Information processing apparatus, information processing system, information processing method, program and information recording medium

An information processing system, comprising:

• an information processing apparatus;
• and
• a plurality of operation inputting apparatus,
• each operation inputting apparatus includes a light emitting section emitting light of a color different from each other,
• the information processing apparatus including
• an image acceptance section configured to accept an image picked up by a stereo camera of the plurality of different operation inputting apparatus, said stereo camera comprising a left side imaging section and a right side imaging section, each configured to pick up an image individually, wherein the picked up image by one of the left and right side imaging sections corresponds to a reference image, and the picked up image by the other one of the left and right side imaging sections corresponds to a comparison image, such that the position of an imaging object in the reference image and the imaging object in the comparison image are displaced from each other by a parallax between the two imaging sections, wherein said displacement is used to specify the distance from the stereo camera to the imaging object,
• an operation signal acceptance section configured to accept an operation signal from each of said plurality of operation inputting apparatus, and
• a process execution section configured to execute a process in response to the respective operation signal and the respective position of the light emitting section of the color associated with each operation inputting apparatus in one of the reference image and the comparison image accepted by the image acceptance section,
• wherein said picked up image comprises an image of a plurality of users each operating one of said plurality of operation inputting apparatus,
• wherein said process execution section produces a play image displayed on a display unit, said play image comprising the picked up image, a target object, and a plurality of aim images for aiming at said target object, each aim image responds to movement of a corresponding one of said plurality of operation inputting apparatus,
• wherein as a position of any of said light emitting sections in said picked up image is displaced leftwardly, a position of the corresponding aim image in said play image is displaced rightwardly,
• wherein said process execution section transmits a reduced inverted image of said picked up image to a smartphone configured to control said target object in response to user input of a line representative of a locus of positions of the target object, while each operation inputting apparatus is configured to control movement of its corresponding aim image in response to user input,
• wherein said smartphone includes a central processing unit which operates in accordance with a program installed in the smartphone, a storage, a network card, and a touch panel,
• wherein said smartphone touch panel is used to designate a position at which said target object is displayed by accepting a dragging operation as input on the touch panel, wherein said position is a line indicative of the locus along which the target object moves,
• wherein a client program is transmitted to the smartphone in response to a download request from the smartphone and is installed on said smartphone thereby enabling use of said smartphone to control said target object in said play image.

An information processing method, comprising:

• accepting an image of an operation inputting apparatus picked up by a stereo camera, said stereo camera comprising a left side imaging section and a right side imaging section, each configured to pick up an image individually, wherein the picked up image by one of the left and right side imaging sections corresponds to a reference image, and the picked up image by the other one of the left and right side imaging sections corresponds to a comparison image, such that the position of an imaging object in the reference image and the imaging object in the comparison image are displaced from each other by a parallax between the two imaging sections, wherein said displacement is used to specify the distance from the stereo camera to the imaging object;
• accepting an operation signal representative of an operation for the operation inputting apparatus from the operation inputting apparatus,
• said operation inputting apparatus comprising a light emitting section;
• executing a process in response to the position of the operation inputting apparatus in the accepted one of the reference image and the comparison image, and the accepted operation signal,
• wherein said picked up image comprises an image of a user operating said operation inputting apparatus,
• producing a play image displayed on a display unit, said play image comprising the picked up image, a target object, and an aim image for aiming at said target object, said aim image responds to movement of said operation inputting apparatus,
• wherein as a position of said light emitting section in said picked up image is displaced leftwardly, a position of said aim image in said play image is displaced rightwardly,
• wherein said process execution section transmits a reduced inverted image of said picked up image to a smartphone configured to control said target object in response to user input, while said operation inputting apparatus is configured to control movement of said aim image,
• wherein said smartphone includes a central processing unit which operates in accordance with a program installed in the smartphone, a storage, a network card, and a touch panel,
• wherein said smartphone touch panel is used to designate a position at which said target object is displayed by accepting a dragging operation as input on the touch panel, wherein said position is a line indicative of a locus of positions along which the target object moves,
• wherein a client program is transmitted to the smartphone in response to a download request from the smartphone and is installed on said smartphone thereby enabling use of said smartphone to control said target object in said play image.

A non-transitory, computer readable information recording medium on or in which a program is recorded, the program causing a computer to function as:

• an image acceptance section configured to accept an image of an operation inputting apparatus picked up by a stereo camera, said stereo camera comprising a left side imaging section and a right side imaging section, each configured to pick up an image individually, wherein the picked up image by one of the left and right side imaging sections corresponds to a reference image, and the picked up image by the other one of the left and right side imaging sections corresponds to a comparison image, such that the position of an imaging object in the reference image and the imaging object in the comparison image are displaced from each other by a parallax between the two imaging sections, wherein said displacement is used to specify the distance from the stereo camera to the imaging object;
• an operation signal acceptance section configured to accept an operation signal from the operation inputting apparatus, said operation inputting apparatus comprising a light emitting section;
• and
• a process execution section configured to execute a process in response to the position of the operation inputting apparatus in one of the reference image and the comparison image accepted by the image acceptance section and the operation signal accepted by the operation signal acceptance section,
• wherein said picked up image comprises an image of a user operating said operation inputting apparatus,
• wherein said process execution section produces a play image comprising the picked up image, a target object, and an aim image for aiming at said target object, said aim image responds to movement of said operation inputting apparatus,
• wherein as a position of said light emitting section in said picked up image is displaced leftwardly, a position of said aim image in said play image is displaced rightwardly,
• wherein said process execution section transmits a reduced inverted image of said picked up image to a smartphone configured to control said target object in response to user input, while each operation inputting apparatus is configured to control movement of its corresponding aim image,
• wherein said smartphone includes a central processing unit which operates in accordance with a program installed in the smartphone, a storage, a network card, and a touch panel,
• wherein said smartphone touch panel is used to designate a position at which said target object is displayed by accepting a dragging operation as input on the touch panel, wherein said position is a line indicative of a locus of positions along which the target object moves,
• wherein a client program is transmitted to the smartphone in response to a download request from the smartphone and is installed on said smartphone thereby enabling use of said smartphone to control said target object in said play image.