Storage medium having image display program stored therein, image display apparatus, image display system, and image display method

Abstract

A game apparatus obtains a captured image from a camera, and repeatedly executes a recognition process on the obtained captured image for recognizing a predetermined object included in the captured image. The game apparatus repeatedly generates and displays a synthesized image obtained by synthesizing an image of a virtual object generated by using a process result of the recognition process with a captured image which is a subject of the recognition process. Here, if the recognition process fails, a captured image which is a subject of a recognition process which has succeeded before is synthesized with an image of a virtual object generated by using a process result of the recognition process.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an image display program for instructing a computer of an information processing apparatus capable of obtaining a captured image from an image-capturing section to function as:
 a recognition section for repeatedly executing a recognition process on the obtained captured image for recognizing a predetermined object included in the captured image;   a synthesis section for repeatedly generating a synthesized image obtained by synthesizing an image of a virtual object generated by using a process result of the recognition process with a captured image which is a subject of the recognition process; and   a display control section for displaying the synthesized image on a display section,   wherein if the recognition process fails, the synthesis section synthesizes a captured image which is a subject of a recognition process which has succeeded before with an image of a virtual object generated by using a process result of the recognition process.   
     
     
         2 . The storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the synthesis section generates a synthesized image by updating the image of the virtual object irrespective of the process result of the recognition process. 
     
     
         3 . The storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 if the recognition process succeeds, the image display program instructs the computer to further function as a storage control section for storing, in a storage section that can be accessed by the computer, a captured image which is a subject of the successful recognition process and the process result of the recognition process; and   the synthesis section synthesizes a captured image stored in the storage section with the image of the virtual object generated based on the process result stored in the storage section.   
     
     
         4 . The storage medium according to  claim 3 , wherein if the recognition process succeeds, the storage control section updates storage contents of the storage section so that a captured image which is a subject of the successful recognition process and the process result of the recognition process are stored. 
     
     
         5 . The storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 if the recognition process succeeds, the recognition section calculates, as the process result, a positional relationship between the predetermined object recognized by the recognition process and the image-capturing section or the information processing apparatus; and   if the recognition process succeeds, the synthesis section generates the image of the virtual object based on the positional relationship calculated from a captured image which is a subject of the successful recognition process, and if the recognition process fails, the synthesis section generates the image of the virtual object based on the positional relationship calculated from a captured image which is a subject of a recognition process which has succeeded before.   
     
     
         6 . The storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the image display program instructs the computer to further function as a game control process section for executing a predetermined game control process of controlling an action of an object appearing in a virtual space by using, as a game input, the process result of the recognition process. 
     
     
         7 . The storage medium according to  claim 6 , wherein if the recognition process fails, the game control process section executes the game control process by using a process result of a recognition process which has succeeded before. 
     
     
         8 . The storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the image display program instructs the computer to further function as a game process section for executing a predetermined game process irrespective of the process result of the recognition process. 
     
     
         9 . The storage medium according to  claim 8 , wherein the game process section executes, as the game process, a process of controlling the action of the virtual object. 
     
     
         10 . The storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the display control section displays a warning image different from the captured image on the display section in response to a predetermined condition being satisfied as a result of the recognition process having failed successively. 
     
     
         11 . The storage medium according to  claim 10 , wherein the display control section displays the warning image on the display section based on the predetermined condition being the recognition process having failed successively over a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         12 . The storage medium according to  claim 10 , wherein:
 the image display program instructs the computer to further function as a movement detection section for detecting a movement of the image-capturing section or the information processing apparatus; and   the display control section displays the warning image on the display section based on the predetermined condition being the movement detection section detecting that the image-capturing section or the information processing apparatus has moved greater than a predetermined criterion.   
     
     
         13 . The storage medium according to  claim 10 , wherein:
 the image display program instructs the computer to further function as a game control process section for executing a predetermined game control process of controlling the action of the virtual object by using, as a game input, the process result of the recognition process; and   the game control process section discontinues a progress of the game in response to display of the warning image.   
     
     
         14 . The storage medium according to  claim 10 , wherein the display control section displays a captured image obtained at present on the display section in response to a predetermined condition being satisfied as a result of the recognition process having failed successively since the warning image is displayed. 
     
     
         15 . The storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the display control section displays a captured image obtained at present on the display section in response to a predetermined condition being satisfied as a result of the recognition process having failed successively. 
     
     
         16 . An image display apparatus capable of obtaining a captured image from an image-capturing section for displaying an image on a display section, comprising:
 a recognition section for repeatedly executing a recognition process on the obtained captured image for recognizing a predetermined object included in the captured image;   a synthesis section for repeatedly generating a synthesized image obtained by synthesizing an image of a virtual object generated by using a process result of the recognition process with a captured image which is a subject of the recognition process; and   a display control section for displaying the synthesized image on the display section,   wherein if the recognition process fails, the synthesis section synthesizes a captured image which is a subject of a recognition process which has succeeded before with an image of a virtual object generated by using a process result of the recognition process.   
     
     
         17 . An image display system capable of obtaining a captured image from an image-capturing section for displaying an image on a display section, comprising:
 a recognition section for repeatedly executing a recognition process on the obtained captured image for recognizing a predetermined object included in the captured image;   a synthesis section for repeatedly generating a synthesized image obtained by synthesizing an image of a virtual object generated by using a process result of the recognition process with a captured image which is a subject of the recognition process; and   a display control section for displaying the synthesized image on the display section,   wherein if the recognition process fails, the synthesis section synthesizes a captured image which is a subject of a recognition process which has succeeded before with an image of a virtual object generated by using a process result of the recognition process.   
     
     
         18 . An image display method for obtaining a captured image from an image-capturing section and displaying an image on a display section, the method comprising:
 a recognition step of repeatedly executing a recognition process on the obtained captured image for recognizing a predetermined object included in the captured image;   a synthesis step of repeatedly generating a synthesized image obtained by synthesizing an image of a virtual object generated by using a process result of the recognition process with a captured image which is a subject of the recognition process; and   a display control step of displaying the synthesized image on the display section,   wherein if the recognition process fails, a captured image which is a subject of a recognition process which has succeeded before is synthesized with an image of a virtual object generated by using a process result of the recognition process in the synthesis step.