Camera platform system and imaging system

• US 8,558,924 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2011
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kagei, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nazrul, Shahbaz
• Application Number:
  US13/094,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20110267481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/239, 345/632
• US Class Current: 348/239
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/36 Autofocus systems
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 3/10 Power-operated focusing
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 3/12 adapted for remote control
• 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 5/222 Studio circuitry; Studio devices; Studio equipment cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00

Abstract

The camera platform system of the present invention operates at least one function selected from zoom/focus/tilt/pan/iris of a mounted camera or lens in response to an operation instruction output from an operation device. The camera platform system includes a drive control unit configured to convert an operation instruction output from the operation device into a drive control signal corresponding to any one motion of the zoom/focus/tilt/pan/iris; a motion prediction position calculation unit configured to calculate a motion prediction position of any one of the zoom/focus/tilt/pan/iris based on the drive control signal converted by the drive control unit; and a motion prediction position output unit configured to output the motion prediction position, which has been calculated by the motion prediction position calculation unit, as motion prediction position information.

Claims

1. A camera platform system that includes a camera that outputs a photographed image, a lens, and a camera platform that operates at least one function selected from zoom/focus/tilt/pan/iris of the camera or lens in response to an operation instruction output from an operation device, the camera platform system comprising:

a drive control unit configured to convert the operation instruction output from the operation device into a drive control signal corresponding to any one of driven objects of the zoom/focus/tilt/pan/iris;

a motion prediction position calculation unit configured to calculate a motion prediction position of any one of the driven objects of the zoom/focus/tilt/pan/iris based on the drive control signal converted by the drive control unit;

a motion prediction position output unit configured to output the motion prediction position, which has been calculated by the motion prediction position calculation unit, as motion prediction position information; and

a storage unit configured to store a delay time correction value for correcting a delay time from the conversion of the drive control signal to the calculation of the motion prediction position, and a backlash correction value for correcting backlash when any one of the driven objects is operated,

wherein the motion prediction position calculating unit calculates a motion prediction position based on the drive control signal before a predetermined time as the delay time correction value and the drive control signal before driving for a predetermined drive amount as the backlash correction value.

2. The camera platform system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a lens model recognition unit configured to recognize the model of the lens mounted to the camera,

wherein the motion prediction position calculation unit changes a motion prediction position calculation method depending on the model of the lens.

3. The camera platform system according to claim 2, wherein the lens model recognition unit recognizes whether or not the lens is the model with a position detection mechanism, and when the lens model recognition unit determines that the model of the lens is the model with a position detection mechanism, the motion prediction position calculation unit applies the motion position information obtained from the position detection mechanism directly to the motion prediction position.

4. The camera platform system according to claim 2, wherein the lens model recognition unit recognizes whether or not the lens is the model with a position detection mechanism, and when the lens model recognition unit determines that the model of the lens is the model with a position detection mechanism and an acquisition interval of the motion position information obtained from the position detection mechanism is longer than a transmission interval during which the motion position information is transmitted, the motion prediction position calculation unit calculates a motion prediction position based on the motion prediction position information obtained from the position detection mechanism.

5. The camera platform system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a camera model recognition unit configured to recognized the model of the camera,

wherein the motion prediction position calculation unit changes a motion prediction position calculation method depending on the model of the camera.

6. The camera platform system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an origin detection unit configured to detect an origin when any one of zoom/focus/tilt/pan is operated,

wherein the motion prediction position calculation unit refers to a backlash correction value based on the output of the origin detection when the motion prediction position is calculated.

7. An imaging system comprising:

a camera platform system including a camera that outputs a photographed image, a lens, and a camera platform; and

an image synthesizing system that acquires motion prediction position information and a photographed image from the camera platform system, and synthesizes the photographed image with a computer graphic image using the motion prediction position information,

wherein the camera platform system operates at least one function selected from zoom/focus/tilt/pan/iris of the camera or lens in response to an operation instruction output from an operation device,

wherein the camera platform system further comprises;

a drive control unit configured to convert an operation instruction output from the operation device into a drive control signal corresponding to any one of driven objects of the zoom/focus/tilt/pan/iris;

a motion prediction position calculation unit configured to calculate a motion prediction position of any one of the driven objects the zoom/focus/tilt/pan/iris based on the drive control signal converted by the drive control unit;

a motion prediction position output unit configured to output the motion prediction position, which has been calculated by the motion prediction position calculation unit, as motion prediction position information,

wherein the image synthesizing system calculates a delay time correction value from a time difference between the time until the motion prediction position information changes and the time until the photographed image changes; and

a storage unit configured to store a delay time correction value for correcting a delay time from the conversion of the drive control signal to the calculation of the motion prediction position, and a backlash correction value for correcting backlash when any one of the driven objects is operated,

wherein the motion prediction position calculating unit calculates a motion prediction position based on the drive control signal before a predetermined time as the delay time correction value and the drive control signal before driving for a predetermined drive amount as the backlash correction value.

8. The imaging system according to claim 7, wherein the image synthesizing system automatically corrects the backlash correction value from the change amount of the motion prediction position information until the photographed image changes.