Tracking camera device

• US 6,717,612 B1
• Filed: 07/31/1998
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xacti Corporation (Office Support KK)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsumura, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, ALLEN C
• Application Number:
  US09/117,445
• Time in Patent Office: 2,076 Days
• Field of Search: 348/169, 348/171, 348/208, 348/155, 348/363
• US Class Current: 348/169
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7865 using correlation of the live video image with a stored image

Abstract

An integrated data detecting circuit 14 integrates digital data for each of detecting blocks set within a movement detecting area. A tripod-head control circuit 16 detects a correlation value for this integrated data to previously-registered integrated data, and compares the correlation value with a threshold to determine a first detecting block corresponding to an object. The tripod-head control circuit 16 further determines a first detecting area including the most first detecting blocks among a plurality of detecting areas set in the movement detecting area, and supplies to a drive device 18 a tripod-head control signal corresponding to the position. Accordingly, the drive device 18 controls a tripod head 20 such that a camera 12 is shifted in position to a direction of the first detecting area. Since determination is made for a first detecting area including the most first detecting blocks, the camera can be stabilized when an object is moving finely.

Claims

1. A tracking camera device for tracking an object, comprising:

a first former for forming a plurality of detecting blocks on a screen;

a second former for forming a plurality of fixed detecting areas arranged on the screen simultaneously in a manner such that each of the detecting areas includes two or more detecting blocks out of said plurality of detecting blocks;

an integrator for integrating pixel data for each of said detecting blocks;

a first determiner for determining a plurality of detecting blocks corresponding to the objected base on a result of integration;

a second determiner for controlling a position of said camera to a direction of said first detecting area,

wherein whenever said first detecting area is changed to another detecting area, said controller controls the position of said camera to a direction of said another area, thereby tracking the object on an area-by-area basis.

2. A tracking camera device according to claim 1, wherein said first determining means includes a calculating means for calculating a correlation value of the calculation result to a reference value previously registered, a comparing means for comparing the correlation value with a threshold, and a detecting block determining means for determining the first detecting blocks according to a result of comparison.

3. A tracking camera device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the detecting areas are arranged so as to partly overlap with one another except for a center of said movement detecting area.

4. A tracking camera device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pixel data contains chrominance-related data.

5. A tracking camera device according to claim 3, wherein the chrominance-related data contains chrominance signal data.

6. A tracking camera device according to claim 3, wherein the chrominance-related data contains normalized chrominance signal data.