Video camera that automatically maintains size and location of an image within a frame

• US 5,355,163 A
• Filed: 09/15/1993
• Issued: 10/11/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tomitaka, Tadafusa
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HSIA, SHERRIE Y
• Application Number:
  US08/120,927
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 358/28, 358/168, 358/38, 358/41, 358/909, 358/906, 358/27, 358/520, 358/522, 348/222, 348/234, 348/256, 348/208, 348/253, 348/711
• US Class Current: 348/234
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7864 T.V. type tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• 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

Abstract

A video camera system can track or follow the moving object without influence by other objects outside the desired image. Detection feature patterns are formed after brightness and hue frequency feature data is obtained on the basis of image information of the detection measurement frame. The position of the detection measurement frame having a feature pattern with the largest similarity to the standard feature pattern obtained from the standard measurement frame is determined. An imaging condition of a camera is controlled on the basis of the position information of the detection measurement frame.

Claims

1. A video camera system comprising:

picture element information forming means for forming picture element information constructing a display plane on the basis of an imaging output signal of an object whose image is to be taken;

standard measurement frame setting means connected to said forming means for setting a standard measurement frame of a predetermined size at a predetermined position on said display plane;

detection measurement frame setting means connected to said forming means for setting a detection measurement frame of the predetermined size on said display plane;

standard frequency characteristic data forming means receiving said standard measurement frame and said picture element information for forming standard frequency characteristic data of brightness levels and hue angles on the basis of brightness information and hue information of the image within said standard measurement frame;

detection frequency characteristic data forming means receiving said detection measurement frame and said picture element information for forming detection frequency characteristic data of said brightness levels and said hue angles on the basis of said brightness information and said hue information of the image within said detection measurement frame;

detection measurement frame determining means receiving said standard frequency characteristic data and said detection frequency characteristic data for determining a similarity of said standard frequency characteristic data and said detection frequency characteristic data in order to determine said detection measurement frame having said detection frequency characteristic data of a large similarity; and

picture element information change control means connected to said determining means for driving and controlling said picture element information forming means so as to enter image information of said determined detection measurement frame into said standard measurement frame.

2. A video camera system of claim 1, wherein:

said detection measurement frame setting means sets a plurality of detection measurement frames of different sizes from each other;

said detection frequency characteristic data forming means forms said detection frequency characteristic data from said plurality of detection measurement frames respectively;

said detection measurement frame determining means determines the detection measurement frame having said detection frequency characteristic data of the largest similarity in said detection frequency characteristic data of said plurality of detection measurement frames; and

said picture element information change control means zooming-controls said picture element information forming means in order to coincide the size of said detection measurement frame determined by said detection measurement frame determining means with the size of said standard measurement frame.

3. A video camera system of claim 2, wherein:

said detection measurement frame setting means sets said plurality of detection measurement frames at predetermined positions different each other on said display plane;

said picture element information change control means controls said picture element information forming means so as to enter the image information of said detection measurement frame into said detection measurement frame determined by said detection measurement frame determining means.

4. A video camera system of claim 3, wherein;

said standard measurement frame setting means forms said standard measurement frame at the center of said display plane.

5. A video camera system of claim 4, wherein:

said detection measurement frame determining means calculates a Euclidean distance between said standard frequency characteristic data and said detection, frequency characteristic data with respect to said plurality of detection measurement frames, and determines the detection measurement frame of said Euclidean distance as the detection measurement frame of the large similarity.

6. A video camera system, comprising:

picture element information forming means for forming picture elements constructing a display plane on the basis of an imaging output signal of an object whose image is to be taken;

standard measurement frame setting means connected to said forming means for setting a standard measurement frame of a first predetermined size at a predetermined position on said display plane;

detection measurement frame setting means connected to said forming means for setting a detection measurement frame of the first predetermined size on said display plane;

main feature detection measurement frame setting means receiving said standard measurement frame and connected to said forming means for setting a measurement frame for main feature detection of a second predetermined size within said standard measurement frame;

main feature data forming means receiving said measurement frame for main feature detection and said imaging output signal for forming main feature data being names of frequency characteristic components of brightness levels and hue angles on the basis of brightness information and hue information of the image within said measurement frame for said main feature detection;

standard frequency data forming means receiving said standard measurement frame for forming standard frequency characteristic data having standard frequency characteristic data components being names of said frequency characteristic components expressed by said main feature data in said standard frequency characteristic data of said brightness levels and said hue angles on the basis of said brightness information and said hue information of the image within said standard measurement frame, and determining the value of the standard frequency characteristic data components being a name of other frequency characteristic components as a predetermined value;

detection frequency characteristic data forming means connected to said main feature data forming means and said standard frequency data forming means for forming detection frequency characteristic data having detection frequency characteristic data components being names of said frequency characteristic components expressed by said main feature data in said detection frequency characteristic data of said brightness levels and said hue angles on the basis of said brightness information and said hue information of the image within said detection measurement frame, and determining the value of the standard frequency characteristic data components being names of the other frequency characteristic components as the predetermined value;

detection measurement frame determining means connected to said detection frequency characteristic data forming means for determining a similarity of said standard frequency characteristic data and said detection frequency characteristic data in order to determine said detection measurement frame having said detection frequency characteristic data of a large similarity; and

picture element information change control means connected to said determining means for driving and controlling said picture element information forming means so as to enter image information of said determined detection measurement frame into said standard measurement frame.

7. A video camera system of claim 6, wherein:

said detection measurement frame setting means sets a plurality of detection measurement frames of different sizes each other;

said detection frequency characteristic data forming means forms said detection frequency characteristic data from said plurality of detection measurement frames respectively;

said detection measurement frame determining means determines the detection measurement frame having said detection frequency characteristic data of the largest similarity in said detection frequency characteristic data of said plurality of detection measurement frames; and

said picture element information change control means zooming-controls said picture element information forming means in order to coincide a size of said detection measurement frame determined by said detection measurement frame determining means with a size of said standard measurement frame.

8. A video camera system of claim 7, wherein:

said detection measurement frame setting means sets said plurality of detection measurement frames at predetermined positions different each other on said display plane;

said picture element information change control means controls said picture element information forming means so as to enter the image information of said detection measurement frame into said detection measurement frame determined by said detection measurement frame determining means.

9. A video camera system of claim 8, wherein;

said standard measurement frame setting means forms said standard measurement frame at the center of said display plane.

10. A video camera system of claim 9, wherein:

said detection measurement frame determining means calculates a Euclidean distance between said standard frequency characteristic data and said detection frequency characteristic data with respect to said plurality of detection measurement frames, and determines the detection measurement frame of said Euclidean distance as the detection measurement frame of the large similarity.

11. A video camera apparatus, comprising:

a lens for focusing light from an object whose image is to be taken;

an imaging element for converting the light from said lens into an electric signal;

picture element information forming means for forming picture element information constructing a display plane on the basis of an output signal from said imaging element;

standard measurement frame setting means connected to said forming means for setting a standard

detection measurement setting means connected to said forming means for setting a detection measurement frame of the predetermined size on said display plane;

standard frequency characteristic data forming means receiving said standard measurement frame and said picture element information for forming standard frequency characteristic data of brightness levels and hue angles on the basis of brightness information and hue information of the image within said standard measurement frame;

detection frequency characteristic data forming means receiving said detection measurement frame and said picture element information for forming detection frequency characteristic data of said brightness levels and said hue angles on the basis of said brightness information and said hue information of the image within said detection measurement frame;

detection measurement frame determining means receiving said standard frequency characteristic data and said detection frequency characteristic data for determining a similarity of said standard frequency characteristic data and said detection frequency characteristic data in order to determine said detection measurement frame having said detection frequency characteristic data of a large similarity; and

picture element information change control means connected to said determining means for driving and controlling said picture element information forming means so as to enter the picture element information of said determined detection measurement frame into said standard measurement frame.

12. A video camera apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

said detection measurement frame setting means sets a plurality of detection measurement frames of different sizes each other;

said detection frequency characteristic data forming means forms said detection frequency. characteristic data from said plurality of detection measurement frames respectively;

said detection measurement frame determining means determines the detection measurement frame having said detection frequency characteristic data of the largest similarity in said detection frequency characteristic data of said plurality of detection measurement frames; and

said picture element information change control means zooming-controls said picture element information forming means in order to coincide a size of said detection measurement frame determined by said detection measurement frame determining means with a size of said standard measurement frame.

13. A video camera apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

said detection measurement frame setting means sets said plurality of detection measurement frames at predetermined positions different each other on said display plane;

said picture element information change control means controls said picture element information forming means so as to enter the image information of said detection measurement frame into said detection measurement frame determined by said detection measurement frame determining means.

14. A video camera apparatus of claim 13, wherein;

said standard measurement frame setting means forms said standard measurement frame at the center of said display plane.

15. A video camera apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

said detection measurement frame determining means calculates a Euclidean distance between said standard frequency characteristic data and said detection frequency characteristic data with respect to said plurality of detection measurement frames, and determines the detection measurement frame of said Euclidean distance as the detection measurement frame of the large similarity.

16. A video camera apparatus, comprising;

a lens for focusing a light from an object whose image is to be taken;

an imaging element for converting the light from said lens into an electric signal;

picture element information forming means for forming picture element information constructing a display plane on the basis of an output signal from said imaging element;

standard measurement frame setting means connected to said forming means for setting a standard measurement frame of a first predetermined size at a predetermined position on said display plane;

detection measurement frame setting means connected to said forming means for setting a detection measurement frame of the first predetermined size on said display plane;

main feature detection measurement frame setting means receiving said standard measurement frame and connected to said forming means for setting a measurement frame for main feature detection of a second predetermined size within said standard measurement frame;

main feature data forming means receiving said measurement frame for main feature detection and said picture element information for forming main feature data being names of frequency characteristic components of brightness levels and hue information of the image within said measurement frame for said main feature detection;

standard frequency data forming means receiving said standard measurement frame for forming standard frequency characteristic data having standard frequency characteristic data components being names of said frequency characteristic components expressed by said main feature data in said standard frequency characteristic data of said brightness levels and said hue angle on the basis of said brightness information and said hue information of the image within said standard measurement frame, and determining a value of the standard frequency characteristic data components being names of other frequency characteristic components as a predetermined value;

detection frequency characteristic data forming means connected to said main feature data forming means and said standard frequency data forming means for forming said detection frequency characteristic data having detection frequency characteristic data components being name of said frequency characteristic components expressed by said main feature data in said detection frequency characteristic data of said brightness levels and said hue angles on the basis of said brightness information and said hue information of the image within said detection measurement frame, and determining the value of the standard frequency characteristic data components being names of the other frequency characteristic components as the predetermined value;

detection measurement frame determining means receiving said standard frequency characteristic data and said detection frequency. characteristic data for determining the similarity of said standard frequency characteristic data and said detection frequency characteristic data in order to determine said detection measurement frame having said detection frequency characteristic data of a large similarity; and

picture element information change control means connected to said determining means for driving and controlling said picture element information forming means so as to enter image information of said determined detection measurement frame into said standard measurement frame.

17. A video camera apparatus of claim 16, wherein:

said detection measurement frame setting means sets a plurality of detection measurement frames of different sizes each other;

said detection frequency characteristic data forming means forms said detection frequency characteristic data from said plurality of detection measurement frames respectively;

said detection measurement frame determining means determines the detection measurement frame having said detection frequency characteristic data of the largest similarity in said detection frequency characteristic data of said plurality of detection measurement frames; and

said picture element information change control means zooming-controls said picture element information forming means in order to coincide a size of said detection measurement frame determined by said detection measurement frame determining means with a size of said standard measurement frame.

18. A video camera apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

said said detection measurement frame setting means set a plurality of detection measurement frames at predetermined positions different each other on said display plane;

said picture element information change control means controls said picture element information forming means so as to enter the image information of said detection measurement frame into said detection measurement frame determined by said detection measurement frame determining means.

19. A video camera apparatus of claim 18, wherein;

said standard measurement frame setting means forms said standard measurement frame at the center of said display plane.

20. A video camera apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

said detection measurement frame determining means calculates a Euclidean distance between said standard frequency characteristic data and said detection frequency characteristic data with respect to said plurality of detection measurement frames, and determines the detection measurement frame of said Euclidean distance as the detection measurement frame of the large similarity.

21. A tracking method for forming a brightness feature pattern and hue feature pattern on the basis of a brightness signal Y and a hue signal HUE of respective picture elements taken into a picture memory in a brightness histogram generating apparatus and a hue histogram generating apparatus so as to control a zooming-motion of a lens block in optimum condition, comprising:

first step for initializing a field number FN to FN=O, and then waiting to release a recording pause button RECPAUSE by a user and to start recording;

second step for memorizing a frequency characteristic of the brightness signal Y and the hue signal HUE within a standard measurement frame at a central position of a display plane as a standard feature pattern, when starting the recording;

third step for incrementing the field number FN to FN+i, taking a brightness frequency characteristic YStd (i) and a hue frequency characteristic HueStd (i) with respect to respective measurement frames FMX1, FMX2, and FMX3 while sequentially switching a measurement frame (FMX) to a plurality of measurement frames of different sizes from each other FMX1, FMX2, and FMX3, selecting there measurement frames, composed of a small measurement frame FMX1 being a small area having an unit area AR, a middle measurement frame FMX2 being a middle area having a plurality of unit areas, and a large measurement frame FMX3 being a large area having a plurality of unit areas the number of which is larger than said middle area, and taking in data of said respective measurement frame FMX1, FMX2, and FMX3 as Small, Middle, and Large detection feature patterns, respectively;

fourth step for determining a Euclidean distance between the standard feature pattern and the detection feature pattern with respect to brightness and hue, and setting the sum of those as Jsmall, Jmiddle, and Jlarge;

fifth step for determining a size of the measurement frame of a smallest evaluation value to the size of new object to be taken an image;

sixth step for controlling a zooming-motor so that the size of a new measurement frame becomes the size of a middle; and

seventh step of renewing standard frequency characteristic data of the brightness signal and the hue signal within the new measurement frame as the standard feature pattern.