Video camera system

• US 20030137589A1
• Filed: 01/22/2003
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic i-PRO Sensing Solutions Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyata, Kazunori
• Granted Patent: US 7,893,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/211.7
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19686 Interfaces masking personal details for privacy, e.g. blurring faces, vehicle license plates
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• 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 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An OSD circuit superimposes a mask image on a video imaged by a camera main body in a camera device. A microcomputer performs processing for changing the position where a mask image is displayed (superimposed) within a range of imaging with the camera device on the basis of a signal representing the pan/tilt position of the camera device. At this time, when the mask image is moved in the pan direction from an area where the initial position of the mask image is set, the position and the size of the mask image are corrected depending on the amount of movement of the mask image and the tilt angle of the camera device.

Claims

1. In a video camera system capable of carrying out tilt control of a camera device and capable of displaying a video imaged by the camera device on a monitor as well as superimposing a mask image on an arbitrary area within a range of imaging with the camera device,

the video camera system being characterized in that

in a case where the mask image is moved in the tilt direction from an area where the initial position of the mask image is set, the vertical length on a screen of the mask image is corrected depending on the amount of movement thereof.

2. In a video camera system capable of carrying out pan control of a camera device and capable of displaying a video imaged by the camera device on a monitor as well as superimposing a mask image on an arbitrary area within a range of imaging with the camera device,

the video camera system being characterized in that

in a case where the mask image is moved in the pan direction from an area where the initial position of the mask image is set, the horizontal length on a screen of the mask image is corrected depending on the amount of movement thereof.

3. In a video camera system capable of carrying out panning/tilting control of a camera device and capable of displaying a video imaged by the camera device on a monitor as well as superimposing a mask image on an arbitrary area within a range of imaging with the camera device,

the video camera system being characterized in that

in a case where the mask image is moved in the pan direction from an area where the initial position of the mask image is set, the position of the mask image is corrected depending on the amount of movement of the mask image and the tilt angle.

4. In the video camera system according to claim 3, the video camera system being characterized in that

the size of said mask image is corrected in addition to the correction of the position thereof.

5. In a video camera system capable of carrying out panning/tilting control of a camera device and capable of displaying a video imaged by the camera device on a monitor as well as superimposing a mask image on an arbitrary area within a range of imaging with the camera device,

the video camera system being characterized in that

in a case where the mask image is moved, the size of the mask image is greatly corrected both forward and backward or either forward or backward in the direction of movement.

7. In the video camera system according to claim 5, the video camera system being characterized in that

the amount of correction of said mask image is adjusted depending on the movement speed thereof.

6. In a video camera system capable of carrying out panning/tilting control of a camera device and capable of displaying a video imaged by the camera device on a monitor as well as superimposing a mask image on an arbitrary area within a range of imaging with the camera device,

the video camera system being characterized in that

in a case where the mask image is moved, the position of the mask image is corrected in the direction of movement in view of the fact that the camera device is also moved during processing for calculating the amount of movement of the mask image.

8. In the video camera system according to claim 6, the video camera system being characterized in that

the amount of correction of said mask image is adjusted depending on the movement speed thereof.

9. In a video camera system capable of carrying out panning/tilting control of a camera device and capable of displaying a video imaged by the camera device on a monitor as well as superimposing a mask image on an arbitrary area within a range of imaging with the camera device,

the video camera system being characterized in that

in a state where it images an area including the original mask object by being reversed in the tilt direction and also reversed in the pan direction from an area where the initial position of the mask image is set, the size of the mask image is greatly corrected.

10. In a video camera system capable of carrying out panning/tilting control of a camera device, capable of displaying a video imaged by the camera device on a monitor as well as superimposing a maximum of n (n is a natural number of one or more) mask images within a range of imaging with the camera device, and capable of similarly superimposing a maximum of n mask images even within a range of imaging with the camera device at the time of imaging in another direction,

the video camera system being characterized by comprising,

means for setting priorities in the mask images.

11. In the video camera system according to claim 10, the video camera system being characterized by comprising

means for selecting, in a case where mask object areas whose number exceeds n exist within the range of imaging with the camera device, n mask images in conformity with said priorities.

12. In the video camera system according to claim 10, the video camera system being characterized in that

the mask images are subjected to display judgment processing in the order of descending priorities within the range of imaging with the camera device, to perform display processing with respect to the mask image to be displayed and not further perform display processing with respect to the mask image when the number of displayed mask images is n.