Camera control apparatus

• US 10,021,311 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2014
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanwha Vision Company Limited (Hanwha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hanwha Techwin Co., Ltd. (Hanwha Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Hyun Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Werner, David N
• Application Number:
  US14/509,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20150350556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19608 Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/681 Motion detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6811 based on the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6815 by distinguishing pan or tilt from motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming

Abstract

A camera control apparatus is provided. The camera control apparatus includes: a processor configured to detect a partial image including an object from a first image of a camera, generate a control value for controlling a camera capturing area to position a specific point of the object corresponding to specific coordinates of the partial image on center coordinates of a second image of the camera which is captured by the camera subsequent to the first image based on center coordinates of the partial image and center coordinates of the first image; and a camera drive controller configured to change the camera capturing area based on the control value output from the processor.

Claims

1. A camera control apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to detect a partial image including an object from a first image of a camera, generate a control value for controlling a camera capturing area to position a specific point of the object corresponding to specific coordinates of the partial image on center coordinates of a second image of the camera which is captured by the camera subsequent to the first image, based on center coordinates of the partial image and center coordinates of the first image; and

a camera drive controller configured to change the camera capturing area based on the control value output from the processor,

wherein if the center coordinates of the partial image do not coincide with the center coordinates of the first image, the processor sets a specific point in the first image, which is opposite to the center coordinates of the partial image with respect to the center coordinates of the first image, as control center coordinates of the camera in the first image, calculates a distance between the center coordinates of the partial image and the control center coordinates of the camera in the first image, generates a weight, that makes a control acceleration for movement control of the camera exceed an acceleration of the object, based on the calculated distance, and gives the weight to a control acceleration of the camera, thereby generating the control value,

wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether a speed reduction pattern of the acceleration of the object exists, and, if it is determined that the speed reduction pattern exists, set a camera moving speed reduction section in a moving direction of the object before a stop expectation point of the object, and

wherein after setting the camera moving speed reduction section, the processor removes or changes the weight given to the control acceleration of the camera.

2. The camera control apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one memory configured to store program code,

wherein the processor is further configured to be instructed by the program code, the program code comprising:

an image reception code that causes the processor to receive a camera image in a frame unit;

a target detection code that causes the processor to detect the partial image through a user'"'"'s selection or a predetermined image detection process;

a control value calculation code that causes the processor to determine the control center coordinates of the camera in the first image, and change a given weight for the control acceleration of the camera for changing the camera capturing area according to the distance between the center coordinates of the partial image and the control center coordinates of the camera in the first image, and generate the control value based on the changed weight; and

a control execution code that causes the processor to output the control value to the camera drive controller.

3. The camera control apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an inputter to select the partial image.

4. The camera control apparatus of claim 1, wherein if it is determined that the speed reduction pattern does not exist the processor determines whether the object stops or changes the moving direction, and, if it is determined that the object stops or changes the moving direction, sets the camera speed reduction section based on a stop point of the object during the stop or the moving direction change of the object, determines whether the object is positioned at a specific point behind center coordinates of a third image, captured at a time of the stop or the moving direction change, with respect to the moving direction of the object, and, if it is determined that the object is positioned at the specific point behind the center coordinates of the image, controls the camera drive controller to move the camera in a direction opposite to the moving direction of the object at a predetermined reference speed as long as a distance between the center coordinates of the third image and center coordinates of the object in the third image.

5. The camera control apparatus of claim 2, wherein if a plurality of objects exist in the first image, the target detection code causes the processor to select any one of the plurality of objects by a user selection.

6. The camera control apparatus of claim 2, wherein if a plurality of objects exist in the first image, the target detection code causes the processor to automatically select any one of the plurality of objects based on a predetermined selection priority, in which an object having high possibility of seceding from a monitoring area is set as a priority object.

7. The camera control apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control value calculation code causes the processor to include parameters for applying a field of view (FOV) value corresponding to a zoom magnification of the second image to the weight change of the control acceleration.

8. A method of controlling a camera control apparatus comprising:

receiving a camera image in a frame unit from a camera;

detecting a partial image including an object from a first image of the camera;

generating a control value for controlling a camera capturing area to position a specific point of the object corresponding to specific coordinates of the partial image on center coordinates of a second image of the camera which is captured by the camera subsequent to the first image based on center coordinates of the partial image and center coordinates of the first image; and

changing the camera capturing area based on the generated control value,

wherein the generating the control value comprises if the center coordinates of the partial image do not coincide with the center coordinates of the first image, setting a specific point in the first image, which is opposite to the center coordinates of the partial image with respect to the center coordinates of the first image, as control center coordinates of the camera in the first image, calculating a distance between the center coordinates of the partial image and the control center coordinates of the camera in the first image, generating a weight, that makes a control acceleration for movement control of the camera exceed an acceleration of the object, based on the calculated distance, and giving the weight to a control acceleration of the camera, thereby generating the control value,

wherein the method further comprises;

determining whether a speed reduction pattern of the acceleration of the object exists during a movement control of the camera;

if it is determined that the speed reduction pattern exists, setting a camera moving speed reduction section in a moving direction of the object before a stop expectation point of the object; and

after setting the camera moving speed reduction section, removing or changing the weight given to the control acceleration of the camera.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the detecting the partial image is performed through a user'"'"'s selection or a predetermined image detection process.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the generating the control value comprises:

comparing center coordinates of the partial image with center coordinates of the first image;

determining whether both coordinates do not coincide with each other;

if it is determined that both coordinates do not coincide with each other, determining the control center coordinates of the camera in the first image and changing a given weight for the control acceleration of the camera for changing the camera according to the distance between the center coordinates of the partial image and the control center coordinates of the camera in the first image.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein if it is determined that both coordinates coincide with each other, setting the control acceleration of the camera using a distance between the center coordinates of the partial image and the control center coordinates of the camera in the first image to be equal to an acceleration of the object using a distance between the center coordinates of the partial image and the center coordinates of the first image.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein if it is determined that the speed reduction pattern does not exist, determining whether the object stops or changes the moving direction, and, if it is determined that the object stops or changes the moving direction, setting the camera speed reduction section based on a stop point of the object during the stop or the moving direction change of the object, determining whether the object is positioned at a specific point behind center coordinates of a third image, captured at a time of the stop or the moving direction change, with respect to the moving direction of the object, and, if it is determined that the object is positioned at the specific point behind the center coordinates of the image, setting to move camera in a direction opposite to the moving direction of the object at a predetermined reference speed as long as a distance between the center coordinates of the third image and center coordinates of the object in the third image.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein if a plurality of objects exist in the first image, the detecting the partial image comprises selecting any one of the plurality of objects by a user selection.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein if a plurality of objects exist in the first image, the detecting the partial image comprises selecting any one of the plurality of objects based on a predetermined selection priority, in which an object having high possibility of seceding from a monitoring area is set as a priority object.

15. The method of claim 10, the generating the control value comprises generating the control value including parameters for applying a field of view (FOV) value corresponding to a zoom magnification of the second image to the weight change of the control acceleration.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having recorded thereon a program, which, when executed by a computer, performs the method of claim 8.