Image capturing system, image capturing apparatus, and manual operating apparatus

• US 7,057,643 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2002
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Himeda, Satoshi, Iida, Kentaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Ngoc-Yen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Nelson D
• Application Number:
  US10/157,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20020180878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.1, 348/207.11, 348/211.99, 348/211.1, 348/211.2, 348/211.4, 348/211.8, 348/211.12, 348/211.13, 348/211.14, 348/169, 348/170, 348/208.14
• US Class Current: 348/208.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• 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 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• 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 portable phone which is a manual operating apparatus of an image capturing system has an image processing section 340, an operation control section 341 and a communication section 342. The image processing section 340 acquires information regarding view position of a camera from image data 110 received by the communication section 342 and generates view position data 102. Also, it receives from the operation control section 341 information regarding an inputted optical operation command and generates garget position data 111. Furthermore, it performs a necessary process on the image data 110 to display the same on an image display section 32, as well as displays a view position of the camera and a target position of visual field after driving of the camera based on the view position data 102 and the target position data 111.

Claims

1. An image capturing system comprising:

a) an image capturing apparatus; and

b) a manual operating apparatus connected with said image capturing apparatus via communication, receiving image data from said image capturing apparatus, operating said image capturing apparatus via communication and including a display, wherein

said image capturing apparatus includes;

a-1) a generating device generating view position information regarding a view position of said image capturing apparatus;

a-2) a first communication device communicating with said manual operating apparatus and transmitting said view position information to said manual operating apparatus;

a-3) a view position changing device changing said view position of said image capturing apparatus on the basis of an optical operation command regarding a pan position, a tilt position and a zoom position, and

said manual operating apparatus is capable of continuously inputting said optical operation command, and includes;

b-1) a second communication device communicating with said image capturing apparatus and receiving said view position information from said image capturing apparatus;

b-2) a display controller displaying, on said manual operating apparatus, a relative positional relationship between said view position and a target position after changing of said view position on the basis of said view position information and said optical operation command; and

b-3) an updating device updating display of said relative positional relationship on the basis of said view position information repeatedly received during operation of said view position changing device.

2. The image capturing system according to claim 1, wherein

said display controller displays said view position and said target position on a scroll bar displayed on said display.

3. The image capturing system according to claim 1, wherein

said display controller displays said view position and said target position on a meter displayed on said display.

4. The image capturing system according to claim 1, wherein

said display controller sets a display area of said display on the basis of a range capable of taking an image in said image capturing apparatus and displays, in said display area, both image capture ranges of said image capturing apparatus at said target position and said view position.

5. The image capturing system according to claim 1, wherein

said optical operation command is input by touching on a screen of said display.