System and method for collecting image information

• US 7,046,273 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2002
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Ryo
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Vu
• Application Number:
  US10/186,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20030003925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 348/153, 348/157, 348/159, 348/169, 348/579, 345/158, 382/103, 382/106
• US Class Current: 348/157
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

A system and a method for collecting image information wherein high-quality image information representing desired scenes is obtained with certainty. A subject is shot by cameras from mutually different directions and image information thus acquired is stored on a hard disk. When the subject is shot, location information of the subject is obtained from a radio signal transmitted by a marker which has been provided at the subject in advance. On the basis of the location information, a control device controls shooting angle setting devices for changing respective shooting directions of the cameras so that each of the cameras is oriented in a direction from which the subject can be shot.

Claims

1. A system for collecting image information comprising:

a transmission device provided at a subject for transmitting a radio signal representing a location of the subject;

shooting devices for shooting the subject from mutually different directions to generate image information of the subject;

a storage device for storing the generated image information;

changing devices for changing shooting directions of the shooting devices;

a control device for receiving the radio signal transmitted from the transmission device and controlling the changing devices on the basis of location information of the subject represented by the signal so that at least one of the shooting devices is directed to shoot the subject;

collecting means for collecting sound information of sound generated at at least one of the subject and surroundings thereof while the subject is shot by the shooting devices; and

extracting means, connected to the collecting means and the storage device, for extracting, from the image information stored in the storage device, image information acquired during particular time spans including times, at which an intensity of sound represented by the sound information has exceeded a predetermined level.

2. The system for collecting image information of claim 1, wherein the control device calculates distances from the shooting devices to the subject on the basis of the location information of the subject and controls each of the shooting devices so that an optical magnification for shooting increases as distance increases.

3. The system for collecting image information of claim 1, wherein the subject is at least one of an athlete and a ball used in an athletic event.

4. A method for collecting image information of a subject using shooting devices for shooting the subject from mutually different directions and a storage device for storing the image information of the subject, comprising the steps of:

providing the subject with a transmission device for transmitting a radio signal representing a location of the subject;

receiving the radio signal and controlling a shooting direction of at least one of the shooting devices on the basis of location information of the subject represented by the radio signal so that at least one of the shooting devices shoots the subject;

storing the image information acquired via the shooting devices in the storage device;

collecting sound information of sound generated at at least one of the subject and surroundings thereof while the subject is shot by the shooting devices; and

extracting, from the image information stored in the storage device, image information acquired during particular time spans including times, at which an intensity of sound represented by the sound information has exceeded a predetermined level.

5. The method for collecting image information of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

calculating distances from the shooting devices to the subject on the basis of the location information of the subject; and

controlling each of the shooting devices so that optical magnification for shooting increases as distance increases.

6. The method for collecting image information of claim 4, wherein the subject is at least one of an athlete and a ball used in an athletic event.

7. A system for collecting image information comprising:

a transmission device provided at a subject for transmitting a radio signal representing a location of the subject;

shooting devices for shooting the subject to generate image information including images of the subject, the shooting devices being positioned so that at least one of the shooting devices can shoot the subject;

a storage device for storing the image information acquired via the shooting devices; and

an extracting device for extracting, from the image information stored in the storage device, image information including images representing at least the subject on the basis of the location information of the subject represented by the radio signal transmitted from the transmission device.

8. The system for collecting image information of claim 7, wherein the shooting devices are placed in mutually different positions around an area to be shot and substantially all of the area to be shot can be shot by combining shooting areas of the shooting devices.

9. The system for collecting image information of claim 8, further comprising image synthesizing means for synthesizing the image information extracted by the extracting device such that image information shot by the shooting devices whose shooting areas are adjacent to each other become successive in order of time.

10. The system for collecting image information of claim 7, further comprising:

collecting means for collecting sound information of sound generated at at least one of the subject and surroundings thereof while the subject is shot by the shooting devices; and

extracting means, connected to the collecting means and the storage device, for extracting, from the image information stored in the storage device, image information acquired during particular time spans including times, at which an intensity of sound represented by the sound information has exceeded a predetermined level.

11. The system for collecting image information of claim 10, wherein the storage device stores, together with the image information, time information representing a shooting time at which an image has been shot.

12. The system for collecting image information of claim 11, wherein the storage device stores time information corresponding to the times at which the intensity of sound represented by the sound information has exceeded the predetermined level.

13. The system for collecting image information of claim 12, wherein, on the basis of time information corresponding to the times at which the intensity of sound has exceeded the predetermined level, the extracting means extracts, from the storage device, the image information acquired during the particular time spans including the times.

14. A method for collecting image information of a subject using shooting devices and a storage device for storing the image information, comprising the steps of:

providing the subject with a transmission device for transmitting a radio signal representing a location of the subject;

shooting the subject using the shooting devices in such a manner that at least one of the shooting devices can shoot the subject to generate image information including images of the subject;

storing the image information in the storage device; and

extracting, from the image information stored in the storage device, image information including images representing at least the subject on the basis of the received location information of the subject.

15. The method for collecting image information of claim 14, wherein the shooting devices are placed in mutually different positions around an area to be shot and substantially all of the area to be shot can be shot by combining shooting areas of the shooting devices.

16. The method for collecting image information of claim 15, further comprising the step of synthesizing the extracted image information such that image information shot by the shooting devices whose shooting areas are adjacent to each other become successive in order of time.

17. The method for collecting image information of claim 14, wherein sound information of sound generated at at least one of the subject and surroundings thereof is collected while the subject is shot by the shooting devices, and image information acquired during particular time spans including times, at which an intensity of sound represented by the sound information has exceeded a predetermined level, is extracted from the image information stored in the storage device.

18. The method for collecting image information of claim 17, wherein the storage device stores, together with the image information, time information representing a shooting time at which an image has been shot.

19. The method for collecting image information of claim 18, wherein the storage device stores time information corresponding to the times at which the intensity of sound represented by the sound information has exceeded the predetermined level.

20. The method for collecting image information of claim 19, wherein, on the basis of time information corresponding to the times at which the intensity of sound has exceeded the predetermined level, the image information acquired during the particular time spans including the times is extracted from the storage device.

21. A system for collecting image information comprising:

obtaining means for obtaining location information representing a location of a subject;

shooting devices for shooting the subject to generate image information, the shooting devices being placed in mutually different positions so that at least one of the shooting devices can shoot the subject;

a storage device for storing the image information acquired via the shooting devices;

extracting means for extracting, from the image information stored in the storage device, image information representing images of the subject; and

output changing means for changing, on the basis of the obtained location information, a range of the image information from at least one of the extracting means and the shooting devices, so that the extracted image information includes the image information of the subject.

22. A method for collecting image information of a subject using shooting devices placed in mutually different positions and a storage device for storing the image information, comprising the steps of:

obtaining location information representing a location of the subject;

shooting the subject using the shooting devices in such a manner that at least one of the shooting devices can shoot the subject to generate image information including images of the subject;

storing the image information in the storage device;

extracting, from the image information stored in the storage device, image information representing images of the subject; and

changing, on the basis of the obtained location information, a range of the image information obtained by at least one of shooting and extracting, so that the extracted image information includes the image information of the subject.