Controller for Photographing Apparatus and Photographing System

• US 20090278914A1
• Filed: 07/20/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ken Tamayama, Masakazu Koyanagi, Naoyasu Hosonuma, Tadafusa Tomitaka, Toshiyuki Iijima
• Original Assignee: Ken Tamayama, Masakazu Koyanagi, Naoyasu Hosonuma, Tadafusa Tomitaka, Toshiyuki Iijima
• Inventors: IIjima, Toshiyuki, Koyanagi, Masakazu, Tamayama, Ken, Hosonuma, Naoyasu, Tomitaka, Tadafusa
• Granted Patent: US 8,045,837 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/39
• 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 controlling an imaging device, comprising:

a display unit having a panorama display area and an image display area, the panorama display area displaying a panorama picture generated from images taken by the imaging device and the image display area displaying an image picture taken by the imaging device, the image picture being more enlarged than a corresponding image in the panorama picture; and

a control unit controlling the imaging device to change an imaging direction of the imaging device in response to an operation on at least one of the panorama picture and the image picture.

2. The controller according to claim 1, wherein:

if a user designates an object on the image picture, the display unit displays the object corresponding to a designated point at substantively a center of the image display area.

3. The controller according to claim 1, wherein:

the display unit displays the panorama picture and the image picture on one screen.

4. The controller according to claim 1, wherein:

the display unit displays a frame on the panorama picture, the frame representing an angle of view of the image picture.

5. A method for controlling an imaging device, comprising the steps of:

providing a display with a panorama display area and an image display area, the panorama display area displaying a panorama picture generated from images taken by the imaging device and the image display area displaying an image picture taken by the imaging device, wherein the image picture is more enlarged than a corresponding image in the panorama picture; and

controlling the imaging device to change an imaging direction of the imaging device in response to an operation on at least one of the panorama picture and the image picture.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of:

if a user designates an object on the image picture, displaying the object corresponding to a designated point at substantively a center of the image display area.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of:

displaying the panorama picture and the image picture on one screen.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of:

displaying a frame on the panorama picture, the frame representing an angle of view of the image picture.

9. A computer readable medium encoded with a program to be executed by a computer for controlling an imaging device, the program comprising the steps of:

providing a display with a panorama display area and an image display area, the panorama display area displaying a panorama picture generated from images taken by the imaging device and the image display area displaying an image picture taken by the imaging device, wherein the image picture is more enlarged than a corresponding image in the panorama picture; and

controlling the imaging device to change an imaging direction of the imaging device in response to an operation on at least one of the panorama picture and the image picture.

10. The medium according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

if a user designates an object on the image picture, displaying the object corresponding to a designated point at substantively a center of the image display area.

11. The medium according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

displaying the panorama picture and the image picture on one screen.

12. The medium according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

displaying a frame on the panorama picture, the frame representing an angle of view of the image picture.

13. A system for designating a desired position comprising:

an imaging device;

a display unit having a panorama display area and an image display area, the panorama display area displaying a panorama picture generated from images taken by the imaging device and the image display area displaying an image picture taken by the imaging device, the image picture being more enlarged than a corresponding image in the panorama picture; and

a controller controlling the imaging device to change an imaging direction of the imaging device in response to an operation on at least one of the panorama picture and the image picture.

14. The controller according to claim 13, wherein:

if a user designates an object on the image picture, the display unit displays the object corresponding to a designated point at substantively a center of the image display area.

15. The controller according to claim 13, wherein:

the display unit displays the panorama picture and the image picture on one screen.

16. The controller according to claim 13, wherein:

the display unit displays a frame on the panorama picture, the frame representing an angle of view of the image picture.