CAMERA CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHOD, AND CAMERA CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20110199484A1
• Filed: 04/22/2011
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: UCHIHARA, Masato
• Granted Patent: US 8,427,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• 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 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A camera control system having a terminal device connected to a plurality of cameras via a network is provided. In response to an operation that exceeds a maximum control value (maximum control angle) of the PTZ of a camera that is the target of control, the terminal device displays peripheral camera information, which corresponds to a shooting direction in which the operation has been requested, together with video shot by the camera being controlled. The peripheral camera information includes installation camera position information, viewable angle information, control status information and peripheral map information as well as at least one item of captured video from a camera other than the camera being controlled.

Claims

1. A camera control apparatus which is connected to a plurality of cameras via a network, comprising;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire position information of the plurality of cameras;

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not a control request for a control-target camera is a control request for camera control which exceeds a viewable angle of the control-target camera;

a display control unit configured to control a display device to display an operation image for operating to change the control-target camera in a case where the determination unit determines that the control request to the control-target camera is the control request for camera control which exceeds the viewable angle of the control-target camera; and

a changing unit configured to change the control-target camera in response to the operation to the operation image displayed in accordance with the determination by the determination unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the operation image comprises an icon and

the changing unit changes the control-target camera to a camera corresponding to an icon operated among a plurality of icons displayed by the display control unit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit controls the display device to display the operation image and user information indicating whether a camera corresponding to the operation image is usable or not.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit controls the display device to display the operation image and angle information indicating viewable angle of a camera corresponding to the operation image.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit controls the display device to display the operation image and a pickup image picked up by a camera corresponding to the operation image.

6. A control method of a camera control apparatus which is connected to a plurality of cameras via a network, the method comprising:

an acquiring step of acquiring position information of the plurality of cameras;

a determining step of determining whether or not a control request for a control-target camera is a control request for camera control which exceeds a viewable angle of the control-target camera;

a display controlling step of controlling a display device to display a operation image for operating to change the control-target camera in a case where the control request to the control-target camera is the control request for camera control which exceeds the viewable angle of the control-target camera; and

a changing step of changing the control-target camera in response to the operation to the operation image displayed in the display controlling step.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein

the operation image comprises an icon, and

the control-target camera is changed in the changing step to a camera corresponding to an icon operated among a plurality of icons displayed in the display controlling step.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the operation image and user information indicating whether a camera corresponding to the operation image is usable or not are displayed in the display controlling step.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the operation image and angle information indicating viewable angle of a camera corresponding to the operation image are displayed in the display controlling step.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the operation image and a pickup image picked up by a camera corresponding to operation image are displayed in the display controlling step.

11. A camera system to which a plurality of cameras and a camera control apparatus are connected via a network, comprising

an acquisition unit configured to acquire position information of the plurality of cameras;

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not an control request for a control-target camera is an control request for camera control which exceeds a viewable angle of the control-target camera;

a display control unit configured to control a display device to display an operation image for operating to change the control-target camera in a case where the determination unit determines that the control request to the control-target camera is the control request for camera control which exceeds the viewable angle of the control-target camera; and

changing unit configured to change the control-target camera in response to the operation to the operation image displayed by the display control unit.