JP2012142809A - Image processing device, and image processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processing device and method that process a captured image to form a first image region where a captured resolution is maintained as it is and a second image region having the number of pixels smaller than that of the first image region by thinning-out pixels and form the second image region at a part surrounding the first image region, and thereby, to give image data at a desired position two regions with different resolutions, which allows the image data to be formed to have a function similar to human eyes, and also, that reduces a data amount of the original image, which enables transfer by one cable, for example, an IEEE1394 cable.SOLUTION: Data transfer means 50 is provided in camera means 2. The data transfer means 50 processes captured image data to form a first image region where a captured image resolution is maintained as it is and a second image region having the number of pixels smaller than that of the first image region by thinning-out pixels and form the second image region at a part surrounding the first image region. Thereby, a data amount of the original image is reduced. The image data of the original image is formed as image data having two regions with different image resolutions. This image data is transferred to camera communication control means 70.

Description

The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method.

  Image information input through the eyes is one of the most important media indispensable to the human world, which is obtained from excellent visual information processing ability. The human eye has a wide visual field, and the function of the retina that captures information in this visual field differs between the central part and the peripheral part. The outermost part detects the presence of light, the inner peripheral part grasps the overall image and shape of the object, and the central part recognizes the object in detail and recognizes the information content. As described above, the retina forming the surface sensor is configured to share the function from the outside to the center and the information reception level from “sensation” to “perception” and further to “recognition” (Non-patent Document 1). ).

Conventionally, a wide camera and a zoom camera are installed in one monitoring area, the image of the monitoring area is acquired by the wide camera, the abnormal condition is detected by comparing the acquired image with the normal image, and the abnormal situation is detected. When this occurs, a monitoring system has been proposed in which an image of an important point is acquired with a zoom camera and an image with a wide camera and a zoom camera is transmitted to a terminal computer along with image acquisition with a wide camera (Patent Document 1).

Takao Fujio “Electronic Image Engineering” published by The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers, January 20, 1999, p. 1-2

JP 11-259775 A

However, in the prior art shown in Patent Document 1,
(1) The camera system becomes complicated because two cameras are required for one monitoring area.
(2) Since the zoom camera operates mechanically after giving an instruction, it takes time to reach the necessary image and it is difficult to synchronize with the wide camera.
(3) There were problems such as cost increase.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to make the camera position movable, process a captured image, and maintain the captured image at the captured resolution and pixels. The second image area having a smaller number of pixels than the first image area is formed, and the second image area is formed in a portion surrounding the first image area, thereby resolving the image data at the desired position. The image data is formed as image data having a function close to human eyes by providing two different areas, and at the same time, the data amount of the original image can be reduced and transferred by one cable, for example, an IEEE 1394 cable. An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus and method.

Another object of the present invention is to reduce the amount of image data of the original image by thinning out the periphery of the captured image (original image) and creating image data having different image resolutions, and physically setting an upper limit. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus and method capable of efficiently transferring image information by increasing the transfer speed with a single cable within the range of communication speeds.

When the camera position information is input from the input unit to the camera communication control unit, the image processing apparatus according to the present invention moves the camera constituting the camera unit up and down, left and right, and the camera control data included in the camera communication control unit In the image processing apparatus that moves the image data captured by the camera to the camera communication control means at the moving position, the captured image data is processed and captured in the camera means. A first image area that maintains the image resolution and a second image area having a smaller number of pixels than the first image area are formed, and the second image area is defined as the first image area. The amount of data of the original image is reduced by forming it in a part surrounding the image data, and the image data of the original image is converted into image data having two regions with different image resolution An image having two areas having different image analysis degrees, comprising data transfer means for transferring the image data to the camera communication control means, the data transfer means being connected to the camera communication control means by a single cable; It is characterized in that data can be transferred with a single cable.

An image processing method according to the present invention includes a camera driving unit that moves a camera up and down, left and right when a camera control command is input, detects a position of a motor that drives the camera, and transmits a motor position detection signal to a drive control unit; Drive control means for sending a camera control command to the camera, converting a motor position detection signal into a camera position signal and sending it to the data transfer means, and sending a camera control command to the drive control means and sending the camera position signal to the camera Data transfer means for transmitting to the control means, and when a camera control command is input from the camera communication control means, the camera position is moved to a camera position corresponding to the camera control data, and image data captured by the camera at the movement position Captured in an image processing apparatus that transmits data to a data transfer means Processing the data, forming a first image area that maintains the captured resolution, and forming a second image area in which the number of pixels is reduced from the first image area by thinning out the pixels; Forming an image area in a region surrounding the first image area, and transferring image data having two areas having different image resolutions to the camera communication control means by a single cable. It is characterized by including.

The data transfer means may comprise an IEEE 1394 physical layer, and the data transfer means may be connected to the camera communication control means by a single IEEE 1394 cable.

In order to simplify the structure, the camera drive unit constituting the camera drive means moves the camera up, down, left, and right using a two-axis gimbal structure and two motorized slide volumes capable of linear movement. It can be configured as a mechanism.

The image processing apparatus captures an image with an image resolution that is m times higher than a normal image when m is an integer of 2 or more, processes the captured image, and maintains the captured image resolution as the target image region ( A first image region) and a background image region (second image region) having a pixel count that is 1 / m thinner than the target image region and having a smaller number of pixels than the target image region, and the background image region Is formed in each of the parts surrounding the target image area, so that objects can be identified in detail in the target image area of the video data, and in the peripheral portion (background image area) outside the target image area It is preferable to make it possible to grasp the whole image and shape of an object, and to form image data having two areas with different resolutions and functions close to human eyes.

According to the present invention having the above configuration, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The camera image is displayed on the display in real time, and the camera position can be moved up, down, left, or right while controlling the camera zoom function, focus function, automatic exposure function, white balance function, and other optical adjustment functions. The captured image is processed, and a first image area that maintains the captured resolution and a second image area with a smaller number of pixels than the first image area are formed, and the second image is formed. By forming the region in a portion surrounding the first image region, the image data at the desired position is formed as image data having functions close to human eyes by having two regions having different resolutions, An image processing apparatus and method that reduce the amount of data of an original image and that can be transferred by a single cable, for example, an IEEE 1394 cable, are obtained.
(2) By thinning out the periphery of the captured image (original image) and creating image data with different image resolution, the data amount of the image data of the original image is reduced, and the communication speed is physically limited. In this range, an image processing apparatus and method that can efficiently transfer image information by increasing the transfer speed with a single cable can be obtained.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the Example of the image processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the camera of an image processing apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the drive control means of an image processing apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the data transfer means of an image processing apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the camera communication control means which controls a camera means. It is the schematic which shows carrying out the thinning process of the image data which the camera imaged and took in. An image of 640 pixels × 360 lines at the center of the image data (1280 pixels × 720 lines) captured by the camera is partially scanned (640 pixels × 360 lines), and the x-direction pixels of the image data are halved and y-directions. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing that a pixel is processed by being binned to ½ (640 pixels × 360 lines). An internal front schematic view of the camera platform is shown, and the camera drive unit is configured as a mechanism that moves the camera up and down and left and right using a two-axis gimbal structure and two motorized slide volumes that can move linearly. FIG. A schematic diagram of the internal side of the head is shown. It is a communication flow outline figure at the time of motor operation (camera swing system). It is a communication flow outline figure to a camera means (camera video system). It is a sequence diagram which shows the operation example of each means which comprises an image processing apparatus. It is a flowchart of an image processing method.

Embodiments in which an image processing apparatus according to the present invention is mounted on a visual robot will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 5, the image processing apparatus 1 is mounted on camera means 2 including an IEEE 1394 physical layer that controls data communication with a camera including an optical system.

The camera means 2 includes a camera 10, a camera drive means 20, a drive control means 30, and a data transfer means 50. The camera drive means 20 and the drive control means 30 are used to mount a camera head (mounting a camera). For example, it is configured to form a wide field-of-view range by moving it electrically (FIG. 1).

The camera means 2 is connected to the camera communication control means 70 via one IEEE 1394 cable 5 (FIG. 1). Further, the camera communication control means 70 is connected to an image display monitor 80. Reference numeral 85 denotes input means (FIG. 5).

Among these, the camera 10 digitally converts a lens 11, an image sensor 12 that converts a projected image of a predetermined area formed through the lens 11 into a video signal, and a video signal generated by the image sensor 12. An image processing unit 13 that converts and generates image data and an image data transmission unit 14 that transmits the generated image data to the data transfer unit 50 are configured (FIG. 2).

The camera driving means 20 includes a motor 21 and a motor position detector 22 that move the camera 10 back and forth and right and left (FIG. 1). In order to take a picture with a wide range of field of view using the camera 10, a method of moving the camera head up and down and left and right is employed. In this embodiment, the camera drive unit 20A of the camera drive means 20 has a simplified structure, and uses a two-axis gimbal structure for the rotary base and two slide volumes with motors that can move linearly, and the camera is vertically and horizontally. It is configured as a moving mechanism (see FIGS. 8 and 9). That is, the moving position of the motor is grasped based on the resistance of the slide volume. The motor position detector 22 detects the position of the motor and transmits a motor position detection signal to the drive control means 30.

The drive control means 30 includes a drive control unit 30A and a motor driver 30B (FIGS. 1 and 3). The drive control unit 30A is configured by, for example, an MCU (Motor Control Unit), and when a camera control command transmitted from the camera communication control unit 70 is received, ON / OFF of the motor 21 and normal / reverse rotation Is controlled (see FIG. 10). For this reason, it is configured to include a camera control command receiver 31, a first signal controller 32, a camera control command transmitter 33, a motor position detection signal receiver 34, a camera position signal transmitter 35, a ROM 36, and a RAM 37 (see FIG. 3). The ROM 36 stores a program for operating the drive control unit 30A. The RAM 37 constitutes a work RAM. The drive control unit 30A selects a camera control command and a pan head control command.

The drive control unit 30A performs ON / OFF control of the motor 21, transmits a camera control command to the camera 10, and further converts a motor position detection signal into a camera position signal to the data transfer unit 50. Send.

The drive control unit 30A digitizes the camera position information and determines whether the data content transmitted from the data transfer means 50 is position information data or camera control data. When the data content is position information data, the data transfer means 50 receives data for setting / acquiring the moving direction with respect to the motor 21, the camera position, and the operation status. When the data content transmitted from the data transfer means 50 is camera control data, the data transfer means 50 receives data for setting / acquiring parameters such as the camera screen size, frame rate, and brightness.

The data transfer means 50 includes a data transfer unit 50A and an IEEE 1394 physical layer 50B (FIGS. 1 and 4). The data transfer unit 50A is configured by, for example, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and processes and transfers an image obtained by reducing an entire frame and an image obtained by cutting out a part of the frame as one image. (See FIG. 6).

That is, the data transfer unit 50A processes the image captured by the camera 10 as a single image of a binning image and a partial scan image, outputs the image to ISO, and performs image transfer processing (FIG. 7).

The camera means 2 (the data transfer means 50) is configured to coordinate the image area (first image area) that maintains the captured image resolution [for example, (a, b), (c, b), ( a, d), (c, d)] to calculate the size and determine (define) the thinning range, and from the image of the region, for example, an image region (first image) that maintains the image resolution of the rectangular portion at a high image resolution. 1 image area). Here, first, the image resolution of the camera 10 is set to a high resolution by m times (m is an integer of 2, 3, 4...) Higher than usual, and the target video (image of the target area) within the angle of view is set. : The image of the first image area), the number of pixels of the image data of the entire image (background area image) is thinned to 1 / m inside the camera, and the target video within the angle of view is thinned. Is equivalent to the head swing and the m-fold zoom. In this case, the image of the second image area and the image of the first image area sent from the camera 10 are the same pixel × line. For example, the resolution of the camera 10 (image sensor 12) is 1280 pixels × 720 lines. If the number of pixels of the image data is reduced to 1/2 and both the first image area and the second image area are 640 pixels × 360 lines, the transfer data amount D1 is D1 = 2 (screen) / 4 = 1/2. Can be reduced. Similarly, if the resolution of the camera 10 (imaging device 12) is 1280 pixels × 720 lines and the number of pixels of the image data is reduced to ¼, both the first image area and the second image area are 320 pixels × 180 lines, The transfer data amount D2 can be reduced to D2 = 2 (screen) / 16 = 1/8.

Switching between the cutout position and the PAN / TILTE operation is as follows. (See FIGS. 7, 10, and 11).
(1) The binning image is moved by cutting out within the display range of the binning image, and then the pan head is moved.
(2) The cutout size is fixed to 640 pixels × 360 lines, and the cutout position is arbitrary in units of 1 pixel / 1 line.
(3) The pan head is operated so that the cutout position is at the center of the image as much as possible.
(4) If the cutout range is outside the display range, the cutout position is changed so that it falls within the range.

The data transfer unit 50A includes a camera control command receiving unit 51, a second signal control unit 52, a camera control command transmitting unit 53, a camera position signal receiving unit 54, a camera position signal transmitting unit 55, an image data receiving unit 56, a pixel thinning-out. The processing unit 57, a pixel thinning image transfer unit 58, a ROM 59, and a RAM 60 are included (FIG. 4). The ROM 59 stores a program for operating the data transfer unit 50A. The RAM 60 constitutes a work RAM.

Thus, the data transfer means 50 controls the camera position control data, camera control data, and transfer protocol control data, and transmits these data to the drive control means 30. Further, a first image obtained by converting the camera position control data, the camera control data, the transfer protocol control data, and the image data sent from the camera 10 and maintaining the image area captured at a high resolution as it is. The camera captures an image by thinning the area and forming a second image area having a smaller number of pixels than the first area, and forming the second image area in a portion surrounding the first image area. The image area image is converted into an image having two areas with different resolutions, and the data amount of the image to be transmitted is reduced, and the image data is sent to the camera communication control means 70 through one cable without being compressed. Make it possible.

When the drive control unit 30 receives a camera control command transmitted from the data transfer unit 50 and a camera drive signal transmitted from the drive control unit 30 is input to the camera 10 via the camera drive unit 20. The camera 10 moves up and down, left and right, a desired camera position is set, and image data captured by the camera 10 with high resolution is transmitted to the data transfer means 50 (FIG. 11).

The camera communication control means 70 transmits a camera position control command to / from the data transfer means 50, receives image data and transmits / receives transfer protocol control data, and displays a camera image as an image display means 80. In addition, the camera control command is transmitted to control the camera (zoom, focus, automatic exposure, white balance, etc.), and contribute to moving the camera position up, down, left, and right. The camera communication control means 70 is constituted by, for example, a PC (Personal Computer).

The camera communication control means 70 includes a camera control command transmitter 71, a camera position detection signal receiver 72, a pixel thinned image data receiver 73, a communication controller 74, and a pixel thinned image data transmitter 75. .

The camera communication control means 70 transmits camera control data (signal) that gives the camera 10 necessary movements to the data transfer means 50 and image data (pixel thinned and processed by the data transfer means 50). (Including the “pixel thinned image”), the pixels of the second image area of the image data are returned to the original resolution (for example, 1280 pixels × 720 lines), and the first image area is left as it is. Is transmitted to the inset display monitor 80 at the resolution of.

The image display monitor 80 displays an image having two regions with different resolutions sent from the camera communication control means 70.

(Processing procedure in image processing method)
A processing procedure in the image processing method will be described with reference to FIGS.

Now, when the camera control command (camera drive signal) transmitted by the camera communication control means is received by operating the input means 85 (S10), the motor 21 is turned on and the camera 10 starts imaging (S11). The camera unit 2 executes image capture (S12), detects the camera position, and transmits a camera position signal to the data transfer unit 50 (S13). Further, when a camera control command (camera position correction signal) for correcting the camera position is input (S14), the camera position is designated (S15), and an image at that position is captured (S16). The captured image is temporarily stored (S17), and pixel thinning processing is performed (S18). The pixel-thinned image is transferred to the camera communication control means 70 (S19) and displayed on the image display means 80 (S20).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image processing apparatus 2 Camera means 5 IEEE1394 cable 10 Camera 11 Lens 12 Image pick-up element 13 Image processing part 14 Image data transmission part 20 Camera drive means 20A Camera drive part 21 Motor 22 Motor position detector 30 Drive control means 30A Drive control part 30B Motor driver 31 Camera control command receiver 32 First signal controller 33 Camera control command transmitter 34 Motor position detection signal receiver 35 Camera position signal transmitter 36 ROM
37 RAM
50 data transfer means 50A data transfer unit 50B IEEE 1394 physical layer 51 camera control command reception unit 52 second signal control unit 53 camera control command transmission unit 54 camera position signal reception unit 55 camera position signal transmission unit 56 image data reception unit 57 pixel decimation Processing unit 58 Thinned image transfer unit 59 ROM
60 RAM
70 camera communication control means 71 camera control command transmission section 72 camera position signal reception section 73 thinned image data reception section 74 thinned image data transmission section 75 communication control section 80 image display means 85 input means

Claims (4)

When camera position information is input from the input means to the camera communication control means, the camera constituting the camera means is moved up, down, left and right to move to the camera position corresponding to the camera control data of the camera communication control means, In the image processing apparatus for transferring image data captured by the camera at the moving position to the camera communication control unit,
A first image area for processing the captured image data and maintaining the captured image resolution in the camera means, and a second image area having a smaller number of pixels than the first image area are thinned out. Forming the second image area in a portion surrounding the first image area, thereby reducing the amount of data of the original image and having the image data of the original image have two areas having different image resolutions. Image data, and data transfer means for transferring the image data to the camera communication control means,
An image processing apparatus characterized in that the data transfer means is connected to the camera communication control means by a single cable so that image data having two regions having different image analysis degrees can be transferred by a single cable. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data transfer unit includes an IEEE 1394 physical layer, and the data transfer unit is connected to the camera communication control unit via a single IEEE 1394 cable. In addition, when a camera control command is input, the camera driving means is configured to move the camera up, down, left, and right, detect the position of the motor that drives the camera, and send a motor position detection signal to the drive control means. The camera driving unit is configured as a mechanism for moving the camera up, down, left and right using a two-axis gimbal structure and two motorized slide volumes capable of linear movement. Or the image processing apparatus of 2. Camera driving means for detecting the position of a motor for driving the camera and moving the camera up and down, left and right when a camera control command is input, and transmitting a motor position detection signal to the drive control means;
A drive control means for transmitting a camera control command to the camera and converting a motor position detection signal into a camera position signal and transmitting it to the data transfer means;
A data transfer unit that transmits a camera control command to the drive control unit and transmits a camera position signal to the camera communication control unit;
In an image processing apparatus that, when a camera control command is input from the camera communication control means, moves the camera position to a camera position corresponding to camera control data, and transmits image data captured by the camera at the moving position to the data transfer means. ,
Processing the captured image data to form a first image region that maintains the captured resolution and a second image region in which the number of pixels is reduced compared to the first image region;
Forming the second image area at a site surrounding the first image area;
And a step of transferring the image data having two regions having different image resolutions to the camera communication control means by a single cable.

Images