Patent Grant
10372312
The present application relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a program, and an information processing system that control display of an image obtained by a microscope in a field of medicine, pathology, biology, materials science, or the like.
In a field of medicine, pathology, or the like, there has been proposed a system that digitizes an image of a cell, a tissue, an organ, or the like of a living body, which is obtained by an optical microscope, to examine the tissue or the like or diagnose a patient by a doctor or a pathologist based on the digitized image.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-37250 (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 1) discloses a method in which an image optically obtained by a microscope is digitized by a video camera with a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), a digital signal is input to a control computer system, and the image is visualized on a monitor. A pathologist performs examination or the like while watching the image displayed on the monitor (see, for example, paragraphs [0027] and [0028] and FIG. 5 of Patent Document 1).
The above-mentioned image of an observation target that is used for examination or the like of the pathologist (hereinafter, referred to as pathological image) has the size of about 40×30 (Kpixels) in many cases. A part of the image having such a huge size is selected and displayed on a monitor screen having the size of about 1,920×1,080 (pixels). Using an input device such as a mouse, the pathologist observes the entire pathological image while moving, enlarging, or contracting a display area displayed on the monitor screen.
Incidentally, there are many cases in which a plurality of pathologists share one monitor screen and diagnose or verify one pathological image while discussing the pathological image. Input devices are prepared for the plurality of pathologists, with which the movement, enlargement, or contraction of an area displayed on the monitor screen is performed by each pathologist. In the case where the diagnosis of such a form called conference is performed, there may be a case where it may be difficult to recognize which part of the huge pathological image the area displayed on the shared monitor screen is, when each pathologist moves the displayed area according to one's discretion. In such a case, the efficiency or accuracy of a diagnosis or the like by the plurality of pathologists is lowered, which leads to a possibility of an erroneous diagnosis or the like.
In view of the circumstances as described above, it is desirable to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a program, and an information processing system that enables a plurality of users to efficiently observe an observation target.
According to an embodiment, there is provided an information processing apparatus including a connection unit, a processing execution unit, a setting unit, and a controller.
The connection unit is capable of connecting a plurality of input apparatuses that output operation information for executing an operation for an image displayed on a screen.
The processing execution unit is capable of executing processing corresponding to the operation information on the image displayed on the screen.
The setting unit sets one of the plurality of input apparatuses connected by the connection unit, as a main input apparatus, and sets the other input apparatuses as secondary input apparatuses.
The controller performs control such that execution of the processing for the image by the processing execution unit based on the operation information from the input apparatus set as the main input apparatus is validated, and execution of the processing for the image by the processing execution unit based on the operation information from the input apparatuses set as the secondary input apparatuses is invalidated.
In the information processing apparatus, one of the plurality of input apparatuses to be connected is set as a main input apparatus, and the other input apparatuses are set as secondary input apparatuses. Then, the execution of the processing for the image based on the operation information from the main input apparatus is validated, and the execution of the processing for the image based on the operation information from the secondary input apparatuses is invalidated. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a plurality of users from having difficulty in grasping an image displayed on the screen when the plurality of users simultaneously operate the image. Accordingly, the plurality of users can observe an observation target efficiently.
The information processing apparatus may further include a pointer display means for displaying a plurality of pointers that indicate positions designated by the plurality of input apparatuses on the screen such that correspondences between the plurality of pointers and the plurality of input apparatuses can be distinguished from one another. Accordingly, a user using the secondary input apparatus can indicate a predetermined position of the image while moving the pointer on the screen.
Based on a setting change request that is input from one of the input apparatuses set as the secondary input apparatuses, the setting unit may change a setting such that the input apparatus is set as the main input apparatus. Accordingly, the settings of the main input apparatus and secondary input apparatuses in the plurality of input apparatuses are changed as appropriate, with the result that the plurality of users can observe an observation target efficiently.
The operation for the image may be an operation of changing a display position of image data on the screen, the image data having a larger resolution as that of the screen.
In this case, the information processing apparatus may further include a storage configured to store information of the display position of the image data.
Further, when a setting of one of the plurality of input apparatuses is changed from the main input apparatus to the secondary input apparatus by the setting unit, the controller may store, in the storage, the information of the display position of the image data that has been displayed on the screen before a setting change, and when the input apparatus is then set as the main input apparatus, the controller may restore display of the image data before the setting change based on the information of the display position of the image data stored in the storage.
In the information processing apparatus, when an input apparatus whose setting has been previously changed from the main input apparatus to the secondary input apparatus is set again as the main input apparatus, the image operated by the input apparatus as the main input apparatus previously can be displayed on the screen. Accordingly, the plurality of users can observe an observation target efficiently.
According to another embodiment, there is provided an information processing method including setting, by a setting unit, as a main input apparatus, one of a plurality of input apparatuses connected to a connection unit to output operation information for executing an operation for an image displayed on a screen, and setting the other input apparatuses as secondary input apparatuses.
By a controller, execution of processing for the image based on the operation information from the input apparatus set as the main input apparatus is exclusively validated.
By a processing execution unit, the processing for the image based on the operation information is executed.
According to another embodiment, there is provided a program causing a computer to operate as a connection unit, a processing execution unit, a setting unit, and a controller.
The connection unit is capable of connecting a plurality of input apparatuses that output operation information for executing an operation for an image displayed on a screen.
The processing execution unit is capable of executing processing corresponding to the operation information on the image displayed on the screen.
The setting unit sets one of the plurality of input apparatuses connected by the connection unit, as a main input apparatus, and sets the other input apparatuses as secondary input apparatuses.
The controller performs control such that execution of the processing for the image by the processing execution unit based on the operation information from the input apparatus set as the main input apparatus is exclusively validated.
The program may be recorded on a recording medium.
According to another embodiment, there is provided an information processing system including a plurality of input apparatuses, a setting unit, a display, a processing execution unit, and a controller.
The plurality of input apparatuses output operation information for executing an operation for an image displayed on a screen.
The setting unit sets one of the plurality of input apparatuses as a main input apparatus, and sets the other input apparatuses as secondary input apparatuses.
The display displays, as the screen, a shared screen and an individual screen of each input apparatus.
The shared screen displays an image as an operation target for a user using the input apparatus set as the main input apparatus and a plurality of pointers indicating positions designated by the plurality of input apparatuses.
The individual screen displays an image as an operation target for a user using one of the input apparatuses set as the secondary input apparatuses and a pointer designated by the input apparatus.
The processing execution unit is capable of executing processing corresponding to the operation information on each of the images displayed on the shared screen and the individual screen.
The controller performs control such that execution of the processing for the image displayed on the shared screen by the processing execution unit based on the operation information from the input apparatus set as the main input apparatus is exclusively validated.
In the information processing system, the individual screen for each input apparatus is displayed by the display. For the image displayed on the individual screen, the execution of the processing corresponding to the operation information is effective irrespective of whether an input apparatus used by each user is set as the main input apparatus or the secondary input apparatus. Accordingly, the user can also observe well the image displayed on the individual screen for a period of time during which an input apparatus to be used is set as the secondary input apparatus.
Based on a setting change request that is input from one of the input apparatuses set as the secondary input apparatuses, the setting unit may change a setting such that the input apparatus is set as the main input apparatus.
When a setting of the input apparatus is changed from the secondary input apparatus to the main input apparatus by the setting unit based on the setting change request from the input apparatus, the controller may display the image that has been displayed on the individual screen before a setting change, as an image of the shared screen.
In the information processing system, when the input apparatus set as the secondary input apparatus is set as the main input apparatus, the image that has been displayed on the individual screen corresponding to the input apparatus is displayed on the shared screen. Accordingly, a user using the input apparatus set as the main input apparatus can state his/her opinion while operating, on the shared screen, the image that has been displayed on the individual screen.
According to the embodiments of the present application, the plurality of users can observe an observation target efficiently.
Additional features and advantages are described herein, and will be apparent from the following Detailed Description and the figures.
Embodiments of the present application will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.
An information processing system 100 includes a display apparatus 3 for displaying an image 2 shared for viewing by a plurality of users 1, controllers 4 serving as input apparatuses used by the respective users 1, and an information processing apparatus connected to the display apparatus 3 and the controllers 4 in a wireless or wired manner.
Structure of Information Processing Apparatus
The PC 5 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 51, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 52, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 53, an input and output interface (hereinafter, abbreviated as I/O interface) 55, and a bus 54 that connects those components with one another.
To the I/O interface 55, the display apparatus 3 and the controllers 4 described above are connected. Further, a storage 58, a communication unit 59, a drive unit 60, and the like are connected to the I/O interface 55.
The storage 58 is a non-volatile storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a flash memory, and another solid-state memory.
The drive unit 60 is a device capable of driving a removable recording medium 61 such as an optical recording medium, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magnetic recording tape, and a flash memory. In contrast, the storage 58 is often used as a device that is previously included in the PC 5 and mainly drives a recording medium that is not removable.
The communication unit 59 is a modem, a router, or another communication device that is connectable to a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), or the like and is used for communicating with another device. The communication unit 59 may perform one of a wired communication or a wireless communication. The communication unit 59 is used separately from the PC 5 in many cases.
The display apparatus 3 has a screen 6 for which liquid crystal, EL (Electro-Luminescence), a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), or the like is used, for example. In this embodiment, an image of a observation target that is captured by an optical microscope is displayed on the screen 6. The image 2 is stored in the storage 58 of the PC 5, and displayed based on the display principle described as follows.
An image pyramid structure 20 in this embodiment is an image group (whole image group) generated for the same image obtained by capturing an image of a single observation target 25 (see
Specifically, when those images are displayed on the same screen 6 at 100%, for example (displayed at the number of dots, which is physically the same as the number of pixels of each image), the image having the largest size is displayed largest and the image having the smallest size is displayed smallest. Here, in
First, a digital image of the original image obtained by an optical microscope (not shown) at a predetermined observation magnification is prepared. This original image corresponds to the image having the largest size, which is the lowermost image of the image pyramid structure 20 shown in
It should be noted that in the field of pathology, generally, a matter obtained by slicing an organ, a tissue, or a cell of a living body, or a part thereof is an observation target 25. Then, a scanner apparatus (not shown) having a function of an optical microscope reads out the observation target 25 set on a glass slide, to thereby store a digital image thus obtained in the scanner apparatus or another storage apparatus.
As shown in
The whole image group forming the image pyramid structure 20 may be generated by a known compression method, or generated by a known compression method used when a thumbnail image is generated, for example.
The PC 5 uses software that adopts a system of the image pyramid structure 20, to extract a desired image from the image pyramid structure 20 in accordance with an input operation made via the controller 4 used by a user and to output the image to the shared screen 6. Specifically, the PC 5 displays an image of any part selected by the user from an image having any resolution selected by the user. By such processing, the user can obtain a feeling of observing an observation target 25 while changing an observation magnification. In other words, the PC 5 functions as a virtual microscope. The virtual observation magnification used here corresponds to the resolution in actuality.
Further, as shown in
In this embodiment, resources of an image processing system and an image display system by one PC 5 are shared by a plurality of users, and accordingly the plurality of controllers 4 are connected to the PC 5. At the positions on the screen 6 that are designated by the respective controllers 4, a plurality of pointers 8 corresponding to the respective controllers 4 are displayed at the same time. In other words, this situation provides an environment where the plurality of users can state their opinions while designating predetermined parts on one image by the pointers 8.
In the example of
Each of the controllers 4 includes arrow keys 41, a determination button 42, LR buttons 43, and a selection button 44 and supplies an operation input made by each user 1 to the PC 5. The arrow keys 41 are mainly used for moving the pointers 8 described above and the shared image 2 displayed on the shared screen 6. The determination button 42 is used for determining a command. For example, when a pointer 8 is moved onto the icon 7 using an arrow key 41 and the determination button 42 is pressed, a predetermined command is executed. The LR buttons 43 are used for enlarging and contracting the shared image 2. The selection button 44 is used for transferring the operation right to be described later.
The shape of the controller 4, positions and functions of various types of buttons, and the like may be set as appropriate. Further, instead of the controller 4, a pointing device such as a mouse, a touch panel, a keyboard, and the like may be used.
Operation of Information Processing Apparatus
The operation of the PC 5 serving as an information processing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described. The following processing by the PC 5 is realized in cooperation with software stored in the storage 58, the ROM 52, or the like, and hardware resources of the PC 5. Specifically, the CPU 51 loads a program constituting the software, which is stored in the storage 58, the ROM 52, or the like, to the RAM 53 and then executes the program, thus realizing the following processing.
First, any one of the plurality of controllers 4 connected to the PC 5 is set as a main input apparatus (hereinafter, this controller 4 is referred to as an operation controller 10). Further, the other controllers 4 other than the operation controller 10 set as a main input apparatus are set as secondary input apparatuses (hereinafter, those controllers 4 are referred to as position controllers 15).
The settings of the operation controller 10 and position controllers 15 may be made in accordance with the order of connecting the controllers 4 to the PC 5, for example, a controller 4 connected to the PC 5 earliest is set as the operation controller 10. Alternatively, for example, in the case where a plurality of jacks for connecting controllers are provided to the PC 5, a controller 4 inserted into a predetermined jack may be set as the operation controller 10. Alternatively, the operation controller 10 and the position controllers 15 may be set by inputs made by the users 1 via the respective controllers 4.
Hereinafter, a pointer 8 whose movement is controlled by the operation controller 10 is described as an operation pointer 11, and pointers 8 whose movements are controlled by the position controllers 15 are described as position pointers 16.
In this embodiment, as shown in
Accordingly, it is possible for the users 1 to easily recognize the operation pointer 11 and the position pointers 16 of the four pointers 8. A display method by which the operation pointer 11 and the position pointers 16 can be recognized may be set as appropriate.
Next, a description will be given on the operation of the PC 5 at a time when operation information for executing an operation on a shared image 2 is output with the plurality of controllers 4.
The operation executed on the shared image 2 includes an operation of moving the display range D of the observation target 25, that is, an operation of moving the shared image 2 displayed on the shared screen 6, and an operation of enlarging or contracting the shared image 2. It should be noted that in this embodiment, an operation of controlling the movement of each pointer 8, an operation of executing a predetermined command by clicking the icon 7, or the like is executed in addition to the operation made on the shared image 2.
First, it is judged whether a controller 4 that has output operation information is the operation controller 10 or the position controller 15 (Step 101). This judgment is performed based on the setting table described above. However, the judgment as to whether the controller 4 is the operation controller 10 or the position controller 15 may be performed based on, for example, the positions of connection jacks to which the controllers 4 are connected. In such a case, the setting table described above may not be created.
In the case where the controller 4 that has output operation information is judged to be the operation controller 10 (Yes in Step 101), an operation corresponding to the output operation information is executed by the PC 5 (Step 102).
In the case where the controller 4 that has output operation information is not judged to be the operation controller 10 (No in Step 101), it is judged whether the operation information that has been output by the controller 4 is operation information corresponding to an operation of controlling the movement of a pointer 8 (hereinafter, the operation information is referred to as position indication information) (Step 103). The processing of Step 103 is performed when the operation information is output by the position controller 15.
In the case where the operation information output by the position controller 15 is judged to be position indication information (Yes in Step 103), the operation of controlling the movement of a pointer is executed by the PC 5 (Step 102).
In the case where the operation information output by the position controllers 15 is not judged to be the position indication information (No in Step 103), the PC 5 invalidates the execution of the operation corresponding to the output operation information (Step 104). The processing of “invalidating the execution of the operation” used here may be the processing in which an operation corresponding to the operation information output by the position controllers 15 is recognized by the PC 5 and the execution of the operation is invalidated by the PC 5. Alternatively, the operation information other than the position indication information, in the operation information output from the position controllers 15, may be processed as invalid information before details of the operation information are recognized by the PC 5.
As described above, in the PC 5 as an information processing apparatus according to this embodiment, one of the plurality of controllers 4 connected to the PC 5 is set as an operation controller 10, and the other controllers 4 are set as position controllers 15. Then, the execution of the processing on the shared image 2 based on the operation information from the operation controller 10 is validated, and the execution of the processing on the shared image 2 based on the operation information from the position controllers 15 is invalidated. In other words, the execution of the processing on the shared image 2 based on the operation information from the operation controller 10 is exclusively validated by the PC 5. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a case where the plurality of users 1 do not understand to which display range D of the image the shared image 2 displayed on the shared screen 6 corresponds when, for example, simultaneously moving the shared image 2, or other cases. As a result, the plurality of users 1 can efficiently observe the observation target 25.
As described above, in this embodiment, the movement of the position pointers 16 is controlled based on the position indication information from the position controllers 15. Accordingly, each of the users 1 using the position controllers 15 can indicate a predetermined position of the shared image 2 while moving the pointer 8 on the shared screen 6.
For example, a plurality of pathologists use the information processing system 100 described above to perform a diagnosis in a conference form, a pathologist using the operation controller 10 moves, enlarges, or contracts a pathological image displayed on a shared screen. The pathologists using the position controllers 15 can pointing out predetermined positions of the pathological image while moving the position pointers 16 and state their opinions.
Next, a description will be given on the change of settings of the operation controller 10 and position controllers 15 in the plurality of controllers 4. As described above, an operation corresponding to the operation information output from the operation controller 10 is executed by the PC 5 without being invalidated. Hereinafter, the authority provided to the operation controller 10 is described as “operation right”. Further, in the following description, using an example in which the operation right is transferred from the controller 4a to the controller 4b shown in
A user 1 presses the selection button 44 of the position controller 15 (4b), and a first setting change request is output from the position controller 15 (4b) to the PC 5 (Step 111). The PC 5 that has received the first setting change request sets the position controller 15 (4b) that has output the first setting change request, as the operation controller 10. Further, the controller 4a that has been set as the operation controller 10 at a time when the first setting change request has just output is set as the position controller 15 (Step 112). Then, the operation right flags of the setting table shown in
As shown in
In this manner, in the PC 5, the first setting change request is output from the position controllers 15, with the result that the settings of the operation controller 10 and the position controller 15 in the plurality of controllers 4 can be changed. Accordingly, the observation target 25 can efficiently be observed by the plurality of users 1. For example, a pathologist who uses a position controller 15 presses the selection button 44 to transfer the operation right to his/her controller 4 when stating his/her opinion. Accordingly, users can present the details of their opinions while moving a shared image 2. As a result, the efficiency or accuracy of a diagnosis or the like performed by a plurality of pathologists is improved, and an erroneous diagnosis or the like can be reliably prevented from occurring.
A description will be given on a PC serving as an information processing apparatus according to a second embodiment. In the following description, equivalents to various types of apparatuses used in the information processing system 100 described in the first embodiment, processing thereof, and the like are not described or simply described.
Each time the watchdog timer increments the counter, a timer value set in advance is decremented (Step 202). With this timer value, a time length during which the position pointer 216 is not operated, which becomes a condition for deleting the position pointer 216, is set. The timer value may be determined based on the length of an interval between counts of the watchdog timer.
In the state where the position pointer 216 is not operated, it is judged whether a period of time set as a condition for deleting the position pointer 216 has elapsed (Step 203). In the case where the timer value is 0 as a result of the timer value being decremented in Step 202, it is judged that the setting time has elapsed. In the case where the timer value is not 0, it is judged that the setting time has not yet elapsed.
When it is judged that the setting time has not yet elapsed (No in Step 203), the CPU clears the counter of the watchdog timer, and the similar processing is performed again based on the count of the watchdog timer. When it is judged that the setting time has elapsed (Yes in Step 203), the position pointer 216 is deleted from the shared screen 6 and the counter of the watchdog timer is cleared (Step 204).
It is judged whether a pointer operated by a controller to be monitored is the position pointer 216 (Step 212). When it is judged that a pointer operated by a controller to be monitored is not the position pointer 216 (No in Step 212), the processing of deleting a pointer is not performed. The operation pointer 211 that is not the position pointer 216 is controlled by the operation controller having the operation right, and the operation pointer 211 is controlled so that various operations for the shared image 2 are executed by the PC. Accordingly, the operation pointer 211 may not be deleted.
In the case where it is judged that a pointer operated by the controller to be monitored is the position pointer 216 (Yes in Step 212), it is judged whether that position pointer 216 is operated via the position controller (Step 213). In the case where it is judged that the position pointer 216 is not operated (No in Step 213), the PC returns to the monitoring of the controllers in Step 211.
In the case where it is judged that the position pointer 216 is operated (Yes in Step 213), it is judged whether the position pointer 216 is currently being displayed on the shared screen 6 (Step 214). In the case where it is judged that the position pointer 216 is being displayed on the shared screen 6 (Yes in Step 214), the timer value described in Step 202 shown in
In the case where the position pointer 216 is displayed again in Step 216, it may be possible to store the position of the position pointer 216 previously deleted on the shared screen 6 and display the position pointer 216 from that position again. Alternatively, the position pointer 216 may be displayed again from a predetermined position such as the center of the shared screen 6, or may be displayed from the same position as that of the operation pointer 211 currently being displayed. In the case where a period of time during which the position pointer 216 is not displayed is long, since the user forgets where the position pointer 216 has been, it is effective to redisplay the position pointer 216 from the position of the operation pointer 211 currently being displayed.
The method of associating the controllers 304 with the pointers 308 is not limited to the coloration described above. For example, the controllers 304 (users using those controllers 304) and the pointers 308 may be associated with each other by putting an image like a text indicating a user's name, a mark representing each user, or the like on each of the pointers 308.
The controllers of this embodiment each have a vibration function and the PC can vibrate the controllers by outputting a predetermined control signal. As shown in
The notification for the blue controller 404b that has acquired the operation right and the notification for the green controller 404a that has been deprived of the operation right may be different from each other. For example, there is conceived a method of strongly vibrating the blue controller 404b that has acquired the operation right and vibrating the green controller 404a that has been deprived of the operation right more weakly than the blue controller 404b. In addition, a cycle of vibration, a period of time for which vibration is continued, or the like may be different from the green controller 404a and the blue controller 404b. In this manner, by setting vibration control for the controllers 404a and 404b as appropriate, it may be possible to notify a plurality of users of the transfer of the operation right by only vibration.
In other words, the PC according to this embodiment executes an operation of controlling the movement of a pointer based on the position indication information from the position controller 515, and an operation of annotation setting processing that is based on the annotation information from the position controller 515.
In this manner, since the user using the position controller 515 can set an annotation for the shared image 2, an observation target can be efficiently observed by a plurality of users.
Here, it is assumed that when the shared image 602A of the display range D1 is displayed, a first setting change request is output from a controller 604b set as a position controller. Then, the operation right is transferred from the controller 604a to the controller 604b, and a pointer 608b corresponding to the controller 604b is displayed as an operation pointer 611 as shown in
A user who uses the controller 604b that has acquired the operation right and has been set as an operation controller can move the shared image 602A. In other words, a display range D2 shown in
Here, assuming that when the shared image 602B of the display range D2 is displayed, a second setting change request is output from the controller 604a that has been deprived of the operation right just now, the PC transfers the operation right again from the controller 604b to the controller 604a. Further, the PC displays, on the shared screen 606, the shared image 602A of the display range D1 being displayed when the operation right has been transferred earlier. In other words, the shared image 602A shown in
As described above, in the PC according to this embodiment, a controller that has been deprived of the operation right previously and whose setting has been changed from an operation controller to a position controller is set as an operation controller again. At this time, a shared image that has been operated previously by that controller as an operation controller is stored as history information.
In this embodiment, the second setting change request output from each controller 604 is output by, for example, double-clicking a selection button 644 or pressing the selection button 644 while pressing a determination button 642 or an LR button 643. In other words, a controller may be operated by an operation method that is different from a method used when the first setting change request is output. Accordingly, both the processing of only transferring the operation right based on the first setting change request, without changing the shared image 602 (processing from
In the case where the shared image 602 is changed along with the transfer of the operation right, the position at which each pointer 608 is displayed may be set as a default. Alternatively, it may be possible to store position information of each pointer 608 and then display each pointer 608 based on the stored position information.
For example, in the case where a similar disease is found in the display ranges D1 and D2 shown in
In the information processing system 700 according to this embodiment, a display apparatus 703 including a shared screen 706, and the plurality of display apparatuses 717 each having the individual screen 718 may be integrally provided as a display unit or may be provided individually.
In this embodiment, first operation information and second operation information are output from the controllers 704. The first operation information is used for executing an operation on a shared image 702, and the second operation information is used for executing an operation on the individual image 714. For example, each user operates the controller 704, thus switching between a mode to operate the shared image 702 and a mode to operate the individual image 714. Accordingly, the first operation information and the second operation information that are output to the PC 705 are distinguished from each other. The operation method for the controllers for operating the shared image 702 and the individual image 714 may be the same.
The PC 705 performs the processing described in each embodiment on the first operation information output from each controller 704. In other words, regarding the first operation information output from the controller 704 set as a position controller, the execution of the processing on the shared image 702 is invalidated.
On the other hand, regarding the second operation information output from each controller 704, the execution of the processing on the individual image 714 is validated. In other words, each user can move, enlarge, or contract the individual image 714 without restraint, irrespective of whether the controller 704 used by each user is an operation controller or a position controller. As shown in
Thus, each user can also observe well the individual image 714 of an observation target displayed on the individual screen 718 during the use of the controller 704 set as the position controller. Therefore, it is possible for a user to organize well his/her opinion or the like while operating the individual image 714, during a period of time in which another user with an operation controller is operating the shared image 702.
Next, a description will be given on a case where the operation right is transferred in the information processing system 700 according to this embodiment.
In this embodiment, position information, magnification information, time-of-day information, or the like of the individual image 714 displayed on each individual screen 718 is stored in a storage or the like of the PC 705. When a setting change request is output from a position controller 715 (704b) shown in
It should be noted that by the PC 705, only the transfer of the operation right may be executed without changing the shared image 702 as described in the first embodiment. Alternatively, as described in the sixth embodiment, a shared image displayed when the operation right has been previously taken may be redisplayed on the shared screen along with the transfer of the operation right.
Embodiments according to the present application are not limited to the embodiments described above, and various embodiments may be possible.
For example, an operation pointer 811 is moved onto an individual image 814 with an operation controller having the operation right, and a determination button of the operation controller is pressed. The individual image 814 thus selected may be displayed as the shared image 802. Alternatively, instead of the operation pointer 811, an individual image 814 may be selected using a position pointer 816.
As shown in
A frame 970 representing each display range D or the inside of the display range D is selected, an individual image corresponding to the display range D is displayed as a shared image 902. By displaying the frames 970 in different colors, it may be possible to identify to which user's individual image each display range D corresponds. Alternatively, the types of line of the frames 970 (difference in line width, difference in type such as solid line and a broken line, or the like) may be different. It should be noted that the display range D is not limited to a rectangle.
In the embodiments described above, the execution of an operation on a shared image that corresponds to operation information from a position controller is invalidated. However, if it is not difficult to recognize a shared image displayed on a shared screen, it may be possible to make a setting such that the execution of a part of operation on a shared image is validated. For example, there is conceived a setting in which a shared image is not moved, but the shared image can be enlarged or contracted by using a position controller.
In the information processing system described above, there has been described the case where the controllers and the display apparatus are connected to the I/O interface 55 of the PC 5 described with reference to
The PC is used as an information processing apparatus according to one embodiment described above, but may be a dedicated information processing apparatus without being limited to the PC. Further, the information processing apparatus is not limited to an apparatus that realizes the information processing described above in cooperation with hardware and software resources, and the information processing described above may be realized by dedicated hardware.
It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-095530 | Apr 2010 | JP | national |
The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/297,366, filed Oct. 19, 2016. application Ser. No. 15/297,366 is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/085,638, filed Apr. 13, 2011, which claims priority to Japanese Application No. 2010-095530, filed Apr. 16, 2010, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
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