Viewing Angle Switching Method and Camera Therefor

• US 20170048436A1
• Filed: 07/18/2016
• Published: 02/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vivotek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vivotek, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Szu-Han
• Application Number:
  US15/213,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20170048436A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20021 Dividing image into blocks, subimages or windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/60 Rotation of whole images or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

A viewing angle switching method capable of conveniently adjusting region of interest (ROI) and user-friendly displaying image can be applied to a related camera. The viewing angle switching method includes setting at least one first region of interest and one second region of interest within a monitoring image, displaying the first region of interest on a monitoring screen, analyzing direction information of a switching command, and determining whether to rotate the second region of interest by a predetermined angle and to display the rotated second region of interest in accordance with the direction information.

Claims

1. A viewing angle switching method capable of conveniently adjusting a region of interest, the viewing angle switching method comprising:

setting a first region of interest and a second region of interest within a monitoring image;

displaying the first region of interest on a monitoring screen;

analyzing direction information of a switching command; and

determining whether to rotate the second region of interest by a predetermined angle and display the rotated second region of interest in accordance with the direction information.

2. The viewing angle switching method of claim 1, wherein a step of determining whether to rotate the second region of interest by the predetermined angle and display the rotated second region of interest in accordance with the direction information comprises:

rotating the second region of interest clockwise or counterclockwise to the predetermined angle in accordance with the direction information.

3. The viewing angle switching method of claim 1, wherein the first region of interest is partly overlapped with the second region of interest within the monitoring image.

4. The viewing angle switching method of claim 1, wherein the rotated second region of interest is displayed on the monitoring screen to replace the first region of interest, or is displayed on the monitoring screen adjacent to the displayed first region of interest.

5. The viewing angle switching method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting a third region of interest within the monitoring image, wherein the first region of interest is located between the second region of interest and the third region of interest; and

determining whether to rotate the third region of interest by the predetermined angle and display the rotated third region of interest in accordance with the direction information.

6. The viewing angle switching method of claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring an original capturing image; and

removing a part of the original capturing image to form the monitoring image.

7. The viewing angle switching method of claim 6, wherein the original capturing image is a fisheye panorama image, and the monitoring image is a rectangular image.

8. The viewing angle switching method of claim 6, wherein a step of removing the part of the original capturing image to form the monitoring image comprises:

removing a first rectangular region with a first specific dimensions from a top of the original capturing image; and

removing a second rectangular region with a second specific dimensions from a bottom of the original capturing image.

9. The viewing angle switching method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a specific region within the monitoring image; and

adjusting a scaling ratio of the specific region in accordance with a scaling command.

10. A camera capable of conveniently adjusting a region of interest, the camera comprising:

an image capturing unit adapted to capture a monitoring image; and

a processing controller electrically connected to the image capturing unit and adapted to set a first region of interest and a second region of interest within the monitoring image, to display the first region of interest on a monitoring screen, to analyze direction information of a switching command, and to determine whether to rotate the second region of interest by a predetermined angle and display the rotated second region of interest in accordance with the direction information.

11. The camera of claim 10, wherein the processing controller is further adapted to rotate the second region of interest clockwise or counterclockwise to the predetermined angle in accordance with the direction information.

12. The camera of claim 10, wherein the first region of interest is partly overlapped with the second region of interest within the monitoring image.

13. The camera of claim 10, wherein the rotated second region of interest is displayed on the monitoring screen to replace the first region of interest, or is displayed on the monitoring screen adjacent to the displayed first region of interest.

14. The camera of claim 10, wherein the processing controller is further adapted to set a third region of interest within the monitoring image, wherein the first region of interest is located between the second region of interest and the third region of interest, to determine whether to rotate the third region of interest by another predetermined angle and display the rotated third region of interest in accordance with the direction information.

15. The camera of claim 10, wherein the processing controller is further adapted to acquire an original capturing image, and to remove apart of the original capturing image to form the monitoring image.

16. The camera of claim 15, wherein the original capturing image is a fisheye panorama image, and the monitoring image is a rectangular image.

17. The camera of claim 15, wherein the processing controller is further adapted to remove a first rectangular region with a first specific dimensions from a top of the original capturing image, and to remove a second rectangular region with a second specific dimensions from a bottom of the original capturing image.

18. The camera of claim 10, wherein the processing controller is further adapted to select a specific region within the monitoring image, and to adjust a scaling ratio of the specific region in accordance with a scaling command.