JP2007158680A - Tracking imaging apparatus and tracking imaging system utilizing it - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tracking imaging apparatus capable of performing photographing without missing even important information present in the background of an object and photographing video images easily visible for a viewer, and a tracking imaging system utilizing it. <P>SOLUTION: The tracking imaging apparatus comprises: an object detection part 202 for detecting the position of the object from an image for which a part within a specified reference viewing angle is photographed; a gesture detection part 203 for detecting a position where a specified gesture indicating an optional place by the object is performed; a graphic detection part 205 for detecting the position of an indication region which is a region where meaningful information indicated by the gesture is gathered; and an image segmentation part 209 for extracting a display viewing angle for which the center of the specified position of the object and the position of the indication region is the centroid from the photographed image. The images of the object and the important information present in the background of the object are obtained. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a tracking imaging apparatus that detects and tracks a specific subject and a tracking imaging system using the tracking imaging apparatus.

  In recent years, universities and prep schools have conducted remote lectures in which students in remote locations receive and view videos of lecture scenes via satellite or the Internet. In particular, the demand for lifelong learning has increased as recent lifelong learning has become more prominent.

  Conventional distance lectures are large-scale programs that are expensive and time-consuming, such as those that are conducted in program programs created by TV broadcast production companies, satellite lectures that are conducted by major prep schools using satellite links, etc. In recent years, however, it has become possible to distribute lecture scenes taken by the Internet at low cost and easily to students due to the widespread use of the Internet and broadband connection lines.

  When shooting these remote lecture videos, the instructor can move freely or use materials and equipment (hereinafter referred to as “lecture information”) on the blackboard or screen. Operations such as panning, tilting and zooming functions that change the orientation of the imaging device are required. However, these functional operations are performed manually, and it takes time and effort. At this time, if you shoot a wide area so that the lecturer and lecture information are all within the angle of view, it will not take time to operate, but the details of the lecture information will be difficult to see on the screen. It is necessary to change and shoot.

  Techniques for automating such pan, tilt and zoom functions are described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a center of gravity of a target detected by a wide-angle camera by arranging a wide-angle camera that accommodates all areas to be photographed such as a platform and a tracking camera that has a drive unit and tracks a target (subject). Describes a technique for zooming and shooting with a tracking camera so that is at the center of the angle of view.

  With the technique of this patent document 1, since the camera automatically recognizes a subject such as an instructor, it is possible to photograph an enlarged subject while greatly reducing human labor.

  Also, in Patent Document 2, several shots (shooting angle of view) are registered in advance, and shots in which the subject is within the shooting angle of view are registered based on the barycentric coordinates of the subject detected by shooting. A technique for selecting from shots and shooting with the shots is described.

According to the technique of Patent Document 2, it is possible to automatically shoot and shoot a subject with an easy-to-view image while minimizing camera operation.
JP 2004-28979 A JP 2001-160916 A

  However, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses two cameras, a wide-angle camera and a tracking camera, and thus has a problem that the system becomes large and the setting is complicated. Also, with this technique, tracking is performed by a tracking camera so that the center of gravity of the subject is at the center of the screen, so it is suitable for monitoring cameras and the like where it is important to clearly show the subject. However, there is a problem that the lecture information in the background of the instructor recognized as the subject like the lecture is also important information, but may not be suitable for photographing.

  In addition, since the technique of Patent Document 2 performs shooting at a pre-registered shooting angle of view, when the instructor moves dynamically or is near the boundary of different shooting angle of view, there is a slight overlap of the shooting angle of view. Even if it is considered as an overlap area, there is a problem that the shooting angle of view is frequently switched by a slight movement of the instructor, which may make it difficult for the student to view.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a tracking imaging device capable of capturing important information in the background of the subject without missing the image and capturing an easy-to-view video, and tracking imaging using the imaging device The purpose is to provide a system.

  In order to achieve the above object, a tracking imaging apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention tracks and photographs a person moving in a tracking shooting area as a first subject, and in an important background area in the tracking shooting area. And a camera unit that shoots the second subject, and the camera unit detects the first subject from an image obtained by photographing the inside of the tracking shooting area, and also detects the detected first subject. The subject detection unit that acquires the center-of-gravity position coordinates, the detected first subject detects a predetermined gesture indicating an arbitrary position in the important background area, and the position coordinates of the position pointed to by the detected gesture And a gesture detection unit for acquiring a second object based on the acquired position coordinates and a graphic detection for acquiring the center-of-gravity position coordinates of the detected second object. And an image cutout unit that extracts the first and second subject images from the captured image at a predetermined angle of view, with the midpoint coordinates of the center-of-gravity position coordinates of the acquired first and second subjects as the center of the angle of view. It is characterized by comprising.

  Moreover, Claim 2 is the tracking imaging device according to Claim 1, wherein the subject detection unit has a position of the center of gravity of the first subject detected from the first image extracted from the image cutout unit and the first image. If the distance from the center of gravity position coordinate of the first subject detected from the second image captured and extracted later is equal to or smaller than a preset movement allowable value, the angle of view of the second image is set to the angle of the first image. It is characterized by being configured to be the same as the corner.

  In addition, the tracking imaging device according to claim 3 shoots a person who moves in the tracking shooting area as a first subject, and shoots a second subject in an important background area in the tracking shooting area. A camera unit having pan, tilt, and zoom functions is provided. The camera unit detects a first subject from an image obtained by shooting the tracking shooting area, and the detected first subject. A subject detection unit that acquires the center-of-gravity position coordinates, a predetermined gesture in which the detected first subject indicates an arbitrary position in the important background area, and the position coordinates of the position indicated by the detected gesture And detecting the second subject based on the acquired position coordinates and acquiring the center-of-gravity position coordinates of the detected second subject The first and second imaging detection functions, and at least one shooting control function of pan, tilt, and zoom, with the midpoint coordinates of the center of gravity coordinates of the acquired first and second subjects as the center of the angle of view, And a camera control unit that controls the camera unit so as to capture an image of the second subject at a predetermined angle of view.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the tracking imaging device according to the third aspect, the subject detection unit includes the coordinates of the center of gravity of the first subject detected from the first image captured by the camera unit under the control of the camera control unit, If the distance from the center of gravity position coordinate of the first subject detected from the second image captured and extracted after the first image is equal to or smaller than a preset movement allowable value, the angle of view of the second image is set to the first angle. It is characterized by being configured to have the same angle of view as one image.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the tracking imaging system tracks and photographs a person moving in the tracking shooting area as a first subject and also images a second subject in an important background area in the tracking shooting area. A tracking imaging device including a camera unit and a display terminal that displays an image captured by the camera unit are connected to each other via a network. A subject detection unit that detects a first subject from an image obtained by photographing and acquires the center-of-gravity position coordinates of the detected first subject, and an arbitrary position in the important background area where the detected first subject is detected A gesture detection unit that detects a predetermined gesture indicating the position and acquires the position coordinates of the position pointed to by the detected gesture, and the acquired position coordinates Based on the figure detection unit that detects the second subject based on the detected position and obtains the center-of-gravity position coordinates of the detected second subject and the midpoint coordinates of the obtained center-of-gravity position coordinates of the first and second subjects. And a communication control unit for sending out the extracted image to the network, and a display terminal including an image cutout unit that extracts the first and second subject images from the captured image at a predetermined angle of view. A communication control unit that receives an image transmitted from the tracking imaging device and an output unit that displays and outputs the received image are provided.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the tracking imaging system tracks a person moving in the tracking shooting area as a first subject and shoots a second subject in an important background area in the tracking shooting area. A tracking imaging device including a camera unit having pan, tilt, and zoom functions and a display terminal that displays an image captured by the camera unit are respectively connected via a network. A camera unit detects a first subject from an image obtained by imaging the tracking shooting area, and a subject detection unit that acquires the coordinates of the center of gravity of the detected first subject, and the detected first subject Detects a predetermined gesture that points to an arbitrary position in the important background area and obtains the position coordinates of the position pointed to by the detected gesture. While detecting a 2nd subject based on the acquired position coordinate, the figure detection part which acquires the gravity center position coordinate of this detected 2nd subject, and the acquired 1st and 2nd subject's A camera that captures images of the first and second subjects at a predetermined angle of view by using at least one shooting control function among pan, tilt, and zoom with the center point coordinate of each barycentric position coordinate as the center of the angle of view. And a communication control unit for sending the captured image to the network, and the display terminal is received by the communication control unit for receiving the image sent from the tracking imaging device. And an output unit for displaying and outputting the displayed image.

  According to the tracking imaging apparatus of the present invention and the tracking imaging system using the tracking imaging apparatus, it is possible to capture important information in the background of the subject without fail, and to capture a video that is easy to view and effective in grasping the contents such as a lecture. can do.

<< First Embodiment >>
The tracking imaging device according to the first embodiment of the present invention captures a video of a lecture for use in a remote lecture and cuts and displays an angle of view centered on the detected subject.

<Configuration of Tracking Imaging Device according to First Embodiment>
The configuration of the tracking imaging device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a tracking imaging apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a space where shooting is performed by the tracking imaging apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an area where shooting is actually performed in the space of FIG.

  The tracking imaging device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a camera unit 10 that captures images with a reference angle of view 301 that includes all the texts in which lectures in the space 30 are performed, and a control terminal 20 that processes the images captured by the camera unit 10. Have.

  The camera unit 10 is capable of shooting a person (first subject) and shooting a video with a resolution higher than that of a lecture video that is actually displayed on a monitor or the like. Shooting is performed at a resolution that allows the user to recognize the lecture information (second subject) such as the materials displayed on the screen and the necessary equipment.

  The control terminal 20 includes a preset unit 201, a subject detection unit 202, a gesture detection unit 203, a camera control unit 204, a graphic detection unit 205, a display unit 206, an input unit 207, a storage device 208, an image, A cutout unit 209, a scaling unit 210, and a control unit 211 are included.

  The preset unit 201 sets a tracking area 302 for detecting and tracking a subject, sets an important background area 303 including lecture information in the tracking area 302, and displays a lecture scene on a monitor or screen such as a remote place. Display angle of view, which is a range in which a subject and a target portion such as an instruction area described later are cut out from the captured image, and a display size that is actually scaled and displayed on a monitor Performs initial settings including angle of view settings.

  The subject detection unit 202 detects the first subject that has entered the tracking area 302 in the image obtained by photographing the designated area, and specifies the position of the detected first subject.

  The gesture detection unit 203 detects a specific gesture indicating an arbitrary place in the important background area 303 by the detected first subject, and acquires the position coordinates of the position indicated by the detected gesture.

  The camera control unit 204 controls activation of the camera unit 10, start and stop of photographing, and the like.

  The figure detection unit 205 uses, as an instruction area, an area in which meaningful information indicated by the gesture is gathered from lecture information necessary for the user in the important background area 303 from the position where the specified gesture is performed. In addition to detection, the center-of-gravity position coordinates of the designated area are acquired.

  The display unit 206 displays the captured video for confirmation.

  The input unit 207 inputs commands such as settings made by the preset unit 201 and start / stop of shooting.

  The storage device 208 records the settings made by the preset unit 201 and the captured video data.

  The image cutout unit 209 extracts a display field angle including necessary information such as a portion where the subject 304 and the instruction area are reflected from the captured image at a predetermined field angle from the captured frame image of the reference field angle 301.

  The scaling unit 210 adjusts the image size of the clipped display angle of view when the display angle of view cut out by the image cutout unit 209 is different from the display angle of view set by the preset unit 201.

  The control unit 211 controls the preset unit 201 to the scaling unit 210 described above.

<Operation of Tracking Imaging Device According to First Embodiment>
The operation of the tracking imaging apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

  First, an initial setting operation performed by the preset unit 201 of the control terminal 20 will be described with reference to FIG.

  A camera unit 10 is installed in an area in which a subject 30 is to be detected and tracked, such as a classroom shown in FIG. The corner 301 is set as shown in FIG. 3 (S401).

  Next, an area where subject detection and tracking are performed within the reference angle of view 301 in FIG. 3 is set as the tracking area 302 (S402).

  Next, an area including lecture information in the set tracking area 302 is set as the important background area 303 (S403).

  Furthermore, this is the angle of view when this lecture landscape is displayed on a monitor or screen at a remote location, etc., and the display angle of view that is the range to cut out the detected object and target area, etc., and the resolution at the time of display Is set (S404). At this time, the display angle of view is set so that the resolution size of the camera is satisfied.

  Further, the moving distance between the position of the subject detected in the first image, which is an image from which the display angle of view has been cut out, and the position of the subject detected in the second image taken after the first image is predetermined. When the value is less than the value (movement allowable value), the movement allowable amount of the subject is set so that the display angle of view does not change. This is because if the display angle of view frequently changes due to a small amount of movement of the subject, the image becomes difficult for the viewer to see. The allowable movement amount is determined by a set value based on an assumed operation speed and movement amount of the subject.

  These initial settings in steps S401 to S404 are performed by the input unit 207 and stored in the storage device 208.

  Next, lecture shooting operations performed by the camera unit 10 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, when the camera unit 10 is activated by the camera control unit 204 of the control terminal 20 (“Yes” in S410), the photographing process (A) is performed according to the flowchart of FIG. 6 (S411). The photographing process (A) in FIG. 6 will be described.

  When the camera unit 10 is activated, first, shooting of the reference field angle 301 is started (S412). Here, the entire reference field angle 301 is set as the display field angle (S413), and the subject 304 is detected in the tracking area 302 by the subject detection unit 202 (S414).

  While there is no one in the tracking area 302 and the subject is not detected by the subject detection unit 202 (“No” in S414), the process returns to step S413 and the entire reference angle of view 301 is set as the display angle of view. An image taken in accordance with a save process (B) described later is saved in the storage device 208.

  When the subject 304 enters the tracking area 302 and the subject detection unit 202 detects the subject 304 (“Yes” in S414), the position 304A of the subject 304 and the gravity center position 305A of the subject 304 are obtained (S415). .

  Next, the gesture detection unit 203 detects a specific gesture by the subject 304 (S416). The specific gesture referred to here is an operation in which the subject 304 points to a certain part in the important background, and is detected based on the shape, moving direction, movement method, dwell time, etc. of arms, fingers, and pointing sticks. .

  When the gesture detection unit 203 has not detected a specific gesture of the subject 304 (“No” in S416), the gesture detection unit 203 displays the position including the subject 304 so that the center of gravity 305A of the subject 304 at the subject position 304A is centered. The angle of view 306A is set (S417).

  The image of the set display angle of view 306A is subjected to storage processing (B) according to the flowchart of FIG. 7 (S418). The storage process (B) in FIG. 7 will be described.

  First, the set display angle of view 306A is cut out from the reference angle of view by the image cutout unit 209 (S419).

  When the image size T (Tx, Ty) of the cut out display angle of view 306A is larger than the image size D (Dx, Dy) of the display angle of view set in advance by default (S420 (1)), the scaling unit In 210, the image of the display angle of view 306A is reduced to the maximum size satisfying (Tx ≦ Dx) ∩ (Ty ≦ Dy) (S421).

  Further, when the image size T (Tx, Ty) of the clipped display angle of view 306A is smaller than the image size D (Dx, Dy) of the display angle of view set in advance by default (S420 (3)), In the scaling unit 210, the image of the display angle of view 306A is enlarged to the maximum size satisfying (Tx ≦ Dx) ∩ (Ty ≦ Dy) (S422).

  When the image size T (Tx, Ty) of the cut out display angle of view 306A is the same as the image size D (Dx, Dy) of the display angle of view set in the initial setting in advance ((2) of S420) No scaling is done for reduction or enlargement.

  An image in a state where the image of the display angle of view 306A is scaled to the image size of the preset display angle of view is shown in FIG. In FIG. 9, the gravity center position 305A of the subject 304 is located at the center of the display angle of view 306A.

  The image of the display angle of view 306A scaled to a predetermined size is stored in the storage device 208 (S423). Thus, the storage process (B) ends.

  When the storage process (B) ends, the detection of the subject 304 in the tracking area 302 is continued (S424). If the subject 304 has not been detected ("No" in S424), the process returns to step S413 to return to the reference image. The entire corner 301 is set as the display angle of view, and the processing after step S414 is performed.

  When the subject 304 is detected in step S424, it is determined whether the subject 304 has moved (S425). As a result of the determination, if the subject 304 has moved (“Yes” in S425), it is determined whether or not the moving distance is within the allowable movement range set in the preset unit 201 (S426).

  As a result of the determination, if the moving distance of the subject 304 exceeds the allowable movement range (“No” in S426), the process returns to step S415, and the moved subject position 304B and the subject are moved as shown in FIG. The center-of-gravity position 305B is obtained, and the processing after step S416 is performed. At this time, the display angle of view 306B is cut out as an image at a position where the center of gravity 305B of the subject 304 is centered.

  If it is determined in step S425 that the subject 304 has not moved (“No” in S425), and if it is determined in step S426 that the subject movement distance is within the set allowable movement range (in S426). "Yes") returns to step S416, and the gesture detection unit 203 detects a specific gesture by the subject 304.

  A case where a specific gesture 307 by the subject 304 is detected by the gesture detection unit 203 in step S416 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12 (“Yes” in S416).

  When a specific gesture 307 by the subject 304 is detected, it is determined whether or not the detection position of the gesture 307 is within the important background area 303 (S427).

  As a result of the determination, if it is determined that the current position is within the important background area 303 (“Yes” in S427), the figure detection unit 205 detects the pointing area 308 pointed to by the gesture 307 from the important background area 303. (S428).

  Next, the center of gravity position 309 of the detected indication area 308 is obtained (S429), and the center position between the center of gravity position 305C of the subject 304 and the center of gravity position 309 of the indication area 308 is obtained.

  The center position between the gravity center position 305C of the subject 304 and the gravity center position 309 of the instruction area 308 is set as the gravity center position 310, and the angle of view including the subject 304 and the instruction area 308 is set as the display angle of view 306D (S430).

  As described above, the set display angle of view 306D is stored (B) according to the flowchart of FIG. 7 (S418).

  With these processes, before the gesture 307 is detected in FIG. 10, the display angle of view 306C with the center of gravity 305C as the center of gravity is cut out based on only the subject 304 as in FIG. When the gesture 307 is detected, the display angle of view 306D is cut out with the barycentric position 310 obtained based on the subject 304 and the pointing area 308 as the barycentric position, and the image displayed on the monitor is switched as shown in FIG.

  If it is determined in step S427 that the detected position of the detected gesture 307 is not within the important background area 303 (“No” in S427), the process proceeds to step 417, where the subject at the subject position 304C including the subject 304 is obtained. The display angle of view 306C is set at a position such that the center of gravity position 305C of 304 is centered.

  The above photographing process (A) is repeatedly executed while the lecture scene is being photographed. When the user performs an operation of stopping photographing (“Yes” in S431), the photographing process (A) is performed. An interrupt signal for instructing the stop is transmitted (S432), and the camera control unit 204 stops shooting of the camera unit 10, and the control terminal 20 also stops a series of detection operations and shooting operations.

  When the user does not perform an operation to stop shooting (“No” in S431), the shooting process (A) is continuously performed.

  According to the tracking imaging device according to the first embodiment described above, it is possible to reliably capture the subject and important information in the background of the subject without missing, and the important information is captured at a recognizable resolution. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an effective video for understanding the lecture contents.

<< Second Embodiment >>
The tracking imaging system according to the second embodiment of the present invention is a remote lecture in which a student at a remote location receives and views videos such as a lecture taken using the tracking imaging apparatus according to the first embodiment via a network. It is used for.

<Configuration of Tracking Imaging System According to Second Embodiment>
The configuration of the tracking system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the tracking system according to the present embodiment, which includes the tracking imaging device 2, the network 3, and the display terminal 4 connected to the tracking imaging device 2 via the network 3. ing.

  Since the main configuration of the tracking imaging device 2 is the same as the configuration of the tracking imaging device 1 in the first embodiment, detailed description thereof is omitted. The difference from the tracking imaging apparatus 1 is that it includes a voice input unit 11 that records lecture audio and a communication control unit 212 that is provided in the control terminal 20 and communicates with the display terminal 4 via the network 3. The voice input unit 11 is a pin microphone or a sound collecting microphone attached to a subject, that is, a lecturer.

  As the network 3, an Internet network, a public network, a satellite line, a TV line, and the like can be used.

  The display terminal 4 includes a communication control unit 41, an output unit 42, an input unit 43, a storage device 44, and a control unit 45.

  The communication control unit 41 communicates with the control terminal 20 via the network 3.

  The output unit 42 includes a video display device such as a screen and a monitor for reproducing content, and an audio output device such as a speaker.

  The input unit 43 is used when the user operates the output unit 42 and the entire display terminal.

  The storage device 44 stores data such as necessary settings and contents.

  The control unit 45 controls the communication control unit 41 to the storage device 44 described above.

<Operation of Tracking Imaging System According to Second Embodiment>
The operation of the tracking imaging system according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 4 to 6, 14 and 15.

  In the present embodiment, while the lecture is photographed, the image photographed by the camera unit 10 is subjected to photographing processing according to the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6 after the initial setting of FIG. 4 is performed as in the first embodiment. It is assumed that (A) is continuously performed and the voice of the lecture input from the voice input unit 11 is continuously collected.

  With reference to FIG. 14, a description will be given of a distribution process of content that is video captured by the tracking imaging device 2 and collected audio.

  First, it is determined whether or not the content shot and collected by the control terminal 20 is distributed in real time (S501). If it is determined not to be distributed in real time (“No” in S507), the content is stored in the storage device 208 (S502). Saving is continued until shooting is completed.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the stored content is to be distributed. When it is determined that the content is to be distributed (“Yes” in S503), the distribution destination display terminal 4 is designated (S504). At this time, when the distribution is performed using the Internet as the network 3, the display terminal 4 as the distribution destination is designated using an IP address or the like, and if necessary, a predetermined communication procedure is performed with the display terminal 4. Connection is confirmed. The distribution destination display terminal 4 may be set in advance before the content is photographed. In addition, when the distribution is broadcast transmission where the other party is unspecified, such as a television broadcast, a specific other party is not designated, but a predetermined distribution procedure necessary for broadcasting is performed.

  With these communication preparations completed, distribution of content from the communication control unit 212 of the tracking imaging device 2 to the display terminal 4 is started via the network 3 (S505).

  The distribution of the content is continued until the distribution of the content is completed or until the scene that needs the distribution (“No” in S506 and S507), and the distribution process ends when the necessary distribution is completed (“Yes” in S507).

  If the content stored in step S503 is not distributed here and is separately distributed later ("No" in S503), the process ends.

  If it is determined in step S501 that delivery is performed in real time (“Yes” in S501), the delivery destination is specified and confirmed in the same manner as in step S504 (S508).

  Here, if it is necessary to save the content (“Yes” in S509), the content is saved (S510), and then distribution of the content from the communication control unit 212 of the tracking imaging device 2 to the display terminal 4 is started via the network 3. (S505).

  While the lecture is being photographed, the content distribution is continued (S506). When the lecture photographing is completed, the distribution and storage of the content (if “Yes” in S509) is stopped and the distribution is completed ( S507), the content distribution process is terminated.

  Next, content reception processing in the display terminal 4 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the display terminal 4 is waiting to receive content (“No” in S601 and S602), and when the desired content is received by the communication control unit 41 via the network 3 (“Yes” in S602). ") The process is started.

  When the desired content is received, it is first determined whether the content is streaming or a file format (S603).

  When the content is streaming ((1) in S603), the content received by the control unit 45 is converted into a reproducible format, and then output from the output unit 42 and reproduced and displayed (S604). This content conversion and output is continued until the content reception is completed (“No” in S605).

  When the reception of the content is completed (“Yes” in S605), the reproduction and display of the content from the output unit 42 are stopped (S606), and the process ends.

  When the content received in step S603 is in a file format (S603 (2)), the content is stored in the storage device 44 (S607). This content storage is continued until the content reception is completed (“No” in S608).

  When the reception of the content is completed (“Yes” in S608), if the content is to be played immediately (“Yes” in S609), the content is converted into a playable format and then output from the output unit 42 for playback. It is displayed (S610). This content conversion and output is continuously performed until the content reproduction is completed (“No” in S611).

  When the reproduction of the content is completed (“Yes” in S611), the reproduction and display of the content from the output unit 42 are stopped, and the process ends.

  If the content is not immediately played back in step S609, the process is terminated ("No" in S609).

  Even when received by streaming, if storage is performed, the content is stored in the storage device 44 and simultaneously reproduced and displayed.

  Here, an example in which content is actively distributed from the tracking imaging device 2 has been shown, but if necessary, a distribution request for desired content is made from the input unit 43 of the display terminal 4 to the control terminal 20 of the tracking imaging device 2. You may make it receive from the tracking imaging device 2. FIG.

  According to the tracking imaging control system according to the second embodiment described above, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the first embodiment, and to distribute the content photographed to a remote place via the network.

<< Third Embodiment >>
The tracking imaging system according to the third embodiment of the present invention displays a subject and an instruction area as separate videos when displaying a video of a lecture or the like taken using the tracking imaging system according to the second embodiment. Used for distance lectures.

<Configuration of Tracking Imaging System according to Third Embodiment>
Since the configuration of the tracking imaging system according to this embodiment is the same as that of the second embodiment, detailed description thereof is omitted.

<Operation of Tracking Imaging System According to Third Embodiment>
The operation of the tracking imaging system according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 16 to 25.

  First, content distribution processing that is video captured by the tracking imaging apparatus 2 and collected sound will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, an initial setting operation performed by the preset unit 201 of the control terminal 20 will be described with reference to FIG.

  A camera unit 10 is installed in an area in which a subject 30 is to be detected and tracked, such as a classroom shown in FIG. The corner 301 is set as shown in FIG. 3 (S701).

  Next, an area where the subject is detected and tracked within the reference angle of view 301 in FIG. 3 is set as the tracking area 302 (S702).

  Next, an area including lecture information in the set tracking area 302 is set as the important background area 303 (S703).

  Furthermore, the angle of view when the lecture scenery is displayed on a monitor or screen such as a remote place, and a first display angle of view, which is a range where the image is cut out with the detected subject as the center, and an image centered on the indication area are displayed. A second display angle of view that is a range to be clipped, a first display angle of view that is a resolution when the subject is displayed, and a second display angle of view that is the resolution when the instruction area is displayed are set (S704). .

  Here, as for the first display angle of view, the region 312 (Hx, Hy) is centered on the center of gravity position 311 of the region to be displayed from the detected subject 304 (the entire body or the face, head, etc.) as shown in FIG. A frame region portion of hx in the horizontal direction and hy in the vertical direction is added so that the subject is always displayed at the same ratio with respect to the first display angle of view. Here, the angle of view that results in a bust shot is the first display angle of view 313 (X1, Y1).

  As for the second display angle of view, an area 308 (Sx, Sy) is extracted around the center of gravity position 309 of the detected indication area as shown in FIG. Sx in the horizontal direction and sy in the vertical direction are added so that they are always displayed at the same ratio. In this way, the second display angle of view 314 (X2, Y2) is set.

  Since the aspect ratio of the instruction area is not constant, sx and sy may be set and stored so that a plurality of values can be changed according to the detected aspect ratio. Alternatively, sx and sy may be obtained by calculation in accordance with the aspect ratio.

  At this time, assuming that the resolution of the video captured by the camera unit 10 is (X, Y), the size of the first display field angle is (X1 ≦ X) ∩ (Y1 ≦ Y), and the second display field angle. The size is set so that the maximum size is (X2 ≦ X) ∩ (Y2 ≦ Y).

  Further, the allowable movement amount of the subject is set as in the first embodiment. These initial settings in steps S701 to S704 are performed by the input unit 207 and stored in the storage device 208.

  Next, a lecture shooting operation performed by the camera unit 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 17.

  First, as in the first embodiment, when the camera unit 10 is activated by the camera control unit 204 of the control terminal 20 (“Yes” in S410), shooting processing (C) is performed according to the flowchart of FIG. 17 (S411). . The imaging process (C) in FIG. 17 will be described.

  When the camera unit 10 is activated, first, photographing of the reference field angle 301 is started (S801). Here, the entire reference field angle 301 is set as the first display field angle and the second display field angle (S802), and the subject detection unit 202 detects the subject 304 in the tracking area 302 (S803).

  When there is no one in the tracking area 302 and the subject detection unit 202 does not detect the subject (“No” in S803), the process returns to step S802, and the entire reference angle of view 301 is the same as the first display angle of view and the second view angle. And the image shot in accordance with the storage process (B) as in the first embodiment is stored in the storage device 208 (S804).

  At this time, when the image size set as the first display field angle or the second display field angle and cut out is different from each display field angle size preset by the preset unit 201, the same size is obtained. In addition, the image cut out as the first display field angle or the second display field angle in the scaling unit 210 is enlarged or reduced.

  FIG. 20 shows a state where the image adjusted in this way is output to the monitor. In FIG. 20, an image 315 is an image of a reference angle of view 301 cut out as a first display angle of view set in advance, and an image 316 is an image of the reference angle of view 301 cut out as a second display angle of view. is there.

  A case where a subject enters the tracking area 302 will be described with reference to FIG.

  When the subject 304 enters the tracking area 302 and is detected by the subject detection unit 202 (“Yes” in S803), the position 304A of the subject 304 and the gravity center position 305A of the subject 304 are obtained (S805).

  Next, the display angle of view 306A is set as the first display angle of view based on the determined barycentric position 305A of the subject 304 and is cut out (S806). Here, the second display angle of view remains the reference angle of view 301, and the image 317 of the display angle of view 306A extracted as the first display angle of view at this time and the second display angle of view are extracted. FIG. 22 shows a state where the image 318 having the reference angle of view 301 is output to the monitor.

  Next, the gesture detection unit 203 detects a specific gesture by the subject 304 (S807).

When the gesture detection unit 203 has not detected a specific gesture of the subject 304 (“No” in S807), the storage process (B) is performed according to the flowchart of FIG. (S804)
When the storage process (B) is completed, the detection of the subject 304 in the tracking area 302 is continued (S812). If the subject 304 is not detected ("No" in S812), the process returns to step S802 to return to the reference image. The corner 301 is set as the first display field angle and the second display field angle, and the processes after step S803 are performed.

  When the subject 304 is detected in step S812, it is determined whether or not the subject 304 has moved (S813). As a result of the determination, if the subject 304 has moved (“Yes” in S813), it is determined whether or not the moving distance is within the allowable movement range set in the preset unit 201 (S814).

  As a result of the determination, if the moving distance of the subject 304 exceeds the allowable movement range (“No” in S814), the process returns to step S805, and the position 304B of the moved subject 304 and the subject as shown in FIG. The barycentric position 305B of 304 is obtained, and the processing after step S806 is performed. At this time, the display angle of view 306B is cut out as the first display angle of view at the position where the center of gravity 305B of the subject 304 is centered.

  If it is determined in step S813 that the subject 304 has not moved ("No" in S813), and if it is determined in step S814 that the moving distance of the subject 304 is within the set allowable movement range (S814). "Yes") returns to step S806, and the gesture detection unit 203 detects a specific gesture by the subject 304.

  A case where the gesture detection unit 203 detects a specific gesture 307 by the subject 304 in step S807 will be described with reference to FIGS. 23 to 25 (“Yes” in S807).

  When a specific gesture 307 by the subject 304 is detected, it is determined whether or not the detection position of the gesture 307 is within the important background area 303 (S808).

  As a result of the determination, if it is determined that it is in the important background area 303 (“Yes” in S808), the figure detection unit 205 detects the pointing area 308 pointed to by the gesture 307 from the important background area 303. (S809).

  Next, the barycentric position 309 of the detected indication area 308 is obtained (S810), and the display angle of view 319 including the indication area 308 and based on the barycentric position 309 of the indication area 308 is used as the second display angle of view. It is set and cut out (S811).

  The display angle of view 319 set as the second display angle of view is stored (B) according to the flowchart of FIG. 7 as described above (S804).

  Through these processes, before the gesture 307 is detected in FIG. 23, the display field angle 306C having the center of gravity 305C as the center of gravity is cut out as the first display field angle based on the position 304C of the subject 304 as in FIG. The reference angle of view 301 is cut out as the second display angle of view and displayed as the image 317 and the image 318 in FIG. 22, but the center of gravity obtained based on the indication region 308 when the gesture 307 is detected. The display angle of view 319 with the position 309 as the center of gravity is cut out as the second display angle of view, and the images displayed on the monitor are switched as shown by an image 320 and an image 321 in FIG.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 23, when the position 304C of the subject 304 is moved to the position 304D, the angle of view cut out as the first display angle of view is moved from the display angle of view 306C to the display angle of view 306D. The second display angle of view is maintained until the next gesture is performed, and the display angle of view 319 centered on the designated area 308 pointed to by the subject 304 immediately before is displayed. Is continuously displayed and displayed as an image 323.

  The above photographing process (C) is repeatedly performed while the lecture scenery is photographed, and when the user performs an operation of stopping photographing by the input unit 207, the flowchart of FIG. 5 is performed as in the first embodiment. Based on this, an interruption signal instructing the photographing process (C) to stop is transmitted (S432), and the camera control unit 204 stops photographing of the camera unit 10, and the control terminal 20 also stops a series of detection operations and photographing operations. Is done.

  The photographed content is transmitted to the display terminal 4 according to the flowchart of FIG. 14 as in the second embodiment, and the image cut out as the first display angle of view image by the control unit 45 of the display terminal 4 and the second image are displayed. The image cut out as the display angle of view is synchronized and output to the output unit 42.

  According to the third embodiment described above, an image having the first display angle of view and two images cut out as the second display angle of view are displayed, so that an instruction can be given while detecting and tracking the moving object at any time. The area can be separately displayed at a fixed angle of view, and an easy-to-view video can be created without missing the subject and the instruction area.

  In the present embodiment, the first display field angle and the second display field angle are set based on the position of the center of gravity of the area to be detected (detected). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an easy-to-view video is created. Therefore, if the position calculated for this purpose is the center position, a position other than the center of gravity position may be used as a reference.

<< 4th Embodiment >>
The tracking imaging apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention captures a video of a lecture for use in a remote lecture and performs panning, tilting, and zooming processing with the detected subject as a center and displays the video.

<Configuration of Tracking Imaging Device according to Fourth Embodiment>
A configuration of the tracking imaging device 5 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 26 to 33.

  FIG. 26 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the tracking imaging device 5 according to the present embodiment.

  The tracking imaging device 5 according to the present embodiment includes a camera unit 10 that captures images at a reference angle of view 301 that includes all the texts in which lectures in the space 30 are performed, and a control terminal 20 that processes video captured by the camera unit 10. Have.

  The camera unit 10 includes a drive unit 101 that performs panning, tilting, and zooming processing (hereinafter referred to as “PTZ”) at an arbitrary position within a range of an angle of view that can be captured by control from the control terminal 20. Further, the camera unit 10 stores the current position and zoom ratio with the stepping motor even if the angle of view changes due to PTZ, and stores which range within the angle of view is currently captured. .

  The control terminal 20 includes a preset unit 201, a subject detection unit 202, a gesture detection unit 203, a camera control unit 204, a display unit 206, an input unit 207, a storage device 208, and a graphic detection unit 213. .

  Since the functions of the preset unit 201, the subject detection unit 202, the gesture detection unit 203, the display unit 206, the input unit 207, and the storage device 208 are the same as those in the first to third embodiments, detailed description thereof is omitted. .

  The camera control unit 204 controls the PTZ of the camera so that the subject and the instruction area are within the shooting angle of view.

  The figure detection unit 213 uses, as an instruction area, an area in which meaningful information indicated by the gesture is gathered from lecture information necessary for the user in the important background area 303 from the position where the specified gesture is performed. recognize.

<Operation of Tracking Imaging Device according to Fourth Embodiment>
The operation of the tracking imaging device 5 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 2, 3, 5, 27, and 28.

  First, an initial setting operation performed by the preset unit 201 of the control terminal 20 will be described with reference to FIG.

  A camera unit 10 is installed in an area in which a subject 30 is to be detected and tracked, such as a classroom shown in FIG. The corner 301 is set as shown in FIG. 3 (S901).

  Next, an area where subject detection and tracking are performed within the reference angle of view 301 in FIG. 3 is set as the tracking area 302 (S902).

  Next, an area including lecture information in the set tracking area 302 is set as the important background area 303 (S903).

  Further, the allowable movement amount of the subject is set as in the first embodiment. The initial settings in steps S901 to S903 are performed by the input unit 207 and stored in the storage device 208.

  Next, a lecture shooting operation performed by the camera unit 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5, 8, and 28 to 32.

  First, when the camera unit 10 is activated by the camera control unit 204 of the control terminal 20 (“Yes” in S410), shooting processing (D) is performed according to the flowchart of FIG. 28 (S411). The imaging process (D) in FIG. 28 will be described.

  When the camera unit 10 is activated, first, photographing of the reference field angle 301 is started (S911). Here, the entire reference angle of view 301 is set as the display angle of view, and the subject detection unit 202 detects the subject 304 within the tracking area 302 (S912).

  While no one is present in the tracking area 302 and the subject is not detected by the subject detection unit 202 (“No” in S912), the process returns to step S911 and the entire reference angle of view 301 is set as the display angle of view. The captured image is stored in the storage device 208 (S913).

  When the subject 304 enters the tracking area 302 and the subject detection unit 202 detects the subject 304 (“Yes” in S912), the position of the subject 304 and the gravity center position 305 of the subject 304 are obtained (S914).

  Next, the gesture detection unit 203 detects a specific gesture by the subject 304 (S915).

  When a specific gesture of the subject 304 is not detected in the gesture detection unit 203 (“No” in S915), the camera control unit 204 includes the subject 304 and a position where the center of gravity 305 of the subject 304 is centered. The drive unit 101 is controlled, and the shooting angle of view is set as shown in FIG. 29 by the PTZ function (S916).

  The image with the set shooting angle of view is stored in the storage device 208 (S913). When the saving process ends, it is determined whether or not the subject 304 has moved within the tracking area 302 (S917).

  As a result of the determination, if the subject 304 has moved (“Yes” in S917), it is determined whether or not the moving distance is within the allowable movement range set in the preset unit 201 (S918).

  As a result of the determination, if the moving distance of the subject 304 exceeds the allowable movement range (“No” in S918), the process returns to step S914, and the moved subject position and the subject gravity center position are obtained. The process after S915 is performed.

  If it is determined in step S917 that the subject 304 has not moved (“No” in S917), and if it is determined in step S918 that the moving distance of the subject is within the set allowable movement range (in S918). “Yes”) returns to step S 915, and the gesture detection unit 203 detects a specific gesture by the subject 304.

  A case where a specific gesture 307 by the subject 304 is detected by the gesture detection unit 203 in step S915 will be described with reference to FIGS. 30 to 32 (“Yes” in S915).

  When a specific gesture 307 by the subject 304 is detected, it is determined whether or not the detection position of the gesture 307 is within the important background area 303 (S919).

  As a result of the determination, if it is determined that it is in the important background area 303 (“Yes” in S919), the figure detection unit 213 detects the instruction area 308 pointed to by the gesture 307 from the important background area 303. (S920).

  Next, if the entire important background area 303 is included in the shooting angle of view at this time, or if the pointing area 308 is within the shooting angle of view at this time (“Yes” in S921), the center of gravity of the pointing area 308 The position 309 is obtained (S922), and the center position between the gravity center position 305 of the subject 304 and the gravity center position 309 of the indication area 308 is obtained.

  The center position of the center of gravity position 305 of the subject 304 and the center of gravity position 309 of the instruction area 308 is defined as the center of gravity position 310, and the drive unit 101 is controlled by the camera control unit 204. The shooting angle of view is changed so that the area 308 fits (S923).

  The changed shooting angle of view is stored in the storage device 208 (S913).

  If it is determined in step S921 that the instruction area 308 includes the end of the shooting angle of view and is not within the shooting angle of view (“No” in S921), the camera with the subject 304 included is included. The driving unit 101 is controlled by the control unit 204, and the shooting angle of view is expanded in the direction of the shooting angle of view of the indication area 308 by the PTZ function, and the shooting angle of view is changed so that the entire indication area 308 is included (S924). ).

  For example, when the instruction area 308 does not fall within the shooting angle of view as shown in FIG. 31, it is determined that the instruction area 308 protrudes to the right end and includes the subject 304 and the instruction area 308 as shown in FIG. A certain amount of panning is performed on the right side, and a certain amount of zooming is performed so that the subject 304 and the pointing area 308 are not out of frame.

  Then, the process returns to step S921, and it is determined whether the instruction area 308 is within the shooting angle of view. The processes in steps S921 and S924 are repeated until the instruction area 308 is within the shooting angle of view.

  With these processes, before the gesture 307 is detected, the shooting angle of view with the center of gravity position 305 as the center of gravity is set based on only the subject 304 as shown in FIG. 29, but when the gesture 307 is detected, the subject 304 is detected. Then, the center of gravity position 310 obtained based on the instruction area 308 is changed to the photographing field angle with the center of gravity as the center of gravity, and the image displayed on the monitor is switched as shown in FIG.

  If it is determined in step S915 that the detected position of the detected gesture 307 is not within the important background area 303 (“No” in S919), the process proceeds to step S916, and the gravity center position of the subject 304 including the subject 304 is reached. The drive unit 101 is controlled by the camera control unit 204 at a position such that 305 is at the center, and the shooting angle of view is set by the PTZ function.

  The above photographing process (D) is repeatedly performed while the lecture scenery is photographed. When the user performs an operation to stop photographing using the input unit 207 (“Yes” in S431), the photographing process (D) is performed. An interrupt signal for instructing the stop is transmitted (S432), and the camera control unit 204 stops shooting of the camera unit 10, and the control terminal 20 also stops a series of detection operations and shooting operations.

  When the user does not perform an operation to stop shooting (“No” in S431), the shooting process (D) is continuously performed.

  According to the tracking imaging apparatus according to the fourth embodiment described above, the subject and important information in the background of the subject can be reliably captured without being missed, and the important information can be recognized using the zoom function. Because it is filmed in size, it is possible to obtain an effective video for understanding the content of the lecture.

<< 5th Embodiment >>
The tracking imaging system according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention is a remote lecture in which a student at a remote location receives and views a video of a lecture taken using the tracking imaging apparatus according to the fourth embodiment via a network. It is used for.

<Configuration of Tracking Imaging System According to Fifth Embodiment>
The configuration of the tracking system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 33 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the tracking system according to the present embodiment, which includes the tracking imaging device 6, the network 3, and the display terminal 4 connected to the tracking imaging device 6 via the network 3. ing.

  Since the main configuration of the tracking imaging device 6 is the same as the configuration of the tracking imaging device 5 in the fourth embodiment, detailed description thereof is omitted. The difference from the tracking imaging device 5 is that it has a voice input unit 11 that records lecture voices and a communication control unit 212 that is provided in the control terminal 20 and communicates with the display terminal 4 via the network 3. The voice input unit 11 is a pin microphone or a sound collecting microphone attached to a subject, that is, a lecturer.

  Since the configurations of the network 3 and the display terminal 4 are the same as those in the second embodiment, detailed description thereof is omitted.

<Operation of Tracking Imaging System According to Fifth Embodiment>
The operation of the tracking imaging system according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, while the lecture is being photographed, the image photographed by the camera unit 10 is continuously subjected to the photographing process (D) according to the flowchart of FIG. It is assumed that the lecture audio input from is continuously collected.

  Since the distribution processing of the content that is the video and the collected sound captured by the tracking imaging device 6 is the same as in the second embodiment, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  According to the tracking imaging control system according to the fifth embodiment described above, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the fourth embodiment, and to distribute the content photographed to a remote place via the network.

<< Other Embodiments >>
In the first to fifth embodiments described above, it is possible to perform processing in the following manner.

<Other Embodiments Regarding Gesture Detection>
In the first to fifth embodiments, the subject and its gesture are detected from the captured video, but the present invention is not limited to this. A touch sensor is installed in an important background area such as a blackboard, and the subject touches the blackboard. Sometimes the position that indicates the position is detected as the position where the gesture was made, and the pointing area can be further detected, or other position sensors can be used in combination to improve the detection accuracy of the subject or pointing area. Good.

<Other Embodiments Regarding Tracking>
In the video being shot in the first to fifth embodiments, the subject does not suddenly disappear in the middle of the tracking area, so the subject that has been detected in the image frame of the shot video is not detected yet. The tracking function does not immediately change the display angle of view to the reference angle of view, but if the subject is detected again within a few frames, it is assumed that it has been detected continuously and the tracking function is used to continue processing. May be. By using such a function, it is possible to prevent the display angle of view from changing frequently and to make the image easier to view.

<Other Embodiments Regarding Positions for Cutting Display Angle of View>
In the first to fifth embodiments, when the display angle of view is cut out from the captured frame image, the entire video of the reference angle of view captured by the camera unit 10 is transmitted to the control terminal 20, and the display image is displayed on the control terminal 20 side. Although the corner is cut out, the function of the cutout unit 209 is provided in the camera unit 10, and information such as the position coordinates of the portion to be cut out is transmitted from the camera control unit 204 to the camera unit 10. Only the display angle of view may be cut out in the camera unit 10 and transmitted to the control terminal 20.

  Also, the camera unit 10 is provided with functions such as the subject detection unit 202, the gesture detection unit 203, the figure detection unit 205, and the scaling unit 210 of the control terminal 20, and the camera unit 10 performs various detections to cut out the display angle of view. You may make it perform.

<Other Embodiments Regarding Center of Gravity Position and Center Position>
In the first to fifth embodiments, when no gesture is detected, the display angle of view is obtained from the center of gravity position of the subject. However, the display range of the subject is not limited to this, and a necessary portion is reflected. Any other angle of view may be used.

  In addition, when the gesture of the subject is detected, the center position of the display angle of view is obtained from the center of gravity position of the subject and the center of gravity of the indication area. However, the present invention is not limited to this. If the display angle of view is easy to see for the viewer, it may be a different angle of view, including the subject and the indication area, such as positioning the center of gravity of the indication area at the center of the display angle of view. .

<Other Embodiments Regarding Movement Allowance>
In the first to fifth embodiments, the allowable movement amount of the subject is set according to the subject's assumed operation speed and movement amount in advance, but is not limited to this. It is also possible to perform dynamic settings such as changing the allowable movement amount of the subject, the display angle of view of the subject or the instruction area, and the display angle of view size depending on the movement speed of the subject.

<Other Embodiments Regarding Storage Location of Captured Video>
In the first to fifth embodiments, the captured video data is recorded in the storage device 208 in the tracking imaging device. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a communication means (not shown) is provided in the control terminal 20. The data may be recorded in another storage device via the communication unit. At this time, in the case of real-time distribution, video data is temporarily stored in a storage buffer (not shown) or is directly converted into a predetermined data format for distribution.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the tracking imaging device in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the space where imaging | photography is performed by the tracking imaging device in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the reference | standard view angle image | photographed with the tracking imaging device in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of the initial setting in the tracking imaging device in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of starting and a stop in the tracking imaging device in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of the imaging | photography process in the tracking imaging device in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of the preservation | save process in the tracking imaging device in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the image of the reference | standard angle of view image | photographed with the tracking imaging device in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic of the display angle of view centering on the to-be-photographed object from the image image | photographed with the tracking imaging device in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the image of the reference | standard angle of view image | photographed with the tracking imaging device in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic of the display angle of view centering on the to-be-photographed object from the image image | photographed with the tracking imaging device in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic of the display field angle centering on the to-be-photographed object and instruction | indication area | region cut out from the image image | photographed with the tracking imaging device in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the tracking imaging system in 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of the content delivery process in the tracking imaging system in 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of the content reception process in the tracking imaging system in 2nd Embodiment of this invention, and a display process. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of the initial setting in the tracking imaging system in 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of the imaging | photography process in the tracking imaging system in 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the to-be-photographed object detected in the tracking imaging system in 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the instruction | indication area | region detected in the tracking imaging system in 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the state by which the image image | photographed in the tracking imaging system in 3rd Embodiment of this invention was displayed. It is the schematic which shows the reference | standard angle of view image | photographed with the tracking imaging system in 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the state by which the image image | photographed in the tracking imaging system in 3rd Embodiment of this invention was displayed. It is the schematic which shows the reference | standard angle of view image | photographed with the tracking imaging system in 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the state by which the image image | photographed in the tracking imaging system in 3rd Embodiment of this invention was displayed. It is the schematic which shows the state by which the image image | photographed in the tracking imaging system in 3rd Embodiment of this invention was displayed. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the tracking imaging device in 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of the initial setting in the tracking imaging device in 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of the imaging | photography process in the tracking imaging device in 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic of the imaging | photography field angle centering on the to-be-photographed object image | photographed with the tracking imaging device in 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic of the imaging | photography field angle centering on the to-be-photographed object and instruction | indication area | region image | photographed with the tracking imaging device in 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic of the imaging | photography field angle centering on the to-be-photographed object image | photographed with the tracking imaging system in 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic of the imaging | photography field angle centering on the to-be-photographed object image | photographed with the tracking imaging device in 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the tracking imaging system in 5th Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1, 2, 5, 6, ... tracking imaging device 3 ... network 4 ... display terminal 10 ... camera unit 11 ... audio input unit 20 ... control terminal 30 ... space 41 ... communication control unit 42 ... output unit 43 ... input unit 44 ... Storage device 45 ... Control unit 101 ... Drive unit 201 ... Preset unit 202 ... Subject detection unit 203 ... Gesture detection unit 204 ... Camera control unit 205 ... Graphic detection unit 206 ... Display unit 207 ... Input unit 208 ... Storage device 209 ... Image clipping Section 210 ... Scaling section 211 ... Control section 212 ... Communication control section 213 ... Figure detection section 301 ... Reference field angle 302 ... Tracking area 303 ... Important background area 304 ... Subject 304A, 304B, 304C, 304D ... Subject position 305 ... Subject position Center of gravity position 305A, 305B, 305C, 305D ... Center of gravity position 306 ... Area 306A , 306B, 306C, 306D ... display angle of view 307 ... gesture 308 ... instructed area 309 ... center of gravity position of indicated area 310 ... center of gravity position 311 ... center of gravity position 312 ... area 313 ... first display angle of view 314 ... second display image Angles 315 to 318 ... Image 319 ... Display angle of view 320 to 323 ... Image

Claims (6)

A tracking imaging apparatus including a camera unit that tracks and captures a person moving in a tracking shooting area as a first subject and captures a second subject in an important background area in the tracking shooting area,
A subject detection unit that detects the first subject from an image obtained by photographing the inside of the tracking photographing area, and obtains the barycentric position coordinate of the detected first subject;
A gesture detection unit that detects a predetermined gesture in which the detected first subject indicates an arbitrary position in the important background area, and acquires a position coordinate of the position pointed to by the detected gesture;
A graphic detector that detects the second subject based on the acquired position coordinates and acquires the center-of-gravity position coordinates of the detected second subject;
An image cut-out unit that extracts the image of the first and second subjects from the photographed image at a predetermined angle of view, with the midpoint coordinates of the center of gravity coordinates of the acquired first and second subjects as the center of the angle of view; ,
A tracking imaging device having a configuration comprising:   The subject detection unit is detected from the center-of-gravity position coordinates of the first subject detected from the first image extracted from the image cutout unit and the second image extracted after being captured after the first image. When the distance from the center-of-gravity position coordinates of the first subject is equal to or less than a predetermined movement allowable value, the angle of view of the second image is configured to be the same as the angle of view of the first image. The tracking imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tracking imaging apparatus is characterized. A camera unit having a pan, tilt, and zoom function for shooting a person moving in the tracking shooting area as a first subject and shooting a second subject in an important background area in the tracking shooting area. A tracking imaging device provided,
A subject detector for detecting the first subject from an image obtained by photographing the inside of the tracking photographing area, and acquiring a barycentric position coordinate of the detected first subject;
A gesture detection unit that detects a predetermined gesture in which the detected first subject points to an arbitrary position in the important background area, and acquires position coordinates of the position pointed to by the detected gesture;
A graphic detector that detects the second subject based on the acquired position coordinates and acquires the center-of-gravity position coordinates of the detected second subject;
By using at least one shooting control function among the pan, tilt, and zoom, the first and second subjects with the center point coordinates of the center of gravity coordinates of the acquired first and second subjects as the center of the angle of view. A camera control unit that controls the camera unit so as to capture an image of a predetermined angle of view;
A tracking imaging device having a configuration comprising:   The subject detection unit includes the coordinates of the barycentric position of the first subject detected from the first image captured by the camera unit under the control of the camera control unit, and the first captured and extracted after the first image. When the distance from the center of gravity position coordinates of the first subject detected from two images is equal to or less than a preset movement allowable value, the angle of view of the second image is made the same as the angle of view of the first image. The tracking imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the tracking imaging apparatus is configured as described above. A tracking imaging apparatus including a camera unit that tracks a person moving in a tracking shooting area as a first subject and shoots a second subject in an important background area in the tracking shooting area, and the camera A tracking imaging system in which a display terminal that displays an image captured in a section is connected via a network,
The tracking imaging device is
A subject detector for detecting the first subject from an image obtained by photographing the inside of the tracking photographing area, and acquiring a barycentric position coordinate of the detected first subject;
A gesture detection unit that detects a predetermined gesture in which the detected first subject indicates an arbitrary position in the important background area, and acquires a position coordinate of a position indicated by the detected gesture;
A graphic detector that detects the second subject based on the acquired position coordinates and acquires the center-of-gravity position coordinates of the detected second subject;
An image cut-out unit that extracts the image of the first and second subjects from the photographed image at a predetermined angle of view, with the center point coordinates of the center of gravity coordinates of the acquired first and second subjects as the center of the angle of view; ,
A communication control unit for sending the extracted image to the network;
The display terminal is
A communication control unit for receiving an image sent from the tracking imaging device;
An output unit for displaying and outputting the received image;
The tracking imaging system of the structure provided with. A camera unit having a pan, tilt, and zoom function for shooting a person moving in the tracking shooting area as a first subject and shooting a second subject in an important background area in the tracking shooting area. A tracking imaging system in which a tracking imaging device provided and a display terminal that displays an image captured by the camera unit are connected to each other via a network,
The tracking imaging device is
A subject detector for detecting the first subject from an image obtained by photographing the inside of the tracking photographing area, and acquiring a barycentric position coordinate of the detected first subject;
A gesture detection unit that detects a predetermined gesture in which the detected first subject points to an arbitrary position in the important background area, and acquires position coordinates of the position pointed to by the detected gesture;
A graphic detector that detects the second subject based on the acquired position coordinates and acquires the center-of-gravity position coordinates of the detected second subject;
By using at least one shooting control function among the pan, tilt, and zoom, the first and second subjects with the center point coordinates of the center of gravity coordinates of the acquired first and second subjects as the center of the angle of view. A camera control unit that controls the camera unit so as to capture an image of a predetermined angle of view;
A communication control unit for sending the captured image to the network,
The display terminal is
A communication control unit for receiving an image sent from the tracking imaging device;
An output unit for displaying and outputting the received image;
The tracking imaging system of the structure provided with.

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