Projection apparatus, projection system, projection method, and computer readable storage medium

A projection method applied to a system having a projection apparatus which includes a projection lens unit which projects a full spherical image in all directions except for a proximal direction and an imaging apparatus which performs image capturing for a projection range in which the image is projected in the direction by the projection apparatus, the method comprising:

• performing a synthesis process for a test pattern image which is projected by the projection apparatus and captured by the imaging apparatus such that boundary portions are put together as a continuous image to form the full spherical image;
• accepting an input to define a plurality of projection surfaces in the captured image, which is obtained by capturing the test pattern image to be projected by the projection apparatus from a viewer's viewpoint position with the imaging apparatus;
• obtaining coordinate information of position for each of a plurality of projection surfaces on which the projection apparatus performs projection;
• obtaining coordinate information of the viewer's viewpoint position;
• generating, based on the obtained coordinate information of position for each of the plurality of projection surfaces and the obtained coordinate information of the viewer's viewpoint position, viewpoint correction matrices used to execute conversion on a projection location of an image to be projected for each projection surface so that the image looks continuous from the viewer's viewpoint position;
• generating, based on the viewpoint correction matrices, correction mask data in which each of the viewpoint correction matrices is allocated to a corresponding projection surface in accordance with a pixel location in the image to be projected;
• and
• performing conversion processing on the image, by executing conversion on a coordinate position of projection on each pixel information, for each of the plurality of projection surfaces, using a corresponding viewpoint correction matrix, based on the correction mask data, and thereafter causing the projection apparatus to project the image.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a program stored thereon for controlling a computer in a system having a projection apparatus which includes a projection lens unit which projects a full spherical image in all directions except for a proximal direction and an imaging apparatus which performs image capturing for a projection range in which the image is projected in the direction by the projection apparatus, to perform functions comprising:

• performing a synthesis process for a test pattern image which is projected by the projection apparatus and captured by the imaging apparatus such that boundary portions are put together as a continuous image to form the full spherical image;
• accepting an input to define a plurality of projection surfaces in the captured image, which is obtained by capturing the test pattern image to be projected by the projection apparatus from a viewer's viewpoint position with the imaging apparatus;
• obtaining coordinate information of position for each of a plurality of projection surfaces on which the projection apparatus performs projection;
• obtaining coordinate information of the viewer's viewpoint position;
• generating, based on the obtained coordinate information of position for each of the plurality of projection surfaces and the obtained coordinate information of the viewer's viewpoint position, viewpoint correction matrices used to execute conversion on a projection location of an image to be projected for each projection surface so that the image looks continuous from the viewer's viewpoint position;
• generating, based on the viewpoint correction matrices, correction mask data in which each of the viewpoint correction matrices is allocated to a corresponding projection surface in accordance with a pixel location in the image to be projected;
• and
• performing conversion processing on the image, by executing conversion on a coordinate position of projection on each pixel information, for each of the plurality of projection surfaces, using a corresponding viewpoint correction matrix, based on the correction mask data, and thereafter controlling the projection apparatus to project the image.