen;a copy destination display controller that controls the copy destination display to display an image and a marker for specifying a display position on a screen of the copy destination display on the screen;a copy source marker management unit that stores information concerning the display position of the marker displayed on the copy source display;a copy destination marker management unit that stores information concerning the display position of the marker displayed on the copy destination display;a copy source image obtaining unit that obtains copy source image capturing data which is generated, when the marker is displayed on the screen of the copy source display, by capturing an image of at least a portion of the screen using an information terminal device having an image capturing function;a copy source image capturing region specification unit that specifies a captured range of the copy source image capturing data based on the marker included in the copy source image capturing data and the information stored in the copy source marker management unit;a copy destination image obtaining unit that obtains copy destination image capturing data which is generated, when the marker is displayed on the screen of the copy destination display, by capturing an image of at least a portion of the screen using an information terminal device having an image capturing function;a copy destination image capturing region specification unit that specifies a captured range of the copy destination image capturing data based on the marker included in the copy destination image capturing data and the information stored in the copy destination marker management unit;a paste image extraction unit that retrieves, from a memory, image data displayed on the copy source display at the time of image capturing performed, and extracts, as paste image data, image data in a portion of the retrieved image data corresponding to the image capturing region specified by the copy source image capturing region specification unit; anda display image combining unit that combines image data being displayed on the copy destination display with the paste image data to be displayed in the image capturing region specified by the copy destination image capturing region specification unit to generate a screen image to be displayed on the copy destination display.

14. A computer readable recording medium storing an electronic conference support program causing a computer mounted in an information terminal device having an image capturing function to execute a process comprising: capturing, when a marker for specifying a display position on a screen of a copy source display is displayed on the screen, an image of at least a portion of the screen of the copy source display used in a conference to generate source image data;capturing, when a marker for specifying a display position on a screen of a copy destination display is displayed on the screen, an image of at least a portion of the screen of the copy destination display used in a conference destination image data;transmitting the source image data and the destination image data to a display information management computer included in the electronic conference system.

15. An information terminal device, comprising: a first image capturing unit that captures, when a marker for specifying a display position on a screen of a copy source display is displayed on the screen, an image of at least a portion of the screen of the copy source display used in a conference to generate source image data;a second image capturing unit that captures, when a marker for specifying a display position on a screen of a copy destination display is displayed on the screen, an image of at least a portion of the screen of the copy destination display used in a conference to generate destination image data; anda display information transmission unit that transmits display information including the source image data and the destination image data to a display information management computer included in an electronic conference system.

16. An electronic conference supporting method, comprising: displaying a marker for specifying a display position on a screen of a copy source display used in an electronic conference system on the screen;generating source image capturing data by capturing, when the marker is displayed on the screen of the copy source display, an image of at least a portion of the screen using an image capturing function provided with an information terminal device;displaying a marker for specifying a display position on a screen of a destination source display used in an electronic conference system on the screen;generating destination image capturing data by capturing, when the marker is displayed on the screen of the copy destination display, an image of at least a portion of the screen using an image capturing function provided with an information terminal device;transmitting display information including the generated image capturing data;specifying an image capturing region of the source image capturing data based on the marker included in the source image capturing data;specifying an image capturing region of the destination image capturing data based on the marker included in the destination image capturing data;retrieving, from a memory, image data displayed on the copy source display apparatus at the time the image capturing performed;extracting, as paste image data, image data included in the specified image region of the retrieved image data;combining image data displayed on the copy destination display apparatus with the paste image data to be displayed in the specified image capturing region, to generate a screen image; anddisplaying the screen image which is generated on the copy destination display apparatus.

17. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for enabling a computer to perform a process for supporting an electronic conference, the process comprising: controlling the display to display an image and a marker for specifying a display position on a screen of the display;storing information concerning the display position of the marker;obtaining image capturing data generated by capturing, when the marker is displayed, an image of at least a part of the screen using an information terminal device having an image capturing function;specifying the display position of the marker included in the image capturing data based on the stored information;obtaining display data to be displayed; anddisplaying the display data at a position of the screen, the position corresponding to the specified display position of the marker.