JP2017120273A - Imaging System - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging system capable of picking up an image in a desired direction with a camera which operates on an electrical universal head in a short time.SOLUTION: An imaging electronic apparatus having a main camera and a sub camera, which is mounted on a rotatable electrical universal head and has a short arrival time mode and an image quality priority mode. In the image quality priority mode, the main camera is oriented to an instructed imaging direction irrespective of instructed imaging direction. In the short arrival time mode, when the sub camera is positioned at a closer point, the sub camera is oriented to the instructed imaging direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging system in which an imaging device is attached to a camera platform.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, electronic imaging apparatuses that record image signals, image information, and the like output from an image sensor as data files have become widespread. This electronic image pickup apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as an image pickup apparatus) records image data obtained by photoelectric conversion from an image pickup device by compressing it into image data in a file format such as JPEG, for example.

  Also, in recent years, in addition to the conventional method of shooting a subject that exists on the side facing the surface having the display unit while checking the display unit, “selfie” of shooting the image of the subject while checking the display unit In order to meet the needs, an increasing number of imaging apparatuses have a configuration in which a main camera is provided on a surface facing a surface having a display portion and a sub camera is provided on a surface having a display portion.

  In recent years, as information that can be transmitted through a wireless network has increased, an operating unit having a display unit such as a smartphone (hereinafter simply referred to as a smartphone) by attaching the imaging apparatus to an electric pan head that can rotate as described above. ) And taking pictures by remote control are increasing.

  Problems that arise when using such a method are due to the time lag associated with the information transfer of the rotation operation from the smartphone to the imaging device, the time lag associated with the image transfer from the imaging device to the smartphone, the time associated with the rotation operation itself, etc. It is to end up.

  As a reference technique for solving the above problem, there is a technique of a camera system that has been conventionally used for a surveillance camera or the like. In Patent Document 1 below, shooting is performed on the entire circumference, a panoramic image is created, and the shooting direction is instructed based on the panoramic image. If this technique is used, it becomes possible to correctly indicate the direction in which the user wants to shoot compared to the case where the shooting direction is specified only by using the live view video displayed on the display unit, even in the above time lag.

JP 2010-213249 A

  However, by applying the prior art of Patent Document 1, even if an accurate operation can be performed within the generated time lag, the time associated with the rotation operation itself is not shortened, so an image in a desired direction can be obtained quickly. It was difficult.

In order to solve the above problems, an imaging system according to the present invention includes:
An imaging system comprising an electric pan head having a rotation function, an imaging device attachable to the electric pan head, and operating means capable of operating the imaging device 1,
The electric pan head is electrically connected to the imaging device, performs a rotational motion based on an instruction sent from the imaging device,
The imaging device has a first shooting mode and a second shooting mode,
A first lens;
A second lens on a surface opposed to the first lens by 180 °, and a determination unit that determines which of the first lens and the second lens is closer to the designated photographing direction;
In the first shooting mode, the first lens 2 faces the shooting direction instructed by the operation means,
In the second photographing mode, a lens determined to be close to the designated photographing direction is directed to the first lens and the second lens.

  With the imaging system according to the present invention, an image in a desired direction can be quickly obtained.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the imaging system which consists of an imaging device, a pan head, and an operation means. It is a flowchart which selects imaging | photography mode. It is a flowchart about the operation | movement of an imaging device and a pan head control in arrival time reduction mode. 2 is a front perspective view showing a state in which the imaging apparatus 1 is attached to the electric pan head 16. FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view showing a state in which the imaging apparatus 1 is attached to the electric camera platform 16. FIG. 3 is a top view showing a state in which the imaging device 1 is attached to the electric pan head 16. FIG. It is a flowchart about the operation | movement of an imaging device and a pan head control in arrival time reduction mode. It is a top view which shows the state which the imaging device has attached to the electric pan head.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Example 1>
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an imaging system including an imaging apparatus 1, a pan head 16, and an operation unit 11 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 is an imaging device according to the present invention, 2 is a main camera for photographing provided with a lens and an image sensor, 3 is a sub camera for photographing provided with a lens and an image sensor, 4 is a control microcomputer, and 8 is a remote operation An operation information receiving unit for receiving the captured information, 9 is an image transmitting unit for transmitting captured image information, and 10 is an external terminal.

  The control microcomputer 4 includes an imaging control unit 5, a pan / tilt head control unit 6, and an image processing unit 7. The main camera 2 and the sub camera 3 have different specifications such as image quality and angle of view, and the main camera 2 exceeds the sub camera 3 in image quality.

  11 is an operation means, 12 is an operation unit, 13 is an operation information transmission unit for sending operation information to the imaging device, 14 is an image reception unit for receiving image information sent from the imaging device, and 15 is an image. It is a display unit that displays image information received by the receiving unit 14. Reference numeral 16 denotes an electric head, 17 an external terminal, 18 a drive unit, and 19 a drive unit control unit that controls the drive unit 18 based on operation information sent through the external terminal 17.

  Next, operations of the imaging device and the pan head control will be described. In this embodiment, horizontal rotation (panning) will be described. However, the same technique can be used even in the tilting operation, and the present invention is not limited to the horizontal rotation operation.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart in which the user selects a shooting mode.

  The user first determines whether or not to change the shooting mode to the arrival time reduction mode (S1). Next, when the user instructs the arrival time reduction mode, the imaging apparatus 1 starts the arrival time reduction mode (S2). When the user does not select the shooting mode, the imaging device 1 is set to the image quality priority mode (S3).

  In the image quality priority mode, the user operates the operation unit 12 of the operation unit 11 to instruct the imaging direction to the imaging device 1 attached to the electric camera platform 16. At this time, the method for instructing the photographing direction is determined based on the panoramic image generated in advance by photographing while rotating. At this time, the imaging apparatus 1 instructs the electric camera platform 16 to rotate the main camera 2 to a position toward the direction. The electric head 16 rotates according to the instruction.

  Next, the operation when the user sets the shooting mode to the arrival time reduction mode (S2) will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the operation of the imaging apparatus in the arrival time reduction mode.

  First, the imaging apparatus 1 receives an imaging direction instruction sent from the operation means 11 (S301). The imaging apparatus 1 that has received the information on the shooting direction determines whether the direction is 90 ° or less in absolute value from the current optical axis of the main camera 2 (S302). Details of the determination method will be described later.

  When the direction is 90 ° or less in absolute value from the optical axis of the main camera 2, the imaging apparatus 1 gives an instruction for the main camera 2 to rotate to a position toward the direction to the electric camera platform 16. This is performed (S303). The electric head 16 rotates according to the instruction. Thereafter, when the photographing operation is finished by the user (S304), the imaging device 1 enters a standby state. For example, when the live view is interrupted on the display unit of the operation unit 11 or the operation unit 11 is turned off, the imaging apparatus 1 determines the end of the shooting operation.

  When the direction is 90 ° or more in absolute value from the optical axis of the main camera 2, the imaging device 1 switches the camera from the main camera 2 to the sub camera 3 (S305). Thereafter, the imaging apparatus 1 instructs the electric pan head 16 to rotate the sub camera 2 to a position toward the direction (S306). The electric pan head 16 rotates according to the instruction.

  Thereafter, when the photographing operation is finished by the user (S307), the imaging apparatus 1 gives an instruction for rotating the electric pan 16 by 180 ° with respect to the electric pan 16 (S308). The electric head 16 rotates according to the instruction. Further, the imaging apparatus 1 switches the camera from the sub camera 2 to the main camera 3 (S309). After the switching is completed, the imaging device 1 enters a standby state.

  By performing the above operations (S308, S309), when the user resumes the operation again, the subject can be captured by the high-quality main camera 2.

  Next, the method for determining whether the shooting instruction direction is 90 ° or less in absolute value from the current optical axis of the main camera (S302) will be described in detail.

  4 and 5 are perspective views showing a state in which the imaging device 1 is attached to the electric pan head 16. FIG. The camera optical axis direction is the Z axis, the imaging device longitudinal direction is the X axis, and the short direction is the Y axis. FIG. 6 is a view of the state in which the imaging device 1 is attached to the electric camera platform 16 as viewed from the top surface side (Y-axis side).

  First, consider a case where the user has instructed the shooting direction of the point A from the position of FIG. Considering the rotation center 21 as a reference, the point A is in the direction of 50 ° from the main camera optical axis 17. Since the instruction direction is 90 ° or less (S302 in FIG. 3), the imaging apparatus 1 instructs the electric camera platform 16 to rotate the main camera 2 to a position toward the direction. The electric head 16 rotates according to the instruction.

  Next, consider a case where the user has instructed the shooting direction of point B from the position of FIG. Considering the rotation center 21 as a reference, the point B is in the direction of 120 ° from the main camera optical axis 17. Since the instruction direction is 90 ° or more (S302 in FIG. 3), the imaging apparatus 1 instructs the electric pan head 16 to rotate the sub camera 3 to a position toward the direction. The electric head 16 rotates according to the instruction.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to quickly face the direction in which the user wants to shoot, and an image in a desired direction can be quickly obtained.

<Example 2>
In the second embodiment, an arrival time reduction mode for quickly capturing a subject to be photographed at an angle of view when the angle of view of the main camera 102 and the sub camera 103 is greatly different will be described. Note that the flowchart for selecting the shooting mode by the user is the same as in the first embodiment.

  In the second embodiment, the field angle of the main camera 102 is A °, and the field angle of the sub camera 103 is B °.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the operation of the imaging apparatus in the arrival time reduction mode.

  First, the imaging apparatus 101 receives an imaging direction instruction sent from the operation unit 111 (S701).

The imaging apparatus 101 that has received the shooting direction information determines whether or not the following Equation 1 is satisfied when the direction is an absolute value of X ° from the optical axis of the current main camera 102 (S702). . Details of the determination method will be described later.
(X−A / 2) ≦ (180−X−B / 2) (Formula 1)
When Formula 1 is satisfied, the imaging apparatus 101 instructs the electric camera platform 116 to rotate the main camera 102 to a position toward the direction (S703). Thereafter, when the photographing operation is finished by the user (S704), the imaging apparatus 101 enters a standby state.

  On the other hand, if Equation 1 does not hold, the imaging apparatus 101 switches the camera from the main camera 102 to the sub camera 103 (S705). Thereafter, the imaging apparatus 101 gives an instruction for the sub camera 102 to rotate to a position toward the direction with respect to the electric camera platform 116 (S706). The electric pan head 116 rotates according to the instruction.

  Thereafter, when the photographing operation is finished by the user (S707), the imaging apparatus 101 gives an instruction to the electric pan head 116 to rotate 180 ° with respect to the electric pan head 116 (S708). The electric pan head 116 rotates according to the instruction. Furthermore, the imaging apparatus 101 switches the camera from the sub camera 102 to the main camera 103 (S709). After completing the switching, the imaging apparatus 101 enters a standby state.

  Next, details of the method (S702) for determining whether or not the above mathematical formula 1 holds will be described.

  Consider a case where the user instructs the shooting direction of point C from the position of FIG. Considering the rotation center 121 as a reference, the point C is at a point X ° from the main camera optical axis 117.

  When Equation 1 is satisfied, the imaging apparatus 101 instructs the electric camera platform 116 to rotate the main camera 102 to a position that goes in the direction.

Further, when the following formula 2 is satisfied (when formula 1 is not satisfied), the imaging apparatus 101 gives an instruction for the sub camera 103 to rotate to a position toward the direction with respect to the electric camera platform 116. .
(X−A / 2)> (180−X−B / 2) (Formula 2)
In the case of FIG. 8, the sub camera 103 is directed to the point C, and can be accommodated in the angle of view in a shorter time than the determination in the first embodiment.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to quickly place a subject in a direction to be photographed within an angle of view, and it is possible to quickly obtain an image in a desired direction.

1 imaging device, 2 main camera, 3 sub camera, 4 control microcomputer,
5 shooting control unit, 6 camera side pan head control unit, 7 image processing unit, 8 operation information receiving unit,
9 image transmission unit, 10 external terminal, 11 operation means, 12 operation unit,
13 operation information transmitting unit, 14 image receiving unit, 15 display unit, 16 electric pan head,
17 External terminal, 18 Drive control unit, 19 Drive unit

Claims (1)

An imaging system comprising an electric pan head having a rotation function, an imaging device attachable to the electric pan head, and operating means capable of operating the imaging device 1,
The electric pan head is electrically connected to the imaging device, performs a rotational motion based on an instruction sent from the imaging device,
The imaging device
A first shooting mode and a second shooting mode;
A first lens;
A second lens on a surface opposed to the first lens by 180 °;
Determination means for determining which of the first lens and the second lens is closer to the instructed shooting direction;
In the first shooting mode, the first lens 2 faces the shooting direction instructed by the operation means,
In the second imaging mode, an imaging system characterized in that a lens determined to be close to an instructed imaging direction is directed to the first lens and the second lens.