Patent ID: 7974494

Claim:
An image control apparatus for receiving source images defined with respective source coordinate systems from source image generators associated with respective source identifiers (IDs), composing the source images to generate a composed image defined with a composed coordinate system, and sending the composed image to a viewer which displays the composed image and outputs Human Interface Device (HID) signals defined with respect to the composed coordinate system, the image control apparatus comprising: a layout manager configured to store source IDs respectively associated with layout information including position and size of at least one of the source images; an image composer configured to generate the composed image by composing the source images according to the layout information; an analyzer configured (a) to receive an HID signal sent from the viewer and to select one of the source images based on the HID signal and on the layout information, and (b) to convert the HID signal defined with respect to the composed coordinate system to a converted HID signal defined with respect to the source coordinate system of the selected source image; and an operator configured to send the converted HID signal to the source image generator corresponding to the selected source image, wherein the analyzer is further configured to (a) receive another HID signal for a reference area defined on the composed image, (b) calculate an overlap ratio of the reference area and each source image that overlaps the reference area, (c) determine the source image for which the overlap ratio is largest, (d) define an overlapping area of the reference area and the source image determined to have the largest overlap ratio as an operative area, and (e) replicate an image of the operative area on the composed image.