Method and apparatus for controlling imaging direction and magnification of camera

• US 8,077,246 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2006
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mori, Katsuhiko, Matsugu, Masakazu, Kato, Masami, Mitarai, Yusuke, Kaneda, Yuji, Sato, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): AGGARWAL, YOGESH K
• Application Number:
  US11/376,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20060222354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,099 Days
• Field of Search: 348/335, 348/340, 348/342, 348/360, 348/361, 348/229.1, 348/357, 396/429, 396/72, 396/544, 396/529
• US Class Current: 348/340
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7864 T.V. type tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/00 Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor lens hoods or caps G03B11/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/80 Analysis of captured images to determine intrinsic or extrinsic camera parameters, i.e. camera calibration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• 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

Abstract

At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an imaging processing method where a plurality of images are picked up while an imaging direction of a camera is being changed. The images are combined into a composite image. A target region is specified within the composite image. An imaging direction and an imaging magnification for imaging an object included in the target region in a predetermined size are calculated based on a position and a size of the target region in the composite image and an imaging parameter set for the camera when the plurality of images are picked up. Accordingly, the imaging direction and the imaging magnification for imaging the object to be imaged can be set easily.

Claims

1. An image processing method comprising:

an imaging step of picking up a plurality of images while changing an imaging direction of a camera;

a combining step of combining the plurality of images picked up in the imaging step into a single composite image which contains the plurality of images as respective partial images;

a specifying step of specifying a target region within the composite image; and

a calculating step of calculating an imaging direction and an imaging magnification, for imaging an object included in the target region in a predetermined size, based on a position and a size of the target region in the composite image and an imaging parameter set for the camera when the plurality of images are picked up,

wherein the calculating step includes a step of calculating the imaging direction based on a focal length set for the camera and a distance between a center of the composite image and a center of the target region.

2. The image processing method according to claim 1, further comprising a second imaging step of setting the imaging direction and the imaging magnification calculated by the calculating step to the camera to cause the camera to perform imaging.

3. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the specifying step includes a step of causing the composite image to be displayed on a display unit and specifying the target region according to an instruction by a user.

4. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the imaging step includes a step of picking up the plurality of images with a minimum imaging magnification.

5. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the imaging step includes a step of picking up the plurality of images while changing the imaging direction so that a whole range, which can be imaged with the camera, is covered by the plurality of images.

6. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the calculating step includes a step of calculating the imaging direction by:

θ

=arctan(Dp/f)

where θ

is the imaging direction to be calculated, f is the focal length, and Dp is the distance between the center of the composite image and the center of the target region.

7. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the calculating step includes a step of calculating the imaging magnification based on a number of pixels in the composite image in a horizontal direction and a number of pixels in a range of the target region.

8. The image processing method according to claim 7, wherein the calculating step includes a step of calculating the imaging magnification by:

SR=Nn/Nrp

where SR is the imaging magnification to be calculated, Nn is the number of pixels in the horizontal direction, and Nrp is the number of pixels in the range of the target region.

9. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an imaging control unit adapted to pick up a plurality of images while changing an imaging direction of a camera;

a composition unit adapted to combine the plurality of images picked up by the imaging control unit into a single composite image which contains the plurality of images as respective partial images;

a specification unit adapted to specify a target region within the composite image; and

a calculation unit adapted to calculate an imaging direction and an imaging magnification, for imaging an object included in the target region in a predetermined size, based on a position and a size of the target region in the composite image and an imaging parameter set for the camera when the plurality of images are picked up,

wherein the calculating unit is adapted to calculate the imaging direction based on a focal length set for the camera and a distance between a center of the composite image and a center of the target region.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform an image processing method comprising:

an imaging step of picking up a plurality of images while changing an imaging direction of a camera;

a combining step of combining the plurality of images picked up in the imaging step into a single composite image which contains the plurality of images as respective partial images;

a specifying step of specifying a target region within the composite image; and

a calculating step of calculating an imaging direction and an imaging magnification, for imaging an object included in the target region in a predetermined size, based on a position and a size of the target region in the composite image and an imaging parameter set for the camera when the plurality of images are picked up,

wherein the calculating step includes a step of calculating the imaging direction based on a focal length set for the camera and a distance between a center of the composite image and a center of the target region.