JP7028349B2 - Display control device and display control system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a display control device and a display control system that control the display of images taken by a plurality of cameras having a zoom function.

For example, in a studio or live venue, panning (moving the camera lens from side to side),
Tilt (move the camera lens up and down), zoom (telephoto and wide-angle)
A plurality of cameras having the above functions (hereinafter referred to as "PTZ cameras") are installed to capture and display a plurality of images. Such display operations are often operated by a single operator.

When one operator operates a plurality of PTZ cameras to set the display magnification and generate an image, a dedicated operator (for example, a rotary operator) is operated. In this case, the operation amount of the controller and the change in the magnification of the camera may differ depending on the manufacturer and model of the camera. for example,
When setting the magnification of two cameras by operating the respective controls, when both controls are changed by x scale, the magnification of one camera changes by y, and the magnification of the other camera changes. The magnification may change by z.

In such a case, when setting the magnification of the two cameras, the sensation of the magnification change is different for each operator, so image generation (so-called "image") in which the magnification is changed according to the operator's intention. Making ") is difficult. Further, as the number of cameras increases, it becomes more complicated and difficult to operate. Therefore, it is desired to unify the operability of changing the display magnification and improve the operability.

Further, the camera itself has luminance unevenness, that is, shading caused by limb darkening due to the optical system and sensitivity non-uniformity of the image pickup element, and shading correction is performed to remove the shading. Since the degree of shading correction differs depending on the camera model, there arises a problem that the obtained image quality is not the same. Patent Document 1 describes correcting an image taken by two cameras used as a stereo camera. However, Patent Document 1 does not describe adjusting the image quality of different models.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-21146

As described above, in the conventional display control device, when controlling the display of images taken by a plurality of cameras, it is difficult to operate the zoom magnification when the models of the cameras are different. In addition, when the models of multiple cameras are different, it is difficult to make the image quality of the images taken by each camera uniform, and it feels strange when the images taken by multiple cameras are divided and displayed on one screen. There was a problem of feeling.

The present invention has been made to solve such a conventional problem, and an object thereof is to easily operate the zoom magnification even if a plurality of cameras are different models. It is an object of the present invention to provide a display control device and a display control system capable of displaying a uniform image quality.

In order to achieve the above object, the display control device according to the present invention is a display control device that controls the display of images taken by a plurality of cameras having a function of changing the zoom magnification, and the operator sets the zoom magnification. An operation unit that has an operator for accepting operations for each camera and outputs a first control signal of a control amount corresponding to the operation amount of the operator, and an operation unit for each camera with respect to the operation amount of the operator. The control amount of the first control signal output from the operation unit is converted so that the change amount of the zoom magnification becomes constant, and the second control signal which is the control amount after conversion is output to the camera. It is characterized by having a control amount conversion unit.

The display control system according to the present invention is a display control system including a plurality of cameras having a function of changing the zoom magnification and a display control device for controlling the display of an image taken by the camera. The display control device has an operator for each camera to receive an operation for setting the zoom magnification by the operator, and has a zoom magnification changing unit for changing the zoom magnification, depending on the operation amount of the operator. An operation unit that outputs a first control signal of the control amount, and a control signal output from the operation unit so that the amount of change in the zoom magnification for each camera with respect to the operation amount of the operator is constant. A control amount conversion unit that converts a control amount and outputs a second control signal that becomes the control amount after conversion to the zoom magnification changing unit is provided, and the zoom magnification changing unit is the second control signal. It is characterized in that the zoom magnification is changed according to the control amount.

In the display control device and the display control system according to the present invention, the operation amount of the operator by the operator and the change amount of the zoom magnification of the camera match, so that the operator operates the zoom magnifications of the plurality of cameras without discomfort. be able to.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a display control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of a camera, a display control device, and an image quality adjuster of the display control system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a detailed configuration of the operator shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the shading adjustment circuit. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the display control device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure with a camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the image quality adjuster according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of the configuration of this embodiment]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a display control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the display control system according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of (three in the figure) photographing devices 11a, 11b, 11c and an address control unit 12 connected to each of the photographing devices 11a, 11b, 11c. , And display control device 13
It is equipped with. In the following, when each photographing device is shown separately, "11a" and "11b" are used.
"Suffixed like" 11c ", without suffix if not distinguished,"
11 "will be shown. The same applies to other codes.

The photographing device 11a includes a camera 21a, an image quality adjuster 22a, and a lens 23a. The photographing devices 11b and 11c also have the same configuration, and include cameras 21b and 21c, image quality adjusters 22b and 22c, and lenses 23b and 23c, respectively.

The camera 21 acquires the image condensed by the lens 23 and converts it into image data. In addition,
The camera 21 is provided with a pan / tilt motor (not shown), and can remotely control the pan / tilt angle based on the control signal transmitted from the display control device 13. The lens 23 of the camera 21 has a zoom function, and the zoom magnification is changed by moving the lens 23 in the front-rear direction based on the control signal transmitted from the display control device 13, and the desired magnification or the desired magnification is obtained. It is possible to take an image with a reduction ratio.

The camera 21 having such a function can arbitrarily set the pan, tilt angle, and zoom magnification by remote control by the display control device 13, so that, for example, an image is taken in a desired direction in a studio or a live venue. You can also take images by zooming up and zooming back.

The address control unit 12 outputs to each imaging device 11 of the transmission destination based on the IP address of the control signal output from the display control device 13. By the control function of the address control unit 12, the control signal transmitted from the display control device 13 to each photographing device 11 can be distributed and transmitted to the corresponding photographing device 11.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the photographing device 11 and the display control device 13.
In FIG. 2, one of the three photographing devices 11a, 11b, and 11c shown in FIG. 1 is shown as the photographing device 11. The description of the other two imaging devices is omitted. As shown in FIG. 2, the camera 21 acquires image data by acquiring a lens control circuit 211 (zoom magnification changing unit) that operates the lens 23 to change the zoom magnification at the time of shooting and an image condensed by the lens 23. It is provided with an image pickup element 212 for converting to an image sensor 212 and an image processing circuit 214 for performing high image quality processing on the image data output from the image pickup element 212. The image processing circuit 214 is, for example, an ISP (
It can be configured with an image signal processor). Further, it includes an initialization information storage unit 213 that stores the initial data of the camera 21, and a model name storage unit 215 that stores the model name of the camera 21.

The display control device 13 includes an operation unit 139 that receives an input operation by the operator, a W / T pulse conversion table storage unit 134, a W / T pulse conversion circuit 133, and a model name storage unit 135.
And a zoom magnification calculation circuit 136. In addition, "W" of "W / T" is "WIDE"
(Wide-angle side) "and" T "indicate" TELE (telephoto side) ". The operation unit 139 includes an operator 131 and a W / T pulse information generation circuit 132.

As shown in FIG. 3, the controller 131 has a magnification setting dial 51 (51a, 51b, 51c) for setting a zoom magnification for each camera 21a, 21b, 21c, and a pan / tilt angle of the camera 21. Pan operation switch 52 (52a, 52b, 52c) to operate
, And a tilt operation switch 53 (53a, 53b, 53c). That is, the operator 131 accepts the operation of setting the zoom magnification and the operation of panning and tilting by the operator.

The magnification setting dial 51 is composed of, for example, a return type dial, and the zoom magnification can be changed in the WIDE direction when rotated to the right from the reference position, and the zoom magnification can be changed to TEL when rotated to the left. It can be changed in the direction. Further, the larger the rotation angle from the reference position, the larger the change speed of the zoom magnification. Therefore, for example, when it is desired to increase the zoom magnification, it is possible to make fine adjustments by rotating the dial to the right to change the enlargement ratio quickly and further reducing the rotation angle. When the operation is completed and the dial is released, the magnification setting dial 51 automatically returns to the reference position by the return function, and the set zoom magnification is maintained.

The pan operation switch 52 and the tilt operation switch 53 are composed of, for example, a joystick, and can remotely control the pan and tilt angles according to the operation direction and the operation amount of the joystick.

The W / T pulse information generation circuit 132 shown in FIG. 2 generates and outputs a control amount control signal (first control signal) according to the operation amount input by the operator 131. Specifically, the operator 13
A pulse signal (referred to as an “input pulse signal”) having a pulse number corresponding to the operation amount input in 1 is generated and output. A pulse signal is a signal that is periodically turned on and off repeatedly. The larger the rotation angle of the dial from the reference position, the higher the frequency of the pulse signal (the number of pulses per unit time) and the faster the zoom change speed. The amount of operation is determined by the rotation angle of the dial from the reference position and the time during which the rotation angle is maintained.

The model name storage unit 135 stores the model names of the cameras 21a, 21b, and 21c as, for example, IDs for each model.

The W / T pulse conversion circuit 133 uses a pulse signal (referred to as "reference") in which the number of pulses of the pulse signal output from the W / T pulse information generation circuit 132 is the number of pulses for controlling the zoom magnification of the camera 21. Convert to "pulse signal"). Specifically, for each operation amount of each magnification setting dial 51a, 51b, 51c shown in FIG. 3, each camera 21a,
The number of pulses of the pulse signal is converted so that the amount of change in the zoom magnification of 21b and 21c is constant. The converted pulse signal is output to the lens control circuit 211.

For example, when the operation amount of the magnification setting dial 51a of the camera 21a is N1, the number of pulses of the input pulse signal output from the W / T pulse information generation circuit 132 is assumed to be M1. On the other hand, when the operation amount of the magnification setting dial 51b of the camera 21b is also N1, W / T
Similarly, the number of pulses of the input pulse signal output from the pulse information generation circuit 132 is also M1. In this case, the input pulse signal of the same number of pulses is used by the camera 21a and the camera 21.
When it is output to b (unless the conversion process by the W / T pulse conversion circuit 133 is performed), the camera 2
In 1a, the zoom magnification changes by the amount of change corresponding to the pulse M1 (this is referred to as K1).

Here, when the camera 21b is the same model as the camera 21a, the camera 21b has a pulse number M1.
On the other hand, the amount of change in the zoom magnification changes by K1. On the other hand, when the camera 21b is a different model from the camera 21a, the amount of change in the zoom magnification with respect to one pulse of the camera 21b is the camera 21.
Since it is different from a, the camera 21b has a change amount corresponding to the pulse number M1 (this is referred to as K2).
Only the zoom magnification changes. That is, the operator can use the two magnification setting dials 51a and 51.
Even though b is operated by the same operation amount N1, the zoom magnification of the camera 21a changes by K1, and the zoom magnification of the camera 21b changes by K2, which makes the camera 21b feel inconsistent and uncomfortable.

In the present embodiment, the W / T pulse conversion circuit 133 converts the number of pulses and converts the input pulse signal into a reference pulse signal corresponding to the model of each camera, so that the dials 51a and 51b for setting each magnification are converted. , 51c is processed to match the amount of change in the zoom magnification of each of the cameras 21a, 21b, 21c.

The W / T pulse conversion table storage unit 134 stores a conversion table having data (conversion coefficient) for converting the number of pulses of the pulse signal for each model of each camera 21.
Therefore, when the input pulse signal is output from the W / T pulse information generation circuit 132, W
The / T pulse conversion circuit 133 converts the number of pulses by referring to the W / T pulse conversion table.
It is output to each camera 21 as a reference pulse signal.

The "reference pulse signal" is a first control signal by the W / T pulse conversion circuit 133 (control amount conversion unit) so that the amount of change in the zoom magnification for each camera with respect to the operation amount of the controller 131 is constant. This is the second control signal obtained by converting the control amount of.

The zoom magnification calculation circuit 136 calculates the zoom magnification of the camera 21 based on the number of pulses of the reference pulse signal converted by the W / T pulse conversion circuit 133, and transmits the calculated zoom magnification data to the image quality adjuster 22. do.

The display control device 13 described above may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) or a RAM.
It can be configured as an integrated computer including storage means such as a ROM and a hard disk.

On the other hand, the image quality adjuster 22 shown in FIG. 2 has a shading adjustment circuit 221 (image quality correction circuit).
A model name storage unit 222 and a shading conversion table storage unit 223 (correction value storage unit) are provided.

The model name storage unit 222 stores the model name of each camera 21 transmitted from the model name storage unit 135 of the display control device 13.

The shading conversion table storage unit 223 stores various threshold values and various correction values for shading correction corresponding to the model of each camera 21.

The shading adjustment circuit 221 acquires various data used for shading correction from the shading conversion table storage unit 223 based on the model of each camera 21 and the zoom magnification, and performs shading correction on the image data output from the image processing circuit 214. .. As a result, appropriate shading correction can be performed according to the model of the camera 21 and the zoom magnification, and a clear image without density unevenness can be converted. Shading adjustment circuit 221
Has a function as an image quality correction unit.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the shading adjustment circuit 221, and is a YUV.
A first color space converter 31 that converts a signal into an RGB signal, a bit expander 32 that converts image data from 8 bits to 12 bits, a shading corrector 33 that performs shading correction, and shading-corrected RGB. It is provided with a second color space converter 34 that converts image data into YUV image data.

The image data output from the image processing circuit 214 shown in FIG. 2 is a YUV signal. Y
As is well known, the UV signal represents color information by a combination of a luminance signal (Y), a difference between a luminance signal and a blue component (U), and a difference between a luminance signal and a red component (V). Since the human eye is divided into a luminance signal that is sensitive to changes and a color difference signal that is not, this is a data format that utilizes the characteristics of the human eye.

The image corrected by shading by the shading adjustment circuit 221 is output to the monitor 15 and the recording medium 16 shown in FIG. The monitor 15 displays an image on the screen. Recording medium 1
Reference numeral 6 is a USB memory or an SD card, which records image data.
[Explanation of the operation of this embodiment]
Next, the operation of the display control system according to the present embodiment configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 5 to 7. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the display control device 13, FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the camera 21, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the image quality adjuster 22.

First, the processing procedure of the display control device 13 will be described with reference to FIG. In step S11 of FIG. 5, the display control device 13 acquires the initialization information (information when the power is turned on) of each camera 21. Based on this information, it is recognized that the lens 23 of the camera 21 is the reference position and the zoom magnification is the initial value.

In step S12, the display control device 13 obtains the model name of each camera 21 by communicating with each camera 21. The model name is stored in the model name storage unit 135.

In step S13, the operation input of the magnification setting dial 51 by the operator is received, and when the operation is performed, the operation amount is detected.

In step S14, the W / T pulse information generation circuit 132 has a magnification setting dial 5.
An input pulse signal having a number of pulses corresponding to the operation amount of 1 is generated and output.

In step S15, the W / T pulse conversion circuit 133 refers to the model name of the camera stored in the model name storage unit 135 and the conversion table stored in the W / T pulse conversion table storage unit 134. The input pulse signal output from the W / T pulse information generation circuit 132 is converted into a reference pulse signal.

In step S16, the converted reference pulse signal is converted into the lens control circuit 21 of the camera 21.
Output to 1.

In step S17, the zoom magnification calculation circuit 136 calculates the zoom magnification of the camera 21 based on the reference pulse signal. Then, in step S18, the calculated zoom magnification data is output to the image quality adjuster 22. After that, the process returns to step S13.

As described above, in the display control device 13, when the magnification setting dial 51 is operated by the operator, the input pulse signal output according to the operation amount is converted into a reference pulse signal and each camera 21 is used. Output to.

Next, the processing procedure of the camera 21 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, in step S31, the initialization information of the camera 21 stored in the initialization information storage unit 213 is output to the display control device 13.

In step S32, the model name of the camera 21 stored in the model name storage unit 215 is output to the display control device 13.

In step S33, the lens control circuit 211 receives the reference pulse signal output from the W / T pulse conversion circuit 133.

In step S34, the lens control circuit 211 drives the lens 23 to drive the camera 2.
The zoom magnification of 1 is controlled to be a desired magnification. As described above, the input pulse signal generated according to the operation amount of the magnification setting dial 51 (see FIG. 3) is converted into the reference pulse signal by the W / T pulse conversion circuit 133, so that the lens control circuit The 211 drives the lens 23 according to the number of pulses of the reference pulse signal. As described above, each camera 21 (21a, 21b, 2) with respect to the operation amount of each magnification setting dial 51 (51a, 51b, 51c).
The W / T pulse conversion circuit 133 converts the input pulse signal (control amount of the control signal output from the operation unit) into the reference pulse signal so that the change amount of the zoom magnification in 1c) becomes constant.

As a result, the operation amount of each magnification setting dial 51 (51a, 51b, 51c) shown in FIG. 3 and the change amount of the zoom magnification of each camera 21 (21a, 21b, 21c) become constant, and the operator operates the magnification. The unity can be maintained, and the zoom magnification of each camera can be operated without discomfort.

In step S35, the image sensor 212 captures an image focused by the lens 23, and the image sensor 212 captures the image collected by the lens 23.
Output the original image data. Further, in step S36, the image processing circuit 214 performs image processing on the source image data so as to have a high resolution, and outputs the image data to the image quality adjuster 22. After that, the process returns to step S33.

In this way, the camera 21 changes the zoom magnification according to the operation amount of the magnification setting dial 51 of the display control device 13, and captures the surrounding image. The original image data acquired by shooting is output to the image quality adjuster 22 as high-resolution image data by an ISP or the like.

Next, the procedure for treating the image quality adjuster 22 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, in step S51, the image quality adjuster 22 receives the model name information of the camera 21 from the display control device 13. The acquired model name information is stored in the model name storage unit 222.

In step S52, the shading adjustment circuit 221 is the zoom magnification calculation circuit 13.
Receives the zoom magnification information transmitted from 6.

In step S53, the shading adjustment circuit 221 performs shading correction by referring to the shading conversion table stored in the shading conversion table storage unit 223 for the image data output from the image processing circuit 214. The threshold value and various correction values used for shading correction vary depending on the model name of the camera and the zoom magnification. Therefore,
The model name of the camera 21 stored in the model name storage unit 222 and the zoom magnification calculation circuit 13
Based on the zoom magnification transmitted from 6, the threshold value and various correction values for performing shading correction are set, and shading correction is performed. By performing shading correction using this threshold value and various correction values, it is possible to generate image data regardless of the camera model. After that, the process returns to step S52.
[Explanation of the effect of this embodiment]
In this way, the display control system according to the present embodiment can achieve the following effects.
(1) Each camera is provided with a magnification setting dial 51 (operator), and when an operation input is generated by the operator, the magnification setting dial 5 is provided by the W / T pulse information generation circuit 132.
The input pulse signal (control signal) of the number of pulses (control amount) corresponding to the operation amount of 1 is output. Then, the W / T pulse conversion circuit 133 (control amount conversion unit) converts the input pulse signal into a reference pulse signal so that the amount of change in the zoom magnification of each camera with respect to the operation amount of the magnification setting dial 51 is constant. Then, the reference pulse signal is output to the camera 21. Therefore, since the operation amount of the magnification setting dial 51 by the operator and the change amount of the zoom magnification of the camera 21 match, the operator can operate the zoom magnifications of the plurality of cameras 21 without discomfort. That is, even if the cameras of different models are used, the operator can create an image without feeling a sense of discomfort when creating an image such as when switching display images.
(2) Further, the W / T pulse conversion table storage unit 134 is provided, and the input pulse signal is converted into a reference pulse signal by referring to the conversion table stored in the W / T pulse conversion table storage unit 134. .. Therefore, it is possible to perform the pulse signal conversion process without executing a complicated calculation process, and it is possible to reduce the calculation load.
(3) The operation unit 139 uses a pulse signal that is periodically turned on and off as a control signal, and the W / T pulse conversion circuit 133 converts the number of pulses of the input pulse signal to obtain a reference pulse signal. Since it is generated, it is possible to easily convert the control signal.
(4) An image quality adjuster 22 is provided for each camera 21, and the shading adjustment circuit 221 of the image quality adjuster 22 has a shading correction threshold value and various correction values based on the model name and zoom magnification of the camera 21. To set. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the problem that the image quality of the image after shading correction is different for each camera, and it is possible to generate an image with stable image quality.
(5) The image quality adjuster 22 performs shading correction using the threshold value and various correction values stored in the shading conversion table stored in the shading conversion table storage unit 223, so that each image is stably shaded. It becomes possible to correct.

In the present embodiment, shading correction has been described as an example of the image quality adjuster, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other image quality adjustment functions can also be used. Further, in the present embodiment, an example in which a YUV image is converted into an RGB image and shading correction is performed is shown, but it is also possible to perform shading correction as it is in the YUV image.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the statements and drawings that form part of this disclosure should not be understood to limit the invention. This disclosure will reveal to those skilled in the art various alternative embodiments, examples and operational techniques. For example, in the above-described embodiment, an operator is provided for each camera, but one operator may be provided, a changeover switch may be provided, and a camera operated by the changeover switch may be specified. Further, in the above embodiment, the W / T pulse information generation circuit 132 actually generates a pulse signal, but information on the pulse signal, for example, information such as the frequency of the pulse signal and the number of pulses within a predetermined time is W /. Send to T-pulse conversion circuit 133,
Based on the information, the W / T pulse conversion circuit 133 may be configured to convert into a pulse signal corresponding to each model of each camera.

11a, 11b, 11c Imaging device 12 Address control unit 13 Display control device 15 Monitor 16 Recording medium 21a, 21b, 21c Camera 22a, 22b, 22c Image quality adjuster 23 Lens 31 First color space converter 32 Bit expander 33 Shading correction Instrument 34 Second color space converter 51 Magnification setting dial 52 Pan operation switch 53 Tilt operation switch 131 Operator 132 W / T pulse information generation circuit 133 W / T pulse conversion circuit (control amount converter)
134 W / T pulse conversion table storage unit 135 Model name storage unit 136 Zoom magnification calculation circuit 139 Operation unit 211 Lens control circuit (zoom magnification change unit)
212 Image sensor 213 Initialization information storage unit 214 Image processing circuit 215 Model name storage unit 221 Shading adjustment circuit (image quality correction circuit)
222 Model name storage unit 223 Shading conversion table storage unit (correction value storage unit)

Claims (2)

In a display control system including a plurality of cameras having a function of changing the zoom magnification and a display control device for controlling the display of images taken by the cameras.
The camera has a zoom magnification changing unit that changes the zoom magnification.
The display control device is
Each camera has an operator that accepts the operation of setting the zoom magnification by the operator.
An operation unit that outputs a first control signal of a control amount corresponding to the operation amount of the operator, and an operation unit.
A second control amount obtained by converting the control amount of the control signal output from the operation unit so that the change amount of the zoom magnification for each camera becomes constant with respect to the operation amount of the operator. A control amount conversion unit that outputs a control signal to the zoom magnification change unit, and
A zoom magnification calculation circuit that acquires an initial value of the zoom magnification for each camera and generates zoom magnification data for each camera based on the initial value and the second control signal.
An image quality correction circuit that shades and corrects images taken by each camera based on the zoom magnification data, and
Equipped with
The zoom magnification changing unit is a display control system characterized in that the zoom magnification is changed according to the control amount of the second control signal. The display control system according to claim 1, wherein the image quality correction circuit further includes a correction value storage unit that stores correction values for shading correction for each model of the camera.

Images