Camera imaging and magnification device

• US 6,266,085 B1
• Filed: 11/16/1995
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kato, Eiji, Kawai, Tomoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, TUAN V
• Application Number:
  US08/558,424
• Time in Patent Office: 2,077 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5225, 348/207, 348/211, 348/212, 348/213, 348/333, 348/334, 348/358, 348/15, 348/16, 348/39, 348/143, 348/169, 348/705, 348/706, 348/47, 348/48, 348/50, 348/18
• US Class Current: 348/211.7
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• 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 first frame indicating a maximum imaging visual field when a camera is panned and tilted to the respective limits is displayed on a display screen. A second frame indicative of a current imaging range is displayed at a position in the first frame which corresponds to the current imaging conditions (panning, tilting, and zooming). Panning and tilting are designated by an operation of moving the second frame, and zooming is designated by an operation of enlarging or reducing the second frame. In this way panning, tilting, and zooming of the camera are controlled in accordance with the position and the size of the second frame in the first frame. It is preferable that an image in the maximum imaging visual field be previously taken and displayed in the first frame.

Claims

1. A camera control device, comprising:

control means for controlling a camera, said camera having a limiter of at least one of panning and tilting; and

display means connected to said control means for displaying a first area which maximum visual field is defined by said limiter of movement of at least one of panning and tilting of the camera and which exceeds a current imaging range of the camera, and a second area which indicates the current imaging range and direction of the camera controlled by said control means at a position inside the first area.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

operating means for operating the second area displayed by said display means.

3. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for inputting an image which can be sensed as defined by the limits of at least one of panning and tilting of the camera at a predetermined timing, and displaying the input image in the first area.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined timing is when camera control is started.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined timing is when an operator inputs a specific instruction.

6. The device according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined timing is when a camera operation input is determined.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein

said camera comprises an externally controllable zoom function, and

said display means displays the first area which is defined by the limits of panning and tilting and a wide-angle end of zooming, and the second area which indicates a current imaging range inside the first area and having a position and a size corresponding to current panning, tilting, and zooming conditions.

8. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

operating means having a pointing device for operating a camera operation area set inside and/or in the vicinity of the second area displayed by said display means;

wherein said control means updates the display of the second area and controls said camera in accordance with the operation by said operating means.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein said control means updates the display position of the second area and controls said camera in accordance with a predetermined operation by the pointing device started from inside the camera operation area by said operating means.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined operation by the pointing device is a drag operation by a mouse.

11. The device according to claim 8, wherein said control means updates the display size of the second area and controls said camera in accordance with a predetermined drag operation started from inside the camera operation area by said operating means.

12. A control device connected with control means for controlling a camera having a limiter for at least one of panning and tilting, comprising:

first area display means for displaying a first area which maximum visual field is defined by said limiter of movement of at least one of panning and tilting of said camera and which exceeds a current imaging range of the camera;

second area display means for displaying an imaging visual field which indicates the current imaging range and direction, as a second area, at a position inside the first area;

designating means for designating a movement of the displayed second area; and

area display updating means for updating the displayed the second area in accordance with the contents designated by said designating means;

wherein said control means controls an imaging direction of said camera in accordance with the designated contents by said designating means.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein said designating means is a pointing device.

14. The device according to claim 12, further comprising:

synthesizing means for repeatedly causing said camera to pick up images while panning and tilting said camera, and synthesizing image data corresponding to a maximum imaging visual field of said camera from the picked up images; and

third display means for displaying the synthetic image in the first frame.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein said synthesizing means and said third display means are initially activated.

16. The device according to claim 14, wherein said synthesizing means and said third display means are activated upon reception of a predetermined operation instruction.

17. The device according to claim 12, further comprising:

input means for inputting an image taken by said camera; and

image display means for displaying the input image in the second area.

18. A camera control device including control means for controlling a camera having a limiter for panning, tilting, and zooming, comprising:

first area display means for displaying a first area which is defined by said limiter of panning and tilting of said camera;

second area display means for displaying an imaging range upon initialization of said camera, as a second area, inside the first area;

first designating means for designating a movement of the displayed second area;

second designating means for designating a size of the displayed second area; and

area display updating means for updating the display of the second area in accordance with the contents designated by said first or second designating means;

wherein said control means controls an imaging direction or a zoom ratio of said camera in accordance with the designated contents by said first or second designating means.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein said first and second designating means are pointing devices.

20. The device according to claim 18, further comprising:

synthesizing means for repeatedly causing said camera to pick up images while panning and tilting said camera, and synthesizing image data corresponding to a maximum imaging visual field of said camera from the picked up images; and

third display means for displaying the synthetic image in the first frame.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein said synthesizing means and said third display means are initially activated.

22. The device according to claim 20, wherein said synthesizing means and said third display means are activated upon reception of a predetermined operation instruction.

23. The device according to claim 20, further comprising:

input means for inputting an image taken by said camera; and

image display means for displaying the input image in the second frame.

24. A camera control device, comprising:

control means for controlling a camera capable of at least one of panning and tilting; and

display means for displaying a first area which maximum visual field is defined by limit of movement of at least one of panning and tilting and which is larger than a current image range of the camera, and a second area which indicates the current imaging range and direction of the camera and which overlaps the first area.

25. The device according to claim 24, further comprising:

operating means for operating the second area displayed by said display means;

wherein said control means controls said camera in accordance with the position of the second area operated by said operating means.

26. The device according to claim 24, further comprising:

means for inputting an image which can be sensed as defined by the limits of at least one of panning and tilting at a predetermined timing, and displaying the input image in the first area.

27. The device according to claim 26, wherein the predetermined timing is when camera control is started.

28. The device according to claim 26, wherein the predetermined timing is when an operator inputs a specific instruction.

29. The device according to claim 26, wherein the predetermined timing is when a camera operation input is determined.

30. The device according to claim 24, wherein camera comprises an externally controllable zoom function, and

said display means displays the first area which is defined by the limits of panning and tilting and a wide-angle end of zooming, and the second area which indicates a current imaging range inside the first area and having a position and a size corresponding to current panning, tilting, and zooming conditions.

31. The device according to claim 24, further comprising:

operating means for operating area set inside and/or in the vicinity of the second area displayed said display means;

wherein said control means updates the display of the second area and controls said camera in accordance with the operation by said operating means.

32. The device according to claim 31, wherein said control means updates the display position of the second area and controls said camera in accordance with a predetermined operation by the pointing device started from inside the camera operation area by said operating means.

33. The device according to claim 32, wherein the predetermined operation by the pointing device is a drag operation by a mouse.

34. The device according to claim 31, wherein said control means updates the display size of the second area and controls said camera in accordance with a predetermined drag operation started from inside the camera operation area by said operating means.

35. A display device according to claim 24, wherein the first frame indicates the position of the picking up optical axis at the limits of panning and tilting.

36. A display device according to claim 24, wherein the first frame indicates maximum visual field at the limits of panning and tilting.

37. A control device connecting control means for controlling a camera capable of panning and tilting, comprising:

first area display means for displaying a first area which maximum visual field is defined by the limits of panning and tilting and which exceeds a current imaging range of said camera;

second area display means for displaying an imaging visual field upon initialization of said camera, as a second area, inside the first area;

designating means for designating a movement of the displayed second area; and

area display updating means for updating the display of the second area in accordance with the contents designated by said designating means;

wherein said control means controls an imaging direction of said camera in accordance with the designated contents by said designating means.

38. The device according to claim 37, wherein said designating means is a pointing device.

39. The device according to claim 37, further comprising:

input means for inputting an image taken by said camera; and

image display means for displaying the input image in the second area.

40. A camera control device including control means for controlling a camera capable of panning, tilting, and zooming, comprising:

first area display means for displaying a first area which is defined by the limits of panning and titling and which exceeds a current imaging range of the camera;

second area display means for displaying an image range upon initialization of said camera, as a second area, inside the first area;

first designating means for designating a movement of the displayed second area;

second designating means for designating a size of the displayed second area; and

area display updating means for updating the display of the second area in accordance with the contents designated by said first or second designating means;

wherein said control means controls an imaging direction or a zoom ratio of said camera in accordance with the designated contents by said first or second designating means.

41. A camera control method including a control means for controlling a camera having a limiter for panning, tilting, and zooming, comprising:

a first area displaying step of displaying a first area which is defined by said limiter of panning and tilting of said camera;

a second area displaying step of displaying an image range upon initialization of said camera, as a second area, inside the first area;

a first designating step of designating a movement of the displayed second area;

a second designating step of designating a size of the displayed second area; and

a frame display updating step of updating the display of the second area in accordance with the contents designated in said first or second designating step;

wherein said control means controls an imaging direction or a zoom ratio of said camera in accordance with the contents designated said first or second designating step.

42. A camera control method for controlling a sensing direction and a field of view of a camera, comprising:

a displaying step of displaying a first area which maximum visual field is defined by the mechanical-capable limits of at least one of panning and tilting and which exceeds a sensing range of the camera, and a second area which indicates a current imaging range at a position inside the first area;

a designating step of designating a position and a size of the second area displayed in said first area;

a control step controlling the sensing direction and the field of view of said camera in accordance with the contents designated in said designating step.

43. A display method for displaying current imaging conditions of a camera which is controlled by at least one of panning and tilting, comprising:

a displaying step of displaying a first area which maximum visual field is defined by limit of movement of at least one of panning and tilting of the camera and which exceeds a current imaging range of the camera, and a second area which indicates the current imaging range and direction of the camera and which overlaps the first area.

44. A display device connected with control means for controlling a camera capable of at least one of panning and tilting, comprising:

display means for displaying an area which maximum visual field is defined by limit of movement of at least one of panning and tilting and which exceeds a current image range of the camera, and an indication which indicates the current imaging direction of the camera at a position inside the area.