Wide view field area camera apparatus and monitoring system

• US 7,414,647 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2003
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), TOA Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kakou, Noritoshi, Misawa, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannett; James M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jerabek; Kelly L
• Application Number:
  US10/372,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20030180039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,007 Days
• Field of Search: 348/36, 348/150, 348170-172, 348/369, 359/727, 359/729
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation

Abstract

A camera apparatus of the present invention comprises: an optical system for projecting image light representing an image of a wide view field area toward a prescribed direction; an imaging section for obtaining, as an image, the image light projected by the optical system; and a holding member for integrally holding the optical system and the imaging section in a state where the curved mirror and the imaging section are opposed to each other.

Claims

1. A camera apparatus comprising:

an optical system for projecting image light representing an image of a wide view field area toward a prescribed direction;

an imaging section for obtaining, as an image, the image light projected by the optical system; and

a holding member for integrally holding the optical system and the imaging section in a state where the optical system and the imaging section are opposed to each other, wherein

the holding member is configured so as to be attachable while holding the optical system and the imaging section such that central optical axes of the optical system and the imaging section are inclined at a prescribed finite angle with respect to a vertical direction,

wherein the holding member includes an optical system support portion for supporting the optical system, an imaging section support portion for supporting the imaging section, and a connection portion for connecting the optical system support portion and the imaging section support portion, and

wherein the connection portion is positioned along a side of the holding member which is operable to be attached to a mounting surface.

2. The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical system is a curved mirror or a fish-eye lens.

3. A camera apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the optical system support portion is a curved mirror support portion for supporting the curved mirror, the imaging section supporting portion is provided so as to be opposed to the curved mirror support portion, and the side of the holding member is an area which is not targeted for imaging by the curved mirror.

4. A camera apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the holding member includes the curved mirror support portion, the imaging section support portion, and the connecting portion so as to have a U-like shape when viewed from a direction along the central optical axis.

5. A camera apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the connecting portion of the holding member has a reflected light absorber formed thereon, the reflected light absorber absorbing light reflected by portions of the holding member.

6. A camera apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a transparent cover attached to an end of each of the curved mirror support portion and the imaging section support portion, which are inclined to the holding member, so as to cover the curved mirror and the imaging section which are placed inside the holding member.

7. The camera apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the holding member holds the curved mirror and the imaging section so as to be opposed to each other such that their respective axial directions are identical.

8. A camera apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the curved mirror is a mirror having a shape of a body of rotation.

9. A camera apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the mirror having a shape of a body of rotation is provided in the form of a convex or concave paraboloid or hyperboloid.

10. A camera apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the holding member is attached to a wall surface of a construction such that a central optical axis of the imaging section is inclined at a prescribed finite angle with respect to the wall surface of the construction such that the holding member has a gap which is open upwards.

11. A camera apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an attaching member for attaching the holding member to the wall surface of the construction.

12. A camera apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the holding member is attached to a ceiling surface of a construction such that the central optical axis of the imaging section is inclined at a prescribed finite angle with respect to the ceiling surface of the construction such that the holding member has a gap which is open upwards.

13. A camera apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising an attaching member for attaching the holding member to the ceiling surface of the construction.

14. The camera apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the imaging section includes an adjustment member for adjusting a distance between a specular surface of the curved mirror and a lens included in the imaging section.

15. A camera apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the holding member includes a fixing member for removably fixing each of the curved mirror and the imaging section.

16. A camera apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an imaging control section for controlling the imaging section at a side of an area which is not targeted for imaging by the imaging section.

17. A camera apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the image control section is provided in the vicinity of the connecting portion of the holding member.

18. A monitoring system comprising:

a camera apparatus of claim 1;

an image data storage section for sequentially updating and storing image data obtained by the imaging section in units of frames;

a transformation information storing section for storing transformation information for use in transforming image data in a predetermined display form;

an image data transforming section for transforming image data obtained as input image data by the camera apparatus into transformed image data in the form of panoramic image data or perspective image data based on the transformation information;

a display section for displaying the transformed image data; and

a display control section for controlling displaying of image data on the display section.

19. A monitoring system according to claim 18, further comprising a display range designating section for designating a display range of the image data, wherein a portion of the image data, which corresponds to the display range designated by the display range designating section is displayed on the display section in an enlarged or reduced manner under the control of the display control section.

20. A monitoring system according to claim 19, further comprising a mobile body detecting section for comparing image data successively updated and stored in the image data storing section in units of frames so as to detect a mobile body approaching a region corresponding to the display range designated by the display range designating section, wherein image data including an image of the detected mobile body is displayed on the display section in an enlarged or reduced manner under the control of the display control section.

21. A monitoring system according to claim 20, further comprising a communication section for communicating with an external terminal device provided outside the monitoring system so as to transmit a variety of types of information to the external terminal device, wherein the communication section transmits image data including an image of a mobile body detected by the mobile body detecting section to the external terminal device.

22. The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding member is attached to a wall surface of a construction such that a central optical axis of the imaging section is inclined at a prescribed finite angle with respect to the wall surface of the construction such that the holding member has a gap which is open upwards.

23. The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding member is attached to a ceiling surface of a construction such that the central optical axis of the imaging section is inclined at a finite prescribed angle with respect to the ceiling surface of the construction such that the holding member has a gap which is open upwards.

24. The camera apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an imaging control section for controlling the imaging section at a side of an area which is not targeted for imaging by the imaging section.

25. A camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the holding member comprises a box-like structure having three side surfaces open and a fourth side operable to be attached to a surface.

26. A camera apparatus according to claim 25,

wherein a first side surface and a second side surface of the three side surfaces are opposite each other, and a third side surface of the three side surfaces is opposite the fourth side.

27. A camera apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the first and second side surfaces are substantially flat.

28. A camera apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the optical system support portion has a surface on which the optical system is placed, the imaging section support portion has a surface on which the imaging section is placed, and said surface of the optical system support portion opposes said surface of the imaging section support portion.

29. A camera apparatus according to claim 28,

wherein the optical system support portion is configured so as to be displaced further from the mounting surface than the imaging section support portion when the camera apparatus is attached to the mounting surface.

30. A camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connecting portion comprises an elongate, substantially flat member having a lower surface and opposite ends, wherein the imaging section support portion and the optical system support portion are respectively attached at, or proximally to, the opposite ends of said elongate, substantially flat member.

31. A camera apparatus according to claim 30, further comprising an attaching member for attaching the connecting portion to a flat surface of a construction such that the lower surface of the connecting portion is disposed against the flat surface of the construction along substantially all of its length.

32. A camera apparatus comprising:

an optical system for projecting image light representing an image of a wide view field area toward a prescribed direction;

an imaging section for obtaining, as an image, the image light projected by the optical system; and

a holding member for integrally holding the optical system and the imaging section in a state where the optical system and the imaging section are opposed to each other, wherein

the holding member is configured so as to be attachable while holding the optical system and the imaging section such that central optical axes of the optical system and the imaging section are inclined at a prescribed finite angle with respect to a mounting surface of a construction,

wherein the holding member includes an optical system support portion for supporting the optical system, an imaging section support portion for supporting the imaging section, and a connection portion for connecting the optical system support portion and the imaging section support portion, and

wherein the connection portion is positioned along a side of the holding member which is operable to be attached to the mounting surface.