IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGING SYSTEM

• US 20100066829A1
• Filed: 09/11/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: I-Pro Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: FUJITA, Yusuke, MIZUTANI, Aritaka
• Granted Patent: US 9,065,986 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2624 for obtaining an image which is composed of whole input images, e.g. splitscreen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

The present invention provides an imaging apparatus capable of monitoring a plurality of monitored sites in a switching manner by a single surveillance camera and an imaging system. Provided are: an imager for imaging an object scene image so as to produce imaging data; a cutout processor for cutting out one portion of the imaging data so as to create a plurality of cutout image data; and an outputter for sequentially outputting the plurality of cutout image data to the external apparatus at a predetermined output interval.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus, comprising:

an imager for imaging an object scene image so as to produce imaging data;

a cutout processor for cutting out one portion of the imaging data so as to create a plurality of cutout image data; and

an outputter for sequentially outputting the plurality of cutout image data to an external apparatus at predetermined output intervals.

2. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an assigner for assigning to each of said plurality of cutout image data an order for outputting to said external apparatus, wherein

said outputter sequentially outputs the plurality of cutout image data to said external apparatus at predetermined output intervals, based on the order assigned by said assigner.

3. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a setter for setting a zoom factor to each of the plurality of cutout image data, wherein

said cutout processor cuts out one portion of the imaging data based on each zoom factor set by said setter so as to create the plurality of cutout image data.

7. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said external apparatus is a monitor connected by a cable to said imaging apparatus.

8. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said external apparatus is an information processing apparatus connected to said imaging apparatus via a network.

9. An imaging system according to claim 1, wherein

said external apparatus is a monitor connected by a cable to said imaging apparatus.

10. An imaging system according to claim 1, wherein

said external apparatus is an information processing apparatus connected to said imaging apparatus via a network.

4. An imaging system configured by:

an imaging apparatus for imaging an object scene image so as to produce imaging data and outputting the imaging data;

an image processing apparatus for accepting the imaging data outputted from said imaging apparatus; and

an external apparatus for displaying an image based on the imaging data outputted from said imaging apparatus on a first displayer, wherein

said image processing apparatus comprises;

a display processor for displaying an image based on the imaging data on a second displayer; and

an area designator for designating a plurality of arbitrary areas from the image displayed by said second displayer, and

said imaging apparatus comprises;

a cutout processor for creating a plurality of cutout image data by cutting out one portion of the imaging data, based on the plurality of arbitrary areas designated by said area designator provided in said image processing apparatus; and

an outputter for sequentially outputting the plurality of cutout image data to said first displayer at predetermined output intervals.

5. An imaging system according to claim 4, wherein

said imaging apparatus further comprises an assigner for assigning an order for outputting to said first displayer, to each of the plurality of cutout image data, and

said outputter sequentially outputs the plurality of cutout image data to said first displayer at predetermined output intervals, based on the order assigned by said assigner.

6. An imaging system according to claim 4, further comprising a setter for setting a zoom factor to each of the plurality of cutout image data, wherein

said cutout processor cuts out one portion of the imaging data based on each zoom factor set by said setter so as to create the plurality of cutout image data.