Remote camera control device

• US 20020140803A1
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Trajkovic, Miroslav, Gutta, Srinivas, Colmenarez, Antonio
• Granted Patent: US 6,965,394 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• 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 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A camera system comprising a camera, a monitor, an image detector, a touch screen, and a remote control. The monitor displays a field of view of a lens of the camera. The image detector provides a viewer image to the remote control whereby the remote control can determine a desired image within the field of view that the viewer is gazing upon. The touch screen enables a viewer of the monitor to point to the desired image of the field of view and provides signal(s) indicative of the pointing. The remote control is operable to activate various drives to pan and/or tilt the camera, or to zoom and/or focus the lens to the desired image and to follow any movement of the image within the field of view.

Claims

1. A device for remotely controlling a camera having a lens, said device comprising:

a monitor operable to display a field of view of the lens;

means for determining a gaze by a viewer upon an image in the field of view; and

means for selectively adjusting a zoom and a focus of the lens in a direction of the image.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

means for selectively adjusting a pan orientation and a tilt orientation of the camera and selectively adjusting the zoom and focus of the lens as a function of any movement of the image.

3. A device for remotely controlling a camera having a lens, said device comprising:

a monitor operable to display a field of view of the lens;

a touch screen operable to provide at least one signal indicative of a viewer pointing on the touch screen in a direction of an image in the field of view;

means for determining the image in response to said at least one signal;

means for selectively adjusting a zoom and a focus of the lens in a direction of the image; and

means for selectively adjusting a pan orientation and a tilt orientation of the camera and selectively adjusting the zoom and focus of the lens as a function of any movement of the image.

4. A device for remotely controlling a camera having a lens, said device comprising:

a monitor operable to display a field of view of the lens;

means for selectively adjusting a zoom and a focus of the lens in a direction of an image in the field of view; and

means for selectively adjusting a pan orientation and a tilt orientation of the camera and selectively adjusting the zoom and focus of the lens as a function of any movement of the image.