CAMERA CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20150350556A1
• Filed: 10/08/2014
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanwha Vision Company Limited (Hanwha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hanwha Techwin Co., Ltd. (Hanwha Corporation)
• Inventors: LEE, Hyun Jin
• Granted Patent: US 10,021,311 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19608 Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/681 Motion detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6811 based on the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6815 by distinguishing pan or tilt from motion
• 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

Abstract

A camera control apparatus is provided. The camera control apparatus includes: a processor configured to detect a partial image including an object from a first image of a camera, generate a control value for controlling a camera capturing area to position a specific point of the object corresponding to specific coordinates of the partial image on center coordinates of a second image of the camera which is captured by the camera subsequent to the first image based on center coordinates of the partial image and center coordinates of the first image; and a camera drive controller configured to change the camera capturing area based on the control value output from the processor.

Claims

1. A camera control apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to detect a partial image including an object from a first image of a camera, generate a control value for controlling a camera capturing area to position a specific point of the object corresponding to specific coordinates of the partial image on center coordinates of a second image of the camera which is captured by the camera subsequent to the first image, based on center coordinates of the partial image and center coordinates of the first image; and

a camera drive controller configured to change the camera capturing area based on the control value output from the processor.

2. The camera control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises:

an image reception module configured to receive a camera image in a frame unit;

a target detection module configured to detect the partial image through a user'"'"'s selection or a predetermined image detection process;

a control value calculation module configured to determine control center coordinates for the camera capturing area as a specific point in an opposite direction to the center coordinates of the partial image based on a difference between the center coordinates of the partial image and the center coordinates of the first image , change a weight of a control acceleration for changing the camera capturing area according to a difference between the center coordinates of the partial image and the control center coordinates, and to generate the control value based on the changed weight; and

a control execution module configured to output the control value to the camera drive controller.

3. The camera control apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an input unit to select the partial image.

4. The camera control apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control value calculation module is configured to determine whether a speed reduction pattern of an acceleration of the object exists, and set a camera speed reduction section before a stop expectation point of the object if it is determined that the speed reduction pattern exists.

5. The camera control apparatus of claim 4, wherein if it is determined that the speed reduction pattern does not exist, the control value calculation module is configured to set the camera speed reduction section based on a stop point of the object during a stop or direction change of the object, and set to move the camera in a reverse direction at a predetermined reference speed as long as a distance between the center coordinates of the second image and the specific point of the object.

6. The camera control apparatus of claim 2, wherein if a plurality of objects exist in the first image, the target detection module is configured to select any one of the plurality of objects by a user selection.

7. The camera control apparatus of claim 2, wherein if a plurality of objects exist in the first camera image, the target detection module is configured to automatically select any one of the plurality of objects based on a predetermined selection priority, in which an object having high possibility of seceding from a monitoring area is set as a priority object.

8. The camera control apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control value calculation module is further configured to include parameters for applying a field of view (FOV) value corresponding to a zoom magnification of the second image to the weight change of the control acceleration.

9. A method of controlling a camera control apparatus comprising:

receiving a camera image in a frame unit from a camera;

detecting a partial image including an object from a first image of the camera;

generating a control value for controlling a camera capturing area to position a specific point of the object corresponding to specific coordinates of the partial image on center coordinates of a second image of the camera which is captured by the camera subsequent to the first image based on center coordinates of the partial image and center coordinates of the first image; and

changing the camera capturing area based on the generated control value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the detecting the partial image is performed through a user'"'"'s selection or a predetermined image detection process.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the generating the control value comprises:

comparing center coordinates of the partial image including the object with center coordinates of the first camera image;

determining whether both coordinates do not coincide with each other;

if it is determined that both coordinates do not coincide with each other, determining control center coordinates for the camera capturing area as a specific point in an opposite direction to the center coordinates of the partial image based on a difference between center coordinates of the partial image and center coordinates of the first image and changing a weight of a control acceleration for changing the camera according to a difference between the center coordinates of the partial image and the control center coordinates of the camera.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein if it is determined that both coordinates coincide with each other, setting the control acceleration of the camera using a distance between the center coordinates of the partial image and the control center coordinates of the camera to be equal to an acceleration of the object using a distance between the center coordinates of the partial image and the center coordinates of the first image.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether a speed reduction pattern of the acceleration of the object exists during a movement control of the camera; and

setting a camera speed reduction section before a stop expectation point of the object if it is determined that the speed reduction pattern exists.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein if it is determined that the speed reduction pattern does not exist, setting the camera speed reduction section based on a stop point of the object during a stop or direction change of the object and setting to move camera in a reverse direction at a predetermined reference speed as long as a distance between the center coordinates of the second image and the specific point of the object.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein if a plurality of objects exist in the first image, the detecting the partial image comprises selecting any one of the plurality of objects by a user selection.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein if a plurality of objects exist in the first camera image, the detecting the partial image comprises selecting any one of the plurality of objects based on a predetermined selection priority, in which an object having high possibility of seceding from a monitoring area is set as a priority object.

17. The method of claim 11, the generating the control value comprises generating a control value including parameters for applying a field of view (FOV) value corresponding to a zoom magnification of the second image to the weight change of the control acceleration.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having recorded thereon a program, which, when executed by a computer, performs the method of claim 9.