Camera control apparatus and method
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Abstract
A camera control apparats (10) comprises a control device (14) for controlling the zoom pan and tilt conditions of a camera. Data relating to the positioning of the camera in pan, tilt and zoom is transmitted to the control means and the control means converts the data into a value in a co-ordinate system, for example (3D) polar co-ordinates. The camera may be controlled and directed by pointing a pointer to an area in the image displayed whereby in response to selection of a point on a display the control means pans and/or tilts the camera so that the image viewed by the camera is centred substantially on the point selected. Still further, an area of the screen can be selected, for example by tracking and dropping a box using a mouse pointer on a computer screen and the control means is arranged to pan and tilt the camera so the image is centred on the centre of the selected area and zoomed so that the selected area becomes substantially the entire image viewed by the camera. In a further aspect a multiple camera control apparatus is provided in which a plurality of cameras may be controlled using the aforesaid control apparatus and the multiple camera control apparatus includes data relating to the location of the cameras with reference to the site plan so that multiple cameras can be co-ordinated to provide better image data, blind spot illumination and “hand over” functionality. Still further a security apparatus is provided in which a camera views an image and the security apparatus includes image processing means and data relating to the site viewed by the camera so as to determine the location and size of an object viewed.
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Citations
86 Claims
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1-42. -42. cancelled.
- 43. A camera control apparatus comprising control means for controlling one of a zoom, pan or tilt condition of a camera, feedback means which feeds back a signal regarding the position or state of a camera with reference to said condition and conversion means to convert the feedback signal into a value in a co-ordinate system whereby camera position or state data is associated with image data from an image viewed by the respective camera whereby any particular part of the viewed image is associated with a corresponding particular value in the co-ordinate system.
- 59. A method for controlling a camera comprising the steps of providing control means for controlling one of a zoom, pan or tilt condition of a camera, feeding back a signal from the control means regarding the position or state of the camera with reference to the condition, converting the feedback signal into a value in a co-ordinate system, and associating the position or state data with image data from an image viewed by the camera whereby any particular part of the viewed image is associated with a corresponding particular value in a co-ordinate system.
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67. A camera control apparatus comprising control means for controlling the pan or tilt condition of a camera, a display showing the image viewed by the camera, pointer means on the display whereby in response to selection of a point on the display by means of a pointer, the control means pans the camera so that the image viewed by the camera is centred and substantially on the point selection.
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68. A camera control apparatus comprising control means for controlling the pan, tilt and zoom conditions of the camera, a display showing the image viewed by the camera, pointer means on the display whereby, in response to a selection of an area on the display by means of a pointer, the control means pans and tilts the camera so that the image viewed by the camera is centred substantially on the centre of the selected area and zooms the camera so that the selected area becomes substantially the entire image viewed by the camera.
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69. A camera control apparatus comprising control means for controlling the zoom condition of the camera, a display showing the image viewed by the camera, pointer means on the display, whereby, in response to a selection of an area on the display by means of the pointer, the control means zooms the camera so that the selected area becomes substantially the entire image viewed by the camera.
- 81. A security apparatus comprising a camera, image processing means for processing the image viewed by the camera and means for storing a plan of the site at which the camera is located, whereby the viewed image can be processed vis a vis the site plan so as to determine size and location of an object on the site.
Specification