IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR, AND PROGRAM FOR IMPLEMENENTING THE METHOD

• US 20070115365A1
• Filed: 10/25/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: SATO, Asami
• Granted Patent: US 8,810,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/211.990
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1963 Arrangements allowing camera rotation to change view, e.g. pivoting camera, pan-tilt and zoom [PTZ]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19676 Temporary storage, e.g. cyclic memory, buffer storage on pre-alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications
• 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

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus which is capable of identifying a criminal e.g. when the image pickup apparatus has been broken, without additionally providing a dedicated sensor for detecting an abnormality. A panhead unit supports a camera unit and rotates the same. A rotary encoder detects a rotating state of the panhead unit. A motor control circuit controls the rotating state of the panhead unit based on the rotating state detected by the rotary encoder. A system control circuit stores an image periodically picked up by the camera unit in the controlled rotating state of the panhead unit in a buffer memory. When the rotating state of the panhead unit is not being controlled based on the rotating state detected by the rotary encoder, a memory control circuit reads out images picked up, respectively, before and after a detection time at which the rotary encoder detected the rotating state, and stores the images in an auxiliary memory.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a camera unit;

a panhead unit that supports said camera unit and rotates said camera unit;

a detector unit that detects a rotating state of said panhead unit;

a rotation control unit that controls the rotating state of said panhead unit based on the rotating state detected by said detector unit;

a first image storing unit that stores an image periodically picked up by said camera unit in the controlled rotating state of said panhead unit; and

a second image storing unit that is operable when the rotating state of said panhead unit is not being controlled based on the rotating state detected by said detector unit, to read out an image picked up at at least one of times before and after a detection time at which said detector unit detected the rotating state, from said first image storing unit, and store the image.

2. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the detection time is not a time at which an image is to be periodically picked up, said camera unit picks up an image at the detection time and stores the image in said second storing unit.

3. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image stored in said second storing unit is sent to an external information processing apparatus.

4. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an alarm unit that generates an alarm sound at the detection time.

5. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit that displays a message indicating that the image is stored in said second storing unit.

6. A control method for an image pickup apparatus having a camera unit, a panhead unit that supports the camera unit and rotates the camera unit, a detector unit that detects a rotating state of the panhead unit, and a rotation control unit that controls the rotating state of the panhead unit based on the rotating state detected by the detector unit, the control method comprising:

a first image storing step of storing an image periodically picked up by the camera unit in the controlled rotating state of the panhead unit in a first memory; and

a second image storing step of reading out an image picked up at at least one of times before and after a detection time at which the detector unit detected the rotating state, from the first memory, and storing the image in a second memory, when the rotating state of the panhead unit is not being controlled based on the rotating state detected by the detector unit.

7. A program for causing a computer to execute a control method for an image pickup apparatus having a camera unit, a panhead unit that supports the camera unit and rotates the camera unit, a detector unit that detects a rotating state of the panhead unit, and a rotation control unit that controls the rotating state of the panhead unit based on the rotating state detected by the detector unit, the program comprising:

a first image storing module for storing an image periodically picked up by the camera unit in the controlled rotating state of the panhead unit in a first memory; and

a second image storing module for reading out an image picked up at at least one of times before and after a detection time at which the detector unit detected the rotating state, from the first memory, and storing the image in a second memory, when the rotating state of the panhead unit is not being controlled based on the rotating state detected by the detector unit.