Camera control apparatus and camera control method

• US 10,462,350 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2018
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Saijo, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Young, Patricia I
• Application Number:
  US15/950,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20180234615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 348159
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/00 Details of television systems scanning details or combination thereof with generation of supply voltages H04N3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A camera control apparatus includes: an input section to which a plurality of cameras controlled by the apparatus are connected, each of the cameras including a first preset information storage section capable of storing up to n preset information on the state of the camera setting; a second preset information storage section capable of storing (n+1)-th to m-th preset information (n<m) in each camera; an operation input unit to which an operation of selecting a specific one of the cameras and an operation of instructing registration or read out of the preset information on the selected camera are inputted; and a control section registering the preset information in the information storage section when the operation of instructing registration of the preset information is inputted, whereas reading and incorporating the preset information into the state of the selected camera when the operation of instructing readout of the registered preset information is inputted.

Claims

1. A camera control method comprising the steps of:

selecting by a user a first or a second control information for controlling operating parameters of a camera, at least one of the first or second control information being adapted to control at least one of pan, tilt and zoom operations of the camera;

sending command information to the camera to read out from a storage in the camera the first control information preset in the camera for controlling the camera in accordance with the first control information when the user selects the first control information for controlling operating parameters of the camera, the storage in the camera having a capacity of n pieces of information;

reading out from a storage in camera control apparatus, physically separate from the camera, preset camera command information for controlling operating parameters of the camera, the storage in the camera control apparatus having a capacity greater than n pieces of information;

checking whether camera model information stored in the storage in the camera control apparatus is the same as model information of the camera connected to the camera control apparatus; and

sending to the camera the read out preset camera command information for controlling the parameters of the camera when the user selects the second control information.

2. The camera control method according to claim 1, wherein the first control information is preset in the camera in response to a command sent to camera.

3. The camera control method according to claim 1, wherein the first control information includes information for providing pan, tilt, zoom position, and focus position of the camera.

4. A camera control system comprising:

at least one camera;

a storage in the camera for storing first control information preset in the camera for controlling operating parameters of the camera, the storage in the camera having a capacity of n pieces of information;

a user-operated input configured for operation by a user to select first or second control information, at least one of the first or second control information being adapted to control at least one of pan, tilt and zoom operations of the camera; and

camera control apparatus physically separate from the camera and configured to send command information to the camera to read out from the storage in the camera the first control information for controlling the camera in accordance with the first control information when the user selects the first control information, the camera control apparatus including a storage having a capacity greater than n pieces of information; and

to send to the camera command information corresponding to the second control information preset in storage in the camera control apparatus for controlling parameters of the camera when the user selects the second control information if camera model information stored in the storage in the camera control apparatus is the same as model information of the camera connected to the camera control apparatus.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the first control information is preset in the camera in the response to a command sent to camera.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the first control information includes information for providing pan, tilt, zoom position, and focus position of the camera.

7. Camera control apparatus for controlling at least one camera physically separate from and coupled to the camera control apparatus, wherein the at least one camera includes a storage having a capacity of n pieces of information, the camera control apparatus comprising:

a user-operated input configured for operation by a user to select first or second control information, at least one of the first or second control information being adapted to control at least one of pan, tilt and zoom operations of the camera; and

a controller configured to send command information to the camera to read out from the storage in the camera the first control information preset in the camera for controlling the camera in accordance with the first control information when the user selects the first control information, the camera control apparatus including a storage having a capacity greater than n pieces of information; and

to send to the camera command information corresponding to the second control information preset in the storage in the camera control apparatus for controlling operating parameters of the camera when the user selects the second control information if camera model information stored in the storage in the camera control apparatus is the same as model information of the camera connected to the camera control apparatus.

8. The camera control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first control information is preset in the camera in response to a command sent to camera.

9. The camera control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first control information includes information for providing pan, tilt, zoom position, and focus position of the camera.