JP2011101289A - Image display device, and image display method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image display circuit, an image display device, an image display method, and an image display program, which rotate the vertical direction of an image to be displayed so as to be identical with the vertical direction of a person's face viewing a display device 13. <P>SOLUTION: The image display device includes a camera 11 which detects the person's face from a captured image, and detects the rotation angle of the face with respect to a predetermined reference axis, a drive circuit 12 which rotates the image to be displayed in the display device 13 following the rotation angle detected by the camera 11, and the display device 13 which displays the image rotated by the drive circuit 12. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image display device and an image display method for displaying a screen.

  An image display device using a face detection function has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). Patent Document 1 includes an out camera, an in camera, and a control unit, and operates as follows. The control unit analyzes an image captured using the out-camera and the in-camera and detects a face position by a face detection technique. Then, the movement and rotation of the face are determined. Thereby, the display screen is scrolled or zoomed without any key operation.

  Patent Document 2 includes an in-camera, an out-camera, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) unit, a television broadcast signal receiving unit, and a display unit, and operates as follows. The CPU unit analyzes an image captured using the out camera and the in camera, and determines the vertical direction of the face image. Then, the display image is switched between vertical and horizontal so that the vertical direction of the image or the like acquired by the out-camera, the in-camera, or the television broadcast signal receiving unit matches the vertical direction of the face image. Accordingly, the display direction can be adjusted to the vertical direction of the face image without depending on the posture and usage of the user and how to hold the mobile terminal device.

JP 2007-324893 A JP 2008-177819 A

  When using a mobile phone, there are cases where it is easier to use the screen vertically like e-mail, and cases where the screen is used horizontally such as watching 1Seg or the Internet. On the other hand, the image display device described in Patent Document 1 can scroll or zoom the display screen, but has no function of changing the orientation of the screen. In the image display device described in Patent Document 2, the display image is switched between portrait and landscape, but since the relative angle between the vertical direction of the image and the vertical direction of the face is not detected, the face of the person who is looking at the display device In some cases, the vertical direction did not match.

  Therefore, the present invention provides an image display circuit, an image display device, an image display method, and an image display program that rotate the vertical direction of an image to be displayed so as to coincide with the vertical direction of the face of a person watching the display device. For the purpose of provision.

  An image display circuit according to the present invention detects a human face from an image captured using a camera, detects a rotation angle of the face with respect to a predetermined reference axis, and an image to be displayed on a display device An image rotating unit that rotates the image following the rotation angle detected by the rotation angle detecting unit.

  The image display device of the present invention detects a human face from a captured image, the camera detects a rotation angle of the face with respect to a predetermined reference axis, and the image to be displayed on the display device. A driving circuit that rotates following the rotation angle; and a display device that displays an image rotated by the driving circuit.

  An image display method according to the present invention includes a rotation angle detection procedure for detecting a human face from an image captured using a camera, detecting a rotation angle of the face with respect to a predetermined reference axis, and an image displayed on a display device. In turn, an image rotation procedure for rotating the image following the rotation angle detected by the rotation angle detection procedure.

  An image display program according to the present invention detects a human face from an image captured using a camera, detects a rotation angle of the face with respect to a predetermined reference axis, and an image to be displayed on a display device The image rotation step for rotating the image following the rotation angle detected in the rotation angle detection step is sequentially executed by the computer.

  According to the present invention, an image display circuit, an image display device, an image display method, and an image display program that rotate the vertical direction of an image to be displayed so as to coincide with the vertical direction of the face of a person watching the display device. Can be provided.

1 illustrates an example of an image display device according to a first embodiment. 2 shows an example of an image display method according to the first embodiment. 2 shows an example of an image display program according to the first embodiment. 4 shows an example of an image display circuit according to a second embodiment. An example of the image display method which concerns on Embodiment 2 is shown. An example of the image display program which concerns on Embodiment 2 is shown. 6 is a perspective view of a mobile phone according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 6 is a representative block diagram of a mobile phone according to Embodiment 3. FIG.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below are examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In the present specification and drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same components.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 shows an example of an image display apparatus according to this embodiment. The image display device according to the present embodiment includes a camera 11, a drive circuit 12, and a display device 13. The image display device is, for example, a mobile device such as a mobile phone.

  The camera 11 detects a human face from the captured image and detects a rotation angle of the face with respect to a predetermined reference axis. Thereby, it is possible to detect the relative angle between the vertical direction of the face of the person watching the display device 13 and the image displayed on the display device 13.

  Here, the reference axis is a straight line capable of detecting a relative angle between the vertical direction of the image displayed on the display device 13 and the vertical direction of the face of the person watching the display device 13. The reference axis is, for example, a straight line that is parallel or perpendicular to the vertical direction of the display device 13.

  Therefore, it is preferable that the camera 11 and the display device 13 are arranged on the same plane in the image display device. Accordingly, the camera 11 can easily detect the face of a person facing the front with respect to the display device 13 from the captured image. Therefore, the display device 13 can display an image so that the person who is most interested in viewing the image on the display device 13 can view the image most easily.

  The drive circuit 12 receives image information of an image displayed on the display device 13 and rotates the image displayed on the display device 13 following the rotation angle detected by the camera 11. Then, the drive circuit 12 outputs a video signal that can be displayed on the display device 13. The display device 13 receives the video signal and displays an image rotated by the drive circuit 12.

  For example, when the reference axis and the vertical direction of the image displayed on the display device 13 are parallel to each other, if the upward rotation angle of the user's face with respect to the reference axis is 30 ° clockwise, the drive circuit 12 The image displayed on 13 is rotated 30 ° clockwise. Thereby, the vertical direction of the image to be displayed can be rotated so as to coincide with the vertical direction of the face of the person who is viewing the display device 13.

  Here, the image displayed on the display device 13 is any image displayed on the display device 13. For example, in addition to still images such as photographs and drawings, moving images such as videos may be used.

  The image display apparatus according to the present embodiment executes the image display method according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 shows an image display method according to this embodiment. The image display method according to the present embodiment includes a rotation angle detection procedure S111, an image rotation procedure S112, and a display procedure S113 in order.

  In the rotation angle detection procedure S111, a human face is detected from an image captured using the camera 11, and the rotation angle of the face with respect to a predetermined reference axis is detected. Thereby, it is possible to detect the relative angle between the vertical direction of the face of the person watching the display device 13 and the image displayed on the display device 13.

  The reference axis is, for example, a straight line parallel to the vertical direction of the image displayed on the display device 13. In this case, the camera 11 detects the vertical direction of the human face from the captured image. For example, the upper and lower faces are detected by pattern recognition of both eyes and mouth. Then, the camera 11 detects the upward rotation angle of the human face relative to the upward direction of the image displayed on the display device 13. Alternatively, the camera 11 detects the downward rotation angle of the human face relative to the downward direction of the image displayed on the display device 13.

  In addition, the camera 11 detects a human face from the captured image, calculates the center line of the human face, and the rotation angle of the center line of the human face with respect to the upward or downward direction of the image displayed on the display device 13. May be detected.

  Here, the camera 11 detects the face of a person facing the front with respect to the display device 13 from the captured image. As a result, the display device 13 can display an image so that the person who is most likely to see the image on the display device 13 can see the image most easily.

  In the image rotation procedure S112, the drive circuit 12 rotates the image displayed on the display device 13 following the rotation angle detected in the rotation angle detection procedure S111. In the display procedure S113, the display device 13 displays the image rotated in the image rotation procedure S112. Thereby, the vertical direction of the image to be displayed can be rotated so as to coincide with the vertical direction of the face of the person who is viewing the display device 13.

  Note that the image display apparatus according to the present embodiment may be realized by causing a computer to execute the image display program according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 shows an example of an image display program according to the present embodiment. The image display program according to the present embodiment causes the computer to sequentially execute rotation angle detection step S211, image rotation step S212, and display step S213.

  In the rotation angle detection step S211, a human face is detected from an image captured using the camera 11, and the rotation angle of the face with respect to a predetermined reference axis is detected. In the image rotation step S212, the image displayed on the display device 13 is rotated following the rotation angle detected in the rotation angle detection step S211. In the display step S213, the image rotated in the image rotation step S212 is displayed on the display device 13. Thereby, the image display apparatus according to the present embodiment can be realized.

  Here, in the rotation angle detection step S <b> 211, the face of a person facing the front with respect to the display device 13 is detected from the image captured using the camera 11. As a result, the display device 13 can display an image so that the person who is most likely to see the image on the display device 13 can see the image most easily.

  The reference axis is, for example, a straight line parallel to the vertical direction of the image displayed on the display device 13. In this case, in the rotation angle detection step S211, the vertical direction of the human face is detected from the image captured using the camera 11. Then, the upward rotation angle of the human face relative to the upward direction of the image displayed on the display device 13 is detected. Alternatively, the downward rotation angle of the human face relative to the downward direction of the image displayed on the display device 13 is detected.

  In addition, in the rotation angle detection step S211, a human face is detected from an image captured using the camera 11, a center line of the human face is calculated, and a person with respect to the upward or downward direction of the image displayed on the display device 13 is calculated. The rotation angle of the center line of the face may be detected.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 4 shows an example of the image display circuit according to the present embodiment. The image display circuit according to the present embodiment includes a rotation angle detection unit 21 and an image rotation unit 22. The image display circuit according to the present embodiment is provided in an image display device including a camera 31 and a display device 33.

  The rotation angle detection unit 21 detects a human face from an image captured using the camera 31 and detects a rotation angle of the face with respect to a predetermined reference axis. Thereby, it is possible to detect the relative angle between the vertical direction of the face of the person watching the display device 33 and the image displayed on the display device 33. Here, the reference axis is the same as in the first embodiment.

  The image rotation unit 22 receives image information of an image to be displayed on the display device 33 and rotates the image displayed on the display device 33 following the rotation angle detected by the rotation angle detection unit 21. Then, the image rotation unit 22 outputs a video signal that can be displayed on the display device 33. Thereby, the vertical direction of the image to be displayed can be rotated so as to coincide with the vertical direction of the face of the person who is viewing the display device 33. Here, the display device 33 is the same as the display device 33 of the first embodiment.

  For example, when the reference axis and the vertical direction of the image displayed on the display device 33 are parallel, if the upward rotation angle of the user's face with respect to the reference axis is 30 ° clockwise, the image rotation unit 22 displays The image displayed on the device 33 is rotated 30 ° clockwise. Thereby, the vertical direction of the image to be displayed can be rotated so as to coincide with the vertical direction of the face of the person who is viewing the display device 33.

  The image display circuit according to the present embodiment executes the image display method according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 shows an image display method according to this embodiment. The image display method according to the present embodiment includes a rotation angle detection procedure S111 and an image rotation procedure S112 in order.

  In the rotation angle detection procedure S111, the rotation angle detection unit 21 detects a human face from an image captured using the camera 31, and detects the rotation angle of the face with respect to a predetermined reference axis. Thereby, it is possible to detect the relative angle between the vertical direction of the face of the person watching the display device 33 and the image displayed on the display device 33.

  Here, it is preferable that the rotation angle detection unit 21 detects a face of a person facing the front with respect to the display device 33 from an image captured using the camera 31. Accordingly, the display device 33 can display the image so that the person who is most interested in viewing the image on the display device 33 can most easily view the image.

  The reference axis is, for example, a straight line parallel to the vertical direction of the image displayed on the display device 33. In this case, the rotation angle detection unit 21 detects the vertical direction of a human face from an image captured using the camera 31. For example, the upper and lower faces are detected by pattern recognition of both eyes and mouth. Then, the rotation angle detection unit 21 detects the upward rotation angle of the human face relative to the upward direction of the image displayed on the display device 33. Alternatively, the rotation angle detection unit 21 detects the rotation angle of the human face in the downward direction with respect to the downward direction of the image displayed on the display device 33.

  Further, the rotation angle detection unit 21 detects a human face from the captured image, calculates the center line of the human face, and the center line of the human face with respect to the upward or downward direction of the image displayed on the display device 33. The rotation angle of is detected.

  In the image rotation procedure S112, the image rotation unit 22 rotates the image displayed on the display device 33 following the rotation angle detected in the rotation angle detection procedure S111. Thereby, the vertical direction of the image to be displayed can be rotated so as to coincide with the vertical direction of the face of the person who is viewing the display device 33.

  Note that the image display circuit according to the present embodiment may be realized by causing a computer to execute the image display program according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 shows an example of an image display program according to this embodiment. The image display program according to the present embodiment causes the computer to sequentially execute the rotation angle detection step S211 and the image rotation step S212.

  In the rotation angle detection step S211, a human face is detected from an image captured using the camera 31, and the rotation angle of the face with respect to a predetermined reference axis is detected. In the image rotation step S212, the image displayed on the display device 33 is rotated following the rotation angle detected in the rotation angle detection step S211. Thereby, the image display circuit according to the present embodiment can be realized.

  In the rotation angle detection step S211, a human face is detected from an image captured using the camera 31, and the rotation angle of the face with respect to a predetermined reference axis is detected. In the image rotation step S212, the image displayed on the display device 33 is rotated following the rotation angle detected in the rotation angle detection step S211. In the display step S213, the image rotated in the image rotation step S212 is displayed on the display device 33. Thereby, the image display apparatus according to the present embodiment can be realized.

  Here, in the rotation angle detection step S211, the face of the person facing the front with respect to the display device 33 is detected from the image captured using the camera 31. Accordingly, the display device 33 can display the image so that the person who is most interested in viewing the image on the display device 33 can most easily view the image.

  The reference axis is, for example, a straight line parallel to the vertical direction of the image displayed on the display device 33. In this case, in the rotation angle detection step S211, the vertical direction of the human face is detected from the image picked up using the camera 31. Then, the upward rotation angle of the human face relative to the upward direction of the image displayed on the display device 33 is detected. Alternatively, the downward rotation angle of the human face relative to the downward direction of the image displayed on the display device 33 is detected.

  In addition, in the rotation angle detection step S211, a human face is detected from an image captured using the camera 31, a center line of the human face is calculated, and a person with respect to the upward or downward direction of the image displayed on the display device 33 is calculated. The rotation angle of the center line of the face may be detected.

(Embodiment 3)
In the present embodiment, the case where the image display device described in the first embodiment is a mobile phone will be described. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the mobile phone according to the present embodiment. The mobile phone 101 has a camera 11 in the same direction as the display device 13, and has a structure in which the camera 11 can take a photo of the display device 13 facing the display device 13. The camera 11 has a face detection function for detecting and focusing on the face of the subject. By applying this face detection function, it is possible to detect how much the detected face is inclined with respect to the vertical axis. To do.

  FIG. 8 is a typical block diagram of the mobile phone according to the present embodiment. It comprises a display device 13, a drive circuit 12, a CPU 14, and a camera 11. The display device 13 has a function of displaying all information of the mobile phone 101. The drive circuit 12 has a function of driving the display device 13. The CPU 14 has a function of receiving subject direction information from the camera 11 and instructing the display direction to the drive circuit 12. The camera 11 has a face detection function and a function of detecting an angle from the direction of the face of the subject.

  The mobile phone 101 activates the camera 11. The camera 11 captures an image of a user looking at the display device 13. Next, the camera 11 detects how much the user's face is inclined with respect to the reference (vertical axis) using the face detection function, and outputs information to the CPU 14. Since the operation so far is for detecting the orientation of the user's face, it is not necessary to display the image of the camera 11 on the display device 13.

  Next, the CPU 14 receiving the face orientation information instructs the drive circuit 12 to rotate the image to be displayed by the tilted angle. The drive circuit 12 drives the display device 13 so that an image rotated by an instruction from the CPU 14 is displayed on the display device 13. As an example, when it is detected that the user's face is rotated 90 ° clockwise with respect to the vertical axis, the drive circuit 12 also displays the image displayed on the display device 13 by rotating 90 ° clockwise. The display device 13 is driven as described above. Thereby, the user can always see the display image of the display device 13 in the same direction.

  As described above, in the mobile phone 101 according to the present embodiment, the display orientation of what is displayed on the display device 13 using the face detection function of the camera 11 in a mobile device such as a mobile phone having the camera 11 and the display device 13. Can be switched automatically. Thereby, the mobile phone 101 according to the present embodiment can obtain the following effects.

  The face detection function of the camera 11 can be applied to detect the face angle of the user, and the image displayed on the display device 13 can be rotated by the tilt angle. As a result, the orientation of the image displayed on the display device 13 can always be the same for the user. With this function, for example, even when you normally use the screen in portrait orientation, if you want to display it in landscape orientation, such as watching 1Seg or the Internet, simply turn the mobile phone 101 horizontally and the display orientation can be rotated to switch to landscape orientation. I can do it.

  Moreover, the mobile phone 101 can realize automatic switching of the display direction without increasing the number of parts by using the camera 11 attached to most models of recent models.

  The present invention can be applied to the information communication industry.

11, 31: Camera 12: Drive circuit 13, 33: Display device 14: CPU
21: Rotation angle detection unit 22: Image rotation unit 101: Mobile phone

Claims (18)

A rotation angle detector that detects a human face from an image captured using a camera and detects a rotation angle of the face with respect to a predetermined reference axis;
An image rotation unit for rotating an image displayed on the display device following the rotation angle detected by the rotation angle detection unit;
An image display circuit comprising: The reference axis is parallel to the vertical direction of the image displayed on the display device,
The rotation angle detector
Detecting the vertical direction of a human face from an image captured using a camera, and detecting an upward rotation angle of the human face relative to the upward direction of the image displayed on the display device, or
The image according to claim 1, wherein a vertical direction of a human face is detected from an image captured using a camera, and a downward rotation angle of the human face with respect to a downward direction of the image displayed on the display device is detected. Display circuit. The rotation angle detector
Detecting a human face from an image captured using a camera and calculating a centerline of the human face;
The image display circuit according to claim 1, wherein a rotation angle of a center line of the human face with respect to an upward direction or a downward direction of an image displayed on the display device is detected.   The image display circuit according to claim 1, wherein the rotation angle detection unit detects a face of a person facing the front with respect to the display device from an image captured using a camera. A camera that detects a human face from a captured image and detects a rotation angle of the face with respect to a predetermined reference axis;
A drive circuit for rotating an image to be displayed on the display device following the rotation angle detected by the camera;
A display device for displaying a rotated image of the drive circuit;
An image display device comprising: The reference axis is parallel to the vertical direction of the image displayed on the display device,
The camera
Detecting the vertical direction of the human face from the captured image and detecting the upward rotation angle of the human face relative to the upward direction of the image displayed on the display device, or
The image display device according to claim 5, wherein a vertical direction of a human face is detected from a captured image, and a downward rotation angle of the human face with respect to a downward direction of the image displayed on the display device is detected. The camera
Detecting a human face from the captured image and calculating the center line of the human face,
The image display device according to claim 5, wherein a rotation angle of a center line of the human face with respect to an upward direction or a downward direction of an image displayed on the display device is detected. The camera and the display device are arranged on the same plane in the image display device,
The image display device according to claim 5, wherein the camera detects a face of a person facing the front with respect to the display device from a captured image. A rotation angle detection procedure for detecting a human face from an image captured using a camera and detecting a rotation angle of the face with respect to a predetermined reference axis;
An image rotation procedure for rotating an image to be displayed on the display device following the rotation angle detected in the rotation angle detection procedure;
The image display method which has these in order.   The image display method according to claim 9, further comprising a display procedure for displaying an image rotated in the image rotation procedure on the display device after the image rotation procedure. The reference axis is parallel to the vertical direction of the image displayed on the display device,
In the rotation angle detection procedure,
Detecting the vertical direction of a human face from an image captured using a camera, and detecting an upward rotation angle of the human face relative to the upward direction of the image displayed on the display device, or
The vertical direction of a person's face is detected from the image imaged using the camera, The rotation angle of the downward direction of the said person's face with respect to the downward direction of the image displayed on the said display apparatus is detected. Image display method. In the rotation angle detection procedure,
Detecting a human face from an image captured using a camera and calculating a centerline of the human face;
The image display method according to claim 9, wherein a rotation angle of a center line of the human face with respect to an upward direction or a downward direction of an image displayed on the display device is detected.   The image display method according to claim 9, wherein, in the rotation angle detection procedure, a face of a person facing the front with respect to the display device is detected from an image captured using a camera. A rotation angle detecting step of detecting a human face from an image captured using a camera and detecting a rotation angle of the face with respect to a predetermined reference axis;
An image rotation step of rotating an image displayed on the display device following the rotation angle detected in the rotation angle detection step;
An image display program that causes a computer to execute in order.   The image display program according to claim 14, further causing the computer to execute a display step of displaying the image rotated in the image rotation step on the display device after the image rotation step. The reference axis is parallel to the vertical direction of the image displayed on the display device,
In the rotation angle detection step,
Detecting the vertical direction of a human face from an image captured using a camera, and detecting an upward rotation angle of the human face relative to the upward direction of the image displayed on the display device, or
16. The human face in a vertical direction is detected from an image captured using a camera, and a downward rotation angle of the human face with respect to a downward direction of the image displayed on the display device is detected. Image display program. In the rotation angle detection step,
Detecting a human face from an image captured using a camera and calculating a centerline of the human face;
The image display program according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein a rotation angle of a center line of the human face with respect to an upward direction or a downward direction of an image displayed on the display device is detected.   The image display program according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein in the rotation angle detection step, a face of a person facing the front with respect to the display device is detected from an image captured using a camera.

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