Image display apparatus, camera control apparatus and method

• US 6,542,191 B1
• Filed: 04/22/1997
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yonezawa, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILSON, JACQUELINE B
• Application Number:
  US08/839,828
• Time in Patent Office: 2,170 Days
• Field of Search: 348/15, 348/143, 348/153, 348/159, 348/217, 348/211, 348/333, 348/334, 348/14.05, 348/211.99, 348/211.1, 348/211.6, 348/211.11, 348/211.12, 348/211.13, 348/207.99, 348/207.1, 348/333.01, 348/333.02
• US Class Current: 348/333.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An image display apparatus capable of selecting an arbitrary camera from a plurality of cameras connected via a network and displaying an image sensed by the selected camera. The image display apparatus includes a first memory unit for storing predetermined map data, a map display unit for displaying a map on a screen based on the map data stored in the first memory unit, a symbol display unit for superimposing a camera symbol indicative of the camera at an arbitrary position of the map displayed on the screen, and a second memory unit for storing the camera symbol in association with the position.

Claims

1. A map edit apparatus for editing a map file comprising:

a display device that controls a display of a map, a camera symbol on the map corresponding to a camera set at a real position, and a control pointer at a position neighboring the displayed camera symbol, said control pointer being used for defining a sensing direction of said camera;

a setting device that turns said camera symbol by dragging said control pointer and sets the direction of said camera symbol as an initial sensing direction of said camera; and

a storing device that stores information about the map edited and the direction of said camera symbol as a map edit file.

2. The map edit apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setting device sets a position of said camera symbol in accordance with an instruction of a predetermined pointing device.

3. The map edit apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display device selects an image file used as a background to place a camera symbol reads image data from the selected image file superimposes on the camera symbol.

4. The map edit apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of areas where the camera symbols are arranged are displayed, and each of the areas includes a tab so that one of the areas can be selected.

7. The map edit apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an input device that reads a map, wherein said input device converts the read map to digital data, and said storing device stores the map data converted by said input device.

5. A method of editing a map file, comprising the steps of:

displaying a map, a camera symbol on the map corresponding to a camera set at a real position, and a control pointer at a position neighboring the displayed camera symbol, said control pointer being used for defining a sensing direction of said camera;

turning said camera symbol by dragging said control pointer;

setting the direction of said camera symbol as an initial sensing direction of said camera; and

storing information about the map edited and the direction of said camera symbol as a map edit file.

6. A memory medium storing computer program codes for a map editor for editing a map file which is utilized by an apparatus, comprising:

program codes for displaying a map, a camera symbol on the map corresponding to a camera set at a real position, and a control pointer at a position neighboring the displayed camera symbol, said camera pointer being used for defining a sensing direction of said camera;

program codes for turning said camera symbol by dragging said control pointer;

program codes for setting the direction of said camera symbol as an initial sensing direction of said camera; and

program codes for storing information about the map edited and the direction of said camera symbol as a map edit file.