Patent ID: 7397481

Claim:
An image display method for providing an observer with a synthesized image generated by merging a virtual space image and an image of a real space at a given viewpoint, the method comprising: a) an inputting step of inputting a real space image captured by an image-taking device, the real space image including a mock-up made based on three-dimensional CAD data; b) a measuring step of measuring positions and orientations of the image-taking device and the mock-up and obtaining position/orientation information representing the position and orientation of the mock-up in the real space image; c) an area extracting step of extracting an area including a predetermined color from the real space image, the predetermined color is different from a color of the mock-up; and d) a synthesizing step of merging the real space image and a three-dimensional computer graphic image by superimposing the three-dimensional computer graphic image on the mock-up, except for the area including the predetermined color extracted in the area extracting step, the area extracted in the area extracting step is displayed before the three-dimensional computer graphic image, in the real space image based on the position/orientation information and the three-dimensional CAD data.