JP3243008B2 - Image processing system having a plurality of cameras - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing system having a plurality of cameras, and more particularly, to an image processing system having a plurality of cameras, each of which has an effective relation with each other. The present invention relates to an image processing system having a plurality of cameras.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a plurality of cameras are used in a conventional system of this type, the arrangement positions of the cameras are fixed so as to match the boundaries of the area of the image to be imaged, It is common to use a combination of the ones and the telephoto function as appropriate.

[0003] However, the above-mentioned conventional techniques have the following difficulties. That is, since the arrangement position of each camera is fixed, the area of the image area that can be borne by each camera is limited. Further, in order to increase the total area of the image area that can be borne as a whole, the total number of cameras must be increased accordingly. By the way, when the required number of cameras are prepared and these cameras are provided with a standard lens function or a wide-angle lens function, the image area that can be borne is widened, but the required image information is insufficient. . Further, in the case of a telephoto lens function, although necessary image information can be obtained, there is a problem that an image area that can be borne is reduced. Further, in the case where the same visual field is shared, there is a difficulty in determining an object to be observed.

[0004]

The above-mentioned prior art has the above-mentioned problems. That is, since the arrangement position of each camera is fixed, the area of the image area that can be borne by each camera is limited, and in order to increase the total area of the image area that can be borne as a whole, the camera Have to be increased. In addition, when cameras of the required range are prepared and these cameras are provided with a standard lens function or a wide-angle lens function, the image area that can be borne is widened, but the required image information is insufficient. In the case of the telephoto lens function, although necessary image information can be obtained, there is a problem that an image area that can be borne is reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the arrangement positions of a plurality of cameras are made variable so that each image has an effective relationship. An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing system having a plurality of cameras, which is capable of solving a problem effectively.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An image processing system having a plurality of cameras according to the present invention has been made in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, and has a variable arrangement and a movable object.
A trackable camera, and an image taken by the camera.
It consists of an image memory that holds in the camera-specific coordinate system
A plurality of camera systems and an image memory of the plurality of camera systems;
The coordinates of the image, the total field of view of each of the cameras
The coordinates of the world image area that can be covered
A coordinate conversion unit for converting into a system,
Coordinate table representing the relationship with the world image area
And the camera system to track moving objects.
An image processing system comprising:
The writing control unit receives the result of the coordinate conversion by the coordinate
It turns out that a number of cameras have caught the same moving object
Sometimes, only one of the multiple cameras tracks a moving object
Is instructed .

[0007]

An image processing system having a plurality of cameras according to the present invention has been made to achieve the above-mentioned object, and an image taken by each camera is represented by a coordinate system unique to each camera.
It is stored in the corresponding image memory. Each coordinate table contains
Coordinates between the image memory area and the world image area
Information indicating the relationship is held, and coordinate
The conversion unit converts the coordinates of the image in each image memory into a world image.
To the coordinate system of the image area. To do this coordinate transformation
More than one camera is capturing the same moving object
It turns out. When capturing the same moving object, the control unit
Tracking a moving object with only one of these cameras
Command. Wait for another camera to do other work
Image area that can be borne as a whole
Can be increased .

[0008]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image processing system having a plurality of cameras according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, a first camera system 11 includes CAM1,
A / D 1 and image memory 1 are configured in series, and second camera system 12 is configured such that CAM 2, A / D 2, and image memory 2 are configured in series.
The n-th camera system 11 is configured such that CAMn, A / Dn, and image memory n are connected in series. The image memory 1, the image memory 2, and the image memory n store an image corresponding to the field of view of the corresponding camera, and are all connected to the control unit 21. Is a coordinate conversion unit 22 and a coordinate table 23
Is connected. CAM1, CAM2 and CAMn
Are arranged on respective automatic swivel tables (not shown here) so as to be in any desired vertical and horizontal directions. Also, WI by each lens
DE / TELE is also automatically performed, and has a function of widening a target input image area. Further, the coordinate conversion unit 22 replaces a so-called world image coordinate system with the origin at the upper left (as viewed from the figure) of the imageable area of each camera (see FIG. 4 described later). Then, the replaced coordinates and the sizes of the X and Y axis areas are registered in the coordinate table 23.

FIGS. 2 to 4 are explanatory views of the embodiment of the above embodiment. First, in FIG. 2, a plurality of (here, two) cameras (that is, the first camera 21 and the second camera 22) are arranged at appropriate places in a predetermined space, and a moving object is Suppose you track with two cameras. Assuming that the moving object 23 has entered this space, the image of the moving object 23 captured by the first camera 21 and the second camera 22 is as shown in FIG. That is, in FIG. 3A, the first camera 21
Is exemplified. As can be seen from FIG. 3A, the existence of the moving object 23 is recognized on the right side of the center of the field of view 21A by the first camera 21, and in FIG. An image by the camera 22 is illustrated. As can be seen from FIG. 3B, the existence of the moving object 23 is recognized on the left side of the field of view 22A by the second camera 22. Therefore, the same moving object is recognized at the same time by these two cameras, but it can be considered that apparently different moving objects are seen by the respective cameras.
Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the field of view 21A of the first camera 21 and the field of view 22A of the second camera 22 are arranged in the area of the world image 24. Here, the coordinates (0, 0) of the upper left portion of the region of the world image 24 are set to the same origin as the visual field 21A of the first camera 21 and the visual field 22A of the second camera 22. On the other hand, the field of view 21A by the first camera 21 and the field of view 22A by the second camera 22
The upper left coordinates of (x1, y1; x2, y2)
When these are arranged in accordance with the upper left (0, 0) of the area of the world image 24, the moving object 2 recognized in the respective visual fields 21A and 22A
3 turns out to be the same. After that, for example, only the first camera 21 is instructed to track the moving object 23, and the second camera 22 is allowed to wait for another operation.

[0010]

As described in the foregoing, in the image processing system having a plurality of cameras according to the present invention, control
The unit is the same object as a result of the coordinate conversion by the coordinate conversion unit.
Tracking of moving objects by only one of the cameras
It can be paid as a whole by giving instructions
Since the total area of the image area can be increased, an effect of providing an image processing system having a plurality of cameras, which can skillfully solve the above-described problem, can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image processing system having a plurality of cameras according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the above embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the above embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

11-1n--first to n-th camera systems; 21--control unit; 22--coordinate conversion unit; 23--coordinate table.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A device having a variable arrangement and capable of tracking a moving object.
Camera and the image captured by the camera
Multiple cameras consisting of image memories held in a coordinate system
And the coordinates of the image in the image memory of the plurality of camera systems.
Each in the area that can cover the total field of view of the plurality of cameras
Coordinate transformation to convert to the coordinate system of a certain world image area
Switching unit, the area of each image memory, and the world image area
A coordinate table representing a relationship with the camera, and control for controlling the camera system for tracking a moving object.
And an image processing system including a unit , wherein the control unit performs the coordinate conversion by the coordinate conversion unit,
It turns out that multiple cameras have captured the same moving object
Sometimes, only one of the multiple cameras tracks a moving object
An image processing system having a plurality of cameras, characterized in that to command.