Controller for photographing apparatus and photographing system

• US 20040257436A1
• Filed: 01/27/2004
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Koyanagi, Masakazu, Tamayama, Ken, Hosonuma, Naoyasu, Iijima, Toshiyuki, Tomitaka, Tadafusa
• Application Number:
  US10/766,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20040257436A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• 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 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A picture photographed by a camera portion is sent to a video capturing portion of a computer. The picture is displayed in an operation area of a monitor. A panorama picture of which pictures in part or all moving range of a pan tiler are combined is displayed in a panorama operation area. A pan tilter portion sends positional information of pan and tilt to the computer through a mode controller. With a mouse, the operation area and the panorama operation area are operated so as to select an object. The computer obtains data for driving the pan tilter. Thus, the selected object is displayed at the center of the operation area.

Claims

1. A controller for a photographing apparatus having a photographing portion with driving means that allows the photographing direction of photographing means to be varied, comprising:

displaying means for displaying a panorama picture generated with a picture photographed by the photographing means; and

controlling means for referencing the panorama picture and varying the photographing direction of the photographing means.

4. The controller as set forth in claim 1, 2, or 3,

wherein the photographing portion is connected through a transmission line.

5. The controller as set forth in claim 1, 2, or 3,

wherein the current position of the driving means is displayed on the panorama picture.

6. The controller as set forth in claim 1, 2, or 3,

wherein the moving range of the driving means is displayed on the panorama picture.

7. The controller as set forth in claim 1, 2, or 3,

wherein the angle of view of the photographing means is displayed on the panorama picture.

9. The controller as set forth in claim 1, 2, or 3, further comprising:

commanding means for commanding the generation of the panorama picture.

2. A controller for a photographing apparatus having a photographing portion with driving means that allows the photographing direction of photographing means to be varied, the controller comprising:

an operation area in which a panorama picture generated with a picture photographed by the photographing means is displayed; and

picture selecting means for allowing the user to designate a desired point in said operation area, selecting an object photographed by the photographing means corresponding to the designated point, and moving the selected object to desired positional coordinates of the driving means.

8. The controller as set forth in claim 2 or 3,

wherein said picture selecting means has a second operation area in which a current picture photographed by the photographing means is displayed, and

wherein an object at a designated position is moved to desired positional coordinates of the driving means in the second operation area.

3. A controller for a photographing apparatus having a photographing portion with driving means that allows the photographing direction of photographing means to be varied, the controller comprising:

an operation area in which a panorama picture generated with a picture photographed by the photographing means is displayed; and

picture selecting means for allowing the user to designate a desired area in said operation area, selecting an object photographed by the photographing means corresponding to the designated area, and moving an object at the position corresponding to a desired point generated with the desired area to desired positional coordinates of the driving means.

10. A photographing system having a photographing portion with driving means that allows the photographing direction of photographing means to be varied and a controller for a photographing apparatus, the controller controlling the photographing portion,

wherein the controller comprises:

an operation area in which a panorama picture generated with a picture photographed by the photographing means is displayed; and

picture selecting means for selecting an object photographed by the photographing means in said operation area and moving the selected object to desired positional coordinates of the driving means.

11. The photographing system as set forth in claim 10,

wherein the photographing portion and the photographing controller are connected through a transmission line.

12. The photographing system as set forth in claim 10, further comprising:

commanding means for commanding the generation of the panorama picture.

13. A method for controlling a photographing portion with driving means that allows the photographing direction of photographing means to be varied, comprising the steps of:

displaying a panorama picture generated with a picture photographed by the photographing means; and

referencing the panorama picture and varying the photographing direction of the photographing means.

16. The method as set forth in claim 13, 14, or 15,

wherein the controlling method is performed through a transmission line.

19. The method as set forth in claim 13, 14, or 15, further comprising the step of:

commanding the generation of the panorama picture.

14. A method for controlling a photographing portion with driving means that allows the photographing direction of photographing means to be varied, comprising the steps of:

displaying a panorama picture generated with a picture photographed by the photographing means in an operation area;

designating a desired point in the operation area so as to select an object photographed by the photographing means; and

moving the selected object to desired positional coordinates of the driving means.

15. A method for controlling a photographing portion with driving means that allows the photographing direction of photographing means to be varied, comprising the steps of:

displaying a panorama picture generated with a picture photographed by the photographing means in an operation area;

designating a desired area in the operation area so as to select an object photographed by the photographing means; and

moving an object at the position corresponding to a desired point generated with the desired area to desired positional coordinates of the driving means.

17. A method for controlling a photographing portion with driving means that allows the photographing direction of photographing means to be varied, comprising the steps of:

displaying a panorama picture generated with a picture photographed by the photographing means in a first operation area;

displaying a current picture photographed by the photographing means in a second operation area;

designating a desired point in the second operation area so as to select an object photographed by the photographing means; and

moving the selected object to desired positional coordinate of the driving means.

18. A method for controlling a photographing portion with driving means that allows the photographing direction of photographing means to be varied, comprising the steps of:

displaying a panorama picture generated with a picture photographed by the photographing means in a first operation area;

displaying a current picture photographed by the photographing means in a second operation area;

designating a desired area in the second operation area so as to select an object photographed by the photographing means; and

moving an object at the position corresponding to a desired point generated with the desired area to desired positional coordinates of the driving means.