Image processing system, image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a communication unit receiving first feature amounts, which include coordinates of a plurality of feature points set in an image acquired by another image processing apparatus, and position data showing a position in the image of a pointer used to point at a location in a real space;
• an input image acquisition unit acquiring an input image produced by image pickup of the real space;
• a feature amount generating unit generating second feature amounts including coordinates of a plurality of feature points set in the input image acquired by the input image acquisition unit;
• a specifying unit comparing the first feature amounts and the second feature amounts and specifying, based on a result of the comparing and the position data, a position in the input image of the location in the real space being pointed at by the pointer;
• and
• an output image generating unit generating an output image displaying an indicator indicating the position specified by the specifying unit.

An image processing method carried out by first and second image processing apparatuses that each acquire an input image produced by image pickup of a real space, the image processing method comprising steps of:

• acquiring, by the first image processing apparatus, a first input image;
• recognizing, by the first image processing apparatus, a pointer appearing in the acquired first input image, the pointer being used to point at a location in the real space;
• generating, by the first image processing apparatus, first feature amounts including coordinates of a plurality of feature points set in the first input image;
• and
• transmitting, by the first image processing apparatus, first feature amounts generated for the first input image and position data showing a position of the recognized pointer, and
• receiving, by the second image processing apparatus, the first feature amounts and the position data;
• acquiring, by the second image processing apparatus, a second input image;
• generating, by the second image processing apparatus, second feature amounts including coordinates of a plurality of feature points set in the acquired second input image;
• comparing, by the second image processing apparatus, the first feature amounts and the second feature amounts;
• specifying, by the second image processing apparatus, based on a result of the comparing and the position data, a position in the second input image of the location in the real space being pointed at by the pointer;
• and
• generating, by the second image processing apparatus, an output image displaying an indicator indicating the specified position.

An image processing method carried out by an image processing apparatus, comprising steps of:

• receiving first feature amounts, which include coordinates of a plurality of feature points set in an image acquired by another image processing apparatus, and position data showing a position in the image of a pointer used to point at a location in a real space;
• acquiring an input image produced by image pickup of the real space;
• generating second feature amounts including coordinates of a plurality of feature points set in the acquired input image;
• comparing the first feature amounts and the second feature amounts;
• specifying, based on a result of the comparing and the position data, a position in the input image of the location in the real space being pointed at by the pointer;
• and
• generating an output image displaying an indicator indicating the specified position.

A program causing a computer that controls an image processing apparatus to function as:

• a communication unit receiving first feature amounts, which include coordinates of a plurality of feature points set in an image acquired by another image processing apparatus, and position data showing a position in the image of a pointer used to point at a location in a real space;
• an input image acquisition unit acquiring an input image produced by image pickup of the real space;
• a feature amount generating unit generating second feature amounts including coordinates of a plurality of feature points set in the input image acquired by the input image acquisition unit;
• a specifying unit comparing the first feature amounts and the second feature amounts and specifying, based on a result of the comparing and the position data, a position in the input image of the location in the real space being pointed at by the pointer;
• and
• an output image generating unit generating an output image displaying an indicator indicating the position specified by the specifying unit.