Imaging system, camera control apparatus, panorama image generation method and program therefor

• US 20070030341A1
• Filed: 08/02/2006
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Morimoto, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,314,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed is an imaging system including a camera terminal apparatus capable of performing pan operation and/or tilt operation and a camera control apparatus for controlling the camera terminal apparatus. In the imaging system, the camera terminal apparatus includes a signal processor configured to generate a panorama image, a panorama image storing unit configured to store the generated panorama image, and an imaging direction controller configured to generate camera position information indicative of an imaging direction, and the camera control apparatus includes a position determination processor configured to determine a position of the imaging direction in the panorama image, based on the camera position information, and a panorama image processor configured to process the panorama image in such a way that the determined position becomes the center position of an image.

Claims

1. An imaging system comprising a camera terminal apparatus capable of performing pan operation and/or tilt operation and a camera control apparatus for controlling the camera terminal apparatus,

wherein the camera terminal apparatus includes

a signal processor configured to generate a panorama image,

a panorama image storing unit configured to store the generated panorama image, and

an imaging direction controller configured to generate camera position information indicative of an imaging direction, and

the camera control apparatus includes

a position determination processor configured to determine a position of the imaging direction in the panorama image, based on the camera position information, and

a panorama image processor configured to process the panorama image in such a way that the determined position becomes the center position of an image.

2. An camera control apparatus comprising:

a position determination processor configured to determine a position of the imaging direction in a panorama image, based on camera position information indicative of an imaging direction of a camera; and

a panorama image processor configured to process the panorama image in such a way that the determined position becomes the center position of an image.

3. The camera control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the panorama image processor determines a difference between the determined position and the center position of the panorama image, and processes the panorama image in such a way that the determined position becomes the center position of an image, based on the difference.

4. The camera control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein in the case where the determined position is set to the center position of a panorama image display frame, the panorama image processor pastes an image for the difference outside the panorama image display frame to an area having no image in the panorama image display frame.

5. The camera control apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a display configured to display the panorama image processed by the panorama image processor;

a display processor configured to display a cursor indicative of the imaging direction of the camera on the panorama image;

a user interface; and

a controller configured to provide an instruction for performing pan operation and/or tilt operation in accordance with movement of the cursor when an operation to move the cursor is performed through the user interface.

6. A panorama image display method comprising the steps of:

acquiring camera position information indicative of an imaging direction of a camera;

determining a position of the imaging direction in a panorama image, based on the camera position information;

determining a difference between the determined position and the center position of the panorama image;

processing the panorama image in such a way that the determined position becomes the center position of an image, based on the difference; and

displaying the processed panorama image.

7. A program for allowing a computer to execute the steps of:

acquiring camera position information indicative of an imaging direction of a camera;

determining a position of the imaging direction in a panorama image, based on the camera position information;

determining a difference between the determined position and the center position of the panorama image; and

processing the panorama image in such a way that the determined position becomes the center position of an image, based on the difference.