JPH04363989A - Transmission method for aerial video camera pickup still picture - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To display an image pickup time, an image pickup location and an image pickup direction from an aerial pickup picture by a video camera and to send a still picture to a prescribed position on ground in almost real time without use of a microwave. CONSTITUTION:A video camera, a picture storage device, a GPS, a monitor television receiver, a transmitter and a radio equipment are mounted to an aircraft and it flies on a pickup object. The video camera is used to pick up an object on ground at a low altitude suitable for image pickup. While the pickup object is displayed continuously on a screen of the monitor television receiver, a detection signal representing the image pickup time, the image pickup longitude and latitude and the image pickup direction obtained by the GPS is displayed on part of a picture by a personal computer. A required picture in a consecutive picture displayed on the screen of the monitor television receiver is selected and sequentially stored in a still picture storage device. After the end of storage, the aircraft rises up to an altitude suitable for transmission and the still picture stored from the storage device is fetched in the transmitter and while the picture sent is monitored by the monitor television receiver, the transmitter is used to send the still picture through a transmission channel of a voice transmission band through the radio equipment to a prescribed position on ground.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for transmitting still images taken by an aerial video camera.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a method of transmitting moving image images taken by an aerial video camera, such as a marathon broadcast, is known. This method typically uses two helicopters to transmit video images to a terrestrial television station over a transmission line in the microwave band. The reason for using two helicopters is as follows. That is, in order to take a clear picture of a subject, it is necessary to lower the altitude of the helicopter and approach the subject, but when attempting to transmit from a low altitude, an object inevitably exists between the helicopter and the receiving TV station. By the way, since microwaves have a strong straight propagation property, if there is an intervening object, the microwaves will not reach the receiving television station. Therefore, during transmission, another helicopter was flown into the sky where there was no risk of interference from objects, and this was used to relay the video images to the television station.

0003

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] There is a problem in that using two helicopters to transmit video images shot in the air to a predetermined location on the ground is expensive. Also, as mentioned above, microwaves have a strong straight propagation property, so
Not only do expensive parabolic antennas have to be installed on the ground side, but even transmission from a helicopter is difficult to track, so even if you try to transmit video images using a faster Cessna aircraft, you will not be able to track it. There is. Furthermore, in the case of video image transmission, a considerably wide radio wave bandwidth is required, so under the current radio situation in Japan, it is difficult for general users to acquire new dedicated waves, and even if they were able to acquire them, However, the microwave also has the above-mentioned problems. Since parabolic antenna equipment is only available at broadcasting stations, it is not possible to easily receive signals from any location.

[0004] For example, if a river embankment bursts due to heavy rain, if the location of the collapse and the extent of the damage could be known in almost real time, the disaster countermeasures section would be able to immediately give evacuation instructions and take recovery measures. can be used. However, in such cases, it is not necessarily necessary to view continuous video images, and it is sufficiently useful if the damage situation can be seen intermittently as still images, even if the images are slightly delayed from real time. Furthermore, in the case of still image transmission, the radio wave bandwidth is sufficient as the audio transmission bandwidth, and it is easy to obtain a dedicated wave, and the radio wave does not need to be a microwave.

The purpose of the present invention is to enable the use of not only helicopters but also Cessna planes, etc., and moreover, with just one aircraft, images taken by a video camera can be displayed as still images along with the shooting time, shooting location, and shooting direction. To provide a method for transmitting still images taken by an aerial video camera, which can be transmitted to a predetermined location on the ground in real time without using microwaves, and which enables the use of an inexpensive pole antenna instead of an expensive parabolic antenna. be.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the method of transmitting still images shot by an aerial video camera according to the present invention provides a video camera, an image storage device, a GP
S. Flying over the ground to be photographed with a monitor TV, transmitter, and radio equipment; Photographing the subject on the ground with a video camera at an altitude suitable for photographing;
Displaying detection signals of the shooting time, longitude and latitude of shooting, and shooting direction obtained by GPS (Global Positioning System) on a part of the image using a computer while continuously projecting the shooting subject on the screen of a monitor television; Selecting necessary images from the continuous images projected on the monitor TV screen and sequentially storing them in a still image storage device;
After storage is completed, at an altitude suitable for transmission, the stored still images are taken from the storage device to the transmitter, and while the images being transmitted on the monitor TV are monitored, the transmitter transmits the audio transmission band via the radio. It consists of transmitting still images to predetermined locations on the ground.

[0007] As the aircraft to be used, not only airplanes but also helicopters can be used. Ultra high frequency (UHF) or very high frequency (VHF) is suitable as the radio wave used in the voice transmission band.

[0008]

[Operation] According to the method of transmitting still images taken by an aerial video camera of the present invention, the video camera is used to fly above the ground to photograph the subject on the ground at an altitude suitable for photographing. You can obtain images from angles and a wide range that cannot be obtained with other cameras.

[0009]Also, while continuously projecting the photographed subject on the screen of the monitor television, detection signals of the photographing time, latitude and longitude of photographing, and photographing direction obtained by GPS are displayed on a part of the image by a personal computer. The necessary images are selected from the continuous images projected on the screen and stored in the still image storage device, so if the still images are played back on a terrestrial TV, you can know the shooting time, shooting location, and shooting direction of the subject. Moreover, since the still images are selected, it is possible to accurately understand the situation at the shooting location. Moreover, since the image is temporarily stored in the storage device as a still image, the image can be ascended to an altitude suitable for transmission after the storage is completed.

[0010] Also, the still images stored from the storage device are taken into the transmitter, and while the images being transmitted by the monitor TV are monitored, the still images are sent to the ground via the transmission line in the audio transmission band via the radio device. Since it is transmitted to a predetermined location, the necessary still images can be reliably transmitted to the ground, and the radio waves used can be ultra-high frequency waves or very high frequency waves.

[0011]

[Embodiment] This embodiment shows an example in which a river embankment burst site is photographed with a video camera and transmitted as a still image to a river management office on the ground.

[0012] At the request of the river management office due to a report of a levee burst, a video camera, image storage device, and GPS were installed in the Cessna aircraft.
, equipped with a monitor TV, transmitter, and UHF radio, it flies over the ground to capture the image. Therefore, the altitude is lowered to a low altitude of 300 meters, suitable for filming, and a video camera is attached to a rotatable camera mount installed under the fuselage of the Cessna aircraft, and this is used to photograph objects on the ground. GP while continuously projecting the subject on the monitor TV screen.
The detection signals of the photographing time, photographing latitude and longitude, and photographing direction obtained by S are displayed on a part of the image by a personal computer. Then, necessary images are selected from among the continuous images projected on the screen of the monitor television and stored one by one in the still image storage device, and after the storage is completed, it ascends to an altitude of 500 m suitable for transmission. Then, the still images stored from the storage device are taken into the transmitter, and while the images being transmitted by the monitor TV are monitored, the still images are sent to the river on the ground via the transmission line in the audio transmission band via the UHF radio. Transmit to management office.

[0013] The river management office is equipped with a transmitter, a monitor television, a regional information system display television, a floppy image storage machine, a color video printer, and a UHF radio. Therefore, the transmitted still image is taken into the transmitter via the UHF radio and reproduced on the screen of the monitor television. The photographing time, latitude and longitude of photographing, and photographing direction are displayed on the reproduced still image. Meanwhile, a map of the disaster site is displayed on the local information system display television, and compared with the still image of the disaster site played on the monitor television to confirm the disaster location and serve as a resource for rescue and recovery. Still images that have been viewed are sequentially stored in a storage device. In addition, necessary still images are printed using a color video printer. Furthermore, the still image is appropriately transferred from the transmitter to another location using a telephone transfer device.

[0014]

[Effects of the Invention] According to the method of transmitting still images shot by an aerial video camera of the present invention, unlike the conventional method of transmitting moving images, it is possible to use not only a helicopter but also a Cessna aircraft, and moreover, it is possible to use only one aircraft. Images captured by a video camera can be transmitted as a still image along with display of the shooting time, shooting location, and shooting direction to a predetermined location on the ground in almost real time without using microwaves, making it inexpensive instead of using expensive parabolic antennas. Can be received using a pole antenna. Since reception is possible with a pole antenna, the reception location can be set arbitrarily. Furthermore, since still images are being transmitted, the audio transmission bandwidth is sufficient as the radio wave bandwidth, and the radio waves can be easily acquired.

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: An aircraft equipped with a video camera, an image storage device, a GPS, a monitor television, a transmitter, and a radio device and then flown over the ground to capture the image; Photographing a subject, continuously projecting the photographed subject on a monitor TV screen, and displaying detection signals of the photographing time, latitude and longitude of photographing, and photographing direction obtained by GPS on a part of the image on a computer; Select the necessary images from among the continuous images projected on the TV screen and store them in the still image storage device in sequence. After the storage is completed, transmit the stored still images from the storage device at an altitude suitable for transmission. Take it into the machine,
While monitoring the image transmitted by the monitor TV,
A method of transmitting still images taken by an aerial video camera, which involves transmitting the still images to a predetermined location on the ground via a radio device using a transmission line in the audio transmission band.