CAMERA CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20010033332A1
• Filed: 06/08/1998
• Published: 10/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: KATO, EIJI, KAZAMA, YOUICHI
• Granted Patent: US 6,597,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/211.99
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19693 using multiple video sources viewed on a single or compound screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

In observing images picked up by a plurality of cameras connected to a network in a surveillance camera system or the like, the conventional arrangement necessitates a client device to switch an image display obtained from one camera over to an image display obtained from another by a manual operation, which has been troublesome. To solve this problem, a camera control system is arranged to automatically switch an image display obtained from one camera over to an image display from another at suitable intervals. The camera control system is further arranged to automatically control the image pickup directions of each camera and, in the event of occurrence of an error in any of the cameras, to carry on its automatic control operation by skipping the camera at which the error has occurred.

Claims

1. A camera control system capable of controlling a plurality of video cameras, said camera control system comprising:

video camera setting means for setting, from among the plurality of video cameras, a plurality of video cameras to be controlled;

video camera storing means for storing identification of the video cameras set by said video camera setting means;

switching means for selecting an image to be displayed, by switching over, at intervals of a predetermined period of time, images picked up by the video cameras the identification of which has been stored in said video camera storing means; and

display means for displaying an image picked up by the video camera selected by said switching means.

2. A camera control system according to

claim 1

, wherein said video camera setting means is capable of setting order of the video cameras to be switched over by said switching means.

3. A camera control system according to

claim 1

, further comprising:

image pickup direction setting means for setting a plurality of image pickup directions for each of the video cameras set by said video camera setting means;

image pickup direction storing means for storing the image pickup directions set by said image pickup direction setting means; and

control means for controlling each of the video cameras to face in the image pickup directions stored by said image pickup direction storing means.

4. A camera control system according to

claim 3

, wherein said image pickup direction setting means is capable of setting order of the image pickup directions of the video cameras to be controlled by said control means.

5. A camera control system according to

claim 2

, further comprising time count means for counting time elapsing after one video camera is switched over to another video camera by said switching means, and

wherein, if no information on any picked-up image is obtained from one video camera currently in use until the time counted by said time count means reaches a predetermined period of time, said switching means changes display of an image of the video camera over to that of another video camera on the basis of the order of switch-over of the video cameras set by said video camera setting means.

6. A camera control system according to

claim 2

, further comprising time count means for counting time elapsing after one video camera is switched over to another video camera by said switching means, and

wherein, if no information on any picked-up image is obtained from one video camera currently in use until the time counted by said time count means reaches a predetermined period of time, said display means displays a display image plane in a predetermined color.

7. A camera control system according to

claim 5

or

6

, wherein, if no information on any picked-up image is obtained from one video camera currently in use until the time counted by said time count means reaches the predetermined period of time, said display means displays a warning indicating that communication with the video camera currently in use is uncontrollable.

9. A control method according to

claim 1

, wherein said video camera setting step is capable of setting order of the video cameras to be switched over by said switching step.

12. A control method according to

claim 9

, further comprising a time count step of counting time elapsing after one video camera is switched over to another video camera by said switching step, and

wherein, if no information on any picked-up image is obtained from one video camera currently in use until the time counted by said time count step reaches a predetermined period of time, said switching step changes display of an image of the video camera over to that of another video camera on the basis of the order of switch-over of the video cameras set by said video camera setting step.

13. A control method according to

claim 9

, further comprising a time count step of counting time elapsing after one video camera is switched over to another video camera by said switching step, and

wherein, if no information on any picked-up image is obtained from one video camera currently in use until the time counted by said time count step reaches a predetermined period of time, said display step displays a display image plane in a predetermined color.

14. A control method according to

claim 12

or

13

, wherein, if no information on any picked-up image is obtained from one video camera currently in use until the time counted by said time count step reaches the predetermined period of time, said display step displays a warning indicating that communication with the video camera currently in use is uncontrollable.

22. A camera control system according to

claim 1

, further comprising map display means for displaying a map, and icon display means for displaying camera icons indicative of locations of the plurality of video cameras on the map displayed by said map display means,

wherein said icon display means displays a camera icon corresponding to one of the video cameras selected by said switching means, in a shape different from shapes of other camera icons.

8. A control method for a camera control system capable of controlling a plurality of video cameras, said control method comprising:

a video camera setting step of setting, from among the plurality of video cameras, a plurality of video cameras to be controlled;

a video camera storing step of storing identification of the video cameras set by said video camera setting step;

a switching step of selecting an image to be displayed, by switching over, at intervals of a predetermined period of time, images picked up by the video cameras the identification of which has been stored by said video camera storing step; and

a displaying step of displaying an image picked up by the video camera selected by said switching step.

10. A control method according to

claim 8

, further comprising:

an image pickup direction setting step of setting a plurality of image pickup directions for each of the video cameras set by said video camera setting step;

an image pickup direction storing step of storing the image pickup directions set by said image pickup direction setting step; and

a control step of controlling each of the video cameras to face in the image pickup directions stored by said image pickup direction storing step.

11. A control method according to

claim 10

, wherein said image pickup direction setting step is capable of setting order of the image pickup directions of the video cameras to be controlled by said control step.

15. A storage medium which stores therein a program for executing control over a camera control system capable of controlling a plurality of video cameras, said program comprising processes of:

setting, from among the plurality of video cameras, a plurality of video cameras to be controlled;

storing identification of the video cameras set;

selecting an image to be displayed, by switching over, at intervals of a predetermined period of time, images picked up by the video cameras the identification of which has been stored; and

displaying an image picked up by the video camera selected.

16. A storage medium according to

claim 15

, wherein said program further comprises a process of setting order of the video cameras to be switched over.

17. A storage medium according to

claim 15

, wherein said program further comprises processes of setting a plurality of image pickup directions for each of the video cameras set, storing the image pickup directions set, and controlling each of the video cameras to face in the image pickup directions stored.

18. A storage medium according to

claim 17

, wherein said program further comprises a process of setting order of the image pickup directions of the video cameras to be controlled.

19. A storage medium according to

claim 16

, wherein said program further comprises processes of counting time elapsing after one video camera is switched over to another video camera, and

if no information on any picked-up image is obtained from one video camera currently in use until the time counted reaches a predetermined period of time, changing display of an image of the video camera over to that of another video camera on the basis of the order of switch-over of the video cameras set.

20. A storage medium according to

claim 16

, wherein said program further comprises processes of counting time elapsing after one video camera is switched over to another video camera, and

if no information on any picked-up image is obtained from one video camera currently in use until the time counted reaches a predetermined period of time, displaying a display image plane in a predetermined color.

21. A storage medium according to

claim 19

or

20

, wherein said program further comprises a process of, if no information on any picked-up image is obtained from one video camera currently in use until the time counted reaches the predetermined period of time, displaying a warning indicating that communication with the video camera currently in use is uncontrollable.