Camera control system

• US 6,597,393 B2
• Filed: 06/08/1998
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kato, Eiji, Kazama, Youichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LUONG TRUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/093,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20010033332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,870 Days
• Field of Search: 348/15, 348/16, 348/211, 348/143, 348/153, 348/14.07, 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 348/14.11, 348/159, 348/211.6, 348/211.3, 348/211.99, 348/211.11, 348/211.12, 348/211.13
• US Class Current: 348/211.99
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19693 using multiple video sources viewed on a single or compound screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

In observing images picked up by a plurality of cameras connected to a network in a surveillance camera system or the like, the conventional arrangement necessitates a client device to switch an image display obtained from one camera over to an image display obtained from another by a manual operation, which has been troublesome. To solve this problem, a camera control system is arranged to automatically switch an image display obtained from one camera over to an image display from another at suitable intervals. The camera control system is further arranged to automatically control the image pickup directions of each camera and, in the event of occurrence of an error in any of the cameras, to carry on its automatic control operation by skipping the camera at which the error has occurred.

Claims

1. A camera control system for controlling a plurality of video cameras, comprising:

a display device arranged to display a map on which symbols representing said plurality of video cameras are disposed, and a list that indicates an order of said plurality of video cameras to be controlled automatically one by one; and

a video camera setting device arranged to set the order of said plurality of video cameras to be controlled and make said display device display names of said plurality of video cameras on the list automatically one by one, in response to an order of being designated symbols one by one on the map.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

said video camera setting device sets an order of a plurality of image pickup directions to be sequentially controlled for each of the video cameras.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

said video camera setting device assigns a control time for each of said plurality of video cameras.

4. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control device adapted to control automatically each of the plurality of video cameras one by one in order on a basis of a setting result;

wherein said display device displays an image of a video camera currently controlled by said control device.

5. A control method capable of controlling a plurality of video cameras, comprising:

a displaying step of displaying a map or which symbols representing said plurality of video cameras are disposed, and a list that indicates an order of said plurality of video cameras to be controlled automatically one by one; and

a video camera setting step of setting the order of said plurality of video cameras to be controlled and making said display step display names of said plurality of video cameras on the list automatically one by one, in response to an order of being designated symbols one by one on the map.

6. A control method according to claim 5, further comprising:

an image pickup direction setting step of setting an order of a plurality of image pickup directions to be sequentially controlled for each of the video cameras set in said video camera setting step.

7. A control method according to claim 5, further comprising:

an assigning step of assigning a control time for each of said plurality of video cameras.

8. A control method according to claim 5, further comprising:

a controlling step of controlling automatically each of the plurality of video cameras in order on a basis of a setting result set in said video camera setting step;

an outputting step of outputting an image of a video camera currently controlled in said controlling step.

9. A storage medium which stores therein a program for executing control over a camera control system capable of controlling a plurality of video cameras, said program comprising the processes of:

displaying a map on which symbols representing said plurality of video cameras are disposed, and a list that indicates an order of said plurality of video cameras to be controlled automatically one by one; and

setting the order of said plurality of video cameras to be controlled and making said displaying display names of said plurality of video cameras on the list automatically one by one, in response to an order of being designated symbols one by one on the map.

10. A storage medium according to claim 9, wherein said program further comprising the process of:

setting an order of a plurality of image pickup directions to be sequentially controlled for each of the video cameras to be controlled.

11. A storage medium according to claim 9, wherein said program further comprising the process of:

assigning a control time for each of said plurality of video cameras to be controlled.

12. A storage medium according to claim 9, wherein said program further comprising the processes of:

controlling automatically each of the plurality of video cameras in order on a basis of a setting result;

outputting an image of a video camera currently controlled.