Camera system, camera, and camera control method

• US 7,557,825 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mitarai, Yusuke, Matsugu, Masakazu, Mori, Katsuhiko, Ishii, Mie
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz; David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): DURNFORD GESZVAIN, DILLON
• Application Number:
  US11/145,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20050280711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: 348/159, 348/169, 348/211.3
• US Class Current: 348/159
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body

Abstract

Camera information corresponding to the position at which the target to be searched for in the captured image is detected is identified, another camera specified by the identified camera information receives a notification that the target has been detected (S209), and when a notification is received from another camera, the posture of the own camera is controlled so that the area associated with the camera information specifying another camera can be observed (S211).

Claims

1. A camera system configured by a plurality of cameras whose posture can be controlled, and a control device for controlling the plurality of cameras, wherein:

the control device comprises;

first holding means for holding data relating to a target to be searched for; and

first transmission means for transmitting the data relating to the target to each of the plurality of cameras, wherein

each of the plurality of cameras comprises;

second holding means for holding camera information specifying another camera which can capture an image having a shared area with a captured image obtained by its own camera in association with the shared area;

search means for searching a captured image for the target to be searched for using the data obtained by said first transmission means;

identification means for identifying, if said search means has detected the target, another camera which can capture the target by referring from said second holding means the camera information corresponding to a position at which said search means has detected the target;

notification means for sending notification to the identified camera that said search means has detected the target; and

control means for controlling a posture of the own camera when the own camera has received the notification from another camera so that an area shared with the camera which has send the notification can be observed.

2. The camera system according to claim 1, wherein

each of the plurality of cameras further comprising

second transmission means for transmitting to another camera a captured image referred to in searching for the target when said search means has detected the target, wherein

said search means searches for the target in a captured image captured by an own camera using the captured image transmitted from said second transmission means of the other camera in addition to the data obtained by said first transmission means.

3. The camera system according to claim 1, wherein

each of the plurality of cameras further comprising

second transmission means for transmitting to another camera a captured image referred to in searching for the target, and information specifying a camera which has captured the referred image when said search means has detected the target.

4. The camera system according to claim 1, wherein:

each of the plurality of cameras further comprises;

third holding means for holding data relating to the target obtained from said first transmission means; and

priority assignment means for assigning, when said third holding means holds a plurality of data relating to the target, a priority to each of the plurality of data depending on elapsed time from a point when each of the data is obtained from said first transmission means, wherein

said search means performs the searching process based on the priority assigned by said priority assignment means.

5. A camera capable of controlling a posture and communicating with another camera, comprising:

holding means for holding camera information specifying another camera which can capture an image having a shared area with a captured image obtained by its own camera in association with the shared area;

search means for searching a captured image for a target to be searched for using data relating to the target to be searched for transmitted from an external device;

identification means for identifying, if said search means has detected the target, another camera which can capture the target by referring from said holding means the camera information corresponding to a position at which said search means has detected the target;

notification means for sending notification to the identified camera that said search means has detected the target; and

control means for controlling a posture of the own camera when the own camera has received the notification from another camera so that an area shared with the camera which has send the notification can be observed.

6. A method for controlling a camera capable of controlling a posture and communicating with another camera, comprising:

a holding step of holding camera information specifying another camera which can capture an image having a shared area with a captured image obtained by its own camera in association with the shared area, in a memory;

a search step of searching a captured image for a target to be searched for using data relating to the target to be searched for transmitted from an external device;

an identification step of identifying, if said search step has detected a target, another camera can which can capture the target by referring from the memory the camera information corresponding to a position at which the target has been detected in the search step;

a notification step of sending notification to the identified camera that the target has been detected in the search step; and

a control step of controlling a posture of the own camera when the own camera has received the notification from another camera so that an area shared with the camera which has send the notification can be observed.

7. A computer-readable storage medium characterized by storing a program for causing a camera to execute a control method of claim 6.