METHOD FOR SELECTING CAMERAS AND IMAGE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM CAPABLE OF APPROPRIATELY SELECTING CAMERAS

• US 20160323559A1
• Filed: 03/21/2016
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: KOYAMA, TATSUYA, MATSUNOBU, TORU, SUGIO, TOSHIYASU, YOSHIKAWA, SATOSHI
• Granted Patent: US 10,171,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/349 Multi-view displays for displaying three or more geometrical viewpoints without viewer tracking for viewing without the aid of special glasses using fly-eye lenses H04N13/307

Abstract

In a method, M (M is a natural number smaller than N) cameras capturing images to be displayed are selected from N (N is a natural number equal to or larger than 2) cameras capturing images of a same scene. The method includes obtaining positions and image capture angles of the N cameras and selecting M cameras from the N cameras on the basis of the obtained positions and image capture angles of the N cameras.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, using sensors included in N (N is a natural number equal to or larger than

     2) cameras capturing images of a same scene, positions and image capture angles of the N cameras; and

selecting M (M is a natural number smaller than N) cameras capturing images to be displayed from the N cameras by using a processor on the basis of the obtained positions and image capture angles of the N cameras.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein, in the selecting, M cameras whose images hardly overlap with one another and whose images include a target space most comprehensively are selected on the basis of the positions and image capture angles of the N cameras.

3. The method according to claim 1,

wherein, in the selecting, M cameras capturing images of a target space or a subject from a plurality of angles at regular intervals are selected on the basis of the positions and image capture angles of the N cameras.

4. The method according to claim 1,

wherein, in the obtaining, the positions and image capture angles of the N cameras are calculated by performing three-dimensional reconfiguration using the images captured by the N cameras.

5. The method according to claim 1,

wherein, in the obtaining, the positions and image capture angles of the N cameras are calculated using information obtained by the sensors included in the N cameras and transmitted from the N cameras.

6. The method according to claim 1,

wherein, in the obtaining, focal distances of the N cameras are also obtained, and

wherein, in the selecting, M cameras are selected from the N cameras on the basis of the obtained positions, image capture angles, and focal distances of the N cameras.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether to switch at least one of the selected M cameras to another camera in a frame after the selecting; and

selecting, if it is determined in the determining that the at least one of the selected M cameras is to be switched, a new camera for the at least one of the selected M cameras on the basis of the positions and image capture angles of the N cameras.

8. The method according to claim 7,

wherein, in the determining, a subject is tracked over frames and, if the tracking of the subject fails, it is determined that the at least one of the selected M cameras is to be switched.

9. The method according to claim 8,

wherein, in the determining, three-dimensional models of the subject are associated with one another between the frames, the associated three-dimensional models of the subject are projected onto a present frame, and, if the subject is not included in an obtained frame, it is determined that the tracking has failed.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

determining whether to perform the selecting again in the frame after the selecting; and

selecting, if it is determined in the determining whether to perform the selecting again that the selecting is to be performed again, M cameras are selected from the N cameras again on the basis of the positions and image capture angles of the N cameras.

11. The method according to claim 7,

wherein, in the determining whether to switch at least one of the selected M cameras to another camera, if time elapsed since a previous switching operation is shorter than a first time, it is determined that the at least one of the selected M cameras is not to be switched to another camera, if the time elapsed since the previous switching operation is equal to or longer than the first time but shorter than a second time, which is longer than the first time, it is determined in accordance with a first criterion whether to switch the at least one of the selected M cameras is to be switched to another camera, and if the time elapsed since the previous switching operation is equal to or longer than the second time, it is determined whether to switch the at least one of the selected M cameras to another camera in accordance with a second criterion, according to which the at least one of the selected M cameras is more likely to be switched to another camera than when the first criterion is used.

12. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the selecting includes

calculating first evaluation values of the N cameras on the basis of the images captured by the N cameras,

calculating second evaluation values of camera groups, which are combinations of M cameras included in the N cameras, on the basis of the positions and image capture angles of the N cameras,

calculating a third evaluation value of each camera group on the basis of the first evaluation values of the M cameras included in each camera group and the second evaluation value of each camera group, and

selecting the M cameras included in a camera group having a highest third evaluation value.

13. An image distribution system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having thereon a program, the program causing the processor to execute operations including;

obtaining, using sensors included in N (N is a natural number equal to or larger than

     2) cameras capturing images of a same scene, positions and image capture angles of the N cameras, and

selecting M (M is a natural number smaller than N) cameras capturing images to be displayed from the N cameras on the basis of the obtained positions and image capture angles of the N cameras.

14. A method comprising:

obtaining positions and image capture angles of N (N is a natural number equal to or larger than

     2) cameras capturing images of a same scene; and

selecting M (M is a natural number smaller than N) cameras capturing images to be displayed from the N cameras on the basis of the obtained positions and image capture angles of the N cameras.