Imaging system, camera control apparatus, panorama image generation method and program therefor

• US 8,314,831 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2006
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Morimoto, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dastouri, Mehrdad
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANDERSON II, JAMES M
• Application Number:
  US11/497,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20070030341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,302 Days
• Field of Search: 348 36- 39, 348/207, 348/211, 348/33.02
• US Class Current: 348/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

Disclosed is an imaging system including a camera terminal apparatus capable of performing pan operation and/or tilt operation and a camera control apparatus for controlling the camera terminal apparatus. In the imaging system, the camera terminal apparatus includes a signal processor configured to generate a panorama image, a panorama image storing unit configured to store the generated panorama image, and an imaging direction controller configured to generate camera position information indicative of an imaging direction, and the camera control apparatus includes a position determination processor configured to determine a position of the imaging direction in the panorama image, based on the camera position information, and a panorama image processor configured to process the panorama image in such a way that the determined position becomes the center position of an image.

Claims

1. An imaging system comprising a camera terminal apparatus capable of performing pan operation and/or tilt operation and a camera control apparatus for controlling the camera terminal apparatus, wherein,

the camera terminal apparatus comprises:

a signal processor configured to generate a panorama image,

a panorama image storing unit configured to store the generated panorama image; and

an imaging direction controller configured to generate camera position information indicative of an imaging direction based upon a calculation of a speed and an acceleration for use in moving the image direction of the camera, and

the camera control apparatus comprises;

a position determination processor configured to determine a position of the imaging direction in the panorama image, based on the camera position information; and

a panorama image processor configured to determine a difference between the determined position and a center position of the panorama image, and process the panorama image in such a way that the determined position becomes the center position of the image, based on the difference, wherein

in the case where the determined position is set to the center position of a panorama image display frame, the panorama image processor extracts an image corresponding to an image area which is outside the panorama image display frame due to the setting of the center position and sets the extracted image to an area having no image in the panorama image display frame due to the setting of the center position.

2. A camera control apparatus comprising:

a position determination a position determination processor configured to determine a position of the imaging direction in the panorama image, based on the camera position information indicative of an imaging direction based upon a calculation of a speed and an acceleration for use in moving the image direction of the camera; and

a panorama image processor configured to determine a difference between the determined position and a center position of the panorama image, and process the panorama image in such a way that the determined position becomes the center position of the image, based on the difference, wherein

in the case where the determined position is set to the center position of a panorama image display frame, the panorama image processor extracts an image corresponding to an image area which is outside the panorama image display frame due to the setting of the center position and sets the extracted image to an area having no image in the panorama image display frame due to the setting of the center position.

3. The camera control apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a display configured to display the panorama image processed by the panorama image processor;

a display processor configured to display a cursor indicative of the imaging direction of the camera on the panorama image;

a user interface; and

a controller configured to provide an instruction for performing pan operation and/or tilt operation in accordance with movement of the cursor when an operation to move the cursor is performed through the user interface.

6. The camera control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein,

the panorama image has a 360°

field of view.

7. The camera control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein,

the setting of the extracted image creates a new panorama image centered about the determined center position such that the new panorama image extends seamlessly, in the panorama image display frame, to both +180°

and −

180°

from the determined center position.

8. The camera control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein,

the new panorama image is created by moving the image area which, prior to the moving, is outside the panorama image display frame due to the setting of the center position to an opposing side of the image display frame so that the new panorama image extends seamlessly from +180°

and −

180°

.

4. A panorama image display method performed by an imaging system comprising:

acquiring camera position information indicative of an imaging direction of a camera based upon a calculation of a speed and an acceleration for use in moving the image direction of the camera;

determining a position of the imaging direction in a panorama image, based on camera position information;

determining a difference between the determined position and a center position of the panorama image;

processing the panorama image in such a way that the determined position becomes the center position of the image, based on the difference;

in the case where the determined position is set to the center position of a panorama image display frame, extracting an image corresponding to an image area which is outside the panorama image display frame due to the setting of the center position and setting extracted image to an area having no image in the panorama image display frame due to the setting of the center position; and

displaying the processed panorama image.

5. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, wherein a program for controlling a computer to execute a method is recorder, the method comprising:

acquiring camera position information indicative of an imaging direction of a camera based upon a calculation of a speed and an acceleration for use in moving the image direction of the camera;

determining a position of the imaging direction in a panorama image, based on camera position information;

determining a difference between the determined position and a center position of the panorama image;

processing the panorama image in such a way that the determined position becomes the center position of the image, based on the difference; and

in the case where the determined position is set to the center position of a panorama image display frame, extracting an image corresponding to an image area which is outside the panorama image display frame due to the setting of the center position and setting extracted image to an area having no image in the panorama image display frame due to the setting of the center position.