Automatic Imaging Method and Apparatus
First Claim
1. An automatic imaging method that controls second imaging means (2) that can change a line of sight, and performs tracking and imaging of a target that is detected based on an input video image I of first imaging means (1) to thereby acquire tracking video images of the target, wherein the video images of a target are acquired by steps comprising:
- for each block obtained by dividing an imaging region of input video image I acquired from the first imaging means 1, estimating whether or not a part or all of an object to be tracked and imaged appears in the block, and extracting a set of blocks P in which the object is estimated to appear;
setting in advance N number of regions Si (i=1, 2, 3 . . . N) of arbitrary shape on an imaging region of the input video image I, together with a priority pi (i=1, 2, 3 . . . N) of each region, examining a correlation between the regions Si and the set of blocks P, and extracting and outputting a connecting region T′
that has an overlap with a region Si having a highest priority among connecting regions included in the set of blocks P and having an overlap with any of the regions Si; and
controlling the second imaging means (2) so as to contain an object appearing in a region covered by a connecting region T′
on input video image I in a field of view of the second imaging means (2).
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic imaging method is provided that selects and images one target in a monitoring environment where multiple target candidates exist on input video images. The method acquires tracking video images of a target by steps of: estimating, for each block obtained by dividing an imaging region of input video image I, whether a part or all of an object to be tracked and imaged appears in the block, and extracting set of blocks P in which the object is estimated to appear; presetting N number of regions Si (i=1, 2, 3 . . . N) of arbitrary shape on an imaging region of input video image I, together with priorities pi (i=1, 2, 3 . . . N) of each region, examining correlations between the regions Si and set of blocks P, and extracting and outputting connecting region T′ that overlaps with a region Si having highest priority among connecting regions included in the set of blocks P and overlapping with any of regions Si; and controlling second imaging means 2 to contain an object appearing in a region covered by connecting region T′ on input video image I in a field of view of second imaging means 2.
107 Citations
10 Claims
-
1. An automatic imaging method that controls second imaging means (2) that can change a line of sight, and performs tracking and imaging of a target that is detected based on an input video image I of first imaging means (1) to thereby acquire tracking video images of the target, wherein the video images of a target are acquired by steps comprising:
-
for each block obtained by dividing an imaging region of input video image I acquired from the first imaging means 1, estimating whether or not a part or all of an object to be tracked and imaged appears in the block, and extracting a set of blocks P in which the object is estimated to appear;
setting in advance N number of regions Si (i=1, 2, 3 . . . N) of arbitrary shape on an imaging region of the input video image I, together with a priority pi (i=1, 2, 3 . . . N) of each region, examining a correlation between the regions Si and the set of blocks P, and extracting and outputting a connecting region T′
that has an overlap with a region Si having a highest priority among connecting regions included in the set of blocks P and having an overlap with any of the regions Si; and
controlling the second imaging means (2) so as to contain an object appearing in a region covered by a connecting region T′
on input video image I in a field of view of the second imaging means (2). - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
2. An automatic imaging method that controls video image extracting means (18) that partially extracts a video image from an input video image I that is acquired from first imaging means (1) and outputs the extracted video image, to acquire tracking video images of a target based on the input video image I of the first imaging means (1), wherein the video images of a target are acquired by steps comprising:
-
for each block obtained by dividing an imaging region of input video image I acquired from the first imaging means (1), estimating whether or not a part or all of an object to be tracked and imaged appears in the block, and extracting a set of blocks P in which the object is estimated to appear;
setting in advance N number of regions Si (i=1, 2, 3 . . . N) of arbitrary shape on an imaging region of the input video image I, together with a priority pi (i=1, 2, 3 . . . N) of each region, examining a correlation between the regions Si and the set of blocks P, and extracting and outputting a connecting region T′
that has an overlap with a region Si having a highest priority among connecting regions included in the set of blocks P and having an overlap with any of the regions Si; and
continuing to extract an image of an area covered by a connecting region T′
from the input video image I.
-
-
8. An automatic imaging apparatus, comprising:
-
first imaging means (1) that images an entire monitoring region;
second imaging means (27 that can change a line of sight;
pattern extraction means (3) that, for each block obtained by dividing an imaging region of an input video image I acquired from the first imaging means, estimates whether or not a part or all of an object to be tracked and imaged appears in the block, and outputs a set of blocks P in which the object is estimated to appear;
sense area storage means (5) that stores N number of regions Si (i=1, 2, 3 . . . N) of arbitrary shape that are previously set on an imaging region of an input video image I, together with a priority pi (i=1, 2, 3 . . . N) of each region, sense means (4) that determines an overlap between the regions Si and a set of blocks P that is output by the pattern extraction means (3), and when an overlap exists, outputs a pair consisting of a block B in which the overlap appears and a priority pi of the region Si having the overlap;
target selection means (6) that selects a pair with a highest priority (priority p) among pairs of overlapping block B and priority pi thereof that are output by the sense means (4), and extracts a connecting region T that includes the block B from the set of blocks P;
pattern temporary storage means (21) that temporarily stores the connecting region T selected with the target selection means (6), and outputs the connecting region T as a connecting region T′
;
priority temporary storage means (22) that temporarily stores a priority p that is selected by the target selection means (6) and outputs the priority p as a priority p′
; and
imaging control means (8) that controls the second imaging means (2) so as to contain an object appearing in a region covered by the connecting region T′
on the input video image I in a field of view of the second imaging means (2);
wherein the connecting region T′
that is temporarily stored is replaced with a connecting region T that is selected from a current set of blocks P that are extracted from a current input video image I and the priority p′
that is temporarily stored is replaced with a priority p that is obtained together with the connecting region T only in a case where the current priority p is greater than or equal to the priority p′
, andduring a period in which the connecting region T is blank, a connecting region T2′
that has an overlap with the temporarily stored connecting region T′
is extracted from a current set of blocks P extracted from a current input video image I, to update the connecting region T′
with the connecting region T2′
.
-
-
9. An automatic imaging apparatus, comprising:
-
first imaging means (1) that images an entire monitoring region;
pattern extraction means (3) that, for each block obtained by dividing an imaging region of an input video image I acquired from the first imaging means, estimates whether or not a part or all of an object to be tracked and imaged appears in the block, and outputs a set of blocks P in which the object is estimated to appear;
sense area storage means (5) that stores N number of regions Si (i=1, 2, 3 . . . N) of arbitrary shape that are previously set on an imaging region of an input video image I, together with a priority pi (i=1, 2, 3 . . . N) of each region, sense means (4) that determines an overlap between the regions Si and a set of blocks P that is output by the pattern extraction means (3), and when an overlap exists, outputs a pair consisting of a block B in which the overlap appears and a priority pi of the region Si having the overlap;
target selection means (6) that selects a pair with a highest priority (priority p) among pairs of overlapping block B and priority pi thereof that are output by the sense means (4), and extracts a connecting region T that includes the block B from the set of blocks P;
pattern temporary storage means (21) that temporarily stores the connecting region T selected by the target selection means (6), and outputs the connecting region T as a connecting region T′
;
priority temporary storage means (22) that temporarily stores a priority p that is selected by the target selection means (6) and outputs the priority p as a priority p′
; and
video image extracting means (18) that continuously extracts images of a region covered by the connecting region T′
on the input video image I and outputs the images;
wherein the connecting region T′
that is temporarily stored is replaced with a connecting region T that is selected from a current set of blocks P that are extracted from a current input video image I and the priority p′
that is temporarily stored is replaced with a priority p that is obtained together with the connecting region T only in a case where the current priority p is greater than or equal to the priority p′
, andduring a period in which the connecting region T is blank, a connecting region T2′
that has an overlap with the temporarily stored connecting region T′
is extracted from a current set of blocks P extracted from a current input video image I, to update the connecting region T′
with the connecting region T2′
.
-
-
10. An automatic imaging apparatus, comprising:
-
second imaging means (2) that can change a line of sight;
imaging range correspondence means (19a) that calculates a range on which a field of view of the second imaging means (2) falls on a virtual global video image of a field of view that is equivalent to a range of a wide angle field of view that can contain an entire monitoring region from a position of the second imaging means (2);
global video image update means (19b) that updates contents of a video image of a corresponding range on the global video image with a current video image from the second imaging means (2), to continuously output a current global video image;
pattern extraction means (3) that, for each block obtained by dividing an imaging region of an input video image I that is output from the global video image update means (19b), estimates whether or not a part or all of an object to be tracked and imaged appears in the block, and outputs a set of blocks P in which the object is estimated to appear;
sense area storage means (5) that stores N number of regions Si (i=1, 2, 3 . . . N) of arbitrary shape that are previously set on an imaging region of an input video image I, together with a priority pi (i=1, 2, 3 . . . N) of each region;
sense means (4) that determines an overlap between the regions Si and a set of blocks P output by the pattern extraction means (3), and when an overlap exists, outputs a pair consisting of a block B in which the overlap appears and a priority pi of the region Si having the overlap;
target selection means (6) that selects a pair with a highest priority (priority p) among pairs of overlapping block B and priority pi thereof that are output by the sense means (4), and extracts a connecting region T that includes the block B from the set of blocks P;
pattern temporary storage means (21) that temporarily stores the connecting region T selected by the target selection means (6), and outputs the connecting region T as a connecting region T′
;
priority temporary storage means (22) that temporarily stores a priority p that is selected by the target selection means (6) and outputs the priority p as a priority p′
; and
imaging control means (8) that controls the second imaging means (2) so as to contain an object appearing in a region covered by the connecting region T′
on the input video image I in a field of view of the second imaging means (2);
wherein the connecting region T′
that is temporarily stored is replaced with a connecting region T that is selected from a current set of blocks P that are extracted from a current input video image I and the priority p′
that is temporarily stored is replaced with a priority p that is obtained together with the connecting region T only in a case where the current priority p is greater than or equal to the priority p′
, andduring a period in which the connecting region T is blank, a connecting region T2′
that has an overlap with the temporarily stored connecting region T′
is extracted from a current set of blocks P extracted from a current input video image I, to update the connecting region T′
with the connecting region T2′
.
-
Specification