JP2016178542A - Imaging apparatus control method, management apparatus control method, imaging apparatus, and management apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image suitable for monitoring even while plural cameras equipped with illuminators face each other.SOLUTION: A method to control imaging apparatuses in an imaging system with the imaging apparatuses having illuminators and connected via a network comprises steps of: determining whether or not the imaging direction of each imaging apparatus is within a predetermined range; determining an imaging apparatus of high priority out of images captured by each imaging apparatus, when it is determined that the imaging direction is within the predetermined range; and adjusting each illuminator on the basis of the determination of determining an imaging apparatus of high-priority.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus control method, a management apparatus control method, an imaging apparatus, and a management apparatus, and more particularly to controlling illumination used in an imaging system configured by connecting a plurality of imaging apparatuses via a network. It is about technology.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a monitoring system that records a monitoring video and performs live display or recording reproduction display of the monitoring video. In such a surveillance system, it is common to use a network camera as a surveillance camera. FIG. 8 shows a configuration example of a general monitoring system constituted by network cameras.

In FIG. 8, reference numeral 801 denotes a monitoring camera. Generally, one or a plurality of monitoring cameras are connected to a recording device 803 and a display control device 804 via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) 802. .
The recording device 803 receives and records the monitoring video from each monitoring camera. In general, the display control device 804 receives a monitoring video from each monitoring camera, displays the monitoring video live, and receives a past recorded video to perform a recording / playback display.
The display control device 804 communicates with the recording device 803 and provides various setting screens related to recording and the entire system. In the example of FIG. 8, the recording device 803 and the display control device 804 are separated, but there is a configuration in which both functions are arranged in the same device.

  In recent years, a network camera having an automatic tracking function in which the camera itself changes the shooting direction in accordance with the movement of the suspicious person in order to always keep the photographed suspicious person in the monitoring video is becoming common. In such a camera, an image pickup unit and a movable pan head are generally integrated (Patent Document 1).

  On the other hand, in a monitoring system, since it is necessary to take a picture in a dark place or at night for monitoring purposes, a network camera equipped with infrared illumination is also common. In a system having such a camera, the monitoring camera 801 in FIG. 8 is equipped with infrared illumination, and it is possible to control the presence or absence of infrared illumination by the operation of the supervisor.

JP 2008-199390 A

Next, a problem in a conventional monitoring system using a network camera having an automatic tracking function for automatically tracking a moving object will be described with reference to FIG.
FIGS. 9A and 9B show a state where two network cameras equipped with infrared illumination are automatically tracking a suspicious person. In FIG. 9A, the suspicious person 905 is on the left side of the camera 901. In this state, infrared light irradiated from the infrared illumination of the cameras 901 and 902 is indicated by 903 and 904, respectively.

On the other hand, FIG. 9B shows a state where the suspicious person 910 is between two cameras. In this state, infrared light irradiated from the infrared illumination of the cameras 906 and 907 is indicated by 908 and 909, respectively. When the suspicious person 910 is between the two cameras, the imaging directions of the cameras face each other, so that the infrared light emitted from each camera may enter the imaging unit of the other camera. In the case of FIG. 9B, infrared light 909 enters the camera 906. In such a case, the captured image may be unsuitable for monitoring due to a momentary increase in the amount of light.
In view of the above-described problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an image suitable for monitoring even in a state where a plurality of cameras equipped with illumination face each other.

  An imaging apparatus control method according to the present invention is an imaging apparatus control method in an imaging system including a plurality of imaging apparatuses having illuminations connected via a network, and the imaging direction of each imaging apparatus is within a predetermined range. A determination step for determining whether or not the image pickup device is within a predetermined range, and a determination step for determining a priority image pickup device from images captured by the respective image pickup devices when the determination step determines that the image pickup device is within a predetermined range. And an adjustment step of adjusting each illumination based on the determination in the determination step.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image suitable for monitoring even in a state where a plurality of cameras equipped with illumination face each other.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the network monitoring system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure explaining an example of a predetermined pan / tilt value. It is a flowchart explaining the procedure of the infrared illumination adjustment which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining the determination process procedure of the main camera which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the network monitoring system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining the procedure in which the management apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment adjusts infrared illumination. It is a flowchart explaining the determination process procedure of the main camera which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the structural example of a general monitoring system. It is a figure explaining the subject in the conventional monitoring system.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a network monitoring system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the network monitoring system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1, an imaging system is configured by two imaging devices constituting the network cameras 110 and 120, a recording device 130, a display control device 140, and a network 150 such as a LAN.

The network cameras 110 and 120 distribute the captured image data to the network 150. In the first embodiment, the network camera 110 is a parent camera, and the network camera 120 is a child camera.
The recording device 130 records various data distributed from the network cameras 110 and 120 via the network 150 on a recording medium such as a hard disk. The recording medium may be a hard disk in the recording device or an externally connected recording medium, or a NAS (Network Attached Storage) separately connected to the network.

  The display control device 140 is a device that displays live video data distributed from the network cameras 110 and 120 and reproduces and displays the data recorded on the recording medium by the recording device 130. Furthermore, the display control device 140 communicates with the recording device 130 and provides various setting screens related to recording and the entire system. The display control device 140 may be independently connected to the network 150 as in this example, or the recording device 130 may have a similar function as a recording / display device.

  In the network 150, the network cameras 110 and 120, the recording device 130, and the display control device 140 are connected to be able to communicate with each other. In this example, the LAN is used, but a network using a wireless or dedicated cable may be constructed in consideration of cable durability. Each of the network camera, the recording device, the display control device, and the network may have a plurality of configurations.

Next, the configuration of the network cameras 110 and 120 will be described with reference to FIG.
First, the common part of the parent camera and the child camera will be described using the network camera 110 that is the parent camera.
The network camera 110 distributes image data and other various data in accordance with commands received from other devices connected to the network 150 via the communication control unit 119. The received command is passed to the data processing unit 115 and the contents are interpreted. The image input unit 112 captures images captured by the video camera 111 (moving images and still images). The captured image is subjected to compression processing such as Motion / JPEG compression processing and h.264 compression processing by the image processing unit 113.

Further, the image processing unit 113 analyzes the captured image and performs a moving object detection process, and also performs a face detection process and a moving object automatic tracking data generation process. The movable pan / tilt head to which the video camera 111 is attached, after the received command is interpreted by the data processing unit 115, the pan / tilt angle is controlled by the imaging direction control unit 118 according to the control content specified by the command. When the automatic tracking function of the moving object is effective, the pan / tilt angle to be changed is determined by the image processing unit 113, and the imaging direction is changed by the imaging direction control unit 118 through the data processing unit 115 as needed.
The camera control unit 114 controls the infrared illumination 117 according to the command interpreted by the data processing unit 115 via the communication control unit 119. The data storage unit 116 stores various setting values of the camera.
The video camera 121 to the communication control unit 129 of the child camera 120 correspond to the video camera 111 to the communication control unit 119 in the parent camera 110.

Next, different parts of the parent camera and the child camera will be described.
The data processing unit 115 of the parent camera 110 sequentially compares the current pan / tilt value acquired from the imaging direction control unit 118 and a predetermined set value stored in the data storage unit 116. As a result of the comparison, when it is determined that the parent camera 110 is facing the predetermined imaging direction, a request for acquiring a pan / tilt value is transmitted to the child camera 120 via the communication control unit 119. The pan / tilt value of the child camera obtained as a response from the child camera 120 is compared with a predetermined set value stored in the data storage unit 116.

  As a result of the comparison, when it is determined that the child camera 120 is facing a predetermined imaging direction, a request for acquiring face detection data is transmitted to the child camera 120 via the communication control unit 119. The face detection data obtained as a response from the child camera 120 is compared with the face detection data of the parent camera 110 in the data processing unit 115 to determine which camera has detected the face. In response to the determination result, a request to turn off the infrared illumination is issued to the camera control unit 114 of the parent camera 110 or the camera control unit 124 of the child camera 120 via the network 150.

Next, FIG. 2 shows an example of predetermined pan / tilt values for infrared illumination control.
In FIG. 2, reference numerals 201 and 202 denote two network cameras installed on the ceiling.
FIG. 2A shows a state in which each camera is seen from directly above, and FIG. 2B shows a state in which each camera is seen from the side. The predetermined range 203 of the pan value of the camera 201 is 225 ° to 315 °, and the predetermined range of the pan value of the camera 202 is 45 ° to 135 °.

  Similarly, the predetermined range 205 of the tilt value of the camera 201 is 135 ° to 180 °, and the predetermined range of the tilt value of the camera 202 is 0 ° to 45 °. When the pan / tilt values of the two cameras are both within this predetermined range, the infrared light emitted from each camera is incident on the other camera. These predetermined ranges vary depending on the shape of the opening of the camera and the type of infrared illumination, and can be set in advance.

Next, FIG. 3 shows a flowchart for explaining the procedure of infrared illumination adjustment during automatic tracking.
First, in S301, the parent camera sequentially compares its own pan / tilt value with a predetermined pan / tilt range to determine whether or not it is within the predetermined range.
If it is within the predetermined range, in S302, the parent camera requests a pan / tilt value of the child camera from the child camera.

In step S303, the parent camera compares the acquired pan / tilt value of the child camera with a predetermined pan / tilt range of the child camera. If the pan / tilt value of the child camera is out of the predetermined range, the process returns to S301 again.
On the other hand, when the pan / tilt value of the child camera is within the predetermined range, in S304, the parent camera performs processing for determining the main camera. The detailed procedure for determining the main camera will be described later. At this time, since the pan / tilt values of the respective cameras are within a predetermined range, the infrared light emitted from each camera is incident on the other camera. In order to prevent this, when the main camera is determined, in S305, the parent camera performs processing for turning off the infrared illumination of the camera that is not the main camera.

  Thereafter, in S306, the parent camera sequentially acquires the pan / tilt values of the child cameras, and in S307, confirms whether the pan / tilt values of the respective cameras are out of a predetermined range. While it is within the predetermined range, the processes of S304 to S307 are repeated, and the parent camera sequentially determines the main camera and performs infrared illumination adjustment. If either camera goes out of the predetermined range, in S308, the infrared illumination that is not the main camera at that time is turned on.

Next, a detailed procedure for determining the main camera will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
First, in S401, the parent camera requests image analysis information from the child camera and acquires a face detection result.
In step S <b> 402, the parent camera determines whether or not a face is photographed by the parent camera from the result of detecting its own face, and whether or not there is a face.
If the face is reflected in the image of the parent camera, it is determined in S403 whether or not the face is photographed by the child camera. If the face is reflected, in S404, the parent camera determines the camera that is shooting a larger shooting size as the main camera in accordance with the face detection status of the parent camera and the child camera. If no face is shown in the image of the child camera, the parent camera is determined as the main camera in S405.

  If the face is not photographed by the parent camera in S402, it is determined in S403 whether or not the face is photographed by the child camera. If the face is reflected, the child camera is determined to be the main camera in S406. If no face appears in the image of the child camera, in S407, the camera that is shooting a larger subject is determined as the main camera according to the face detection status of the parent camera and the child camera.

  Thereby, in the network monitoring system of the first embodiment, when only the parent camera detects the face, the parent camera becomes the main camera, and when only the child camera detects the face, the child camera Becomes the main camera. If neither face is detected or neither is detected, the camera that is shooting a larger shooting size of the shooting target to be tracked is set as the main camera. With the above flow, the parent camera can be determined as the imaging device that prioritizes the main camera suitable for shooting.

With the above configuration, by determining the main camera suitable for shooting and turning off the infrared illumination of the camera that is not the main camera, shooting suitable for monitoring can be performed even in the situation where the imaging directions are facing each other. .
In the first embodiment, the parent camera determines whether or not the child camera is within a predetermined range. However, the child camera can perform the determination, and only the result can be notified to the parent camera.

[Second Embodiment]
A network monitoring system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a network monitoring system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. A network monitoring system 500 illustrated in FIG. 5 includes two imaging devices such as network cameras 510 and 520, a recording device 530, a display control device 540, a network 550 such as a LAN, and a management device 560.

Network cameras 510 and 520 distribute the captured image data to network 550. In the second embodiment, 510 is camera A, and 520 is camera B.
As in the first embodiment, the recording device 530 records various data distributed from the network cameras 510 and 520 via the network on a recording medium such as a hard disk.
As in the first embodiment, the display control device 540 is a device that displays live video data distributed from the network cameras 510 and 520 and reproduces and displays the data recorded on the recording medium by the recording device 530. .

The management device 560 communicates with the recording device 530, the display control device 540, and the network cameras 510 and 520, and provides various setting environments related to the entire system, such as recording settings and camera information registration.
The recording device 530, the display control device 540, and the management device 560 may be independently connected to the network 550 as in this example, or may be configured as a single device having both functions.

  In the network 550, network cameras 510 and 520, a recording device 530, a display control device 540, and a management device 560 are connected to be communicable with each other. Further, as in the first embodiment, a network using a wireless or dedicated cable instead of a LAN may be constructed. Each of the above network camera, recording device, display control device, management device, and network may take a plurality of configurations.

  Next, the configuration of the network camera will be described with reference to FIG. The network camera 510 (camera A) distributes image data, pan / tilt values indicating the imaging direction, and various other data in accordance with commands received from other devices connected to the network 550 via the communication control unit 519. To do. The received command is passed to the data processing unit 515 and the content is interpreted.

  The image input unit 512 captures images captured by the video camera 511 (moving images and still images). The captured image is subjected to compression processing such as Motion / JPEG compression processing and h.264 compression processing by the image processing unit 513. Further, the image processing unit 513 analyzes the captured image to perform the moving object detection process, and also performs the face detection process and the moving object automatic tracking data generation process. The movable pan / tilt head to which the video camera 511 is attached has its pan / tilt angle controlled by the imaging direction control unit 518 according to the control content specified by the command after the received command is interpreted by the data processing unit 515.

  When the automatic tracking function of the moving object is effective, the pan / tilt angle to be changed is determined by the image processing unit 513, and the imaging direction is changed by the imaging direction control unit 518 through the data processing unit 515 as needed. The camera control unit 514 controls the infrared illumination 517 according to the command interpreted by the data processing unit 515 via the communication control unit 519. The data storage unit 516 stores various setting values of the camera. In the second embodiment, the camera A (510) and the camera B (520) have the same configuration, and the video camera 521 to the communication control unit 529 of the camera B are replaced with the video camera 511 to the communication control unit 519 of the camera A. It corresponds.

Next, the configuration of the management device 560 will be described with reference to FIG.
The management device 560 communicates with an external device via the communication control unit 565 according to the command generated by the data processing unit 562.
The data processing unit 562 sequentially generates pan / tilt value request commands for the cameras A and B in order to always acquire the imaging directions of the cameras A and B, and transmits the commands via the communication control unit 565.

  The pan / tilt values obtained as responses from the cameras A and B are sequentially compared with predetermined set values of the cameras A and B stored in the data storage unit 563. As a result of the comparison, if the data processing unit 562 determines that both the cameras A and B are facing the predetermined imaging direction, the data processing unit 562 sends a request for acquiring face detection data to the cameras A and B via the communication control unit 565. Send. The face detection data obtained as a response from each camera determines whether or not there is a camera detecting a face in the data processing unit 562. Depending on the determination result, a request command to turn off infrared illumination is transmitted to camera A or camera B.

Next, FIG. 6 shows a flowchart for explaining the procedure for the management device 560 to adjust the infrared illumination during automatic tracking.
First, in S601, the management apparatus 560 acquires pan / tilt values from each camera.
In step S <b> 602, the management apparatus 560 compares the pan / tilt value acquired from the camera A with the predetermined pan / tilt range of the camera A, and determines whether or not the predetermined range. If it is within the predetermined range, the management apparatus 560 compares the pan / tilt value acquired from the camera B with the predetermined pan / tilt range of the camera B in S603. If either camera A or camera B is outside the predetermined range, the process returns to S601.

  When both the camera A and the camera B are within the predetermined range, the process proceeds to S604, and the management apparatus 560 executes main camera determination processing. The flow for determining the main camera will be described later. At this time, since the pan / tilt values of the respective cameras are within a predetermined range, the infrared light emitted from each camera is incident on the other camera. In order to prevent this, when the main camera is determined, in S605, the management apparatus 560 transmits a command to turn off the infrared illumination of the camera that is not the main camera.

  After that, in S606, the pan / tilt values of the respective cameras are sequentially acquired, and in S607, it is confirmed whether the pan / tilt values of the respective cameras are out of a predetermined range. If it is within the predetermined range, the process returns to S604, and while it is within the predetermined range, the management device 560 sequentially determines the main camera and executes infrared illumination adjustment. If either camera is out of the predetermined range, a command to turn on the infrared illumination that is not the main camera at that time is transmitted in S608.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the main camera determination processing procedure.
First, in S701, the management device 560 requests image information from each camera and acquires a face detection result.
In step S <b> 702, the management apparatus 560 determines from the face detection result acquired from the camera A whether the face is captured by the camera A or whether there is a face. If a face is reflected in the image captured by the camera A, the management apparatus 560 determines whether a face is captured by the camera B or whether there is a face in S703.

If a face appears in the image captured by the camera B, the process advances to step S704, and the management apparatus 560 sets the camera that is capturing a larger target object as the main camera. If not, the process advances to step S705, and the management apparatus 560 determines camera A as the main camera.
In S702, when the face is not reflected in the image captured by the camera A, in S703, the management device 560 determines whether the face is captured by the camera B or whether there is a face.
If a face appears in the image captured by the camera B, the process advances to step S706, and the management apparatus 560 determines the camera B as the main camera. If not, the process advances to step S707, and the management apparatus 560 sets the camera that is shooting the target object larger as the main camera.

By determining the main camera in this way, the management apparatus 560 determines a main camera suitable for shooting according to the face detection status of each camera. Specifically, when only camera A detects a face, camera A becomes the main camera. When only the camera B detects the face, the camera B becomes the main camera. If either face is detected or neither is detected, the camera that is shooting the shooting size of the shooting target to be tracked is determined as the imaging device that prioritizes the main camera suitable for shooting. Can do.
With the above flow, the management apparatus 560 determines a main camera suitable for shooting.

  With the above configuration, by determining a main camera suitable for shooting and turning off the infrared illumination of the camera that is not the main camera, shooting suitable for monitoring can be performed even in a situation where the imaging directions are facing each other. .

  In the second embodiment described in the above example, each camera transmits the result of face detection to the management apparatus 560. However, the management apparatus 560 includes an image analysis unit, and images from each camera. A configuration in which data is sequentially received and face detection is performed on the management device 560 side is also possible.

  As described above, in the examples of the first and second embodiments, which camera is photographing the face and which is photographing the object larger is the determination criterion of the main camera. However, the method for determining the main camera can be variously changed, such as whether the subject is photographed at a predetermined size (a size suitable for monitoring).

Furthermore, in the above-described example, the infrared illumination of the camera other than the main camera is turned off as the illumination adjustment method suitable for the main camera shooting. However, the infrared illumination adjustment method is not limited to this, A method may be used in which both the camera and the non-main camera adjust the lighting intensity. Furthermore, in the above-described example, infrared illumination is an adjustment target, but the type of illumination is not limited to this.
As mentioned above, although preferable embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to these embodiment, A various deformation | transformation and change are possible within the range of the summary.

(Other examples)
The present invention supplies a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or apparatus read and execute the program This process can be realized. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

100 Network Monitoring System 110 Parent Camera 111 Video Camera 112 Image Input Unit 113 Image Processing Unit 114 Camera Control Unit 115 Data Processing Unit 116 Data Storage Unit 117 Infrared Illumination 118 Imaging Direction Control Unit 119 Communication Control Unit 120 Child Camera 121 Video Camera 122 Image input unit 123 Image processing unit 124 Camera control unit 125 Data processing unit 126 Data storage unit 127 Infrared illumination 128 Imaging direction control unit 129 Communication control unit 130 Recording device 140 Display control device 150 Network

Claims (11)

An imaging apparatus control method in an imaging system including a plurality of imaging apparatuses having illuminations connected via a network,
A determination step of determining whether or not the imaging direction of each imaging device is within a predetermined range;
A determination step of determining an imaging device to be prioritized from an image captured by each imaging device when it is determined in the determination step that it is within a predetermined range;
An adjustment step of adjusting each illumination based on the determination in the determination step;
A method for controlling an imaging apparatus, comprising: A detection step for detecting a face;
A tracking process for tracking moving objects,
The method of controlling an imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the determination step, the priority imaging apparatus is determined based on at least one of presence / absence of face detection and a shooting size of a moving object to be tracked. An imaging device that constitutes an imaging system including a plurality of imaging devices having illuminations connected via a network,
Determining means for determining whether or not the imaging direction of each imaging device is within a predetermined range;
A determination unit that determines a priority imaging device from an image captured by each imaging device when the determination unit determines that the image is within a predetermined range;
Adjusting means for adjusting each illumination based on the determination by the determining means;
An imaging device comprising: Detecting means for detecting a face;
Tracking means for tracking moving objects,
4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the determination unit determines the priority imaging apparatus based on at least one of presence / absence of face detection and a shooting size of a moving object to be tracked.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the illumination adjusted by the adjusting means is infrared light. A management device control method in an imaging system comprising a plurality of imaging devices having lighting connected via a network, and a management device communicating with the plurality of imaging devices,
A determination step of determining whether or not the imaging directions of the plurality of imaging devices are within a predetermined range;
A determination step of determining a priority imaging device based on image information captured by each imaging device when it is determined in the determination step that the value is within a predetermined range;
An adjustment step of adjusting each illumination based on the determination in the determination step;
A control method for a management apparatus, comprising: A management device in an imaging system comprising a plurality of imaging devices having lighting connected via a network and a management device communicating with the plurality of imaging devices,
Determining means for determining whether or not the imaging directions of the plurality of imaging devices are within a predetermined range;
A determination unit that determines an imaging device to be prioritized based on image information captured by each imaging device when the determination unit determines that it is within a predetermined range;
Adjusting means for adjusting each illumination based on the determination by the determining means;
A management apparatus comprising: Communication means for communicating with the plurality of imaging devices;
Means for acquiring each image information from the plurality of imaging devices by the communication means;
The said determination means determines the said imaging device to give priority with at least one among the presence or absence of face detection and the imaging | photography size of the moving body to track in the image information acquired by the said acquisition means. Management device.   9. The management apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the illumination that is adjusted by the adjustment unit is infrared light.   A program that causes a computer to be executed as each unit of the imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5.   A program that causes a computer to be executed as each unit of the management device according to any one of claims 7 to 9.

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