Camera control system and method, and storage medium for selectively controlling one or more cameras

• US 6,909,458 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2000
• Issued: 06/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Kazuko, Morita, Kenji, Kawai, Tomoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Villecco, John M.
• Application Number:
  US09/669,330
• Time in Patent Office: 1,730 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.04, 348/143, 348/152, 348/153, 348/159, 348/207.1, 348/207.11, 348/211.99, 348/211.3, 348/169, 348/211.7, 348/211.8, 348/211.11, 348/211.12, 348/211.03, 348/211.07, 348/211.08
• US Class Current: 348/211.8
• 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

An object of this invention is to provide a camera control system for improving a camera control function at a control terminal. To achieve this object, a camera control system for selecting one or more cameras from a plurality of controllable cameras connected to a network, and performing video display and camera control includes a map display monitor, a mouse for designating one point on a map displayed by the monitor, a camera selection unit for selecting an optimal camera capable of monitoring the point designated by the mouse, and a camera control unit for controlling the camera selected by the camera selection unit.

Claims

1. A camera control system for selecting at least one of a plurality of controllable cameras connected to a network, and performing video display and camera control, the system comprising:

map display device;

input device adapted to designate one point on a map displayed by said map display device;

camera selection device adapted to select an optimal camera capable of monitoring the point designated by said input device; and

camera control device adapted to control the camera selected by said camera selection device,

wherein said camera selection device comprises determination device adapted to determine whether a camera as a selection candidate is being controlled by another user, and selects another camera when the camera as the selection candidate is determined to be controlled by another user.

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

storage device adapted to store information which determines a camera and a camera parameter in advance for each object displayed on the map, and

wherein said camera selection device selects a camera on the basis of the information stored in said storage device.

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

storage device adapted to store information which determines a camera and a camera parameter in advance for each specific region on the map, and

wherein said camera selection device selects a camera on the basis of the information stored in said storage device.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein when a point other than a specific region on the map is designated by said input device, said camera selection device does not select any camera.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said camera selection device comprises calculation device adapted to calculate distances between the point input by said input device and the plurality of cameras, and selects based on a calculation result of said calculation device the nearest camera capable of sensing an image of the designated point.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

holding device adapted to hold information about current image sensing ranges of the plurality of cameras; and

determination device adapted to determine based on the information held by said holding device whether a camera currently sensing an image of the point designated by said input device exists, and

wherein said selection device selects the camera which is determined by said determination device to be currently sensing the image of the designated point.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein

said camera selection device can select a plurality of cameras capable of sensing an image of one point input by said input device, and

said camera control device controls the plurality of cameras to the point input by said input device.

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

a setting device adapted to set a camera to be controlled and a camera parameter in accordance with the point designated on the map; and

a storage device adapted to store information about the camera and the camera parameter that are set by said setting device.

9. A camera control method of selecting at least one of a plurality of controllable cameras connected to a network, and performing video display and camera control, the method comprising:

a display step of displaying a map on a display;

a designation step of designating one point on the map displayed in the display step;

a camera selection step of selecting an optimal camera capable of monitoring the point designated in the designation step; and

a control step of controlling the camera selected in the camera selection step,

wherein the camera selection step comprises a determination step of determining whether a camera as a selection candidate is being controlled by another user, and comprises selecting another camera when the camera as the selection candidate is determined to be controlled by another user.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

the storage step of storing information which determines a camera and a camera parameter in advance for each object displayed on the map, and

wherein the camera selection step comprises selecting a camera on the basis of the information stored in the storage step.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

the storage step of storing information which determines a camera and a camera parameter in advance for each specific region on the map, and

wherein the camera selection step comprises selecting a camera on the basis of the information stored in the storage step.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the camera selection step comprises, when a point other than a specific region on the map is designated in the designation step, not selecting any camera.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the camera selection step comprises the calculation step of calculating distances between one point designated in the designation step and the plurality of cameras, and comprises selecting based on a calculation result in the calculation step the nearest camera capable of sensing an image of the designated point.

14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

the holding step of holding information about current image sensing ranges of the plurality of cameras; and

the determination step of determining based on the information held in the holding step whether a camera currently sensing an image of the point designated in the designation step exists, and

wherein selection step comprises selecting the camera which is determined in the determination step to be currently sensing image of the designated point.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein

the camera selection step comprises selecting a plurality of cameras capable of sensing an image of the point designated in the designation step, and

the control step comprises controlling the plurality of cameras to the point input in the designation step.

16. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

a setting step of setting a camera to be controlled and a camera parameter in accordance with the point designated on the map; and

a storage step of storing information about the camera and the camera parameter that are set in the setting step.

17. A storage medium storing a control program of selecting at least one of a plurality of controllable cameras connected to a network, and performing video display and camera control, wherein

the control program comprises:

a code of a display step of displaying a map on a display;

a code of a designation step of designating one point on the map displayed in the display step;

a code of a camera selection step of selecting an optimal camera capable of monitoring the point designated in the designation step; and

a code of a control step of controlling the camera selected in the camera selection step,

wherein a camera selection step comprises a determination step of determining whether a camera as a selection candidate is being controlled by another user, and comprises selecting another camera when the camera as the selection candidate is determined to be controlled by another user.

18. The medium according to claim 17, wherein

the code of the camera selection step comprises selecting a plurality of cameras capable of sensing an image of the point designated in the designation step;

and

the code of the control step comprises controlling the plurality of cameras to the one point input in the designation step.

19. The medium according to claim 17, wherein the control program further comprises:

a code of the setting step of setting a camera to be controlled and a camera parameter in accordance with the point designated on the map; and

a code of the storage step of storing information about the camera and the camera parameter that are set in the setting step.

20. A camera system for selecting at least one of a plurality of controllable cameras connected to a network, and performing video display and camera control, the system comprising:

map display device;

setting device adapted to set tables which include relation between a point to be designated on the map and a camera to be selected, and are different for each of monitoring clients;

input device adapted to designate one point on a map displayed by said map display device;

camera selection device adapted to select an optimal camera capable of monitoring the point designated by said input device; and

camera control device adapted to control the camera selected by said camera selection device,

wherein said camera selection device selects the optimal camera in accordance with the tables set by said setting device.

21. The camera system according to claim 20, wherein the tables include information about relation between an area on the map and a camera to be selected by said selection device.

22. The camera system according to claim 21, wherein the tables include information about a parameter of the camera to be selected.

23. The camera system according to claim 22, wherein the camera parameter is at least one information of a pan, a tilt, and a zoom.

24. The camera system according to claim 20, wherein the information of the tables is changed by a privileged monitoring client.

25. A camera control method of selecting at least one of a plurality of controllable cameras connected to a network, and performing video display and camera control, the method comprising:

a display step of displaying a map on a display;

a setting step of setting tables which include relation between a point to be designated on the map and a camera to be selected, and are different for each of monitoring clients;

a designation step of designating one point on the map displayed in the display step;

a camera selection step of selecting an optimal camera capable of monitoring the point designated in the designation step; and

a control step of controlling the camera selected in said camera selection step,

wherein the camera selection step selects the optimal camera in accordance with the tables set in said setting step.

26. A storage medium storing a control program of selecting at least one of a plurality of controllable cameras connected to a network, and performing video display and camera control, the control program comprising:

a code of a display step of displaying a map on a display;

a code of a setting step of setting tables which include relation between a point to a camera to be selected, and are different for each of monitoring clients;

a code designation step of designating one point on the map displayed in the display step;

a code of a camera selection step of selecting an optimal camera capable of monitoring the point designated in the designation step; and

a code of a control step of controlling the camera selected in said camera selection step,

wherein the camera selection step selects the optimal camera in accordance with the tables set in said setting step.