TV camera work control apparatus using tripod head

• US 5,396,287 A
• Filed: 02/18/1993
• Issued: 03/07/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Cho, Tadayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US08/019,253
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 348/61, 348/211, 348/213, 345/161, 345/173
• US Class Current: 348/211.8
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• 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 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A TV camera work control apparatus using a tripod head so as to accurately select a plurality of given shooting positions and conditions. A transparent touch panel divided into a plurality of touch inputting portions is used to control the position and the shooting operation of a TV camera. The touch panel is disposed on a monitor screen. When a shooting position is selected by pressing one of the divided touch inputting portions, a shooting operation such as panning, tilting, zooming and focusing is controlled. The zooming operation may be controlled by the magnification which is proportional to the pressure applied to the touch inputting portion or the time for which the touch inputting portion is pressed. It is possible to the current operation parameters are corrected with reference to the preceding operating state, when a signal is input again from one of the touch inputting portions. It is also possible to automatically set the operation parameters for the touch inputting portions of the touch panel by inputting the operation parameters for, for example, the two ends of a diagonal of the touch panel.

Claims

1. A TV camera work control apparatus using a tripod head for controlling both the position and the shooting operation of the lens portion of a TV camera, comprising:

a touch panel which is disposed on a monitor screen for displaying a picture shot by said TV camera which has a plurality of touch inputting portions being set in a manner as to divide said monitor screen in a matrix; and

a memory which stores the operation parameters for said tripod head and said lens portion of said TV camera for .shooting at the positions corresponding to said touch inputting portions;

wherein

both the position and the shooting operation of said TV camera are controlled by said operation parameters which are read from said memory when one of said inputting portions is selected.

2. A TV camera work control apparatus using a tripod head according to claim 1, wherein the current operation parameters are corrected with reference to the preceding operating state when a signal is input again from one of said touch inputting portions of said touch panel.

3. A TV camera work control apparatus using a tripod head according to claim 1, wherein the operation parameters of said touch inputting portion of said touch panel are set by an operation controller having joysticks.

4. A TV camera work control apparatus using a tripod head according to claim 1, further comprising a monitor screen on which said touch panel is placed and which displays a base picture and a picture which is controlled by said touch panel.

5. A TV camera work control apparatus using a tripod head according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said TV cameras and said tripod heads and further a plurality of monitor screens are provided, and a base picture is displayed on one of said monitor screen on which said touch panel is placed, while a picture which is controlled by said touch panel is displayed on another monitor screen.

6. A TV camera work control apparatus using a tripod head for controlling both the position and the shooting operations of a lens portion of a camera, comprising:

a monitor screen which displays a picture shot by said TV camera and on which said touch panel is placed;

a parameter calculator for calculating the operation parameters for said tripod head and said lens portion of said TV camera for the entire part of said touch panel when the operation parameters for at least two touch inputting portions are input; and

a memory for storing said operation parameters for said tripod head and said lens portions of said TV camera which are output from said parameter calculator and which enable a shot at the positions corresponding to said touch inputting portions controlled by said touch panel which is operated while a picture is displayed on said monitor screen, wherein

said touch inputting portions are set by said the touch panel in such a manner as to divide said monitor screen in a matrix.

7. A TV camera work control apparatus using a tripod head according to claim 6, wherein the operation parameters for said tripod head and said lens portion of said TV camera for the entire part of said touch panel are automatically set by setting the operation parameters for at least two touch inputting portions.

8. A TV camera work control apparatus using a tripod head for controlling both the position and the shooting operation of the lens portion of a TV camera, said apparatus comprising a touch panel divided into a plurality of touch inputting portions so as to control said position and said shooting operation and to control the zooming operation by the magnification which is proportional to the pressure applied to said touch inputting portion or the time for which said touch inputting portion is pressed.

9. A TV camera work control apparatus using a tripod head according to claim 8, wherein the current operation parameters are corrected with reference to the preceding operating state when a signal is input again from one of said touch inputting portions of said touch panel.