JP6072163B2 - Camera control apparatus and computer program thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a camera control device and a computer program thereof, and more particularly, to an improvement of a camera control device that controls shooting areas of two or more cameras.

  There is known a camera monitoring system in which one or two or more cameras are installed in a monitoring area, and the shooting areas of these cameras are remotely controlled by a camera control device. In such a camera monitoring system, it is possible to shoot while traveling in a monitoring area wider than the shooting area of the camera by controlling the driving angle in the pan direction and tilt direction of the camera according to a predetermined driving pattern. it can. Further, if the user selects a camera and designates its driving angle, it is possible to photograph an arbitrary point (photographing point) in the monitoring area. However, there is a problem that it is not easy for the user to specify the drive angle of the camera so that a desired shooting point can be shot.

  Therefore, a camera control device has been proposed that displays a camera symbol indicating a camera installation position and a shooting area symbol indicating a shooting area on a map image indicating a monitoring area (for example, Patent Document 1). In addition, a camera control device has been proposed that allows a user to specify a shooting area of a camera by specifying an arbitrary shooting point on such a map image (for example, Patent Document 2). If this camera control apparatus is used, the user can designate the photographing point of the camera without designating the driving angle of the camera.

  However, the conventional camera control device performs drive control on a specific one camera, and if the user wants to shoot a desired shooting point with two or more cameras, the camera control device for each camera There is a problem in that it is necessary to specify shooting points, and the user has to perform complicated operations.

  In addition, when a large number of cameras are installed in the monitoring area, it is not easy for the user to determine which camera is appropriate to select as a camera for shooting a desired shooting point. There was a problem. In particular, there is a problem that it is not easy to select an appropriate camera in consideration of obstacles such as buildings and planted trees arranged in the monitoring area.

  In addition, although a camera control device capable of designating a camera non-permission direction has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 3), this camera control device regulates the camera shooting direction. It does not solve the problem.

JP 2000-358240 A JP-A-6-284330 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-93573

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a camera control device that can easily select a camera that captures an arbitrary shooting point in a monitoring area in which two or more cameras are installed. For the purpose. It is another object of the present invention to provide a camera control device capable of easily selecting an appropriate camera as a camera for photographing an arbitrary photographing point.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera control device comprising: a camera display unit that displays one or more camera symbols on a map image of a monitoring area based on a camera installation position; and an area that can be photographed by the camera. Then, a cover area storage means for storing a cover area designated by the user within the photographing limit of the camera for each camera, and an arbitrary photographing area in the monitoring area on the map image is designated as a new photographing area . New shooting area designating means , shooting availability determination means for determining whether or not to shoot in the new shooting area for each camera based on the cover area, and the new shooting for the camera capable of shooting the new shooting area. The provisional shooting area symbol indicating the shooting area of the camera when shooting the area is shown above A provisional shooting area display means for displaying on-up image, and the photographing area of the camera and an imaging area changing means for changing to the new shooting area.

With such a configuration, when a new shooting area is designated on the map image, it is possible to intuitively understand which camera is a camera capable of shooting the new shooting area by using the temporary shooting area symbol.

In addition to the above- described configuration, the camera control apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention includes a shooting area display means for displaying a shooting area symbol indicating a shooting area of the camera on the map image .

In addition to the above- described configuration, the camera control device according to the third aspect of the present invention is configured such that the imaging availability determination unit determines whether imaging is possible depending on whether the new imaging area protrudes from the cover area. .

A camera control apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present invention includes, in addition to the above configuration, camera selection means for selecting the camera, and the shooting area changing means selects the shooting area of the camera selected by the camera selection means. It is configured to change to a new shooting area .

In addition to the above-described configuration, the camera control device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention provides cover area display means for displaying the cover area of the camera specified by the user on the map image, and user operation during display of the cover area. And a cover area editing means for editing the cover area within the photographing limit of the camera .

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program for a camera control apparatus, which can be photographed by a camera display means for displaying one or more camera symbols on a map image in a monitoring area based on a camera installation position and the camera. A cover area storage means for storing for each camera a cover area designated by the user within the shooting limit of the camera, and newly shooting any shooting area in the monitoring area on the map image A new shooting area designating unit for designating as an area , a shooting availability determining unit for determining whether to shoot in the new shooting area for each camera based on the cover area, and a camera capable of shooting the new shooting area , A temporary indication of the camera's shooting area assuming that the new shooting area is shot. A provisional shooting area display means for displaying a photographic area symbols on the map image, and the photographing area of the camera so that the computer to function as an imaging area changing means for changing to the new shooting area.

  By using the camera control device according to the present invention, it is possible to easily select a camera that captures an arbitrary shooting point in a monitoring area where two or more cameras are installed. Moreover, if the camera control apparatus according to the present invention is used, an appropriate camera can be easily selected as a camera for photographing an arbitrary photographing point.

It is the figure which showed an example of the control screen 3 of the camera control apparatus 13 by Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which showed the relationship between the imaging | photography area symbol 36 and an actual imaging | photography area. It is the figure which showed an example of the control screen 3 on which the cover area 37 of the camera 10A was displayed. It is the figure which showed an example of the control screen 3 on which the cover area 37 of the camera 10B was displayed. It is the figure which showed an example of the control screen 3 on which the cover area 37 of the camera 10C was displayed. It is the figure which showed an example of the control screen 3 on which the cover area 37 containing the imaging | photography point P was displayed. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of cover area editing of the camera 10. It is the figure which showed a mode that the user designated a new imaging | photography area. It is the figure which showed a mode that the user selected a camera. It is the figure which showed the mode after the change of the imaging area. It is the figure which showed the mode when changing an imaging area in time series. It is the block diagram which showed the example of 1 structure of the camera monitoring system 100 containing the camera control apparatus 13 by Embodiment 1 of this invention. FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration example of the camera control device 13 of FIG. It is the block diagram which showed the detailed structural example of the camera control apparatus 13 of FIG. 12, and the functional block regarding the change function of an imaging | photography area is shown. It is the block diagram which showed the detailed structural example of the camera control apparatus 13 of FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a shooting area display process in the image generation unit 24 of FIG. 14. It is the flowchart which showed an example of the change process of the imaging area based on user operation. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of a photographing availability determination process (step S203) in FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing another example of the photographing availability determination process (step S203) in FIG. It is the figure which showed an example of operation | movement of the camera control apparatus 13 by Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is the figure which showed the other example of operation | movement of the camera control apparatus 13 by Embodiment 3 to this invention. It is the flowchart which showed an example of the determination process of the imaging | photography availability by Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is the figure which showed an example of operation | movement of the camera control apparatus 13 by Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is the figure which showed the other example of operation | movement of the camera control apparatus 13 by Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is the figure which showed an example of operation | movement of the camera control apparatus 13 by Embodiment 5 of this invention. It is the flowchart which showed an example of the change process of the imaging area by Embodiment 5 of this invention. It is the figure which showed an example of operation | movement of the camera control apparatus 13 by Embodiment 6 of this invention. FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the camera control device 13 following FIG. 26.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a control screen 3 of the camera control device 13 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. On the control screen 3, a map image 30 of the monitoring area 31 is displayed, and camera symbols 35 and shooting area symbols 36 of five cameras 10A to 10E (generally referred to as cameras 10 as appropriate) are displayed on the map image. 30 is displayed.

  The monitoring area 31 is an area monitored using the five cameras 10A to 10E, and the map image 30 displayed on the control screen 3 is two-dimensional layout information in the monitoring area 31. Here, an example in which the monitoring area 31 is a site of a specific facility and the buildings 32A and 32B are arranged will be described, but the monitoring area 31 may not be outdoors. For example, a specific floor in a building may be used as the monitoring area 31, and a floor plan of the floor may be displayed on the control screen 3 as a map image 30.

  The camera symbol 35 is a symbol indicating the installation position of the camera 10, and the shooting area symbol 36 is a symbol indicating the shooting area of the camera 10. The installation position of the camera 10 is given in advance, and a camera symbol 35 is displayed on the map image 30 for each camera 10 based on the installation position. Further, the shooting area of the camera 10 can be obtained by calculation based on the installation position, the drive angle, and the angle of view, and the shooting area symbol 36 is displayed on the map image 30 for each camera 10 based on the calculation result. Is done.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the shooting area symbol 36 and the actual shooting area. (A) in the figure is a diagram showing a state where the light receiving axis 101 of the camera 10 is seen from the horizontal direction, and (b) in the figure is a diagram showing a situation when seen from above. Further, (c) in the figure is a diagram showing a camera symbol 35 and a shooting area symbol 36.

  As shown to (a), the camera 10 is attached to the installation height h, and the light-receiving shaft 101 extends in the shooting direction. The installation height h is a height from the ground serving as a reference plane, and is given in advance as one of basic information of the camera 10. The light receiving axis 101 is an optical axis corresponding to the center of the captured image, and changes according to the driving angle of the camera 10 in the pan direction and the tilt direction. The photographing point P is a position where the light receiving axis 101 intersects the horizontal plane at the monitoring height H. The monitoring height H is a height from the ground to be monitored and is determined in advance. For example, when monitoring a person or a car, the monitoring height H may be about 1 m.

  As shown in (b), the shooting area 102 of the camera 10 has a trapezoidal shape. The imaging area 102 is an area where the field of view of the camera 10 intersects the horizontal plane of the monitoring height H, and is an isosceles trapezoid whose width increases as the distance from the camera 10 increases. The intersection of the diagonal lines of the isosceles trapezoid is the shooting point P, and the width of the shooting area 102 passing through the shooting point P is the shooting width W. That is, the photographing point P is a point of the monitoring height H that appears in the center of the photographed image. The shooting width W is the shooting width in the pan direction at the shooting point P.

  As shown in (c), the shooting area symbol 36 includes an area symbol 361 indicating the shooting point P and the shooting width W, and an optical path symbol 362 indicating the optical path from the camera 10 to the shooting point P.

  The area symbol 361 has a circular shape with the shooting point P as the center and the shooting width W as a diameter, and does not coincide with the shooting area 102. However, since the photographing point P is a position corresponding to the center of the photographed image, and the photographing width W is a distance corresponding to the width in the pan direction of the photographed image, the photographing point P using the area symbol 361 is used. By indicating the shooting width W, the user can easily and intuitively understand the shooting area 102. Note that if the area symbol 361 is circular, the user can easily grasp the center position, and therefore it is not always necessary to clearly indicate the shooting point P.

  The optical path symbol 362 has a substantially triangular shape constituted by two tangent lines passing through the camera symbol 35 and in contact with the area symbol 361. By using the optical path symbol 362, the user can easily and intuitively understand the shooting direction of the camera 10 and the correspondence between the camera symbol 35 and the area symbol 361.

  3 to 5 are diagrams showing an example of the cover area display of the camera 10, and the cover area 37 of the camera 10 designated by the user is displayed on the map screen 30 of the control screen 3 of FIG. . The cover area 37 is a small area in the monitoring area 31 that can be photographed by the camera 10, and is defined for each camera 10 as one of basic information of the camera 10. Further, the position and shape of the cover area 37 are determined by the user at the time of initial setting in consideration of the arrangement of obstacles such as buildings and planting and the division of roles between the cameras 10 in addition to the photographing limit determined by the performance of the camera 10. It is determined.

  The position and shape of the cover area 37 are confirmed by displaying the cover area 37 corresponding to the camera 10 designated by the user on the map image 30. Here, if the mouse cursor M is moved and superimposed on any camera symbol 35, the camera 10 corresponding to the camera symbol 35 is designated as the display target of the cover area 37. That is, the cover area 37 is displayed for the camera symbol 35 that is mouse-overed, and the cover area 37 can be confirmed for each camera 10.

  FIG. 3 shows a state where the camera symbol 35 of the camera 10 </ b> A is mouse-overed and the cover area 37 of the camera 10 </ b> A is displayed on the map image 30. Similarly, FIGS. 4 and 5 respectively show a state where the camera symbol 35 of the cameras 10B and 10C is mouse-overed and the cover area 37 of the cameras 10B and 10C is displayed on the map image 30. .

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of the cover area display of the camera 10, and one or more cover areas 37 including the shooting point P designated by the user are map images of the control screen 3 of FIG. 1. 30 is displayed. That is, in FIGS. 3 to 5, the cover area 37 is displayed based on the camera 10 designated by the user, whereas in FIG. 6, the cover area 37 is displayed based on the shooting point P designated by the user. .

  The user can specify an arbitrary point in the monitoring area 31 as the shooting point P, and one or more cover areas 37 to which the specified shooting point P belongs are displayed on the map image 30. For this reason, if the shooting point P designated by the user belongs to an overlapping region of two or more cover areas 37, these cover areas 37 are displayed on the map image 30 in an overlapping manner. In this case, it is desirable that the display colors of the cover area 37 are different from each other and that two or more cover areas 37 are displayed in a distinguishable manner. In addition, the camera symbol 35 of the camera 10 on which the cover area 37 is displayed changes to a camera symbol 35 ′ indicating that the camera can shoot.

  Here, it is assumed that an arbitrary point designated by the mouse cursor M is designated as the photographing point P. For this reason, if the mouse cursor M is moved in the map image 30, the displayed cover area 37 changes according to the position, and where the photographing point P is, which camera 10 can shoot. Can be grasped quickly and easily.

  In (a) in the figure, the shooting point P designated by the mouse cursor M is within the overlapping area of the cover areas 37 of the cameras 10B and 10C. For this reason, the cover areas 37 of the cameras 10B and 10C are displayed on the map image 30, and the camera symbols 35 of the cameras 10B and 10C are changed to camera symbols 35 ′.

  In (b) in the figure, the shooting point P designated by the mouse cursor M is within the overlapping area of the cover area 37 of the cameras 10A to 10C. For this reason, the cover areas 37 of the cameras 10A to 10C are displayed on the map image 30, and the camera symbol 35 of the cameras 10A to 10C is changed to a camera symbol 35 ′.

  If the mouse cursor M is within the camera symbol 35, the cover area 37 corresponding to the camera 10 is displayed as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, and if it is outside the camera symbol 35, it is as shown in FIG. Alternatively, the cover area 37 corresponding to the photographing point P can be displayed. 3 to 6, the shooting area symbol 36 is not displayed on the map image 30, but the cover area 37 is displayed on the map image 30 on which the shooting area symbol 36 is displayed. Also good.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the cover area editing of the camera 10, and the cover area 37 being edited is displayed on the map image 30 of the control screen 3 of FIG. The user can edit the shape of the cover area 37 of the camera 10 by designating the camera 10 as an editing target. For example, if the cover area 37 is a polygon, the shape of the cover area 37 can be freely changed by moving, adding, or deleting vertices. However, if the user tries to move the vertex beyond the shooting limit of the camera 10 while editing the cover area 37, the moving operation is canceled. The photographing limit is determined in advance based on, for example, the distance from the camera 10 and the adjustable range of the drive angle.

  In the drawing, the camera 10 </ b> A is designated as an editing target, and the cover area 37 of the camera 10 </ b> A is displayed on the map image 30. A handle point 37h is displayed at each vertex of the cover area 37, and the user can change the shape of the cover area by moving, adding, or deleting the handle point.

  (A) in the figure shows the result of dragging the upper right handle point 37h to the cover area 37 having the shape shown in FIG. 3 and moving it to the right. Further, (b) in the figure shows the result of deleting the upper right handle point 37h for the cover area 37 having the shape shown in FIG.

  FIGS. 8 to 10 are diagrams showing how the shooting area is changed by a user operation, and an example of changes in the control screen 3 is shown in time series. The camera control device according to the present embodiment normally controls the drive angle and the field angle of each camera 10 based on a predetermined control pattern. For example, the driving angle and the angle of view of the camera 10 are changed so that the shooting area circulates in the cover area 37, or the driving angle and the angle of view of the camera 10 are changed so as to continuously shoot a specific shooting area. Hold constant. However, when the specific area needs to be temporarily monitored, the user designates the specific area as a new shooting area and selects an arbitrary camera 10 from the cameras 10 capable of shooting the new shooting area. Then, the shooting area of the selected camera 10 can be changed to a new shooting area.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing how the user designates a new shooting area, and a new shooting area symbol Rn is displayed by a broken line. The new shooting area symbol Rn is a symbol indicating a new shooting point Pn and a new shooting width Wn. When the user designates the new shooting point Pn and the new shooting width Wn, the map image 30 on the control screen 3 in FIG. Displayed above.

  The new photographing point Pn is a new photographing point designated by the user, and the new photographing width Wn is a new photographing width designated by the user. The user can designate a new photographing area as a new photographing area by designating a new photographing point Pn and a new photographing width Wn. The new shooting area symbol Rn is a symbol for indicating the new shooting area designated in this way. Here, it is assumed that the new shooting area symbol Rn has a circular shape with the new shooting point Pn as the center and the new shooting width Wn as the diameter. That is, like the area symbol 361 of the shooting area symbol 36, the shape of the new shooting area symbol Rn does not match the new shooting area, but is displayed as a symbol that allows the new shooting area to be easily and intuitively understood. The

  For example, when the user clicks the left button of the mouse, the position of the mouse cursor M at that time is designated as a new shooting point Pn, and a new shooting area symbol Rn is displayed. Next, when the user operates the mouse wheel, the new imaging width Wn increases or decreases, and the diameter of the new imaging area symbol Rn changes while the center is fixed. When the user adjusts the diameter of the new shooting area symbol Rn to an appropriate size and clicks the left mouse button again, the diameter at that time is designated as the new shooting width Wn.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing how the user selects the camera 10, and two provisional shooting area symbols 38 are displayed by broken lines. In FIG. 8, if the user designates a new shooting area, provisional shooting area symbols 38 are displayed for the cameras 10B and 10C capable of shooting the new shooting area. In this way, the camera 10 used for shooting in the new shooting area can be selected from the cameras 10 on which the temporary shooting area symbol 38 is displayed.

  The provisional photographing area symbol 38 corresponds to the photographing area symbol 36 when it is assumed that a new photographing area is photographed. For the same camera 10, the photographing area symbol 36 and the provisional photographing area symbol 38 are simultaneously displayed. That is, the provisional shooting area symbol 38 is additionally displayed for the cameras 10B and 10C capable of shooting the new shooting area while maintaining the state where the shooting area symbol 36 is displayed for all the cameras 10A to 10E. The The provisional shooting area symbol 38 is desirably displayed so that it can be distinguished from the shooting area symbol 36 by different line types and colors.

  The temporary shooting area symbol 38 includes a temporary area symbol 381 indicating a new shooting point Pn and a new shooting width Wn, and a temporary optical path symbol 382 indicating a light path from the camera 10 to the new shooting point Pn. The temporary area symbol 381 has a circular shape with the new shooting point Pn as the center and the new shooting width Wn as a diameter, and coincides with the new shooting area symbol Rn. The provisional optical path symbol 382 has a substantially triangular shape including two tangent lines that pass through the camera symbol 35 and are in contact with the provisional area symbol 381. By displaying the provisional optical path symbol 382, the user can easily and intuitively understand the shooting direction of the camera 10 with respect to the new shooting area.

  That is, the temporary shooting area symbol 38 is displayed based on the new shooting point Pn and the new shooting width Wn in the same manner as the shooting area symbol 36 is displayed based on the shooting point P and the shooting width W. However, the shooting area symbol 36 is a symbol corresponding to the actual shooting area, and the shooting point P and the shooting width W are obtained by calculation based on the drive angle and the angle of view of the camera 10, whereas the provisional shooting area symbol 38. Is a symbol corresponding to a virtual shooting area, and is significantly different in that a new shooting point Pn and a new shooting width Wn are designated by the user.

  The temporary shooting area symbol 38 is displayed only for the cameras 10B and 10C capable of shooting a new shooting area. Whether or not the new photographing area can be photographed is determined based on the cover area 37. Here, the new shooting point Pn is the same as the shooting point P in FIG. 6A and belongs to the cover area 37 of the cameras 10B and 10C, but the cover area 37 of the other cameras 10A, 10D and 10E. Does not belong to. Therefore, it is determined that only the two cameras 10B and 10C can shoot a new shooting area, and the provisional shooting area symbol 38 is displayed only for these cameras 10B and 10C. Further, the symbol 35 of the cameras 10B and 10C changes to a camera symbol 35 ′ indicating that the camera can capture a new photographing area.

  In this state, the user selects the camera 10 to be used for shooting in the new shooting area among the cameras 10B and 10C on which the temporary shooting area symbol 38 is displayed. For example, the selection is made by clicking the camera symbol 35 '. The number of cameras 10 that can be selected is arbitrary, and all of the cameras 10B and 10C on which the provisional shooting area symbol 38 is displayed can also be selected.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state after the shooting area is changed. Here, a case where the user selects both the cameras 10B and 10C as cameras for changing the shooting area and the shooting areas of the cameras 10B and 10C are both changed to a new shooting area is shown.

  In addition, the change of the shooting area of the cameras 10B and 10C is calculated for each of the cameras 10B and 10C based on the changed shooting point P and shooting width W (that is, the new shooting point Pn and the new shooting width Wn). Then, based on the calculated drive angle and angle of view, it is realized by controlling the drive angle and angle of view of the cameras 10B and 10C.

  FIGS. 11A and 11B are views showing how the shooting area is changed by a user operation in the same manner as FIGS. 9 and 10. Here, the new shooting point Pn is the same as the shooting point P in FIG. 6B and belongs to the cover area 37 of the cameras 10A to 10C, but in the cover areas 37 of the other cameras 10D and 10E. Does not belong. For this reason, it is determined that only the three cameras 10A to 10C can photograph the new photographing area.

  As a result, as shown in (a) of the figure, provisional shooting area symbols 38 are displayed for the three cameras 10A to 10C. Further, the symbols 35 of the three cameras 10A to 10C are changed to camera symbols 35 'indicating that the cameras can capture a new photographing area. Thereafter, when the user selects only the camera 10A among the cameras 10A to 10C capable of shooting the new shooting area, only the shooting area of the camera 10A is changed as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the camera monitoring system 100 including the camera control device 13 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The camera monitoring system 100 includes two or more cameras 10, a communication device 11, a captured image display device 12, and a camera control device 13.

  The camera 10 is an imaging device installed in a monitoring area, and can change a shooting direction by controlling drive angles in a pan direction and a tilt direction. In addition, the angle of view can be controlled by optical zoom or digital zoom. Here, it is assumed that the camera 10 is a swivel camera with zoom for capturing a moving image.

  The communication device 11 connects the captured image display device 12 and the camera control device 13 to two or more cameras 10 so as to be capable of bidirectional communication. For example, the captured image display device 12 and the camera control device 13 are connected to a LAN (Local Area Network) to which two or more cameras 10 are connected.

  The captured image display device 12 is an output device that receives captured images from two or more cameras 10 via the communication device 11 and displays the received captured images. For example, two or more captured images received from different cameras 10 are combined and displayed on the screen at the same time, or displayed on the screen while switching sequentially.

  The camera control device 13 is a control device that performs drive control of each camera 10 and can be realized as, for example, a computer that executes a program for the camera control device. The camera control device 13 determines a drive angle and a field angle for each camera 10, generates a camera control signal indicating the determined drive angle and field angle, and transmits the camera control signal to the camera 10.

  FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration example of the camera control device 13 of FIG. 12, in which functional blocks relating to the display function and the editing function of the cover area are illustrated. The camera control device 13 can display and edit the cover area on the control screen 3 based on a user operation.

  The map information storage unit DS1 holds a map image 30 to be displayed on the control screen 3. The camera basic information storage unit DS2 holds basic information for each camera 10. This basic information includes an installation position, a cover area, and the like. The installation position is the horizontal position and the installation height H at which the camera 10 is installed, and the cover area 37 is a shootable range of the camera 10 designated by the user at the initial setting.

  The operation input unit 20 is an input unit that outputs an operation signal based on a user's key operation or mouse operation. This operation signal is input to the camera designation unit 21, the shooting point instruction unit 22, and the cover area editing unit 26.

  The camera designation unit 21 is a unit that designates an arbitrary camera 10 based on an operation signal from the operation input unit 20. Here, the camera 10 corresponding to the camera symbol 35 that has been mouse-over is designated by the camera designation unit 21, and the cover area of the camera 10 becomes a display target or an editing target.

  The shooting point designation unit 22 is a unit that designates an arbitrary shooting point P based on an operation signal from the operation input unit 20. Here, in the monitoring area 31, when the mouse cursor M indicates a point other than the camera symbol 35, the point indicated by the mouse cursor is designated as the photographing point P.

  The cover area editing unit 26 edits the cover area 37 based on the operation signal from the operation input unit 20. The cover area 37 is edited by updating the cover area held in the camera basic information storage unit DS2 with the cover area displayed on the control screen 3.

  The photographing availability determination unit 23 determines, for each camera 10, one or more cameras 10 that can photograph the photographing point P designated by the photographing point designation unit 22. That is, the shooting point P is collated with the cover area 37 of each camera 10, and it is determined that shooting is possible for the camera 10 with the shooting point P belonging to the cover area 37, and the shooting point P belongs to the cover area 37. It is determined that the camera 10 that has not been photographed cannot be photographed.

  The image generation unit 24 is a unit that generates a display image of the control screen 3, and the generated display image is output to the display device 25 and displayed on the screen. The image generation unit 24 includes a camera display unit 241, a cover area display unit 242, and an image composition unit 245.

  The camera display unit 241 generates a camera symbol 35 to be displayed on the map image 30. The camera symbol 35 is arranged on the map image 30 based on the installation information held in the camera basic information storage unit DS2.

  The cover area display unit 242 generates a symbol for the cover area 37 to be displayed on the map image 30. The cover area 37 for generating a symbol is determined based on the determination results of the camera specifying unit 21 and the photographing availability determining unit 23. Specifically, when the camera designating unit 21 designates the camera 10, the symbol of the cover area 37 of the camera 10 is generated. In addition, when the photographing availability determination unit 23 determines whether photographing is possible, the symbol of the cover area 37 of the camera 10 determined to be capable of photographing is generated. In this case, the cover area display unit 242 displays the cover area 37 as a shooting availability display unit that displays the determination result of the shooting availability determination unit 23.

  The image composition unit 245 arranges the camera symbol 35 and the cover area symbol 37 on the map image 30 read from the map information storage unit DS1, and generates a display image for the control screen 3.

  FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration example of the camera control device 13 of FIG. 12, in which functional blocks related to a shooting area changing function are illustrated. The camera control device 13 changes a shooting area and generates a camera control signal based on a user operation. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the block same as the block shown by FIG. 13, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted suitably.

  The camera control information storage unit DS3 holds control information for each camera 10. This control information includes the current drive angle and field angle of the camera 10. The new photographing area designating unit 27 is means for designating a new photographing area based on an operation signal from the operation input unit 20. Here, since the new shooting area is defined by the new shooting point Pn and the new shooting width Wn, the new shooting area designating unit 27, for example, the new shooting point Pn and the new shooting width Wn specified by the user's mouse operation. Is output.

  The photographing availability determination unit 23 determines, for each camera 10, one or more cameras 10 that can photograph the new photographing area designated by the new photographing area designation unit 27. The new photographing area is collated with the cover area 37 of each camera 10, and a camera capable of photographing the new photographing area is determined. For example, it is determined that the camera 10 whose new shooting point Pn belongs to the cover area 37 can be shot, and the camera 10 whose new shooting point Pn does not belong to the cover area 37 cannot be shot. to decide.

  The camera selection unit 28 is a selection unit that selects the camera 10 whose shooting area is to be changed from the cameras 10 that the shooting availability determination unit 23 has determined that shooting is possible based on the operation signal from the operation input unit 20.

  The shooting area changing unit 29 updates the control information in the camera control information storage unit DS3, changes the shooting area of the camera 10, generates a camera drive signal based on the changed shooting area, and drives the camera 10. Take control. In normal times, drive control of the camera 10 is performed based on a drive pattern given in advance. The drive control of the camera 10 is performed by updating the drive angle and angle of view in the camera control information storage unit DS3, generating a camera control signal including the updated drive angle and angle of view, and outputting it to the camera 10. Is called. Further, when a new shooting area is designated based on a user operation and the camera 10 that changes the shooting area is selected, the shooting area of the selected camera 10 is changed to a new area.

  The image generation unit 24 includes a camera display unit 241, a shooting area display unit 243, a provisional shooting area display unit 244, and an image composition unit 245.

  The shooting area display unit 243 generates a shooting area symbol 36 to be displayed on the map image 30. The shooting area symbol 36 is generated on all the cameras 10 and is arranged on the map image 30 based on the control information stored in the camera control information storage unit DS3 and the installation information of the camera 10.

  The temporary shooting area display unit 244 generates a temporary shooting area symbol 38 to be displayed on the map image 30. The provisional shooting area symbol 38 is generated for the camera 10 for which the shooting availability determination unit 23 determines that the new shooting area can be shot, and is based on the new shooting area specified by the new shooting area specifying unit 27 and the installation information of the camera 10. Are arranged on the map image 30. That is, the provisional shooting area display unit 244 displays the provisional shooting area symbol 38 as a shooting availability display unit that displays the determination result of the shooting availability determination unit 23.

  The image composition unit 245 arranges the camera symbol 35, the shooting area symbol 36, and the provisional shooting area symbol 38 on the map image 30 read from the map information storage unit DS1, and generates a display image for the control screen 3.

  Steps S101 to S103 in FIG. 15 are flowcharts illustrating an example of a shooting area display process in the image generation unit 24 in FIG. The shooting area is displayed by arranging a shooting area symbol 36 on the map image 30. Since the shape and position of the shooting area symbol 36 are determined by the shooting point P and the shooting width W, the shooting point P and the shooting width W are required. The shooting point P is obtained by the shooting area display unit 243 based on the drive angle of the camera 10 held in the camera control information storage unit DS3 (step S101). Further, the shooting width W is obtained by the shooting area display unit 243 based on the shooting point P obtained in step S101 and the angle of view of the camera 10 held in the camera control information storage unit DS3 (step S102). ). A shooting area is displayed based on the shooting point P and the shooting width W thus obtained (step S103). That is, the shooting area display unit 243 generates the shooting area symbol 36, and the image composition unit 245 places the shooting area symbol 36 on the map image 30, whereby the shooting area is displayed in the control screen 3 of the display device 25. The

  Steps S201 to S206 in FIG. 16 are a flowchart illustrating an example of a shooting area change process based on a user operation. First, an operation signal is output from the operation input unit 20 based on a mouse operation of a user who designates a new shooting area. Based on this operation signal, a new shooting point Pn and a new shooting width Wn are output from the new shooting area designating unit 27 (steps S201 and S202). Next, the photographing availability determination unit 23 determines whether the new photographing area can be photographed for each camera 10 (step S203). As a result, a temporary shooting area is displayed based on the new shooting point Pn and the new shooting width Wn for the camera 10 determined to be capable of shooting (step S204). That is, the provisional photographing area display unit 244 generates the provisional photographing area symbol 38 and the image composition unit 245 arranges the provisional photographing area symbol 38 on the map image 30, whereby provisional photographing is performed in the control screen 3 of the display device 25. An area is displayed.

  With the provisional shooting area displayed, the camera 10 for changing the shooting area is selected by the user (step S205). When an operation signal is output from the operation input unit 20 based on a user's mouse operation that designates the camera 10, the camera selection unit 28 selects the camera 10 whose imaging area is to be changed. The user can designate only the camera 10 that can photograph a new photographing area, and the camera selection unit 28 selects one or more cameras 10 designated by the user. In addition, it can also comprise so that the user may designate the camera 10 which does not change an imaging | photography area by mouse operation. In this case, the camera selection unit 28 selects one or two or more cameras 10 that are capable of shooting a new shooting area and that are not designated by the user.

  The shooting area changing unit 29 changes the shooting area of the camera 10 selected by the camera selection unit 28 to a new shooting area (step S206). That is, based on the new photographing point Pn and the new photographing width Wn, the driving angle and the angle of view are calculated for each camera 10, the driving angle and the angle of view in the camera control information storage unit DS3 are updated, and as a camera control signal. The drive angle and the angle of view are transmitted to the camera 10. When the drive angle and the angle of view in the camera control information storage unit DS3 are updated, the shooting area display unit 243 generates a shooting area symbol 36 corresponding to the new drive angle and angle of view, and the control screen 3 is also updated. Is done.

  Steps S301 to S304 in FIG. 17 are flowcharts showing an example of the photographing availability determination process (step S203) in FIG. The photographing availability determination unit 23 determines whether photographing is possible for each camera 10 by collating the new photographing point Pn with the cover area 37 of each camera 10 (step S301). That is, for the camera 10 whose new shooting point Pn belongs to the cover area 37, it is determined that the new shooting area can be shot (steps S302 and S303). On the other hand, for the camera 10 in which the new shooting point Pn does not belong to the cover area 37, it is determined that shooting in the new shooting area is not possible (steps S302 and S304).

  The camera control device 13 according to the present embodiment controls the driving angle and the angle of view of the camera 10 by the user specifying a new shooting point Pn and a new shooting width Wn, and shooting a desired new shooting area. Can do. For this reason, unlike the conventional camera control device, the user does not need to specify the drive angle and the angle of view of the camera 10, and the shooting area of the camera 10 can be easily and quickly changed even by an unskilled operator. be able to.

  Further, the camera control device 13 according to the present embodiment designates a new shooting area common to two or more cameras 10 by a new shooting point Pn and a new shooting width W specified by the user, An angle of view is obtained by calculation. For this reason, even when the shooting areas of two or more cameras 10 are changed, it is not necessary to specify the drive angle or the angle of view for each camera 10, and the shooting areas of the two or more cameras 10 can be changed easily and quickly. can do.

  In addition, the camera control device 13 according to the present embodiment, for the same camera 10, a shooting area symbol 36 indicating an actual shooting area and a temporary shooting area symbol 38 indicating a virtual shooting area when the shooting area is changed. Are displayed at the same time. For this reason, the user can easily and appropriately select a camera for changing the shooting area. In particular, by simultaneously displaying the shooting area symbol 36 and the provisional shooting area symbol 38 for two or more cameras 10, it is necessary to continuously monitor the current shooting area, the shooting direction for a new shooting point, and a new shooting. A suitable camera 10 can be selected as a camera for changing the shooting area by comparing and taking into consideration the driving time until reaching the direction.

  Further, the camera control device 13 according to the present invention determines whether or not a new shooting area can be shot for two or more cameras 10 and displays a provisional shooting area symbol only for the cameras 10 that can be shot. For this reason, the user can easily select an appropriate camera 10 as a camera for changing the shooting area among the two or more cameras 10.

  Further, the camera control device 13 according to the present invention holds a cover area 37 for each camera 10, and collates a new photographing point Pn common to each camera 10 with the cover area 37 of each camera 10. Whether or not shooting is possible in the new shooting area is determined every 10th. Therefore, the user can more easily select an appropriate camera 10 as a camera for changing the shooting area among the two or more cameras 10.

  In addition, the camera control device 13 according to the present invention can specify the cover area 37 for each camera 10 by the user. For this reason, it is possible to determine whether or not photographing is possible in consideration of not only the photographing limit due to the performance of the camera 10 but also the arrangement of obstacles such as buildings and planted trees and the division of roles among the cameras 10. Therefore, the user can more easily select an appropriate camera 10 as a camera for changing the shooting area among the two or more cameras 10.

  In the present embodiment, the new shooting area is defined by the new shooting point Pn and the new shooting width Wn, and the user specifies the new shooting point Pn and the new shooting width Wn in order to specify the new shooting area. Although described, the present invention is not limited to such a case. For example, if the new shooting width Wn is constant, it is not necessary to specify the new shooting width Wn, and the user can specify a new shooting area by specifying only the new shooting point Pn.

  Furthermore, when changing the shooting area, only the shooting point P of the camera 10 may be changed, and the shooting width W of the camera 10 may not be changed. In this case, the shooting width W of the corresponding camera 10 can be used as the temporary shooting area symbol 38. Alternatively, the provisional shooting area symbol 38 can be displayed as a symbol indicating a new shooting point Pn and an optical path from the camera 10 to the new shooting point Pn.

  If the user does not need to specify the new shooting width Wn, the shooting point P specified by the shooting point specifying unit 22 in FIG. 13 can be used as the new shooting point Pn, and the new shooting area specifying unit 27 in FIG. Is no longer necessary.

  Further, in the present embodiment, an example in which the provisional shooting area is displayed for the camera 10 capable of determining whether or not to shoot a new shooting area and shooting the new shooting area has been described. It is not limited only to the case. In other words, the provisional shooting area can be displayed for all the cameras 10. In this case, the user needs to select one or more cameras 10 that change the shooting area from all the cameras 10 by looking at the shooting area and the temporary shooting area displayed for each camera 10. .

  Further, in the present embodiment, an example of the camera control device 13 that displays a provisional shooting area for the camera 10 that has been determined to be capable of shooting has been described. However, the camera control device 13 according to the present invention includes all cameras. 10 may be configured to display the provisional shooting area.

  In the above embodiment, an example in which two or more cameras 10 are installed in the monitoring area 31 and two or more camera symbols 35 are displayed on the map image 30 has been described. It is not limited only to such a case. For example, one camera 10 may be installed in the monitoring area 31 and one camera symbol 35 may be displayed on the map image 30. Even in such a case, by simultaneously displaying the shooting area symbol 36 and the provisional shooting area symbol 38 for the same camera 10, the user can perform the drive control before the actual drive control for the camera 10. It is possible to confirm an area where photographing can be performed and an area where photographing cannot be performed after the driving control, and based on the confirmation result, it can be determined whether to perform driving control.

  In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which a new shooting point Pn is specified by performing a left click of the mouse, and then a new shooting width Wn is specified by performing a wheel operation. The present invention is not limited only to such a case.

  For example, the following configuration may be adopted in which the new shooting point Pn and the new shooting width Wn can be specified independently of each other. Even if no click operation is performed, the position of the mouse cursor M is always designated as a new photographing point Pn, and if the user moves the mouse, the position of the mouse cursor M after the movement is immediately designated as the photographing point Pn. The On the other hand, if the user performs a wheel operation, the new shooting width Wn changes, and even if the mouse cursor M is moved, the new shooting width Wn remains constant. In this case, if the user moves the mouse, the process for determining whether or not shooting is possible is immediately performed, and one or more provisional shooting area symbols 38 are immediately displayed.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the first embodiment, the example has been described in which the shooting possibility determination is performed by comparing the new shooting point Pn with the cover area 37. In contrast, in the present embodiment, an example will be described in which a new photographing area is collated with the cover area 37 to determine whether or not photographing is possible.

  Steps S401 to S404 in FIG. 18 are flowcharts showing another example of the photographing availability determination process (step S203) in FIG. The shooting availability determination unit 23 determines whether or not shooting is possible for each camera 10 by comparing the new shooting area with the cover area 37 of each camera 10 (step S401).

  As a result, for the camera 10 in which the new shooting area does not protrude from the cover area 37, it is determined that the new shooting area can be shot (steps S402 and S403). On the other hand, for the camera 10 in which the new shooting area protrudes from the cover area 37, it is determined that shooting in the new shooting area is not possible (steps S402 and S404).

  In other words, for the camera 10 whose entire new shooting area belongs to the cover area 37, it is determined that the new shooting area can be shot, while at least a part of the new shooting area does not belong to the cover area 37. Determines that shooting in the new shooting area is not possible (steps S402 and S404).

  The determination as to whether or not the new shooting area protrudes from the cover area 37 (step S402) can be made based on, for example, the distance L from the new shooting point Pn belonging to the cover area 37 to the outer edge of the cover area. First, it is determined whether or not the new shooting point Pn belongs to the cover area 37. As a result, when the new photographing point Pn belongs to the cover area 37, the shortest distance from the new photographing point Pn to the periphery of the cover area 37 is further obtained, and the obtained shortest distance is equal to or greater than the radius Wn / 2 of the new photographing area. If so, it can be determined that the new imaging area does not protrude from the cover area 37. On the other hand, when the new shooting point Pn does not belong to the cover area 37, or when the shortest distance to the periphery of the cover area is shorter than the radius Wn / 2 of the new shooting area, the new shooting area protrudes from the cover area 37. Can be determined.

  The camera control device 13 according to the present embodiment determines whether or not photographing is possible based on whether or not the entire new photographing area belongs to the cover area 37. For this reason, a part of the new shooting area protrudes from the cover area 37, and the camera 10 that cannot shoot the new shooting point Pn with the new shooting width Wn can be determined to be unshootable. Can prevent the provisional shooting area symbol 38 from being displayed.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which whether or not photographing by the camera 10 is determined based on the field angle adjustment range of the camera 10 will be described. When the shooting availability determination unit 23 determines whether shooting is possible, the angle of view necessary for shooting a new shooting area is obtained as a temporary angle of view, and this temporary angle of view is compared with the angle of view adjustment range of the camera 10. As a result, if the provisional field angle is outside the field angle adjustment range, it is determined that the camera 10 is not capable of photographing regardless of the collation result between the new photographing point Pn or the new photographing area and the cover area 37.

  FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the camera control device 13 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and an example of display on the control screen 3 is shown. Compared with FIG. 11A, the new photographing point Pn is the same, but the new photographing width Wn is larger. For this reason, the provisional angle of view necessary for photographing the new photographing area is larger than that in the case of FIG. 11A for any of the cameras 10A to 10C.

  Here, since the new photographing point Pn is close to the camera 10B and the new photographing width Wn is large, it is assumed that the provisional angle of view of the camera 10B exceeds the upper limit of the angle of view adjustment range of the camera 10B. . That is, the camera 10B can only shoot a range narrower than the new shooting width Wn even if the angle of view is set to the upper limit value of the angle of view adjustment range. In this case, the shooting availability determination unit 23 determines that shooting is not possible for the camera 10B, and the temporary shooting area display unit 244 does not display the temporary shooting area symbol 38 for the camera 10B.

  FIG. 20 is a diagram showing another example of the operation of the camera control device 13 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and an example of display on the control screen 3 is shown. Compared with FIG. 11A, the new imaging point Pn is the same, but the new imaging width Wn is smaller. For this reason, the provisional angle of view necessary for photographing the new photographing area is smaller than that in the case of FIG. 11A for any of the cameras 10A to 10C.

  Here, since the new shooting point Pn is far from the cameras 10A and 10C and the new shooting width Wn is small, the provisional angle of view of the cameras 10A and 10C exceeds the lower limit of the angle of view adjustment range of the cameras 10A and 10C. Suppose that That is, the cameras 10A and 10C can capture only a range wider than the new imaging width Wn even if the angle of view is set to the lower limit value of the angle of view adjustment range. In this case, the shooting availability determination unit 23 determines that shooting is not possible for the cameras 10A and 10C, and the temporary shooting area display unit 244 does not display the temporary shooting area symbol 38 for the cameras 10A and 10C.

  The angle-of-view adjustment range of the camera 10 is given in advance, and is held in the camera basic information storage unit DS2 as one piece of camera basic information. For this reason, the imaging availability determination unit 23 determines whether or not imaging of a new imaging area is possible based on the field angle adjustment range. That is, when a new shooting area is designated by the new shooting point Pn and the new shooting width Wn, a provisional angle of view necessary for shooting the new shooting area is obtained for each camera 10. Then, by comparing the obtained provisional angle of view with the angle of view adjustment range of the camera 10, it is determined whether or not photographing is possible.

  Steps S501 to S506 in FIG. 21 are flowcharts illustrating an example of the determination process of whether or not photographing is possible according to the third embodiment of the present invention. First, the photographing availability determination unit 23 collates the new photographing point Pn with the cover area 37 of each camera 10 (step S501). As a result, for the camera 10 in which the new shooting point Pn does not belong to the cover area 37, it is determined that the new shooting area cannot be shot (steps S502 and S506). The processing so far is the same as in the case of FIG. 17 (Embodiment 1).

  On the other hand, for the camera 10 in which the new shooting point Pn belongs to the cover area 37, a provisional angle of view for shooting the new shooting area is obtained (step S503). Such a provisional angle of view can be obtained by calculation based on the new photographing point Pn and the new photographing width Wn. Then, the provisional angle of view obtained in step S503 is compared with the angle adjustment range (step S504). As a result, if the temporary angle of view is within the angle adjustment range, it is determined that a new shooting area can be shot (step S505). If the temporary angle of view is outside the angle adjustment range, shooting of the new shooting area is performed. Is determined to be impossible (step S506).

  The camera control device 13 according to the present embodiment obtains a provisional angle of view necessary for photographing a new photographing area, and determines whether or not photographing is possible based on the provisional angle of view based on the field angle adjustment range of the camera 10. . For this reason, the camera 10 that cannot properly shoot a new shooting area can be disabled. Accordingly, the provisional shooting area symbol 38 can be prevented from being displayed for the camera 10. For this reason, even an unskilled operator can easily select an appropriate camera 10 according to the new imaging area.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
In the third embodiment, an example has been described in which it is determined whether or not shooting is possible based on the field angle adjustment range of the camera 10. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, for the camera 10 whose angle of view for shooting a new shooting area is outside the angle adjustment range, it is not determined that shooting is not possible, but is provisional according to the angle of view adjustment range. A case where the shooting area symbol 38 ′ is displayed will be described.

  FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the camera control device 13 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, and an example of display on the control screen 3 is shown. The new shooting point Pn and the new shooting width Wn specified by the user are the same as in the case of FIG. 19, and the camera 10B is more than the new shooting width Wn even if the field angle is set to the upper limit value of the field angle adjustment range. Only a narrow range can be taken.

  Therefore, in FIG. 22, a provisional shooting area symbol 38 ′ having a shooting width corresponding to the upper limit value of the field angle adjustment range is displayed on the camera 10B. That is, the provisional shooting area symbol 38 ′ whose shooting point coincides with the new shooting point Pn but whose shooting width is smaller than the new shooting width Wn is displayed on the map image 30. By displaying such a provisional photographing area symbol 38 ′, the user can photograph a new photographing point Pn with the camera 10B. However, the photographing width at that time is different from the new photographing width Wn, and the provisional photographing is performed. It can be understood that the photographing width is indicated by the area symbol 38 ′.

  For example, as a criterion for selecting the camera 10, the shooting direction may be more important than the shooting width. In such a case, instead of determining that the camera 10B having a short angle of view cannot be photographed, the provisional photographing area symbol 38 ′ is displayed for the camera 10B, and the photographing width that can be photographed by the camera 10B is displayed. User options can be expanded.

  FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating another example of the operation of the camera control device 13 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, and another example of display on the control screen 3 is illustrated. The new shooting point Pn and the new shooting width Wn specified by the user are the same as those in FIG. 20, and the cameras 10A and 10C have the new shooting width Wn even if the angle of view is set to the lower limit value of the field angle adjustment range. Only a wider range can be taken.

  For this reason, in FIG. 23, a temporary shooting area symbol 38 ′ having a shooting width corresponding to the lower limit value of the field angle adjustment range is displayed for the cameras 10A and 10C. That is, the provisional shooting area symbol 38 ′ whose shooting point coincides with the new shooting point Pn but whose shooting width is larger than the new shooting width Wn is displayed on the map image 30. By displaying such a provisional shooting area symbol 38 ′, the user can take a new shooting point Pn with the cameras 10A and 10C, but the shooting width at that time is different from the new shooting width Wn. It can be understood that the photographing width is indicated by the provisional photographing area symbol 38 ′.

  In the camera control device 13 according to the fourth embodiment, the photographing availability determination unit 23 compares the new photographing point Pn with the cover area 37 and determines whether photographing is possible for each camera 10 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. . That is, it is determined that the camera 10B in FIG. 22 and the cameras 10A and 10C in FIG.

  Further, the photographing availability determination unit 23 obtains an angle of view necessary for photographing a new photographing area for the camera 10 determined to be photographable, and compares the obtained angle of view with the angle of view adjustment range of the camera 10. Then, it is determined whether or not the angle of view is appropriate. That is, if the angle of view is within the angle of view adjustment range, it is determined to be an appropriate angle of view, while if the angle of view is larger than the upper limit of the angle of view adjustment range, it is determined that the angle of view is insufficient. If it is smaller than the lower limit value of the field angle adjustment range, it is determined that the field angle is exceeded.

  The temporary shooting area display unit 244 generates the temporary shooting area symbol 38 based on the determination result of the appropriate angle of view by the shooting availability determination unit 23. That is, for the camera 10 determined to have an appropriate angle of view, the provisional shooting area symbol 38 is generated based on the new shooting point Pn and the new shooting width Wn. On the other hand, for the camera 10 that is determined to have a short angle of view, a provisional shooting area symbol 38 ′ having a shooting width corresponding to the upper limit value of the angle of view adjustment range is generated. For the camera 10 determined to have exceeded the angle of view, a provisional shooting area symbol 38 ′ having a shooting width corresponding to the lower limit value of the angle of view adjustment range is generated.

  In the camera control device 13 according to the present embodiment, for each camera 10, the angle of view corresponding to the new shooting area is compared with the angle of view adjustment range to determine whether or not the angle of view is an appropriate angle of view. Based on the determination result, provisional shooting area symbols 38 and 38 'are displayed. For this reason, the choice at the time of a user selecting the camera which changes an imaging area can be increased.

  For the camera 10 in which the angle of view corresponding to the new shooting area is outside the angle of view adjustment range, a provisional shooting area symbol 38 ′ having a shooting width corresponding to the limit value of the angle of view is displayed. For this reason, the user can know the shooting area that can be shot by the camera 10 and can select an appropriate camera 10.

Embodiment 5. FIG.
In the above embodiment, the case where the provisional shooting area is displayed for all of the cameras 10 capable of shooting the new shooting area has been described. In contrast, in the present embodiment, when the number of cameras 10 capable of shooting a new shooting area exceeds a predetermined number N, the number of displayed temporary shooting areas is set to N. The case where the provisional shooting area is displayed only for a part of the camera 10 will be described.

  FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the camera control device 13 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, and an example of display on the control screen 3 is shown. The new shooting point Pn and the new shooting width Wn designated by the user are the same as in the case of FIG. 11A (Embodiment 1), and the camera 10 capable of shooting the new shooting area by the three cameras 10A to 10C. It is determined that

  In the camera control device 13 of the first embodiment, the provisional shooting area symbol 38 is displayed for all of the cameras 10A to 10C capable of shooting a new shooting area. That is, in FIG. 11A, three provisional shooting area symbols 38 are displayed. In such a camera control device 13, a large number of provisional shooting area symbols 38 may be displayed in the control screen 3.

  In contrast, the camera control device 13 according to the present embodiment displays only two provisional shooting area symbols 38 at the maximum. That is, the three cameras 10A to 10C that are determined to be able to shoot the new shooting area are narrowed down to the two cameras 10B and 10C, and the temporary shooting area is displayed only for these cameras 10B and 10C. The narrowing down of the cameras 10 to be displayed in the provisional shooting area is performed based on the shooting distances LA to LC to the cameras 10A to 10C.

  In (a) in the figure, the provisional shooting area symbol 38 is displayed only for the two cameras 10B and 10C having the short shooting distances LA to LC among the three cameras 10A to 10C capable of shooting the new shooting area. Yes. The photographing distances LA to LC are distances from the cameras 10A to 10C to the new photographing point Pn. Therefore, the user can select a camera for changing the shooting area from the cameras 10B and 10C in which the temporary shooting area is displayed.

  (B) in the figure shows a state in which the user selects the camera 10C and does not select the camera 10B. The shooting area of the camera 10C is changed to a new shooting area, and the shooting area of the camera 10B is not changed.

  In general, when a new shooting area can be shot with a large number of cameras 10, the camera 10 with a long shooting distance is not selected by the user. Rather, displaying a large number of provisional shooting area symbols 38 makes it difficult to see the control screen 3 and may cause an excessive processing load on the camera control device 13. Therefore, the camera control device 13 according to the present embodiment limits the number of new shooting area symbols 38 displayed at the same time.

  Steps S601 to S609 in FIG. 25 are flowcharts showing an example of the shooting area changing process according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Steps S601 to S603 are the same as steps S201 to S203 in FIG. However, any of the processes shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 can be employed in the process for determining whether or not photographing is possible in step S603.

  In the determination process of whether or not photographing is possible (step S603), the number of cameras 10 determined to be photographable is compared with a predetermined number N (step S604). As a result, if the number of cameras 10 does not exceed N, the process proceeds to step S607. On the other hand, if the number of cameras 10 exceeds N, the shooting distance to the new shooting point Pn is determined for each camera 10 that has been determined to be capable of shooting a new shooting area (step S605). These photographing distances may be distances on a reference plane, or may be distances in a three-dimensional space in consideration of the arrangement height of the camera 10.

  Next, these shooting distances are compared with each other, and the N cameras 10 with the shortest shooting distances are selected as display targets for the temporary shooting area (step S606). The camera selection number N is an arbitrary natural number and is given in advance. For example, it is designated by the user at the time of initial setting.

  Steps S607 to S609 executed thereafter are the same as steps S204 to S206 in FIG. Note that the number of provisional shooting areas displayed in step S607 is N or less.

Embodiment 6 FIG.
In the above-described embodiment, an example in which a new shooting area is designated by a user operation has been described. In contrast, in the present embodiment, a case where a new imaging area is designated based on the sensor output will be described.

  26 and 27 are diagrams showing an example of the operation of the camera control device 13 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention, and an example of display on the control screen 3 is shown. The intrusion detection sensor 4 is a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an intruder in the detection area. When an intruder is found, the position of the intruder in the detection area can also be detected. Here, a part or all of the monitoring area 31 is determined as a detection area, and the presence or absence of an intruder in the intrusion detection area is monitored.

  FIG. 26 (a) shows a situation where an intruder in the imaging area of the cameras 10A and 10B is being monitored using the cameras 10A and 10B. FIG. 26B shows a state in which the intruder has subsequently moved out of the imaging area of the cameras 10A and 10B. A new shooting area symbol Rn is displayed based on the tracking signal output from the intrusion detection sensor 4.

  When the intruder detection sensor 4 finds an intruder, the intruder detection sensor 4 generates a tracking signal including the position of the intruder (intrusion position) at regular time intervals. Alternatively, the tracking signal is generated when the intruder moves a certain distance or more. The camera control device 13 designates a new shooting area based on this tracking signal. For example, a new shooting area is designated in which the new shooting point Pn is the entry position and the new shooting width Wn is a constant value. Subsequent operations are the same as those in steps S603 to S606 (fifth embodiment) in FIG. That is, determination as to whether or not shooting is possible, calculation of shooting distance, automatic selection of a camera, and change of shooting area are sequentially executed. FIG. 27 shows the control screen 3 after the shooting area is changed in this way.

  The camera control device 13 according to the present embodiment changes a shooting area for a camera in which a new shooting area is designated based on a tracking signal from the intrusion detection sensor 4 and is automatically selected based on a shooting distance. For this reason, it is possible to monitor by camera shooting while automatically tracking an intruder.

  In the above embodiment, the example in which the shooting area symbol 36 includes the circular area symbol 361 and the substantially triangular optical path symbol 362 has been described. However, the shooting area symbol 36 according to the present invention has such a shape. It is not limited to things.

  Similarly, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the provisional shooting area symbol 38 includes a circular provisional area symbol 381 and a provisional optical path symbol 382 having a substantially triangular shape has been described. The shape is not limited to that.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Camera monitoring system 10, 10A-10E Camera 101 Photoreceptive axis 102 Imaging area 3 Control screen 4 Intrusion detection sensor 11 Communication apparatus 12 Photographed image display apparatus 13 Camera control apparatus 20 Operation input part 21 Camera designation part 22 Photographing point designation part 23 Photographing Availability determination unit 24 Image generation unit 241 Camera display unit 242 Cover area display unit 243 Shooting area display unit 244 Provisional shooting area display unit 245 Image composition unit 25 Display device 26 Cover area editing unit 27 New shooting area designation unit 28 Camera selection unit 29 Shooting area changing unit 30 Map image 31 Monitoring area 32A, 32B Building 35 Camera symbol 36 Shooting area symbol 361 Area symbol 362 Optical path symbol 37 Cover area 38, 38 'Provisional imaging area symbol 381 Provisional area symbol 382 Provisional optical path Symbol DS1 Map information storage unit DS2 Camera basic information storage unit DS3 Camera control information storage unit DS4 Drive pattern storage unit L, LA to LC Shooting distance M Mouse cursor P Shooting point Pn New shooting point Rn New shooting area symbol W Shooting width Wn New Shooting width

Claims (6)

Camera display means for displaying one or more camera symbols on the map image of the monitoring area based on the installation position of the camera;
Cover area storage means for storing, for each camera, an area that can be photographed by the camera and that is designated by a user within a photographing limit of the camera.
And the new photographic area designating means for designating any shot area of the inner monitor area as a new imaging areas on the map image,
Based on the cover area, photographing availability determination means for determining whether to shoot in the new imaging area for each camera;
For a camera capable of shooting the new shooting area, provisional shooting area display means for displaying a temporary shooting area symbol indicating the shooting area of the camera on the map image when the new shooting area is assumed to be shot,
The imaging area of the camera the camera control apparatus characterized by comprising an imaging area changing means for changing to the new shooting area. 2. The camera control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising shooting area display means for displaying a shooting area symbol indicating a shooting area of the camera on the map image . The camera control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the photographing availability determination unit determines whether photographing is possible according to whether the new photographing area protrudes from the cover area . Camera selection means for selecting the camera;
The photographing area changing means, a camera control device according to any one of the imaging area of the camera selected by the camera selection means of claim 1, wherein the changing to the new shooting area. Cover area display means for displaying the cover area of the camera designated by the user on the map image;
Based on a user operation during the display of the coverage area, according to claim 1, characterized in that a cover area editing means for editing the cover area in the photographed limits of the camera Camera control device. Camera display means for displaying one or more camera symbols on the map image of the monitoring area based on the installation position of the camera;
Cover area storage means for storing, for each camera, an area that can be photographed by the camera and that is designated by a user within a photographing limit of the camera.
And the new photographic area designating means for designating any shot area of the inner monitor area as a new imaging areas on the map image,
Based on the cover area, photographing availability determination means for determining whether to shoot in the new imaging area for each camera;
With respect to the camera capable of shooting the new shooting area, provisional shooting area display means for displaying a temporary shooting area symbol indicating the shooting area of the camera when the new shooting area is shot on the map image; and computer program for the camera control unit for causing a computer to function the shooting area as the imaging area changing means for changing to the new shooting area.

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