IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20140049655A1
• Filed: 10/28/2013
• Published: 02/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Iwasaki, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,525,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19686 Interfaces masking personal details for privacy, e.g. blurring faces, vehicle license plates
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• 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 5/2621 Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus includes a receiving unit configured to receive a designation of an image pickup direction of an image pickup unit in relation to superimposition of a mask image on an picked-up image; and a setting unit configured to set, when the receiving unit receives the designation of the image pickup direction, a position of superimposition of the mask image in an image pickup range where the image pickup unit can pick up images, on the basis of the designated image pickup direction.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

an image pickup unit capable of changing an image pickup direction;

a transmitting unit configured to transmit a picked-up image picked up by the image pickup unit to a receiving device;

a receiving unit configured to receive a designation of the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit in relation to superimposition of a mask image on the picked-up image; and

a setting unit configured to set, when the receiving unit receives the designation of the image pickup direction, a position of superimposition of the mask image in an image pickup range where the image pickup unit can pick up images, on the basis of the designated image pickup direction.

2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an identifying unit configured to identify the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit,

wherein when the receiving unit does not receive the designation of the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit in relation to superimposition of the mask image, the setting unit sets the position of superimposition of the mask image in the image pickup range where the image pickup unit can pick up images, on the basis of the image pickup direction identified by the identifying unit.

3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a holding unit configured to hold a plurality of video source configurations, each including a resolution of the picked-up image and used to generate the picked-up image,

wherein the receiving unit receives identification information for identifying a video source configuration from the receiving device;

and

when the receiving unit does not receive the designation of the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit in relation to superimposition of the mask image, the setting unit sets the position of superimposition of the mask image in the image pickup range where the image pickup unit can pick up images, on the basis of the video source configuration identified by the received identification information and the image pickup direction identified by the identifying unit.

4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a holding unit configured to hold a plurality of configurations, each indicating a cutout position for cutting out a delivery image to be transmitted to the receiving device from the picked-up image picked up by the image pickup unit,

wherein the receiving unit receives identification information for identifying a configuration of the cutout position and superimposition information indicating a position where the mask image is superimposed on the delivery image;

and

when the receiving unit does not receive the designation of the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit in relation to superimposition of the mask image, the setting unit sets the position of superimposition of the mask image in the image pickup range where the image pickup unit can pick up images, on the basis of the configuration of the cutout position identified by the received identification information, the superimposition information, and the image pickup direction identified by the identifying unit.

5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the holding unit holds a plurality of video source configurations, each including a reference to a configuration of a resolution of the picked-up image and a reference to a configuration of a cutout position for cutting out a delivery image to be transmitted to the receiving device from the picked-up image having the resolution;

and

when the receiving unit does not receive the designation of the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit in relation to superimposition of the mask image, the setting unit sets the position of superimposition of the mask image in the image pickup range where the image pickup unit can pick up images, on the basis of the video source configuration identified by the received identification information, the superimposition information, and the image pickup direction identified by the identifying unit.

6. A control method for controlling an image pickup apparatus, the control method comprising:

a transmitting step of transmitting, to a receiving device, a picked-up image picked up by an image pickup unit capable of changing an image pickup direction;

a receiving step of receiving a designation of the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit in relation to superimposition of a mask image on the picked-up image; and

a setting step of setting, when the designation of the image pickup direction is received in the receiving step, a position of superimposition of the mask image in an image pickup range where the image pickup unit can pick up images, on the basis of the designated image pickup direction.

7. The control method according to claim 6, further comprising an identifying step of identifying the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit,

wherein when the designation of the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit is not received in relation to superimposition of the mask image, the position of superimposition of the mask image in the image pickup range where the image pickup unit can pick up images is set, in the setting step, on the basis of the image pickup direction identified in the identifying step.

8. The control method according to claim 7, wherein identification information for identifying a video source configuration including a resolution of the picked-up image and used to generate the picked-up image is received from the receiving device in the receiving step;

and

when the designation of the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit is not received in relation to superimposition of the mask image, the position of superimposition of the mask image in the image pickup range where the image pickup unit can pick up images is set, in the setting step, on the basis of the video source configuration identified by the received identification information and the image pickup direction identified in the identifying step.

9. The control method according to claim 7, wherein identification information for identifying a configuration of a cutout position for cutting out a delivery image to be transmitted to the receiving device from the picked-up image picked up by the image pickup unit, and superimposition information indicating a position where the mask image is superimposed on the delivery image, are received in the receiving step;

and

when the designation of the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit is not received in relation to superimposition of the mask image, the position of superimposition of the mask image in the image pickup range where the image pickup unit can pick up images is set in the setting step on the basis of the configuration of the cutout position identified by the received identification information, the superimposition information, and the image pickup direction identified in the identifying step.

10. The control method according to claim 8, wherein the video source configuration includes a reference to a resolution of the picked-up image and a reference to a cutout position for cutting out a delivery image to be transmitted to the receiving device from the picked-up image having the resolution;

and

when the designation of the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit is not received in relation to superimposition of the mask image, the position of superimposition of the mask image in the image pickup range where the image pickup unit can pick up images is set in the setting step on the basis of the video source configuration identified by the received identification information, the superimposition information, and the image pickup direction identified in the identifying step.

11. A recording medium that records a program for controlling an image pickup apparatus, the program configured to cause the image pickup apparatus to execute:

a transmitting procedure for transmitting, to a receiving device, a picked-up image picked up by an image pickup unit capable of changing an image pickup direction;

a receiving procedure for receiving a designation of the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit in relation to superimposition of a mask image on the picked-up image; and

a setting procedure for setting, when the designation of the image pickup direction is received in the receiving procedure, a position of superimposition of the mask image in an image pickup range where the image pickup unit can pick up images, on the basis of the designated image pickup direction.

12. The recording medium according to claim 11, wherein the program causes the image pickup apparatus to execute an identifying procedure for identifying the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit;

when the designation of the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit is not received in relation to superimposition of the mask image, the program causes the image pickup apparatus to execute processing for setting, in the setting procedure, the position of superimposition of the mask image in the image pickup range where the image pickup unit can pick up images, on the basis of the image pickup direction identified in the identifying procedure.

13. The recording medium according to claim 12, wherein the program causes the image pickup apparatus to execute processing for receiving, from the receiving device in the receiving procedure, identification information for identifying a video source configuration including a resolution of the picked-up image and used to generate the picked-up image;

and

when the designation of the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit is not received in relation to superimposition of the mask image, the program causes the image pickup apparatus to execute processing for setting, in the setting procedure, the position of superimposition of the mask image in the image pickup range where the image pickup unit can pick up images, on the basis of the video source configuration identified by the received identification information and the image pickup direction identified in the identifying procedure.

14. The recording medium according to claim 12, wherein the program causes the image pickup apparatus to execute processing for receiving, in the receiving procedure, identification information for identifying a configuration of a cutout position for cutting out a delivery image to be transmitted to the receiving device from the picked-up image picked up by the image pickup unit, and superimposition information indicating a position where the mask image is superimposed on the delivery image;

and

when the designation of the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit is not received in relation to superimposition of the mask image, the program causes the image pickup apparatus to execute processing for setting, in the setting procedure, the position of superimposition of the mask image in the image pickup range where the image pickup unit can pick up images, on the basis of the configuration of the cutout position identified by the received identification information, the superimposition information, and the image pickup direction identified in the identifying procedure.

15. The recording medium according to claim 13, wherein the video source configuration includes a reference to a resolution of the picked-up image and a reference to a cutout position for cutting out a delivery image to be transmitted to the receiving device from the picked-up image having the resolution;

and

when the designation of the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit is not received in relation to superimposition of the mask image, the program causes the image pickup apparatus to execute processing for setting, in the setting procedure, the position of superimposition of the mask image in the image pickup range where the image pickup unit can pick up images, on the basis of the video source configuration identified by the received identification information, the superimposition information, and the image pickup direction identified in the identifying procedure.