Monitor camera system and method of controlling monitor camera thereof

• US 6,977,678 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2000
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: I-Pro Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yano, Katsumi, Kogane, Haruo, Wada, Jyoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Moe, Aung
• Application Number:
  US09/649,175
• Time in Patent Office: 1,939 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211, 348/99, 348/211.3, 348/211.4, 348/211.5, 348/211.6, 348/211.7, 348/211.8, 348/211.11, 348/211.12, 348/211.13, 348/143, 348/211.99, 348/3, 348/152
• US Class Current: 348/211.99
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1963 Arrangements allowing camera rotation to change view, e.g. pivoting camera, pan-tilt and zoom [PTZ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• 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 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

In a monitor camera system includes a monitor camera capable of rotation 360 degrees in pan directions and 180 degrees in tilt directions and a control unit for controlling the monitor camera remotely, the control unit sends control data indicative of a photographing position or photographing direction of the monitor camera to said monitor camera, while the monitor camera receives the control data to calculate, on the basis of the control data, a pan rotation quantity and a tilt rotation quantity by which the monitor camera is to be rotated from the present camera position, thus accomplishing its pan rotation or tilt rotation according to the calculated rotation quantity. Accordingly, with this configuration, an operator can align the monitor camera in a target direction by merely manipulating a joystick in the target direction, that is, can face the monitor camera to a target position through a simple manipulation. Additionally, this configuration makes it unnecessary for the operator to understand the present camera direction.

Claims

1. A monitor camera system comprising:

a monitor camera having a rotating mechanism with at least one revolution axis; and

control means for controlling said monitor camera, said control means sending control data for designation of one of a photographing position and photographing direction of said monitor camera to said monitor camera, said monitor camera receiving said control data and calculating one of a pan rotation quantity and a tilt rotation quantity, by which said monitor camera is to be rotated from the present camera position, on the basis of the received control data so that one of pan rotation and tilt rotation of said monitor camera is made according to the calculated quantity, wherein

said control means includes a screen for displaying a monitoring area of said monitor camera, and data indicative of one of a position and a direction in said monitoring area, pointed out on said screen is fed as said control data to said monitor camera,

a preset point is additionally displayed in said monitoring area on said screen, and

when a distance between said position pointed out on said screen and a position of said preset point is below a predetermined value, data on designation of said preset point is fed as said control data to said monitor camera.