JP2021010088A - Image providing system, image providing device, control method of the same, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To make it possible to quickly provide images to a larger audience.SOLUTION: The image providing system has acquisition means for acquiring information about a seat to be photographed among a plurality of seats, instruction means for instructing an imaging apparatus to take an image including the plurality of seats in an angle-of-view range, provision means for providing the image, and control means for controlling the photographing interval for having the imaging apparatus to take an image based on the information acquired by the acquisition means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 18

Description

The present invention relates to an image providing system, an image providing device, a control method thereof, and a program.

There is a demand for filming users who are having fun in sports games and tourist facilities. Patent Document 1 discloses that when a user in an audience seat inputs a shooting request such as a shooting area and a shooting time, the camera shoots an area with a spectator based on the input shooting request.

JP-A-2007-142896

The method of Patent Document 1 may not be able to meet the shooting requests of each spectator when the spectators are at different positions. On the other hand, if an attempt is made to meet the demands of all spectators, the amount of image data will increase, and there is a possibility that the images cannot be provided quickly. In view of such a problem, an object of the present invention is to enable the image to be quickly provided to a larger number of spectators.

The image providing system according to the present invention is an acquisition means for acquiring information about a seat to be photographed among a plurality of seats, and an instruction means for instructing an imaging device to acquire an image including the plurality of seats in the angle of view range. It is characterized by having a providing means for providing the image and a control means for controlling an imaging interval for causing the imaging apparatus to capture an image based on the information acquired by the acquiring means.

According to the present invention, an image can be quickly provided to a larger audience.

It is a figure which shows the example of the facility arrangement in the image providing system in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the system configuration example of the image providing system in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the image processing apparatus in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of setting the trimming position for each seat in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of setting the trimming position for each seat in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the data structure in this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the example of the ticket purchase process in this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the example of the processing of the pre-match setting in this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the example of the processing after the start of a game in this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the example of the trimming process in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the seat arrangement according to the number of people of a group in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the relationship of the seat in the seat arrangement in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the data structure which stored the calculation method of the trimming position in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the data structure which stored the calculation method of the trimming position in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the calculation example of the trimming position in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the system configuration example in the case of providing an image after the end of a game in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the system configuration example in the case of providing an image after the end of a game in this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the example of the continuous shooting process in this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the example of the continuous shooting process during a game in this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows another example of the continuous shooting process during a game in this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows another example of the continuous shooting process during a game in this embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the components described in the embodiments shown below are merely examples, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to them.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of facility arrangement for performing remote control shooting in the image providing system of the present embodiment. Although a baseball stadium is taken as an example in FIG. 1 for convenience of explanation, it is applied to facilities where a large number of spectators can view from a fixed position, such as a stadium where sports competitions are held and an arena venue for performing concerts.

In the example of the baseball stadium shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C, the shooting instruction unit 101 simultaneously gives a shooting instruction to the cameras 102 to 105 for shooting the spectator seats on the first base side. In this example, the number of cameras is set to four for simplification of the explanation, but the number of cameras is arbitrary as long as the shooting instructions can be physically given at the same time.

When shooting from the upper part of the audience seats on the opposite side at a stadium, the distance to the audience (subject) is long. Therefore, even if a telephoto lens having a large focal length is used, a certain amount of spectators can be accommodated in one frame, so that it is necessary to perform trimming processing for each seat and each group. In addition, since a telephoto lens with a large focal length is expensive, if you try to reduce investment, you cannot increase the focal length and the number of people that can fit in one frame increases, so the need for trimming processing increases. become.

Regarding the shooting instruction, two means are provided: interval shooting (for example, a release instruction is given once every 10 seconds) and manual shooting according to the operator's shooting intention.

In addition, depending on the facility, a position where it is easy to see a competition or event may be set at a higher price, and a position where it is difficult to see may be set at a low price, and it is customary that there are multiple ticket types. FIGS. 1 (a), 1 (b), and (c) show an example in which there is an area 1 close to the ground, an area 2 having the largest number of seats, and an area 3 which is a separated space. Area 1 is an area where spectators who want to watch the game closer and have a limited number of seats, so they often watch the game at special times with a small number of people such as family members instead of dozens of people. Is. Therefore, providing a memorable image only by the members who came with us will improve the satisfaction of the audience. Area 2 is an area where many fans who come to watch the game frequently are watching the game, and fans with high enthusiasm are sitting there. In addition, area 2 includes spectators of various levels, such as spectators who came to watch the game as an experience and spectators who are not highly enthusiastic about the game itself. Therefore, it is an area where some spectators want an image while watching a game and some spectators think that it is unnecessary, and by providing an image according to the intention of the spectator, the satisfaction of the spectator is improved. Area 3 improves customer satisfaction by providing an image of enjoying watching a game in the space and an image of a specific spectator having a good facial expression. As described above, the needs of the audience differ depending on the area. In order to meet the needs of all spectators, it is necessary to prepare the captured images according to various patterns, but as the amount of data increases, the cost increases and the spectators cannot easily purchase the images. There is also the issue. Also, by providing images while the spectators are watching during the match, the spectators' satisfaction with the match is further improved, but due to the large amount of image data, the images of the spectators who are unlikely to purchase If you try to process the data as well, it takes time to process and it takes time to provide the image.

Since it can be determined that the spectators in areas 1 and 3 are likely to purchase the captured image, in FIG. 1A, the wider area 2 including the area 1 is covered by the two cameras 102 and 103. In FIG. 1B, the area 1 is covered by two cameras 104 and 105 as well. As a result, the number of people that fits in the image is reduced, and the audience is enlarged, so that the resolution of the cropped image is increased, and an image with higher commercial value can be obtained, which can lead to purchase. In the area 3, the resolution of the trimmed image is further increased by taking a picture of a narrower area than the area 1 with two cameras. In the area 3, a higher resolution trimmed image can be acquired, so that image analysis of the captured image is also possible. In area 3, there are often multiple spaces including the viewing space due to the structure, so it is possible to determine that there are more than a predetermined number of spectators in the viewing space, or analyze facial expressions to select a better image. It is possible to obtain an image having a higher commercial value than the area 1. Alternatively, in Area 1, the audience is not always in a position where they can shoot from the camera, so it is possible to observe multiple divided spaces with one camera and shoot the audience using the pan head. You may take a picture of a specific space depending on the situation.

FIG. 1C shows a configuration diagram for giving a shooting instruction from the shooting instruction device 101 to each camera group. As shown in FIG. 1C, the shooting instruction device 101 can give shooting instructions to a plurality of camera groups A to D. In the example shown in FIG. 1 (c), the camera group C covers the wide area 4 of the outfield seats with four units, and the camera group D covers the wide area 5 of the outfield seats with four units.

The cameras 102 to 105 are camera units composed of an image sensor (imaging sensor) composed of a CCD, a CMOS element, or the like that converts an optical image into an electric signal. The camera includes a lens group (photographing lens) including a zoom lens and a focus lens, a shutter having an aperture function, an image sensor, an A / D converter that converts an analog signal output from the image sensor into a digital signal, and an image sensor. Includes a barrier that covers to prevent dirt and damage. The image processing unit in the camera performs resizing processing such as predetermined pixel interpolation and reduction and color conversion processing on the data captured and acquired by the camera. Based on the calculation result obtained by the image processing unit, the CPU in the camera performs exposure control, distance measurement control, AWB (auto white balance) processing, and the like.

The image data for display captured by the camera and image-processed by the image processing unit is displayed on the display 04 of a PC (personal computer) described later. The digital signal captured by the camera, once A / D converted by the A / D converter, and stored in the RAM is analog-converted by the D / A converter and sequentially transferred to the display 04 for display, thereby displaying the live view. (LV display) can be performed. The live view can be displayed in the still image shooting standby state, the moving image shooting waiting state, and the moving image recording, and the captured subject image is displayed in almost real time.

The CPU performs camera and image processing so as to start operations such as AF (autofocus) processing, AE (automatic exposure) processing, and AWB processing in response to a shooting preparation instruction based on a user operation performed by the input device 06. Control the part. In response to a shooting instruction, the CPU on the camera side performs main exposure, reads out the signal from the image sensor, processes the captured image in the image processing unit to generate an image file, and records it in an external storage. Controls the operation of a series of shooting processes (main shooting). The shooting instruction can be given by a user operation on the input device 06 of the PC201a, or by pressing the shutter button on the camera side. The camera can capture still images and moving images.

Depending on the facility, the shooting distance and illuminance differ depending on the area of the seat from the camera position for shooting due to the structure. Therefore, depending on these conditions, there is a difference in image quality in the shooting of the present embodiment in which a large number of areas are covered by one shooting. May come out. Therefore, the price may be changed or the number of sheets provided may be increased according to the image quality. In addition, there are cases where seats that are close to the ground and are close to the camera are not set at a high price, but seats that improve image quality depending on conditions such as brightness and the number of cameras are set at a high price. There is also.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a system configuration example of the image providing system according to the present embodiment. The image processing device 201 includes a shooting instruction unit 101, a PC (personal computer) 201a, an image transfer receiving unit 201b, a trimming unit 202, a selection / upload unit 203, and storages 204 and 205. In FIG. 2, the processing units 101, 201a, 201b, 202, and 203 are described in one image processing device 201, but they may be physically different processing devices, and the configuration of the processing units may be used. Does not limit the present invention.

The shooting instruction unit 101 gives a shooting instruction to the cameras 102 to 105 at the same time as in FIG. Regarding the shooting instruction, two means are provided: interval shooting (for example, giving a release instruction once every 10 seconds) and manual shooting according to the operator's shooting intention.

The image transfer receiving unit 201b records the image data of the images taken by the cameras 102 to 105 transferred from the camera side in the storage 204. FTP (FileTransfer Protocol) or the like is used as a protocol for transmitting and receiving image data.

The trimming unit 202 performs trimming processing on each image data triggered by the transfer of image data from the cameras 102 to 105 to the storage 204, and records the trimmed image and the seat number in the storage 205. When performing the trimming process, information such as the number of groups, seat numbers, and seat arrangements purchased in advance is obtained from the ticket purchasing unit 206, which will be described later, and the trimming process is performed based on the information. Will be described later with reference to FIGS. 10 to 15. In this example, the storages 204 and 205 are shown as different storages, but they may be physically the same.

The selection / upload unit 203 uploads the trimmed image data and seat number stored in the storage 205, and the date and time information of the event to the distribution unit (distribution server) 207. When the shooting instruction unit 101 is performing interval shooting during a competition or an event, a large amount of trimmed images are created, so the operator extracts and selects a scene in which the audience is excited and distributes the image. Allow uploading to 207. As a selection method, for example, a target image may be visually selected from a list of images, or data of the corresponding time may be extracted by inputting a specific time, and the selection method limits the present invention. It's not something to do. When the shooting instruction unit 101 only performs manual shooting by the operator, the shooting instruction is usually given in a scene where the audience is excited, so that all images may be uploaded without any particular selection.

The ticket purchasing unit 206 is a mechanism for the user to purchase a ticket, and the processing at the time of purchase will be described later with reference to FIG. The user can obtain the desired number of seat numbers by inputting the date and the number of seats he / she wants to purchase and paying the price.

The distribution unit 207 presents the image data group of the corresponding seat number on the corresponding date to the user based on the event date and the seat number input by the user. Regarding the input of the user, the user may manually input by looking at the ticket, or may print a QR code (registered trademark) on the ticket and read it with a smartphone to recognize it. The input method does not limit the present invention. Further, the image data group may be presented to the user by a smartphone application or in the form of a Web application accessed by a browser, and the presentation method does not limit the present invention. Absent.

FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of a PC 201a (personal computer) in the image processing device 201 as an example of a device to which the present invention can be applied. The image processing device 201 may be composed of a plurality of electronic devices or may be composed of a single PC.

In FIG. 3, the CPU 01, ROM 02, RAM 03, display 04, HDD (hard disk drive) 05, input device 06, media drive 07, and I / F (interface) 08 are connected to the internal bus 09. Each part connected to the internal bus 09 can exchange data with each other via the internal bus 09.

The CPU 01 controls each part of the PC 201a by using the RAM 03 as a work memory according to a program stored in the ROM 02, for example. Image data, audio data, other data, various programs for operating the CPU 01, and the like are stored in the ROM 02. The ROM 02 is composed of a non-volatile memory such as a ROM. The RAM 03 includes, for example, a RAM (such as a volatile memory using a semiconductor element).

The display 04 displays an image, a GUI screen that constitutes a GUI (Graphical User Interface), and the like based on the control of the CPU 01. The CPU 01 controls each part of the PC 201a so as to generate a display control signal according to the program, generate a video signal to be displayed on the display 04, and output the video signal to the display 04. The display 04 displays an image based on the output image signal. The configuration of the PC201a itself may include an interface for outputting a video signal to be displayed on the display 04, and the display 04 may be configured by an external monitor (television or the like).

Various programs, data, and the like are stored in the HDD 105. The input device 06 is an input device for accepting user operations, including a character information input device such as a keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse and a touch panel, a button, a dial, a joystick, a touch sensor, and a touch pad. The touch panel is an input device that is superposed on the display 04 and is configured in a plane so that coordinate information corresponding to the contacted position is output. The media drive 07 drives and controls, for example, a removable storage medium. The I / F08 is an interface for communicating with an external device of the PC201a.

4 and 5 are views showing an example of setting a trimming position for each seat in the present embodiment. FIG. 4 shows an example of setting the trimming position with respect to the image taken from the camera substantially in front of the audience. As shown in FIG. 4A, a rectangle of the trimming position is defined for each seat, the horizontal direction is defined as the X-axis coordinate system, and the vertical direction is defined as the Y-axis coordinate system, and the upper left vertex position 401 and the lower right of the rectangle are defined. The coordinates of the apex position 402 of are stored as the data structure shown in FIG. 6, which will be described later. By performing this work for each seat included in the captured image, the trimming positions of all seats are specified as shown in FIG. 4 (b). Here, the rectangle at the trimming position is illustrated as a rectangular rectangle, but any rectangle that can be represented by a coordinate system, such as a rectangle definition with a polygon or an ellipse, is sufficient, and the rectangular shape limits the present invention. It's not a thing.

FIG. 5 shows an example of setting the trimming position with respect to the image taken from the camera slightly diagonally above the audience. By defining the trimming position rectangle for each seat and defining the X-axis and Y-axis coordinate systems in the same way as in the example shown in FIG. 4, the upper left vertex position 501 and the upper left vertex position 501 and the seat position are defined even if the seat position is oblique. The coordinates of the lower right vertex position 502 can be stored as the data structure shown in FIG. 6, which will be described later.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure for storing the trimming position of each seat in the embodiment of the present invention. The data structure for storing the trimming position of each seat is column number 601, seat number 602, camera number 603, X coordinate 604 of the upper left vertex coordinate, Y coordinate 605 of the upper left vertex coordinate, and X coordinate of the lower right vertex coordinate. It has 606 and Y coordinate 607 of the lower right vertex coordinate. In the data structure 600, the X coordinate and the Y coordinate are managed by individual columns, but they may be managed by one column as list information such as (X, Y). Further, although the column number 601 and the seat number 602 are numerical data in FIG. 6, character string data such as alphabets may be used. Numerical data representing the pixel position is recorded in the coordinate information 604 to 607.

In the present embodiment, it will be described that a photograph is taken with a spectator watching a baseball game as a user and an image is provided by cropping an image of the spectators formed in a group. However, the example of the baseball game described in the present embodiment is an example, and it can be applied to other sports games as well as places such as tourist spots and plays.

The ticket purchase process in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of processing when a user purchases a ticket in an application for purchasing a ticket or an Internet site. This process is realized by expanding the program recorded in the ROM (nonvolatile memory) 02 or the like into the RAM (system memory) 03 and executing the program by the CPU 01.

In S701, the CPU 01 accepts the input of the number of purchased tickets from the user.
In S702, the CPU 01 accepts an input from the user as to whether or not he / she intends to purchase an image. The input in S702 may allow the user to directly select whether or not to purchase an image on the purchase screen, or the ticket and the image purchase are a set, and the ticket purchase and the image purchase selection can be made. You may be able to do it all at once. In addition, some seats are set with image purchase without the user selecting, and the user may have an intention to purchase an image at the time of selecting the target seat.

In S703, the CPU 01 determines whether or not there is an intention to purchase an image in the input in S702. If it is determined that the user intends to purchase the image, the process proceeds to S704, and if not, the process proceeds to S706.

In S704, the CPU 01 selects a seat designated by the user. At this time, by selecting one representative seat by the user, the user may be able to easily select a seat by presenting a plurality of patterns of seat positions corresponding to the number of purchased seats input in S701. Further, in the image trimming process described later in FIG. 10, the trimming range is changed according to the user's designation of the seat position.

In S705, the CPU 01 generates group information based on the information received in S704. The group information is information that associates the representative seat with the seat position of the simultaneously purchased ticket input in S701. Even if there is only one user, in S705, information is generated as group information in association with the seat. As for the group information, other seats may be added to the same group by inputting the information described in the tickets that were not purchased at the same time through the application or the Internet site. However, it is desirable that the seats in the group are adjacent to each other vertically or horizontally. This is because when trimming, the distant seats may not be able to fit in one trimming range because the cameras that shoot may be different. Also, if the cropped image contains many other seats that are not included in the group, the size of each person will be reduced.
In S706, the CPU 01 selects a seat designated by the user.

Next, the process of setting before the start of the game in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of processing of the pre-match setting in the present embodiment. This process indicates the process performed by the image processing device 201 before the start of the game. In this process, the image processing device 201 is turned on before the match, and the system operator gives an instruction to start preparing for the target match, or before a predetermined time such as 3 hours or the day before the match. It will start when it becomes. This process is realized by expanding the program recorded in the ROM (nonvolatile memory) 02 or the like into the RAM (system memory) 03 and executing the program by the CPU 01.

In S801, the CPU 01 connects to the distribution unit 207 and the ticket purchasing unit 206.
In S802, the CPU 01 acquires the ticket information of the target game from the ticket purchasing unit 206. The ticket information includes information on the number of tickets purchased at the same time, the seat position, and the seat arrangement required for the trimming process. In addition, in order to select a more commercial image, information on the type of seat, information on the area such as infield / outfield / VIP, information on whether or not the seat is in the area to be photographed, unreserved seats. Information on whether the seat is reserved or reserved may be included. Furthermore, information such as whether or not the user is frequently watching the game and whether or not he / she is a member of the fan club may be included.

In S803, the CPU 01 calculates the trimming range based on the information acquired in S802. The CPU 01 uses the number of people and the arrangement pattern of the group acquired in S802 to acquire the method of calculating the number of people and the trimming position for each pattern defined in FIGS. 13 and 14 described later, and calculates the trimming range. The trimming range here is a rectangular rectangle surrounded by these two vertices as the X and Y coordinates of the upper left vertex position of the rectangle to be trimmed and the X and Y coordinates of the lower right vertex position. Point to. Here, a rectangular rectangle defined by two vertices is used, but any rectangle that can be represented by a coordinate system such as a polygon or an ellipse is sufficient, and the rectangular shape limits the present invention. It's not something to do.

13 and 14 are diagrams showing an example of a data structure in which a method for calculating a trimming range in the present embodiment is stored. FIG. 13 shows an example of the definition for an image taken from almost the front of the spectator as shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 14 shows an image taken by the spectator at a slight angle as shown in FIG. An example of the definition for is shown.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the number of people in the group 1301 and the pattern of seating arrangement 1302 are managed. In addition, the X coordinate calculation method 1303 for the upper left apex position, the Y coordinate calculation method 1304 for the upper left apex position, the X coordinate calculation method 1305 for the lower right apex position, the Y coordinate calculation method 1306 for the lower right apex position, and information 1307 for the outside seats of the group. To manage.

The number of people in the group 1301 and the pattern of seating arrangement 1302 match the number of people in the group and the seating arrangement purchased in advance from the ticket purchasing unit 206, respectively. The coordinate calculation methods 1303 to 1306 use the trimming position information of any of the seat positions in the group in the examples shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, but define a specific number of pixels and a calculation formula. It doesn't matter. Information 1307 for seats outside the group defines information on seat positions that are included in the rectangle but are not purchased as seats in the group in the seat arrangement pattern.

In S804, the CPU 01 prepares face data. For face data, based on the information acquired in S802, prepare face data of users who frequently watch the game, that is, spectators whose faces have been detected in the past, and spectators who have joined the fan club. Keep it. As a result, when there is a spectator who is determined to match the face in the prepared face data in the captured image, the image of a specific spectator is linked as data and collected and provided to the specific spectator collectively. can do. In addition, spectators who have joined the fan club can look back at the end of the match season by automatically collecting images without showing their intention to purchase images each time they purchase a ticket. Depending on the spectators, the frequency of watching the game varies greatly, so it is possible that there are spectators who want multiple images in one game and spectators who want images in all the games they watched, although one game is enough. There is sex. Therefore, by preparing the face data as described above, it is possible to provide the image without the need for the spectator who watches the game frequently to show the intention to purchase the image each time. In addition, the image can be provided even if the work for showing the intention to purchase the image is forgotten. Furthermore, even if you sit in a non-reserved seat where you do not know the seat position, you can collect images of a specific audience. In addition, instead of the information at the time of purchasing the ticket acquired in S802, a plan for the spectator to purchase the image is set up separately from the purchase of the spectator ticket, and when the plan is selected, the face data is registered and the spectator can register the face data. The appearance of watching the game may be provided as an image each time. In the above cases, by preparing the face data, the image can be smoothly provided to the spectators during the match.

In S805, the CPU 01 sets the clock.
In S806, the CPU 01 inputs a shooting factor. The shooting factor may be based on a detection period such as an interval shooting period of 10 seconds or 20 seconds, or a response when the cheers of the audience exceed a predetermined value. In addition, a control unit that analyzes the state of the shot match and analyzes the match data is prepared, and the interval interval can be shortened according to the score of the match, the progress of the match, and the position of the players. , You may switch to video recording. Further, the interval shooting may be stopped during the break time, and the interval shooting may be started during the time when an event such as a cheering battle or a quiz occurs during the break time. Needless to say, manual shooting instructions may be combined.

In S807, the CPU 01 actually starts the camera and performs shooting and trimming processing as a system test. Based on the captured image, set the shooting conditions according to the brightness of the day and the amount of light entering, or cut out the target seat when the captured image is trimmed based on the coordinates associated with the seat. You may check if you can. A subject as an index point may be placed on the seat side, and it may be confirmed whether or not the subject in the image captured by the camera is at predetermined coordinates.
In S808, the CPU 01 sets the shooting conditions based on the system test of S807.

Next, the processing after the start of the game will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A to 9C. 9 (a) to 9 (c) are flowcharts showing an example of processing after the start of the game in the present embodiment. 9 (a) is a process of the image processing device 201, FIG. 9 (b) is a process related to photography, and FIG. 9 (c) is a process of trimming and distributing an image. Each process is started before the match is started or the shooting before the start of the match is started. This process is realized by expanding the program recorded in the ROM (nonvolatile memory) 02 into the RAM (system memory) 03 and executing it by the CPU 01.

In S901, the CPU 01 acquires the ticket information on the way. The midway ticket information is information about a ticket purchased after the start of the match or after the processing of S802 in FIG. This information may be acquired from the ticket purchasing unit 206, or may be notified from the ticket purchasing unit 206 to the image processing device 201 on a regular basis or whenever there is an update.

In S902, the CPU 01 acquires information about the camera corresponding to the camera c = 1. In S902, information on the shooting range of the camera c = 1 and the target seat is acquired.
In S903, the CPU 01 determines whether or not the camera c currently being processed is larger than the total number K of the cameras, and if it is larger, proceeds to S907 assuming that the processing for all the cameras is completed. If not, the process proceeds to S904.

In S904, the CPU 01 acquires trimming information in the range of the seat to be photographed from the position of the target camera c.
In S905, the CPU 01 acquires a shooting factor in the range of the seat to be shot from the position of the target camera c. For example, when Team A and Team B are competing against each other, it may be better to change the shooting interval period depending on the timing of offense and defense. Also, depending on the type of seat, it may be better to take pictures frequently. Therefore, by acquiring the shooting factors according to the seats included in the shooting range of the camera, it is possible not to miss a shooting chance without shooting many images that are unlikely to be provided to the audience. The shooting factor of S905 may be the same for all cameras.

When a new ticket is purchased or a new intention to purchase an image is indicated by the audience, that is, when a new trimming group is generated, the processes of S803 and S804 of FIG. 8 are performed in S904 and S905.
In S906, the CPU 01 sets the camera c = c + 1 in the same manner as in S902, and acquires information about the next camera.

In S907, the CPU 01 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed. When the determination of S907 is performed for the first time after the start of the process of FIG. 9, the predetermined time is timed from the time from S901, and when the determination is performed for the second time or later, the time is measured from the time after the determination of YES in the previous determination of S907. S907 is for acquiring the ticket information on the way at predetermined time intervals. If YES is determined in S907, the process proceeds to S901, and if not, the process proceeds to S908.

In S908, the CPU 01 determines whether or not there is a shooting factor that was shot in S905. If YES is determined in S908, the process proceeds to S909, and if not, the process proceeds to S907.
In S909, the CPU 01 notifies the camera side of an instruction to shoot.
In S910, the CPU 01 notifies the trimming unit 202 of the trimming information. Since the trimming information and the information on the shooting factors are updated at predetermined time intervals, even the spectators who purchased the ticket in the middle of the game can obtain the trimmed image from the middle of the game.

In S911, the CPU 01 determines whether to end the process, that is, whether the match is over and the shooting is finished. If it is finished, the process proceeds to S912, otherwise the process proceeds to S901.
In S912, the CPU 01 notifies the camera that the power is turned off.

As described above, in the process shown in FIG. 9A, since the trimming information is sent to the trimming unit 202 almost at the same time as the instruction for shooting, the trimming process registered quickly after the shooting can be performed. When the image is sent from the camera side to the storage 204, the trimming unit 202 can grasp the group to be trimmed and calculate the trimming range, so that the trimming process can be performed quickly and the spectator can confirm the image.

Next, the processing related to the photographing of FIG. 9B will be described. The process of FIG. 9B is a process performed in each camera.
In S930, the CPU 01 causes the camera side to acquire the shooting conditions.
In S931, the camera determines whether or not a shooting instruction has been given, and if a shooting instruction is given, the process proceeds to S932, and if not, the camera waits for a shooting instruction.

In S932, shooting is performed under the set shooting conditions on the camera side.
In S933, the CPU 01 controls to transfer the image from the camera to the image transfer receiving unit 201b. The transferred image data is stored in the storage 204. Alternatively, the images taken by the camera are sequentially transferred to the storage 204.
In S934, the CPU 01 determines whether or not to end the process of FIG. 9B. The determination of S934 is YES when the instruction to turn off the power of the camera is received in S912 of FIG. 9A. If it is determined in S934 that the process of FIG. 9B is finished, the process of FIG. 9B is finished, and if not, the process proceeds to S931.

Next, the process of trimming and distributing the image of FIG. 9C will be described.
In S951, the CPU 01 determines whether or not an instruction to acquire an image has been given. In the case of baseball, the instruction to acquire an image is an event time such as a home run time or a fine play time, and is before or after the event time based on the clock time set in S805 of FIG. It is an instruction to acquire the image taken in. The image acquisition instruction shall be given according to the occurrence of the event time. Even if it is not the event time, for example, the CPU 01 may analyze the game and simultaneously give an image shooting instruction and an image acquisition instruction according to the occurrence of the event.

In S952, the CPU 01 acquires the target image from the storage 204.
In S953, the trimming unit 202 acquires trimming information.

In the processing after S954, the trimming processing is started.
In S954, the trimming unit 202 acquires seat information of n = 1. Then, let m be the number of seats in the shooting range of the camera that shot the image that is currently being trimmed. In this embodiment, the seat numbers are set from n = 1 to m for simplicity, but the number is not limited to this, and all the seats that are photographed by one camera and are to be trimmed are covered. If so, it may be linked to the seat actually used in the stadium. In order to cover the spectator's seat with multiple cameras, the shooting range and shooting range with other cameras may be covered. Even for a spectator who is shooting from two cameras, an image cropped from an image shot by one of the cameras is provided. Therefore, the shooting range of the camera and the trimming range may be different. In S954, the number of seats in the entire trimming range is acquired as m. The trimming range may be variable during the game, or may be determined in advance on the stadium side.

In S955, the CPU 01 determines whether or not the seat is in the area to be trimmed. At the stadium, there may be areas where shooting is prohibited, or the camera may be blinded by the net, poles, roof, etc. Also, in areas where the position of the spectators is unknown, such as unreserved seats, trimming corresponding to the position of the seat is not performed in the first place. Therefore, in such a case, the determination of S955 is set to NO. Even in a non-reserved seat, trimming by face detection and trimming in a wider range can be performed as described later. If YES is determined in S955, the process proceeds to S956, and if not, the process proceeds to S963. It should be noted that the audience may be shown at the time of purchasing a ticket or in an area near the seat where images cannot be purchased.

In S956, the CPU 01 determines whether or not the seat n currently determining whether or not it is a trimming target is smaller than the number of seats m in the trimming range. That is, it is confirmed whether or not the determination of whether or not to perform trimming has been completed for all the seats in the trimming range. If the determination in S956 is YES, the process proceeds to S957, and if not, the process proceeds to S965.

In S957, the CPU 01 determines whether or not the seat n is a seat to be trimmed. Whether or not the seat is to be trimmed depends on whether or not the audience has indicated the intention to purchase the image in FIG. 7. That is, the determination of S955 is YES if the seat is included in the trimming group, and NO if it is not.

In S958, the CPU 01 selects a trimmed image which is an original image to be trimmed from the image acquired in S952. When selecting a cropped image, the one with the best facial expression or the one with a large movement compared to the previous and next images may be selected according to the state of the audience in the trimming group of the currently targeted seat n. Good. Further, the image to be selected may not be changed for each trimming group, and the image may be manually selected, or the movement of the audience in the trimming range may be quantified and the image that seems to have the largest movement may be selected.

In S959, the CPU 01 executes the trimming process. The trimming process will be described later with reference to FIG.
In S960, the CPU 01 has seat n = n + 1. If the seat n is included in the trimming group that has already been trimmed, the seat n + 1 is used to search for a seat that has not yet been determined to be S957.

The processing performed in S961 and S962 when the spectators in the seat n are not included in the group trimming will be described. In the present embodiment, the area is trimmed in association with the seat number so that the spectator can obtain an image after the match. That is, instead of determining the trimming range so that spectators who have purchased at the same time enter and other spectators do not enter as in group trimming, trimming is performed by a predetermined number of people such as 30 or 50 people. As a result, the time required for trimming and the amount of data can be reduced so that the image can be quickly provided to the audience who is the target of group trimming, and the image can be provided later to the audience who is not. I have to.

In S961, the CPU 01 selects the trimmed image in the same manner as in S958. In the case of area trimming, since the trimmed image is not saved according to the spectators in each seat, the trimmed image is not selected according to the spectators in the seat n. In the case of area trimming, the image may be manually selected, or the movement of the spectator in the trimming range may be quantified and the image with the largest numerical value may be selected. Alternatively, an image having a good facial expression or a large movement of the audience whose face data is prepared in advance may be selected. In this way, even spectators who are not subject to group trimming can purchase images in the future by selecting images with good facial expressions or large movements of spectators who are likely to purchase images. It is possible to satisfy the satisfaction of a larger audience. If you save the images with good facial expressions of each audience, the amount of data will increase, leading to cost increase, and it will take time to retrieve the data. By prioritizing the selection of images by giving priority to spectators who are likely to purchase and watch the game frequently, it becomes possible to provide images at a lower cost and more quickly. The face-detected spectators may be notified of the spectators by collecting images of the target spectators for each predetermined number of games such as 10 games or 5 games, or the spectators may watch the next game. You may notify the image to encourage the purchase. Furthermore, by presenting the image taken in the previous game to the spectator when purchasing the ticket for the next game, the spectator can grasp what kind of image will be taken and whether or not to purchase the image. It may be easier to judge.

In S962, the CPU 01 trims the area. As described above, the area trimming trims the images divided by a predetermined number of people. If the seat n is already included in the area-trimmed image in the processing for the other seat n, the area trimming is not performed again and the amount of image data is reduced.

In S963 and S964, the same processing as in S961 and S962 is executed. If it is a non-reserved seat that is not the seat to be trimmed, processing based on face detection may be performed, and if the seat to be trimmed is not a spectator in the group trimming range, area trimming may not be performed. In addition, the area trimming range may be widened in the seats where some enthusiastic fans are gathered or groups are sitting. For example, a user wearing clothes of the same color may be used as the trimming range. As a result, it is possible to fit the groups wearing the uniforms of the supporting teams into one sheet.

In S965, the CPU 01 determines whether or not there is face data in the trimmed image. If there is face data, the process proceeds to S966, and if not, the process proceeds to S967.
In S966, the CPU 01 associates the ID of each spectator with the image, and turns on the image flag in the game in which the spectator is watching the game. If the image flag is ON, it is possible to show the spectator when the image was taken in the match.

In S967, the CPU 01 uploads the trimmed image to the distribution unit 207 so that the audience who is the target of the group trimming can view the image. It should be noted that the cropped image may be presented even if the audience is not the target of group trimming. At this time, characters such as samples are added as watermarks to the audience who are not subject to group trimming. The image data that has not been uploaded can be deleted from the storage 204 or recorded with reduced image quality, thereby reducing the capacity of the image and reducing the cost. However, after the match, the image itself selected in S958, S961, and S963 may be saved for a predetermined period, or each spectator may be notified before the image is deleted.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the trimming process in the present embodiment. This process is realized by expanding the program recorded in the ROM (nonvolatile memory) 02 into the RAM (system memory) 03 and executing it by the CPU 01.

The CPU 01 reads out information on the number of purchased groups, seat numbers, and seat arrangements acquired in advance from the ticket purchasing unit 206 (S1001).
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of seating arrangement according to the number of people in the group in the present embodiment. FIG. 11A shows an example of seating arrangement for a group of four people. In the pattern (1), four people are arranged side by side, and in the pattern (2), two people are arranged side by side. The pattern is just an example, and the combination of the shape of the pattern and the number of people does not limit the present invention. Similarly, FIG. 11B is an example of seating arrangement for a group of 5 people, and FIG. 11C is an example of seating arrangement for a group of 6 people.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the relationship between seats in the seat arrangement in the present embodiment. Based on the lower left seat position in the group, the horizontal seat position is represented by "number" and the vertical seat position is represented by "row", and the number of "number" is incremented toward the right side in the horizontal direction and is vertical. The "column" number is incremented toward the upper side of the direction. FIG. 12 shows a specific example of the seat arrangement in the pattern (2) of FIG. 11 (b). Although there are no users in the group in columns X + 2 and Y, they are defined as out-of-group seats in the data structures of FIGS. 13 and 14 because they are necessary as data for trimming the rectangle.

Returning to the description of FIG.
The CPU 01 acquires the trimming range and the group outside seat information (S1002). The trimming range may be calculated in S1001 without calculating the trimming range in advance.

When the group information acquired in S1002 includes the information on the seats outside the group (YES in S1003), the CPU 01 fills the trimming range of the seat positions defined for the outside seats in the group with a single gray color (S1004). .. If the information on the seats outside the group does not exist (NO in S1003), the processing of S1004 is skipped.

In S1004, if the entire range of the trimming position of the seats outside the group is filled, it may overlap with the trimming position of the seats in the group next to the top and bottom, so the inside of the trimming position should be filled slightly. Is desirable. This is a process to prevent spectators outside the group from being photographed, but the method of filling is not limited to this name. Further, if there is no particular problem of portrait right and there is no problem even if a person outside the group is photographed as the user's intention, there is a case where the processing of S1004 is not necessary.

The CPU 01 determines the trimming position according to the calculation method of the trimming position of 1303 to 1306 acquired in S1002 (S1005).
FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a calculation example of the trimming position in the present embodiment. FIG. 15 (a) is an example of a calculation method for an image taken from almost the front of the spectator as shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 15 (b) shows the spectator at a slight angle as shown in FIG. This is an example of a calculation method for a captured image. In FIG. 15A, the upper left apex of the upper left seat and the lower right apex of the lower right seat are simply used as the vertices of the entire trimming position. In FIG. 15B, the upper and lower rows are slightly misaligned.
Upper left vertex X coordinate = X coordinate of the upper left vertex of the lower left seat Y coordinate = Y coordinate of the upper left vertex of the upper left seat Lower right vertex X coordinate = X coordinate of the lower right vertex of the upper right seat Y coordinate = Lower right vertex of the lower right seat The Y coordinate is defined, and the coordinate positions of the upper left and lower right vertices are obtained using this calculation method.

Returning to the description of FIG.
The CPU 01 generates a trimmed image cut out at a trimming position according to the corresponding number of people and seat arrangement from the entire image taken by the camera according to the trimming position determined in S1005, and stores it in the storage 205 together with the shooting date and the seat number information. (S1006).

In addition, by operating the system as follows in the above-described embodiment, the audience may be able to acquire the image more easily.
-The browsing request to the distribution server is read from the QR code of the ticket.
-Although group information is acquired in advance, it may be acquired each time processing is performed. In this case, the ticket purchasing system also needs to constantly recreate the group information, and each time it is acquired from the trimming unit 202, the processing of the entire system increases. However, for example, in the case of baseball, it is effective when the ratio of sales of tickets on the day is large and a large amount of group information is created after the start of the game.

Next, a case where the spectator did not indicate the intention to purchase the image in advance but tried to purchase the image after the end of the game will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing another example of the system configuration of the image providing system according to the present embodiment. The image processing device 201 includes a shooting instruction unit 101, cameras 102 to 105, an image transfer receiving unit 201b, a selection / upload unit 203, and a storage 204. In FIG. 16, each of the processing units 101, 201b, 203, and 204 is described in one image processing device 201, but the processing unit may be physically different, and the configuration of the processing unit is the present. It does not limit the invention. Similarly, the distribution unit 207 and the trimming unit 202 may be physically different processing devices.
The shooting processing unit 101, the cameras 102 to 105, the camera image transfer receiving unit 201b, and the ticket purchasing unit 206 are omitted because they are the same as those described in FIG.

The selection / upload unit 203 uploads the captured image data to the distribution unit 207 together with the date and time information of the event and the trimming position information for each seat, triggered by the fact that the captured image data is stored in the storage 204. Since the captured image data here is high-resolution data that has not been trimmed, a large amount of data will be distributed to the distribution unit when the number of shots increases due to interval shooting or when the number of cameras increases. It will be uploaded to 207. The system must retain a larger amount of data when attempting group trimming later.

Here, the trimming position information for each seat is uploaded from the image processing device 201 to the distribution unit 207, but the distribution unit 207 and the trimming unit 202 may have the information. However, since the trimming position information is only the position information for the images taken by the cameras 102 to 105, it is updated every time the mounting position or angle of view of the cameras 102 to 105 on the image processing device 201 side is changed. You will need it. Therefore, the systems of the image processing device 201, the distribution unit 207, and the trimming unit 202 need to cooperate more with each other.

The distribution unit 207 transmits the thumbnail position information and the seat number acquired from the selection / upload unit to the trimming unit 202 based on the event date and the seat number input by the user, instructs the trimming process, and obtains the trimming. Present the finished image to the user. Regarding the user's input, as in Fig. 2, the user may manually input by looking at the ticket, or print a QR code etc. on the ticket and read it with a smartphone to recognize it. If the ticket information is unknown, face detection may be used. The input method is not limited to the above method. Further, the presentation to the user may be a smartphone application or a Web application accessed by a browser, and the presentation method is not limited to the present invention.

The processing itself of the trimming unit 202 is the same as that in FIG. However, the cropped image is generated each time the user wishes to purchase, and the trimming time is included in the time until the user acquires the cropped image, so that the image is provided quickly. Can't. Further, in order to perform the image processing quickly, an environment capable of performing image processing at a higher speed is required.

Next, in FIG. 17, a case where the image data is stored in the storage 204 will be described. In the process of FIG. 17, unlike FIG. 16, a large amount of image data is not transmitted to the distribution unit 207, but the image processing device 201 takes a picture with the target camera after receiving the trigger of image purchase from the user. Request the image you created and have it uploaded. Therefore, it takes longer to acquire the image than in FIG. 16, and it takes more time for the user to acquire the trimmed image data.
FIG. 17 has the same configuration as FIG.

In this embodiment, on the premise that the user has purchased the ticket, the process starts from the point where the image purchase instruction is given to the distribution unit 207 (step 1). The distribution unit 207 requests the image of the target camera from the image processing device 201 (step 2), and requests the image from the storage 204 in the image processing device 201 (step 3). After that, the selection / upload unit 203 transmits the image data to the distribution unit 207 (step 4). At this time, since the image data includes date information, trimming position information for each seat, and image data before trimming, the amount of data becomes large. When a trimming instruction is given from the distribution unit 207 to the trimming unit 202 (step 5), the trimming unit 202 trims and the trimmed image data is distributed to the distribution unit 207 (step 6). After that, the trimmed image is distributed to the audience who purchased the image from the distribution unit (step 7).

As described above, in the method of FIG. 17, even if the spectator does not indicate the intention to purchase the image in advance, the trimmed image for the trimming group can be provided to the spectator. However, there are many exchanges in the system and the device, and it may take longer to provide the image than the audience who intends to purchase the image in advance. When providing an image to the spectator, the seat information is also linked and provided to the spectator, so that when the spectator uploads the image to the SNS, the seat in which the person who sees the image should be seated is sufficient. Can be recognized as being taken. Furthermore, by performing image processing related to brightness according to the position of the seat and providing an appropriate image for dark and bright areas, a wide range of spectators can be included in the same angle of view for shooting. Even so, it becomes possible to provide a better image. If the brightness changes more than a predetermined value within the same angle of view, a RAW image may be acquired to facilitate later processing of the image.

Next, a series of photographing processes in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The series of shooting processes is a process for changing the frequency of shooting according to the vacant seats of the spectators' seats. This process is realized by expanding the program recorded in the ROM (nonvolatile memory) 02 into the RAM (system memory) 03 and executing it by the CPU 01. This process should be done before the start of the match and more information about the spectators should be gathered, so if the match is reached at a predetermined time, such as 10 minutes or 1 hour before the start of shooting. Try to get started. Alternatively, it may start immediately after the start of the match.

In S1801, the CPU 01 acquires an image when the shooting range of each camera is vacant. The image taken when the shooting range is vacant may be acquired in advance, or may be taken at each match.
In S1802, the CPU 01 acquires spectator information with an intention to purchase an image in advance. The spectator who has the intention to purchase the image is the spectator who has shown the intention to purchase the trimmed image in the ticket purchase process shown in FIG.

In S1803, the CPU 01 acquires information regarding the arrangement of the cameras, and acquires information on seats in the shooting range of the cameras. In addition, the seat type of the seat is also acquired at this time.
In S1804, the CPU 01 calculates the shooting target ratio of the number of spectators to be shot from the information acquired in S1803 and the spectator information acquired in S1802. The shooting target ratio is the number of spectators who are willing to purchase shooting divided by the number of seats. In S1804, the shooting target ratio of each camera is calculated.

In S1805, the CPU 01 acquires the ratio of the shooting target of the camera n = 1 calculated in S1804.
In S1806, the CPU 01 determines whether or not there is a spectator who is willing to purchase an image within the shooting target of the camera n, that is, the shooting range of the camera n. If it is determined that there is a shooting target of the camera n, the process proceeds to S1807, and if not, the process proceeds to S1809.

In S1807, the CPU 01 determines the shooting interval according to the calculated shooting target ratio. For example, if there are 50% or more spectators who are willing to purchase images, the shooting interval is set to T = 5 seconds, and if there are 30% or more, the shooting interval is set to T = 10 seconds. As the number of shots increases, the number of images stored in the storage 204 increases, which may slow down the speed of providing images to the audience. Therefore, by determining the number of images stored in the storage 204, that is, the number of images to be captured with respect to the number of images that may be provided to the audience, the speed of image provision is not reduced. can do.
In S1808, the CPU 01 sets the shooting interval T so that the camera n performs shooting at the set shooting interval.

In S1809, the CPU 01 changes the shooting setting of the camera n. When there is no object to be photographed, the camera n may be used as a camera for photographing a game scene, for example, or as a camera for photographing fireworks and a scoreboard, instead of photographing the spectators. Alternatively, it is not necessary to take a picture. As a result, the number of images stored in the storage 204 can be reduced.

In S1810, the CPU 01 determines whether or not S1808 or S1809 is set in all the cameras. If it is determined that the shooting to all the cameras has been set, the process proceeds to S1811, and if not, the ratio of the shooting targets of the cameras n = n + 1 is acquired and the process proceeds to S1806.
In S1811, the CPU 01 executes a series of shooting processes during the match. A series of shooting processes during the game will be described with reference to FIG.

Next, a series of shooting processes during the game will be described with reference to FIG. The flowchart shown in FIG. 19 starts when the process proceeds to S1811 in FIG. The process shown in FIG. 19 may be performed after the shooting interval for each camera n is set in S1808 (S1809) even if the game is not in progress. FIG. 19 is a process for updating the shooting interval set in FIG. 18 immediately before. Before the match, you can see the information at the time of ticket purchase, but after the match, you can see how many spectators are actually sitting. This process is realized by expanding the program recorded in the ROM (nonvolatile memory) 02 into the RAM (system memory) 03 and executing it by the CPU 01.

In S1901, the CPU 01 acquires camera arrangement information, shooting range information, and information of an audience who intends to purchase an image regarding the camera n = 1.
In S1902, the CPU 01 acquires an image of the camera n taken immediately before.
In S1903, the CPU 01 compares the vacant seat image acquired in S1801 with the image acquired in S1902, and determines the area where the spectator is sitting.
In S1904, the CPU 01 calculates the ratio of the human area.

In S1905, the CPU 01 changes the shooting interval T according to the amount of increase in the number of people. For example, in the ticket purchase information, 30% of the seats were planned to be filled, but if the ticket was purchased after the start of the match or just before the start of the match and 60% of the seats were filled, the shooting set in S1808 was taken. Change the interval T from 10 seconds to 7 seconds. It is highly probable that the spectators who purchased the tickets before and after the start of the game did not process the purchase intention of the image described in FIG. Therefore, the shooting interval T set in S1808 is changed according to the rate of increase / decrease of people. In S1905, the shooting interval T may be changed according to the ratio of the spectator area calculated in S1904, and the unreserved seats were calculated in S1904 of FIG. 9 without performing the processing of FIG. 8 in the first place. The shooting interval T may be set based on the ratio.

In S1906, the CPU 01 determines whether or not S1905 has been set for all the cameras. If it is determined that the processing of S1905 has been performed for all the cameras, the process proceeds to S1907. Then, proceed to S1902.

In S1907, the CPU 01 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed. The predetermined time is, for example, 20 minutes or 30 minutes, and is an interval for updating the shooting interval T in S1905. If it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed, the process proceeds to S1901, and if not, the process proceeds to S1908.
In S1908, the CPU 01 determines whether or not to end the process of FIG. If it is determined that the process of FIG. 19 is finished, the process is finished, and if not, the process proceeds to S1907. The process of FIG. 19 ends when the shooting is completed.

According to the embodiment described above, since the shooting interval T is changed based on the information on vacant seats, the image is provided without missing a shooting opportunity when there are many spectators while reducing the amount of image data. be able to. Since the shooting opportunities differ depending on each group and the audience, the shooting opportunities vary as the number of spectators shot in one shooting increases. Therefore, by determining the shooting interval T according to the number of spectators, when the number of spectators increases, the possibility of shooting without missing the shooting opportunity of each spectator is improved. Moreover, when the number of spectators decreases, the amount of data can be reduced.

Next, a modified example of the continuous shooting process during the game described with reference to FIG. 19 will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 and 21 respectively. 20 and 21, respectively, are started when the process proceeds to S1811 shown in FIG. 18, similarly to the flowchart shown in FIG. This process is realized by expanding the program recorded in the ROM (nonvolatile memory) 02 into the RAM (system memory) 03 and executing it by the CPU 01.

FIG. 20 illustrates a modified example of changing the shooting interval from the face detection information.
In S2001, the CPU 01 detects the face of the spectator from the image taken by the camera n. In the face detection of S2001, the face of the spectator who has indicated the intention to purchase the image is detected in advance.
In S2002, the CPU 01 counts the number of face-detected people.
In S2003, the CPU 01 calculates the ratio of the number of spectators who have indicated the intention to purchase the image in advance and the number of face-detected people counted in S2002. As a result, it is possible to know how much of the spectators in the shooting range of the camera n are actually sitting, who have indicated their intention to purchase the image in advance.

In S2004, the CPU 01 designates a specific subject indicating a subject such as a team color, a flag, and goods. The specific subject may be specified by the spectator who has indicated the purchase intention, or may be specified by the side providing the image.
In S2005, CUP01 detects a specific subject from the image acquired in S2001.

In S2006, the CPU 01 changes the shooting interval T according to the ratio of the number of face-detected people calculated in S2003, or changes the shooting interval T according to the number of specific subjects detected in S2005. The audience who has indicated the purchase intention may be able to select whether to change the shooting interval T according to the number of face detections or the shooting interval T according to the number of specific subjects, or the image provider side. You may set it with. For example, if the number of face detections is 50%, the shooting interval T set in S1808 of FIG. 18 may be doubled. Further, for example, when many spectators are wearing team-colored uniforms, there is a high possibility that the spectators will be excited. Therefore, by shortening the shooting interval T, the possibility of missing a shooting opportunity can be reduced. it can.

In S2007, the CPU 01 changes the coordinates to be focused and the zoom amount based on the result of the face detection in S2001. As a result, it is possible to provide a more focused image to the audience who is willing to purchase the image based on the detected position of the face.
According to the above-described embodiment, since the shooting interval T is changed according to the detected face, the amount of images stored in the storage 204 can be reduced. The process of FIG. 20 is performed for each camera.

Next, FIG. 21 shows that the shooting conditions are changed based on the seat vacancy rate so that shooting can be performed under shooting conditions suitable for a larger number of spectators. In outdoor sports such as baseball and soccer, the brightness of the seats varies greatly depending on the amount of sunlight and the position of the roof. At this time, for example, if the exposure is adjusted to a bright place, it may not be suitable for the audience in a dark area. In such a case, the process of FIG. 21 is for setting the ISO sensitivity, aperture value, and shutter speed related to exposure to be suitable for a larger number of spectators.

In S2101, the CPU 01 acquires illuminance information of N predetermined sections from the acquired image of the camera n. The N compartments are compartments consisting of four or six adjacent seats, and include the entire shooting range of the camera n. The acquired image of the camera n was taken at the timing of S2101, but it may be taken before S2101.

In S2102, the CPU 01 sets the determination section n = 1. The determination section indicates a section for determining the illuminance levels 1 to 4 based on the illuminance information acquired in S2102, and the illuminance gradually becomes darker in the order of illuminance 1, 2, 3, and 4. The illuminance level is a level division of the illuminance that can occur in a predetermined seat. The illuminance level does not have to be four described in this embodiment, and may be two or three if the illuminance does not change significantly. Further, if the shooting settings related to exposure do not change even if the illuminance changes, the same illuminance level may be provided.

In S2103, the CPU 01 determines whether or not the determination section n is a section having an illuminance level 1 based on the illuminance information of the determination section n. If it is determined that the section has the illuminance level 1, the process proceeds to S2104, and if not, the process proceeds to S2105.
In S2104, the CPU 01 registers the determination section n in the illuminance level 1 list.

In S2105, the CPU 01 determines whether or not the determination section n is a section having an illuminance level 2 from the illuminance information of the determination section n. If it is determined that the section has the illuminance level 2, the process proceeds to S2106, and if not, the process proceeds to S2107.
In S2106, the CPU 01 registers the determination section n in the illuminance level 2 list.

In S2107, the CPU 01 determines whether or not the determination section n is an illuminance level 3 section based on the illuminance information of the determination section n. If it is determined that the section has the illuminance level 3, the process proceeds to S2108, and if not, the process proceeds to S2109.
In S2108, the CPU 01 registers the determination section n in the illuminance level 3 list.
In S2109, the CPU 01 registers the determination section n in the illuminance level 4 list.

In S2110, the CPU 01 determines whether or not the determination for all of the determination sections has been completed. If YES is determined in S2110, the process proceeds to S2112, and if not, the process proceeds to S2111.
In S2111, the CPU 01 sets the determination section n = n + 1 and proceeds to S2103.
In S2112, the CPU 01 counts the number of face detections in the illuminance levels 1 and 2. That is, the number of faces of the spectator in the area of illuminance level 1 and the number of faces of the spectator in the area of illuminance level 2 are counted respectively.

In S2113, the CPU 01 determines whether or not the number of face-detected people in the illuminance level 1 section is larger than that in the illuminance level 2 section. If it is determined that the number of face-detected sections in the section with illuminance level 1 is larger than that in the section with illuminance level 2, the process proceeds to S2114, and if not, the process proceeds to S2115.
In S2114, the CPU 01 sets the shooting setting for exposure according to the illuminance 1 to the shooting setting 1.
In S2115, the CPU 01 sets the shooting setting for exposure according to the illuminance 2 to the shooting setting 1.

In S2116, the CPU 01 determines the area where the spectator is sitting by comparing the vacant seat images of the sections of the illuminance levels 3 and 4 with the images acquired by the camera n. The acquired image of the camera n is taken by the camera n in S2116, but may be taken before S2116.
In S2117, the CPU 01 calculates the ratio of the area where the person is present in the sections of the illuminance levels 3 and 4. Since the illuminance is low at illuminance levels 3 and 4, the accuracy of detecting a human face may be lower than that of illuminance levels 1 and 2. Therefore, how many people are sitting is calculated by comparing images instead of face detection. On the other hand, in the case of illuminance levels 1 and 2, face detection is used to count the number of people more accurately.

In S2118, the CPU 01 determines whether or not the number of people in the section having the illuminance level 3 is larger than that in the section having the illuminance level 4. If it is determined that the number of people in the section having the illuminance level 3 is larger than that in the section having the illuminance level 4, the process proceeds to S2119, and if not, the process proceeds to S2120.
In S2119, the CPU 01 sets the shooting setting for exposure according to the illuminance 3 to the shooting setting 2.
In S2120, the CPU 01 sets the shooting setting for exposure according to the illuminance 4 to the shooting setting 2.

Next, in S2121 to S2129, the shooting interval T is set according to the number of people in each illuminance level.
In S2121, the CPU 01 calculates the ratio of the number of people by illuminance α = (the number of people of illuminance levels 1 and 2) / (the number of people of illuminance levels 3 and 4) acquired in S2112 and S2116. If it is determined that the value of α is 1.5 or more, that is, the bright region is 1.5 times or more the dark region in the range of the camera n, the process proceeds to S2122. If 1.0 ≦ α <1.5, the process proceeds to S2124, if 0.7 ≦ α <1.0, the process proceeds to S2126, and if α <0.7, the process proceeds to S2128.

In S2123, the CPU 01 sets the shooting with the shooting setting 1 as T = t1 and the shooting with the shooting setting 2 as T = t2 (> t1). For example, t1 is 5 seconds and t2 is 10 seconds.
In S2125, the CPU 01 sets the shooting with the shooting setting 1 as T = t1 and the shooting with the shooting setting 2 as T = t3 (> t2). For example, t1 is 5 seconds and t3 is 15 seconds.

In S2127, the CPU 01 sets the shooting with the shooting setting 1 as T = t4 and the shooting with the shooting setting 2 as T = t5 (<t4). For example, t4 is 10 seconds and t5 is 5 seconds.
In S2129, the CPU 01 sets the shooting with the shooting setting 1 as T = t6 (> t4) and the shooting with the shooting setting 2 as T = t5. For example, t6 is 15 seconds and t5 is 5 seconds.

In this way, when there are many people in a bright area, shooting with an exposure setting that matches the illuminance in a bright area is performed more frequently than shooting with an exposure setting that matches the illuminance in a dark area. To do so. Also, when there are many people in the dark area, shooting with the exposure setting according to the illuminance in the dark area should be done more frequently than shooting with the exposure setting according to the illuminance in the bright area. To do.

In S2130, the CPU 01 determines whether or not to end the process of FIG. If it is determined that the process of FIG. 21 is finished, the process of FIG. 21 is finished, and if not, the process proceeds to S2101.

In the above-described embodiment, the shooting frequency is set according to the illuminance level according to the number of spectators, so that the spectators are better reflected, that is, the images are shot under appropriate shooting conditions. Can be increased. Further, in an area where the number of spectators is small, the shooting interval T is increased and the shooting frequency is lowered, so that the amount of image data can be reduced.

<Other Embodiments>
The present invention supplies a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiment to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and one or more processors in the computer of the system or device reads and executes the program. It can also be realized by the processing to be performed. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

The above-described embodiments are merely examples of embodiment of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed in a limited manner by these. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the technical idea or its main features.

The above-mentioned various controls described as those performed by the image processing device 201 may be performed by one hardware, or the device may be shared by a plurality of hardware (for example, a plurality of processors and circuits). The whole control may be performed.
Further, although the present invention has been described in detail based on the preferred embodiment thereof, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various embodiments within the scope of the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. included. Furthermore, each of the above-described embodiments is merely an embodiment of the present invention, and each embodiment can be combined as appropriate.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the image processing device 201 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and an electronic device or a plurality of electronic devices capable of controlling an image is used. It is applicable if the system consists of. That is, the present invention is applicable to personal computers, PDAs, mobile phone terminals, portable image viewers, printer devices equipped with displays, digital photo frames, music players, game machines, electronic book readers, and the like. Needless to say, it is also applicable to perform control in connection with AI (artificial intelligence).

The present invention is also realized by executing the following processing. That is, software (program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment is supplied to the system or device via a network or various storage media, and the computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or device reads the program code. This is the process to be executed. In this case, the program and the storage medium storing the program constitute the present invention.

101: Shooting instruction unit 102 to 105: Camera 201: Image processing device 201a: PC (personal computer) 202: Trimming unit 203: Selection / upload unit 204, 205: Storage 206: Ticket purchase unit 207: Distribution unit

Claims (6)

An acquisition method for acquiring information about the seat to be photographed among multiple seats,
An instruction means for instructing the image pickup apparatus to take an image including the plurality of seats in the angle of view range, and
The providing means for providing the image and
An image providing system characterized by having a control means for controlling a shooting interval for causing the image pickup apparatus to shoot an image based on the information acquired by the acquisition means. The image according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls the shooting interval based on the ratio of the shooting target to the plurality of seats, which is calculated by using the information acquired by the acquisition means. Offering system. The image providing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the providing means provides an image trimmed according to the photographing target. An acquisition method for acquiring information about the seat to be photographed among multiple seats,
An instruction means for instructing the image pickup apparatus to take an image including the plurality of seats in the angle of view range, and
The providing means for providing the image and
An image providing device comprising a control means for controlling a shooting interval for causing the image pickup device to shoot an image based on the information acquired by the acquisition means. The acquisition process to acquire information about the seat to be photographed among multiple seats,
An instruction step of instructing the image pickup apparatus to take an image including the plurality of seats in the angle of view range, and
The providing process for providing the image and
A control method for an image providing device, which comprises a control step of controlling a shooting interval for causing the image pickup device to shoot an image based on the information acquired in the acquisition step. The acquisition step to acquire information about the seat to be photographed among multiple seats,
An instruction step for instructing the image pickup apparatus to take an image including the plurality of seats in the angle of view range, and
With the providing step of providing the image
A program for causing a computer to execute a control step for controlling a shooting interval for causing the imaging device to shoot an image based on the information acquired in the acquisition step.