Control apparatus and method of controlling

• US 9,826,136 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2014
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Akaishi, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Peterson, Christopher K
• Application Number:
  US14/201,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20140293071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 34820711
• 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

Abstract

A control apparatus controls an image capturing unit for which an image capturing direction is movable inputs at least one of a setting value for restricting a movable range for which the image capturing direction of an image capturing unit is movable, or a setting value for restricting a visible range for which displaying is permitted in a range capturable by moving the image capturing direction of the image capturing unit and controls one of the movable range or the visible range based on a setting value for restricting the other of the movable range and the visible range.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus connected to a communication network, the image capturing apparatus comprising:

an image capturing unit with an angle of view that is changeable; and

a processor configured to;

(i) cause a setting value for restricting a movable range over which an image capturing direction of the image capturing unit is movable to be received via a communication network, and

(ii) control, in accordance with a maximum angle of view of the image capturing unit and the movable range as restricted by the setting value, a changing mechanism for changing the angle of view of the image capturing unit in a restricted range, the restricted range being larger than the movable range by the maximum angle of view of the image capturing unit.

2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the restricted range is controlled in accordance with a maximum horizontal angle of view of the image capturing unit and a movable range in a pan direction as restricted by the setting value.

3. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

control the changing mechanism to change the angle of view in an overlap range of the restricted range determined in accordance with the movable range as restricted by the setting value and a former restricted range set before the setting value is received.

4. A method of controlling an angle of view of an image capturing apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving via a communication network a setting value for restricting a movable range over which an image capturing direction of an image capturing unit is movable; and

controlling, in accordance with a maximum angle of view of the image capturing unit and the movable range as restricted by the setting value, the angle of view of the image capturing unit in a restricted range in which the angle of view is changeable, the restricted range being larger than the movable range by the maximum angle of the view of the image capturing unit.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the restricted range is controlled in accordance with a maximum horizontal angle of view of the image capturing unit and a movable range in a pan direction as restricted by the setting value.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the angle of view is controlled in an overlap range of the restricted range determined in accordance with the movable range as restricted by the setting value and a former restricted range set before the setting value for is received.

7. A non-transitory storage medium for storing a computer program for a method of controlling an angle of view of an image capturing apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving via a communication network a setting value for restricting a movable range over which an image capturing direction of an image capturing unit is movable; and

controlling, in accordance with a maximum angle of view of the image capturing unit and the movable range as restricted by the setting value, the angle of view in the image capturing unit in a restricted range in which the angle of the view is changeable, the restricted range being larger than the movable range by the maximum angle of view of the image capturing unit.

8. The storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the restricted range is controlled in accordance with a maximum horizontal angle of view of the image capturing unit and a movable range in a pan direction as restricted by the setting value.

9. The storage medium according to claim 7, wherein

the angle of view is controlled in an overlap range of the restricted range determined in accordance with the movable range as restricted by the setting value and a former restricted range set before the setting value is received.