Camera system and mobile camera system

• US 8,350,923 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2007
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakayama, Nobutaka, Katoh, Katsumi, Hamada, Kazushi
• Primary Examiner(s): DIEP, TRUNG T
• Application Number:
  US11/805,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20070285282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,056 Days
• Field of Search: 348113-124, 348/143, 348/169, 348/222.1, 348/211.11, 348/231.6, 348/234, 348/239, 348/255, 348/362, 348/207.99, 340/937
• US Class Current: 348/223.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/27 providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/102 using 360 degree surveillance camera system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A mobile camera system is disclosed. The camera system connects plural camera apparatuses including at least first and second camera apparatuses mounted on a mobile body to one another and combines images photographed by the first and the second camera apparatuses, wherein reference data obtained by the first camera apparatus is transferred to the second camera apparatus via a camera control unit, signal processing is performed in the second camera apparatus on the basis of the reference data transferred to generate a corrected image, and an image from the first camera apparatus and the corrected image outputted from the second camera apparatus are combined to output a combined image.

Claims

1. A mobile camera system including at least first and second cameras mounted on a mobile body and a camera control unit that combines images photographed by said first and second cameras, wherein

reference data obtained by the first camera apparatus is transferred to the second camera via said camera control unit,

signal processing is performed in the second camera on the basis of the reference data transferred to generate a corrected image, and

an image from the first camera and the corrected image outputted from the second camera are combined to output a combined image;

wherein the second camera performs adjustment of luminance and colors according to the reference data, and further wherein the camera control unit sets the first camera apparatus as the reference camera and image reference data is transferred from the reference camera to the remaining cameras, and further wherein the camera control unit selectively changes a source of the reference data from the first camera apparatus to a different camera apparatus; and

wherein a third camera receives the reference data obtained by the first camera and a fourth camera receives average image signal processing data used by the second and third cameras for use as master image signal processing data for the fourth camera.

2. A mobile camera system according to claim 1, wherein the second camera performs signal processing on the basis of the reference data and performs adjustment of luminance and colors.

3. A mobile camera system according to claim 1, wherein the camera control unit sets the reference data received from the first camera apparatus as data for determining colors and brightness, transfers the reference data to the second camera apparatus, and independently performs adjustment of luminance and colors in the second camera apparatus.

4. A mobile camera system according to claim 3, wherein the camera control unit processes the reference data in the camera control unit and transmits same data of colors and brightness to the plural camera apparatuses including the first camera apparatus.

5. The mobile camera system of claim 1, wherein image data from a plurality of cameras is combined in order to provide a composite image.

6. A mobile camera system comprising:

a mobile body;

plural cameras that are set in the mobile body and have signal processing units that adjust image signals, respectively;

wherein the camera control unit sets the first camera apparatus as the reference camera and image reference data is transferred form the reference camera to the remaining cameras and

a display device on which images outputted from the first camera apparatus and the second camera apparatus are combined and the combined image is displayed, and further wherein the camera control unit selectively changes a source of the reference data from the first camera apparatus to a different camera apparatus; and

wherein a third camera receives the reference data obtained by the first camera and a fourth camera receives average image signal processing data used by the second and third cameras for use as master image signal processing data for the fourth camera.

7. A mobile camera system according to claim 6, wherein the camera control unit arbitrarily selects the first camera apparatus set as a reference out of the plural cameras and transfers the reference data to the second camera apparatus.

8. A mobile camera system according to claim 6, wherein the first camera apparatus changes the reference data output from the first camera apparatus.

9. A mobile camera system according to claim 6, wherein

the mobile body is a vehicle,

images photographed by the camera apparatuses are adjusted on the basis of the reference data, and

an adjusted combined image is displayed on a display device in the vehicle.

10. A mobile camera system according to claim 6, wherein, in the signal processing unit of the second camera apparatus, a luminance signal is controlled by an element exposing unit and a signal-gain control unit.

11. A mobile camera system according to claim 6, wherein the signal processing unit of the second camera apparatus has a color-signal processing circuit and sets a lead-in frame on a color coordinate to adjust a white balance.

12. A mobile camera system according to claim 11, wherein the color-signal processing circuits includes:

a coordinate calculating unit that converts an image signal supplied from an optical detector into a color coordinate;

a coordinate-correction automatic calculating unit that is inputted with coordinate position data and reference coordinate data outputted from the color-coordinate calculating unit and calculates a correction amount with respect to the reference coordinate data;

a color-temperature estimating unit that estimates a color temperature from coordinate data outputted from the coordinate-correction automatic calculating unit; and

a gain setting unit that calculates a gain for correcting a white balance from the color temperature outputted from the color-temperature estimating unit.

13. A mobile camera system according to claim 12, wherein the color-signal processing circuit further includes a lead-in frame judging unit and adjusts a white balance when input coordinate data is within the lead-in frame.

14. A mobile camera system according to claim 6, wherein

the signal processing unit has an automatic exposure control unit, and

the automatic exposure control unit includes:

an evaluation-value calculating unit that is supplied with a luminance signal supplied from an optical detecting unit and a corrected luminance signal and calculates a present luminance state;

an error calculating unit that calculates a difference between a present luminance signal and the corrected luminance signal on the basis of a calculation value output from the evaluation-value calculating unit;

a gain calculating unit that calculates gains of the luminance signals using a difference signal outputted from the error calculating unit; and

an exposure-correction automatic calculating unit that is supplied with a luminance signal and reference data inputted from the gain calculating unit and calculates a correction amount of a luminance signal with respect to the reference data.

15. A mobile camera system according to claim 14, wherein the gain calculating unit calculates gains of exposure control and gain control.

16. The mobile camera system of claim 6, wherein image data from a plurality of cameras is combined in order to provide a composite image.

17. A camera system comprising:

a first camera apparatus; and

a second camera apparatus, wherein

the first camera apparatus sends reference data to the second camera apparatus,

the second camera apparatus generates a corrected image on the basis of a photographed image and the reference data, and

a first image from the first camera apparatus and the corrected image are combined by a control means to generate a combined image, wherein the camera control unit sets the first camera apparatus as the reference camera and image reference data is transferred form the reference camera to the remaining cameras, and further wherein the camera control unit selectively changes a source of the reference data from the first camera apparatus to a different camera apparatus; and

wherein a third camera receives the reference data obtained by the first camera and a fourth camera receives average image signal processing data used by the second and third cameras for use as master image signal processing data for the fourth camera.

18. A camera system according to claim 17, wherein the second camera apparatus changes the reference data outputted from the first camera apparatus to color and luminance signals.

19. A camera system according to claim 17, wherein an image as a basis of the reference data photographed by the first camera apparatus is the same as the first image combined for generating the combined image.