Image pickup apparatus, method for controlling the image pickup apparatus, and recording medium

• US 9,525,826 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2013
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Iwasaki, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Daniels, Anthony J
• Application Number:
  US14/065,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20140049655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 34821199-21114
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19686 Interfaces masking personal details for privacy, e.g. blurring faces, vehicle license plates
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• 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 5/2621 Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus includes a receiving unit configured to receive a designation of an image pickup direction of an image pickup unit in relation to superimposition of a mask image on an picked-up image; and a setting unit configured to set, when the receiving unit receives the designation of the image pickup direction, a position of superimposition of the mask image in an image pickup range where the image pickup unit can pick up images, on the basis of the designated image pickup direction.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

an image pickup unit capable of changing an image pickup direction to pick up an image;

a receiving unit configured to receive a command including a normalized position for setting a mask image to be displayed on the picked up image;

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the received command further includes a designation of the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit for setting a position of the mask image to be displayed on the picked-up image; and

a setting unit configured to set the position of the mask image to be displayed on the picked up image on the basis of the normalized position, the position of the mask image being set relative to the designated image pickup direction of the image pickup unit in the received command if it is determined by the determination unit that the received command includes the designation of the image pickup direction and

to set the position of the mask image to be displayed on the picked up image on the basis of the normalized position in the received command, the position of the mask image being set relative to a current image pickup direction of the image pickup unit if it is determined by the determination unit that the received command does not include the designation of the image pickup direction.

2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a holding unit configured to hold a plurality of video source configurations, each including a resolution of the picked-up image and used to generate the picked-up image,

wherein the receiving unit receives identification information for identifying a video source configuration from the receiving device;

and

if it is determined by the determination unit that the received command does not include the designation of the image pickup direction, the setting unit sets the position of the mask image to be displayed on the picked up image on the basis of the video source configuration identified by the received identification information and the current image pickup direction.

3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a holding unit configured to hold a plurality of configurations, each indicating a cutout position for cutting out a delivery image to be transmitted to the receiving device from the picked-up image picked up by the image pickup unit,

wherein the receiving unit receives identification information for identifying a configuration of the cutout position and position information indicating a position where the mask image is displayed on the delivery image;

and

if it is determined by the determination unit that the received command does not include the designation of the image pickup direction, the setting unit sets the position of the mask image to be displayed on the picked up image on the basis of the configuration of the cutout position identified by the received identification information, the position information, and the current image pickup direction.

4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the holding unit holds a plurality of video source configurations, each including a reference to a configuration of a resolution of the picked-up image and a reference to a configuration of a cutout position for cutting out a delivery image to be transmitted to the receiving device from the picked-up image having the resolution;

and

if it is determined by the determination unit that the received command does not include the designation of the image pickup direction, the setting unit sets the position of the mask image to be displayed on the picked up image on the basis of the video source configuration identified by the received identification information, the position information, and the current image pickup direction.

5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the designation of the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit includes a pan angle value, a tilt angle value, and a zoom factor value.

6. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the received command includes a coordinate of the mask image in a normalized coordinate system.

7. A control method for controlling an image pickup apparatus, the control method comprising:

a changing step for changing an image pickup direction to pick up an image picked by an image pickup unit;

a receiving step for receiving a command including a normalized position for setting a mask image to be displayed on the picked up image;

a determination step for determining whether or not the received command further includes a designation of the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit for setting a position of the mask image to be displayed on the picked-up image; and

a setting step for setting the position of the mask image to be displayed on the picked up image on the basis of the normalized position, the position of the mask image being set relative to the designated image pickup direction of the image pickup unit in the received command if it is determined that the received command includes the designation of the image pickup direction and

to set the position of the mask image to be displayed on the picked up image on the basis of the normalized position in the received command, the position of the mask image being set relative to a current image pickup direction of the image pickup unit if it is determined that the received command does not include the designation of the image pickup direction.

8. The control method according to claim 7, wherein identification information for identifying a video source configuration including a resolution of the picked-up image and used to generate the picked-up image is received from the receiving device in the receiving step;

and

if it is determined that the received command does not include the designation of the image pickup direction, the position of the mask image to be displayed on the picked up image is set, in the setting step, on the basis of the video source configuration identified by the received identification information and the current image pickup direction.

9. The control method according to claim 7, wherein identification information for identifying a configuration of a cutout position for cutting out a delivery image to be transmitted to the receiving device from the picked-up image picked up by the image pickup unit, and position information indicating a position where the mask image is displayed on the delivery image, are received in the receiving step;

and

if it is determined that the received command does not include the designation of the image pickup direction, the position of the mask image to be displayed on the picked up image is set in the setting step on the basis of the configuration of the cutout position identified by the received identification information, the position information, and the current image pickup direction.

10. The control method according to claim 8, wherein the video source configuration includes a reference to a resolution of the picked-up image and a reference to a cutout position for cutting out a delivery image to be transmitted to the receiving device from the picked-up image having the resolution;

and

if it is determined that the received command does not include the designation of the image pickup direction, the position of the mask image to be displayed on the pickup image is set in the setting step on the basis of the video source configuration identified by the received identification information, the position information, and the current image pickup direction.

11. A recording medium that records a program for controlling an image pickup apparatus, the program configured to cause the image pickup apparatus to execute:

a changing step for changing an image pickup direction of an image pickup unit to pick up an image;

a receiving step for receiving a command including a normalized position for setting a mask image to be displayed on the picked up image;

a determination step for determining whether or not the received command further includes a designation of the image pickup direction of the image pickup unit for setting a position of the mask image to be displayed on the picked-up image; and

a setting step for setting, the position of the mask image to be displayed on the picked up image on the basis of the normalized position, the position of the mask image being set relative to the designated image pickup direction of the image pickup unit in the received command if it is determined that the received command includes the designation of the image pickup direction and

to set the position of the mask image to be displayed on the picked up image on the basis of the normalized position in the received command, the position being set relative to a current image pickup direction of the image pickup unit if it is determined that the received command does not include the designation of the image pickup direction,

wherein the program causes the image pickup apparatus to execute processing for receiving, from the receiving device in the receiving procedure, identification information for identifying a video source configuration including a resolution of the picked-up image and used to generate the picked-up image; and

if it is determined that the received command does not include the designation of the image pickup direction, the program causes the image pickup apparatus to execute processing for setting, in the setting procedure, the position of the mask image to be displayed on the picked up image on the basis of the video source configuration identified by the received identification information and the current image pickup direction.

12. The recording medium according to claim 11, wherein the program causes the image pickup apparatus to execute processing for receiving, in the receiving procedure, identification information for identifying a configuration of a cutout position for cutting out a delivery image to be transmitted to the receiving device from the picked-up image picked up by the image pickup unit, and position information indicating a position where the mask image is displayed on the delivery image;

and

if it is determined that the received command does not include the designation of the image pickup direction, the program causes the image pickup apparatus to execute processing for setting, in the setting procedure, the position of the mask image to be displayed on the picked up image on the basis of the configuration of the cutout position identified by the received identification information, the position information, and the current image pickup direction.

13. The recording medium according to claim 11, wherein the video source configuration includes a reference to a resolution of the picked-up image and a reference to a cutout position for cutting out a delivery image to be transmitted to the receiving device from the picked-up image having the resolution;

and

if it is determined that the received command does not include the designation of the image pickup direction, the program causes the image pickup apparatus to execute processing for setting, in the setting procedure, the position of the mask image to be displayed on the pickup image on the basis of the video source configuration identified by the received identification information, the position information, and the current image pickup direction.