JP2001305645A - Camera and camera platform - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a camera and a camera platform by which a photographing direction is always maintained in the direction of a target by detecting the direction and position of the target and always automatically pursuing the target. SOLUTION: An image pickup means 52 to photograph an object image, a moving means (a panning and tilting mechanism part 16) to move the image pickup direction of the image pickup means 52, a detecting means 72 to detect a direction in which an object exists and a controlling means 78 to control the change of the direction of the image pickup means 52 based on the information of the direction of the object detected are provided, so that the photographing direction is always maintained in the direction of the target.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a camera and a camera platform, and more particularly to a camera and a camera platform capable of detecting a target and automatically tracking the target.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a camera has a detecting means for detecting the azimuth of a received remote control signal, and a remote control device for a photographic screen based on a signal of the ratio of the focal length of the photographic lens to the photographic screen size and the azimuth signal. Computing means for calculating the position as numerical information, and transmitting means for transmitting the numerical information to a remote control device,
The remote control device side includes a receiving unit that receives a signal transmitted from the camera, and a display unit that displays a position of the camera itself on the photographing screen based on the received signal, and has an expensive and complicated configuration. Instead, let the remote control device know the position of the remote control device in the shooting screen, that is, the position of the photographer himself,
A camera and a remote control device for easily determining a composition are disclosed in a publicity publication of JP-A-8-122870.

[0003]

However, in the camera and the remote control device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-122870, the subject recognizes the position of the subject in the composition and moves the subject itself. The composition is decided by doing. Therefore, if the subject is a subject that moves in all directions regardless of the shooting direction of the shooting device, the subject does not necessarily exist at the center of the frame to be shot, and further, the subject is included in the frame of the shot image. There was also a problem that there was no.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and it is possible to detect the direction and position of a target, always automatically track the target, and always keep the shooting direction toward the target. It is intended to provide a camera and a camera platform device.

[0005]

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a photographing means for photographing a subject, a moving means for moving a photographing direction or a photographing position of the photographing means, Detecting means for detecting at least one of the direction and the position of the object, and controlling the moving means based on information on at least one of the direction and the position of the subject detected by the detecting means; And control means for tracking and photographing the subject.

According to the present invention, a photographing means for photographing a subject, a moving means for moving a photographing direction or a photographing position of the photographing means, a detecting means for detecting at least one of a direction and a position where the subject exists, Control means for controlling the moving means based on at least one of the direction and the position of the subject detected by the detecting means, and tracking and photographing the subject by the photographing means when the subject moves. , It is possible to always keep the shooting direction in the direction of the target.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor device comprising:
According to the invention described in (1), a moving device for mounting a camera and moving a photographing direction or a photographing position of the camera, a detecting device for detecting at least one of a direction and a position where the subject exists, and a subject detected by the detecting device Controlling the moving means based on at least one of the direction and the position of the
Control means for tracking and photographing the subject by the camera when the subject moves.

[0008] According to the present invention, the camera platform device has a camera mounted thereon, a moving means for moving the photographing direction or photographing position of the camera, a detecting means for detecting at least one of the direction and the position of the subject, Control means for controlling the moving means based on at least one of the information on the direction and position of the subject detected by the detecting means, and controlling the camera to track and photograph the subject when the subject moves. This makes it possible to always automatically track the target and keep the camera attached to the camera platform facing the target.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a camera and a pan head device according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a camera according to the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a state in which the camera 10 is fixed to a tripod 12. The camera 10 includes an imaging unit 14,
And a pan-tilt mechanism 16 (moving means). The tilt mechanism of the pan / tilt mechanism 16 includes a tilt shaft 18, a tilt bearing 20 that supports the tilt shaft 18 so as to be rotatable in the elevation direction of the imaging unit 14, and one end of the tilt shaft 18. A worm wheel 22; a worm 24 engaged with the worm wheel 22 and transmitting rotation to the worm wheel 22;
And a cover 27 are provided.

The pan mechanism is provided with a pan shaft 28, a pan bearing 30 for rotatably supporting the pan shaft 28 in the azimuthal direction of the imaging unit 14, and a lower end of the pan shaft 28. A worm wheel 32, a worm 34 engaged with the worm wheel 32 and transmitting rotation to the worm wheel 32, a pan motor 36 as a power source for rotating the worm 34, and a cover 37 are provided.

The tripod 12 has a fixed head 40 and a screw 42 for screwing the fixed head 40 and the pan shaft 28 together.
And three legs 44, 44 ... which can be opened and closed.

By giving a rotation command to each motor of the above-mentioned pan-tilt mechanism 16 provided in the camera 10, it is possible to freely change the photographing direction of the camera 10 into the attack angle direction and the azimuth angle direction. .

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a signal processing system of the camera 10.

Referring to FIG. 1, the camera 10 includes a lens 54 for forming a subject image on the image pickup means 52, and a release switch 5 for the user to instruct the camera 10 to take an image (photograph).
6, a mode changeover switch 58 for switching the operation mode of the camera 10, a cursor switch 60 for inputting commands for moving the displayed cursor and for panning and tilting the camera 10, and selecting a recorded image file or the like. Information input means 64 including a selection switch 61 for performing selection, a confirmation switch 62 for instructing confirmation of selection information and the like, setting of various imaging conditions such as AE and AF, processing of a captured image,
An information processing unit 66 that performs processing based on the switch information of the information input unit 64, a display unit 68 that displays a captured image and various information, and a recording medium 70 that records image data and various information are provided.

The information processing means 66 includes a camera 10
RO that stores a program for controlling the operation and various constants
M and a RAM which is a recording medium serving as a work area of the information processing means 66 are provided.

The camera 10 also has a lens 76 for projecting an image of light of a predetermined wavelength emitted or reflected by the light emitting body 74 (target) of the subject to be tracked onto the detecting means 72; A control for outputting a command to rotate the tilt motor 26 and the pan motor 36 based on at least one of the direction and the position of the light-emitting body 74 detected by the detection means 72 and performing control to change the shooting direction of the camera 10 Means 78 are provided.

When a user manually instructs a pan operation or a tilt operation of the camera 10, first, the user
Of the camera 1 by operating the cursor switch 60 provided on the input means 64 by setting the operation mode of the camera
It is possible to change the elevation angle of 0 and the azimuth angle.

At this time, the information inputted from the input means 64 is transmitted to the information processing means 66, and the information processing means 66 transmits the information to the control means 78 via the bus line based on the information specified by the user by the tilt motor. 26 and pan motor 3
It outputs a rotation command for the six output shafts.

Next, the imaging operation of the camera 10 will be described.

The user fixes the camera 10 to the tripod 12 set at a predetermined height and orientation, and sets the mode of the camera 10 to the "imaging" mode. Imaging means 5 of camera 10
The subject image formed in 2 is converted into an electric signal and displayed on the display means 68. Then, the user operates the cursor switch 60 provided on the input means 64 to operate the tilt motor 26.
And an instruction to rotate the pan motor 36 is input, and the camera 1
Point 0 at the subject to be imaged. The user selects the display means 68
After determining the angle of view, the angle, the focus, and the exposure state of the subject while watching the captured image displayed in, the release switch 56 is pressed to start imaging. Images obtained by imaging are sequentially recorded on the recording medium 70.

When the user sets the mode of the camera 10 to the mode of "tracking image pickup" and presses the release switch 56 to start image pickup, the camera 10 detects the direction or position of the subject, and detects the direction in which the subject exists. Or, while controlling the pan-tilt mechanism so that the camera 10 faces the position,
Perform imaging. When the subject has the luminous body 74, light of a predetermined wavelength emitted from the luminous body 74
6 and projected onto the detection means 72. The detecting means 72 is provided with a luminous body 74 with respect to the center of
At least one of the direction difference information and the position difference information is output to the control means 78.

The control means 78 calculates the information, outputs a command to rotate the tilt motor 26 and the pan motor 36, and to drive the illuminator 74 so as to be in the center of the captured image or within a predetermined range. I do. When the rotation axes of the tilt motor 26 and the pan motor 36 rotate, the worm wheels 22 and 32 rotate to change the shooting direction of the camera 10, so that the light emitting body 74 can be tracked.
Since the tracking control is performed every moment, the camera 10 always automatically tracks the subject even if the subject provided with the light emitting body 74 moves in all directions. Therefore, it is possible to always keep the subject in the captured image.

The detection means 72 is a detection means capable of detecting at least one of the direction and the position of the subject based on light, radio waves or sound having predetermined frequency or code information radiated from the subject. You may. When the detecting means 72 detects sound, a plurality of detecting means 72 may be provided to detect the direction of the subject based on the phase of the sound wave.

Instead of providing the independent detecting means 72, at least one of the direction, the position, and the distance of the subject is detected by using the image information captured by the image capturing means 52 and the AF function. May calculate the image information and output a drive command for the pan / tilt mechanism 16 to the control means 78.

In the case of continuously capturing images,
The information processing unit 66 extracts a subject whose existence position has changed from among a plurality of images at different imaging times taken by the imaging unit 52, and detects at least one of the direction and the position of the subject whose existence position has changed. The control for changing the imaging direction of the camera 10, the position of the camera 10, and the angle of view may be performed based on at least one of the detected direction and position of the subject.

Further, the luminous body 74 and the subject (target)
If the detection unit 72 cannot detect the target due to hiding or the like, the control unit 78
The pan / tilt mechanism 16 may be controlled by determining that the target has been lost based on the information output from the detecting means 72, outputting the drive command immediately before the target is lost, and outputting the same. The control means 78 observes the movement pattern of the target, generates an expected movement pattern, and outputs a drive command for the pan / tilt mechanism 16 based on the generated expected movement pattern when the target is lost. It may be.

In the above description, an embodiment is described in which the mode of the camera 10 is set to a mode in which a pan-tilt operation can be manually performed before the automatic tracking control is started, and the shooting direction is manually set. However, the present invention is not limited to this method, and the control means 78 automatically starts the pan / tilt drive according to a predetermined operation pattern and outputs
May be searched.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the camera platform device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the camera 100 is fixed to the camera platform 102. The camera 100 is screwed into the mounting portion 104 of the camera platform device 102 with the screw 106,
Fixed. The pan head device 102 includes a pan mechanism and a tilt mechanism. The tilt mechanism supports a tilt shaft 118 and a tilt shaft 118 so as to be rotatable in the elevation direction of the mounting unit 104. A tilt bearing 120, a worm wheel 122 provided at one end of the tilt shaft 118, a worm 124 engaged with the worm wheel 122 and transmitting rotation to the worm wheel 122, and a power source for rotating the worm 124 , And a cover 127 are provided.

The pan mechanism is provided with a pan shaft 128, a pan bearing 130 for rotatably supporting the pan shaft 128 in the azimuthal direction of the mounting portion 104, and a lower end of the pan shaft 128. The worm wheel 132 and the worm wheel 1 engaged with the worm wheel 132
A worm 134 for transmitting rotation to the worm 32;
A cover 137 is provided with a pan motor 136 serving as a power source for rotating the motor 4.

The pan shaft 128 is fixed to a base member 138, and the base member 138 is mounted on a foundation 140 such as a tripod, floor, wall or ceiling. Head device 102
By giving a rotation command to each drive motor of the above-mentioned pan mechanism unit and tilt mechanism unit provided in the camera 10,
It is possible to freely change the shooting direction of 0 to the angle of attack and the direction of azimuth.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a signal processing system of the camera platform device 102.

As shown in the figure, the pan head device 102 has a mode changeover switch 158 for switching the pan / tilt operation mode of the pan head device 102, and a cursor switch for manually inputting a pan and tilt operation command of the mounting portion 104. 160
A lens 176 for projecting an image of light of a predetermined wavelength emitted by a light emitting body 174 (target) included in the tracking target object onto a detecting means 172;
2 outputs a command to rotate the worms 124 and 134 provided on the rotation shafts of the tilt motor 126 and the pan motor 136 based on information on at least one of the direction and the position of the light emitting body 174 detected by the mounting unit 104. And control means 178 and 178 for performing control to change the direction of the image.

When the user manually instructs the pan operation or the tilt operation of the mounting portion 104, the user sets the operation mode of the camera 100 to the manual operation mode by an operation switch (not shown), and provides the base member 138 with the operation mode. By operating the cursor switch 160, the elevation angle of the mounting portion 104 and the azimuth angle can be changed.

At this time, the information inputted from the cursor switch 160 is transmitted to the control means 178, 178, and the tilt motor 126 based on the information designated by the user is provided.
And outputs a rotation command of the output shaft of the pan motor 136.

Next, the automatic tracking operation of the camera platform 102 will be described.

The user fixes the camera 100 to the mounting portion 104 using the screw 106, and sets the mode of the camera platform device 102 to the "manual" mode. The image captured by the camera 100 is displayed on a display unit (not shown) of the camera 100.
Then, a command to rotate the tilt motor 126 and the pan motor 136 is input by operating the cursor switch 160 provided on the base member 138, and the camera 100 is directed to the subject to be imaged. The user determines an angle of view, an angle, a focus, and an exposure state with respect to the subject while watching the captured image displayed on the display unit of the camera 100, and then presses the release switch 156 to start capturing an image.
The captured images are sequentially recorded on the recording medium of the camera 100.

When the user sets the mode of the camera platform device 102 to the "automatic tracking" mode, the detecting means 172 detects the direction or position of the light emitter 174 (target) and detects the direction in which the light emitter 174 exists. Or camera 100 in position
The camera 100 captures an image while controlling the pan mechanism and the tilt mechanism so as to face the camera. An image of light having a predetermined wavelength emitted from the light emitter 74 is projected onto the detecting means 172 constituted by a four-division diode or the like via a lens 176, and information on the direction difference from the center of the light receiving surface of the detecting means 172 or The position difference information is output to control means 178, 178.

The control means 178 and 178 calculate the information and rotate the tilt motor 126 and the pan motor 136 so that the light emitter 174 enters the center of the light receiving surface of the detection means 172 or a predetermined range. The command to drive is output. When the rotation axes of the tilt motor 126 and the pan motor 136 rotate, the worm wheels 122 and 132
Is rotated to change the shooting direction of the camera 100, so that the light-emitting body 174 is automatically tracked. Since the tracking control is performed every moment, even if the subject including the light emitting body 174 moves in all directions, the mounting unit 104 and the camera 100 always automatically track the subject. Therefore, it is possible to always keep the subject in the captured image.

The detecting means 172 is a detecting means capable of detecting at least one of the direction and the position of the subject based on light, radio waves or sound having predetermined frequency or code information radiated from the subject. You may. When the detecting means 172 detects a sound, a plurality of detecting means 1
72 may be provided to detect the direction of the subject based on the phase of the sound wave.

The detecting means 172 is not limited to a four-division diode, but may be an image pickup means represented by a line sensor or a CCD. Control means 1
Information processing means using a CPU or the like may be used for 78 and 178. In addition, a ROM that stores a program for controlling the camera platform device 102 and various constants in the information processing unit,
A one-chip microcomputer provided with a RAM serving as a recording medium serving as a work area of the information processing means may be used. Further, the control unit 178 performs processing such as adding an offset (target tracking position designation) to the information output from the detection unit 172 and providing a dead zone (restricting the output of a fine operation command). The proportional and integral operations of the pan-tilt mechanism may be commanded.

FIG. 5 is a view showing another embodiment of the camera platform device according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a state in which the camera 100 is fixed to the camera platform 202. The camera 100 is screwed into the mounting portion 204 of the camera platform device 202 with the screw 106,
Fixed. The pan head device 202 is configured to move the X-axis mechanism unit and the Z-axis mechanism unit, and is configured to be movable in the X-Z axis direction by a power source such as a motor (not shown). Further, a lens 276 is provided in the mounting section 204, and the target can be automatically tracked by the same signal processing as the block diagram of the signal processing system of the camera platform device 102 shown in FIG.

The pan head device of the present invention is not limited to the pan / tilt drive mechanism shown in FIG. 3 or the XZ axis linear motion mechanism shown in FIG. 5, but includes a pan / tilt drive mechanism and a linear motion mechanism. It is possible to achieve the object of the present invention even with a mechanism part having the same.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the camera according to the present invention.

The pan / tilt mechanism 16 of the camera 10 shown in FIG. 1 is provided between the imaging unit 14 and the tripod 12, but the pan / tilt mechanism of the camera 10A shown in FIG. The lens 54A and the imaging means 52A are provided between the camera body and the camera body.
Are driven in elevation and azimuth directions.

The tilt mechanism of the camera 10A includes a tilt shaft 18A, a tilt bearing (not shown) provided on the gimbal 19A, a worm wheel 22A provided at one end of the tilt shaft 18A, and a worm wheel 22A.
And a worm 24A that transmits rotation to the worm wheel 22A and a tilt motor 26A that serves as a power source for rotating the worm 24A.

The pan mechanism includes a pan shaft 28A, a pan bearing (not shown) that rotatably supports the pan shaft 28A in the azimuth direction, and a worm wheel 32A provided on the pan shaft 28A. A worm 34A engaged with the worm wheel 32A and transmitting rotation to the worm wheel 32A, and a pan motor 36A serving as a power source for rotating the worm 34A are provided.

By giving a rotation command to each motor of the above-mentioned pan-tilt mechanism provided in the camera 10A, it becomes possible to freely change the lens barrel and the photographing direction in the attack angle direction and the azimuth angle direction. .

In the above description, the embodiment in which the panning / tilting mechanism capable of automatically tracking the target is applied to the camera to change the shooting direction has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Instead of a camera, a pan-tilt mechanism that can be automatically tracked may be applied to a measuring device such as a distance measuring device.

In the above description, an embodiment in which the shooting direction is changed by an electronic camera having a pan / tilt mechanism capable of automatically tracking a target has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Instead, the present invention may be applied to a silver halide camera. Also, instead of having a luminous body on the subject,
Even if a reflector (corner cube, cat's eye, etc.) that reflects the detection light emitted from the camera is provided on the subject,
The object of the present invention is achieved.

[0054]

As described above, according to the camera of the present invention, a photographing means for photographing a subject, a moving means for moving a photographing direction or a photographing position of the photographing means, a direction and a position where the subject exists. Detecting means for detecting at least one of the following, and controlling the moving means based on at least one of the direction and position of the subject detected by the detecting means, and tracking the subject by the photographing means when the subject moves. Since the control means is provided, the photographing direction can always be directed to the target.

Further, according to the camera platform apparatus of the present invention, a moving means for mounting a camera and moving the photographing direction or photographing position of the camera, and a detecting means for detecting at least one of the direction and position where the subject exists. Means, and control means for controlling the moving means based on at least one of the direction and the position of the subject detected by the detecting means, and tracking and photographing the subject by the camera when the subject moves. Therefore, the target is always automatically tracked, and the camera attached to the camera platform can be always pointed at the target.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a camera according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a signal processing system of the camera.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a pan head device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a signal processing system of the camera platform device.

FIG. 5 is a view showing another embodiment of the camera platform device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the camera according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10, 10A: camera, 12: tripod, 14: imaging unit, 1
6 ... Pan-tilt mechanism, 18, 18A ... Tilt axis, 19
A: gimbal, 20: tilt bearing, 22, 22A: worm wheel, 24, 24A: worm, 26, 26A
... Tilt motor, 28, 28A ... Pan shaft, 30 ... Pan bearing, 32, 32A ... Worm wheel, 34, 34A ...
Worm, 36, 36A: Pan motor, 40: Fixed head, 52, 52A: Imaging means, 54, 54A: Lens,
56 ... release switch, 58 ... mode changeover switch,
Reference Signs List 60 cursor switch, 64 input means, 66 information processing means, 72 detection means, 74 light emitter, 76 lens, 78 control means, 102 pan head device, 104 mounting part, 118 tilt axis , 120 ... tilt bearing, 122 ...
Worm wheel, 124 ... Worm, 126 ... Tilt motor, 128 ... Pan shaft, 130 ... Pan bearing, 132 ...
Worm wheel, 134 worm, 136 pan motor, 138 base member, 158 mode switch, 160 cursor switch, 172 detection means, 1
74 ... light-emitting body, 176 ... lens, 178 ... control means

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 5/232 H04N 5/232 C // H04N 7/18 H04N 7/18 G H04N 101: 00 H04N 101: 00 F term (reference) 2H054 BB11 CD00 2H105 AA03 AA06 AA08 AA13 AA14 5C022 AA13 AB62 AB63 AC27 AC69 AC74 5C054 AA01 CA01 CA04 CA08 CC03 CF03 CF06 CH01 EA01 FC12 FC13 HA31

Claims (6)

[Claims] A photographing means for photographing a subject; a moving means for moving a photographing direction or a photographing position of the photographing means; a detecting means for detecting at least one of a direction and a position where the subject exists; Control means for controlling the moving means based on at least one of the detected direction and position of the subject, and causing the photographing means to track and photograph the subject when the subject moves. Camera. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means detects at least one of the direction and the position of the subject based on light, radio waves or sound having predetermined frequency or code information emitted from the subject. Camera. 3. The image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein the photographing device has a function as a detecting device for detecting at least one of a direction and a position where the subject exists.
Camera. 4. The detecting means extracts a subject whose existence position has changed from a plurality of images at different photographing times photographed by the photographing means, and determines a direction and a position of the subject whose existence position has changed. The camera according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the cameras is detected. 5. A moving device mounted with a camera, for moving a photographing direction or a photographing position of the camera, a detecting device for detecting at least one of a direction and a position of a subject, and a detecting device for the subject detected by the detecting device. Control means for controlling the moving means based on at least one of the information on the direction and the position, and causing the camera to track and photograph the subject when the subject moves. 6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the detecting means detects at least one of the direction and the position of the target based on light, radio waves or sound having predetermined frequency or code information emitted from the subject. Head device.