Surveillance camera system, remote-controlled monitoring device, control method, and their control program

• US 8,085,300 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2006
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Yukio
• Primary Examiner(s): PHILIPPE, GIMS S
• Application Number:
  US11/428,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20070064104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,000 Days
• Field of Search: 348/150, 348/151, 348/143, 348/153, 348/158, 348/211.99, 345/760, 356/57
• US Class Current: 348/150
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19689 Remote control of cameras, e.g. remote orientation or image zooming control for a PTZ camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A surveillance camera system includes a surveillance camera having pan/tilt capability, a display for displaying images picked-up by the surveillance camera thereon, a pointing device for indicating the movement of the surveillance camera in a visual field direction, and a remote-controlled monitoring device including a control unit for displaying the images on the display and for displaying a pointer thereon indicating the coordinate position of the pointing device so as to overlap with the images, and when the pointer is moved from a first point to a second point on the images, the control unit transmits a predetermined control signal from the remote-controlled monitoring device to the surveillance camera, and by the control signal, the control unit moves the surveillance camera in the moving direction of the pointer at a speed proportional to the length between the first point and the second point.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a photographing direction of a camera comprising:

a display configured to display an image taken by the camera;

an input configured to receive a command moving a cursor displayed on the display from at a first point to a second point; and

a controller configured to change the photographing direction of the camera at a velocity determined by a positional relationship between the first point and the second point, wherein

the display is configured to display a straight line extending from the first point to the second point when the input is received to move the cursor from the first point to the second point, and

the display is configured to change at least one of a thickness and color of the straight line based on the velocity at which the photographing direction of the camera is changed.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the cursor is moved from the second point to a third point on the display based on a command received at the input, the controller changes the photographing direction of the camera at a velocity determined by a positional relationship between the first point and the third point.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the input is a mouse,

the first point corresponds to a point at which a button of the mouse is actuated,

the controller changes the photographing direction of the camera while the button is actuated and the mouse is used to move the cursor on the display, and

the controller stops changing the photographing direction of the camera when the button of the mouse is no longer actuated.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the input is a touch panel.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to change the photographing direction of the camera at a velocity proportional to a distance between the first point and the second point.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to change a rate at which the velocity of the photographing direction of the camera is changed based on a distance between the first point and the second point.

7. A system for controlling a photographing direction of a camera, the system comprising:

the camera configured to capture an image;

a remote-monitoring device comprising

a display configured to display an image taken by the camera;

an input configured to receive a command moving a cursor displayed on the display from at a first point to a second point; and

a controller configured to change the photographing direction of the camera at a velocity determined by a positional relationship between the first point and the second point, wherein

the display is configured to display a straight line extending from the first point to the second point when the input is received to move the cursor from the first point to the second point, and

the display is configured to change at least one of a thickness and color of the straight line based on the velocity at which the photographing direction of the camera is changed.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein when the cursor is moved from the second point to a third point on the display based on a command received at the input, the controller changes the photographing direction of the camera at a velocity determined by a positional relationship between the first point and the third point.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein

the input is a mouse,

the first point corresponds to a point at which a button of the mouse is actuated,

the controller changes the photographing direction of the camera while the button is actuated and the mouse is used to move the cursor on the display, and

the controller stops changing the photographing direction of the camera when the button of the mouse is no longer actuated.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the input is a touch panel.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to change the photographing direction of the camera at a velocity proportional to a distance between the first point and the second point.

12. The system according to claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to change a rate at which the velocity of the photographing direction of the camera is changed based on a distance between the first point and the second point.

13. A method for controlling a photographing direction of a camera comprising:

displaying, at a display, an image taken by the camera;

receiving, at an input, a command moving a cursor displayed on the display from at a first point to a second point;

changing, at a controller, the photographing direction of the camera at a velocity determined by a positional relationship between the first point and the second point; and

displaying, at the display, a straight line extending from the first point to the second point when the input is received to move the cursor from the first point to the second point; and

changing at least one of a thickness and color of the straight line at the display based on the velocity at which the photographing direction of the camera is changed.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

changing the photographing direction of the camera at a velocity determined by a positional relationship between the first point and a third point when the cursor is moved from the second point to the third point on the display based on a command received at the input.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

changing the photographing direction of the camera at a velocity proportional to a distance between the first point and the second point.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

changing a rate at which the velocity of the photographing direction of the camera is changed based on a distance between the first point and the second point.