JPH05236469A - Still picture transfer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To display a still picture at a time point not so much back from a time point to display the picture on a display even in the case of bad weather or night-time in the still picture transfer system using a remote control camera. CONSTITUTION:When the storage of still pictures under displaying is instructed from a keyboard 15 by an operator, a controller 14 transfers compressed still picture data stored in that built-in memory to a storage device 16 together with relative information. When the operator presses a retrieval key while designating the date and time of desired stored images to be retrieved/displayed from a monitor display 13, the controller 14 displays the relative information on the monitor display 13. When the operator instructs the stored images, the image data are read from the storage device 16, extended/decoded by an image extending device 11, synthesized with the relative information by a picture synthesizer 12 and displayed on the monitor display 13.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention comprises a device on the camera installation side and a device on the remote operation side connected to the device on the camera installation side via a communication line, and has a size specified by the device on the remote operation side. The present invention relates to a still image transfer system that transfers a real-time still image acquired from a remote control camera and a device on the camera installation side at a compression rate to a device on the remote operation side via a communication line.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, remote video transmission such as traffic information, event information, nature observation, sports relay, etc. has been increasingly used in various fields. With the advent of ISDN, the image communication service on the public communication network has become a reality, and there is an increasing demand for remote control of the camera via the public communication network.

In response to such a demand, a still image transfer system has been realized which transfers a still image and a sound while controlling a camera remotely via ISDN which is a public communication network.

[0004]

As an application of the still image transfer system, for example, at a travel corner, the state of the resort area introduced in the pamphlet can be displayed on the monitor display in the store to expect an effect of attracting customers and an effect of increasing revenue. An example can be considered. However, the conventional still image transfer system has a problem that a good image cannot be obtained in bad weather such as cloudy weather or dew, so that the image cannot be displayed in the store. Also, if an image is to be acquired at night, a camera with an aperture and sensitivity for nighttime must be installed in addition to the camera for daytime.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a still image transfer system of the kind mentioned at the outset, which displays on the display a still image at a point not going back from the point at which it is going to be displayed, even in bad weather or at night. ..

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a still image transfer system of the present invention stores compressed still image data together with related information according to a storage device and an operator's still image storage instruction. If the operator specifies a stored still image to be displayed on the display, the compressed still image data that is stored in the device or that satisfies a certain condition is automatically stored in the storage device together with the related information. Is read out, the designated accumulated still image data is read out, the image decompressing device decompresses and decodes it, and the screen synthesizing device combines the related information, the reception time, etc., and displays it on the display.

[0007]

The received still image is stored in the compressed state together with the related information about the still image according to the instruction of the receiver, or only the image satisfying a certain condition is automatically stored, and the related information is keyed later. Since a still image is searched for and displayed on the display, even in bad weather or at night, it is possible to display a still image at a time point that does not go back from the time when it is about to be displayed.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a still image data transfer system according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a data structure diagram of accumulated still image related information stored in a storage device 16 together with a received still image, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic flow chart from accumulation to display of still images in the embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing changes in the display contents of the monitor display 13 when searching and displaying accumulated still images.

As shown in FIG. 1, the still image data transfer system of this embodiment includes a camera installation side device, a camera installation side device through a subscriber line 18, an ISDN public communication network 17, and a subscriber line 19. A camera 2 comprising a connected remote control device, having a zoom lens 1 with a size and compression ratio designated by the remote control device, and having a remote control platform 3 capable of changing the horizontal and vertical directions.
And a real-time still image acquired from the device on the camera installation side is transferred to the device on the remote control side.

The device on the camera installation side comprises a servo amplifier 4, an image capturing device 5, an image compression device 6, a network control device 7, a control device 8 and a storage device 9, and a device on the remote control side is a network control device 10. Image decompressor 11 and screen synthesizer 1
2, a monitor display 13, a control device 14, a keyboard 15, and a storage device 16.

When voice is also used, network control devices 7 and 1
It is only necessary to connect a handset, microphone, speaker, etc. to 0, and it is possible to install multiple cameras on one camera installation side and switch from the remote control side, but use of voice and remote switching of cameras are both It is omitted because it is not directly related to the present invention.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

When the operator selects the name of the connected camera displayed on the monitor display 13 using the keyboard 15,
A request for making a call to the corresponding ISDN number is sent from the control device 14 on the remote operation side to the network control device 10 on the remote operation side, and the outgoing connection is started.

Subscriber line 1 from ISDN public communication network 17
When the network control device 7 on the camera installation side receives an incoming call via 8, the network control device 7 detects the incoming call and notifies the control device 8 on the camera installation side. The network control device 7 may respond to the incoming call either immediately after the incoming call is detected or after receiving the response instruction from the control device 8. Here, the network control device 7 responds immediately and completes the setting of the communication path. I shall.

When the setting of the communication path is completed, the control device 8
First, the selected technique data for remote control pan head control stored in advance by the storage device 9 is transferred to the transmission data buffer of the network control device 7 on the camera installation side. The selected technique data transferred to the transmission data buffer uses the B channel that can be used in the ISDN basic interface, the subscriber line 18, the ISDN public communication network 17, the subscriber line 1
9 is transferred to the received data buffer of the network control device 10 on the remote control side. The selection technique data is, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2-189475, the position name of each of the N positions set for the remote control platform 3, the corresponding position number, the pan and tilt conditions, and the like. It consists of shooting conditions such as lens zoom conditions (standard, wide-angle, and telephoto). The selection technique data is transferred prior to the still image, as will be described later, because it is used as guidance information when the remote operation side controls the remote control platform after the still image is transferred.

The control unit 14 takes out the transferred selection technique data from the received data buffer of the network control unit 10 and stores it in the storage unit 16.

Then, the reception of a still image is started. The reception of the first still image may be automated so as to request the image of the default camera and the default position included in the transferred selection technique data, or all the images included in the received selection technique data. It may be manually operated so as to request the image designated by the operator from the position names. here,
Proceed as it is automated.

When the control device 8 on the camera side receives the request for the first still image in the form of the position number from the remote control side, the image from the camera 2 is digitized by the image capturing device 5, and the image compression device. After being compression-encoded in 6, it is once transferred to the internal memory of the control device 8. Then, the data is transferred again from the built-in memory of the control device 8 to the transmission data buffer of the network control device 7 on the camera installation side. Here, normally, before performing digitizing, the remote control platform 3 and the electric zoom lens 1 are controlled via the servo amplifier 4 according to the request content, but here the first image is in the default position, so No control occurs.

The compression-coded still image transferred to the transmission data buffer uses the B channel of the ISDN basic interface as in the case of the selection technique data, and the subscriber line 1
8, via the ISDN public communication network 17 and the subscriber line 19, it is transferred to the reception data buffer of the network control device 10 on the remote control side.

The transferred compression-coded still image is temporarily instructed by the control device 14 so that the network control device 1 on the remote control side is temporarily operated.
From the reception data buffer of 0 to the control device 1 on the remote control side
4 to the internal memory. Then, after being sent again from the built-in memory to the image decompressing device 11 and returned to a still image, it is combined with the guidance message etc. sent from the control device 14 by the screen combining device 12 and displayed on the monitor display 13.

Up to this point, for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 2-17440
It is the same as the method implemented in No. 4 etc. However,
In the conventional still image transfer system, after that, the operator can specify the received content of the image to be received next time from the keyboard 15, but cannot instruct to store the still image displayed on the monitor display 13. could not. Further, the still image transfer system does not have a function of automatically accumulating received images. The still image transfer system of the present invention is different from the conventional one in this respect. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to FIGS.

After displaying the received still image on the monitor display 13, the control device 14 waits for an instruction from the operator. Here, when the operator gives an instruction to store the still image being displayed using the keyboard 15, the control device 14 causes the control device 1 to
The compressed still image data stored in the internal memory 4 is transferred to the storage device 16 (step 31). At this time, the control device 14 acquires the current time (reception time) 24 from the built-in timer, and as shown in FIG.
As the stored still image related information, one record is composed of the file name 21 of the compressed still image data transferred to the camera, the connected camera name 22, and the position name 23 corresponding to the position number sent to the camera installation side as an image request. The data is stored in the storage device 16. After the storage in the storage device 16 is completed, the received content of the image to be received next time can be designated as usual.

Next, a method of searching / displaying the received still image stored in the storage device 16 will be described. FIG. 4 shows changes in the display contents of the monitor display 13 when the stored still image search display is performed.

Here, the screen of the monitor display 13 is the initial menu screen 30, and the operator can select the real-time compressed still image reception described above and the stored still image search / display described below. Suppose

When the operator selects retrieval / display of stored still images on the initial menu screen 40, the screen moves to the date / time designation screen 41. When the reception date or the date and time of the stored image to be searched and displayed is designated and the search key is pressed, the control device 14 checks each record of the stored image related information stored in the storage device 16 and extracts the corresponding one. The connected camera name 22, the position name 23, and the reception time 24 are displayed as a set on the display image designation screen 42 (step 32). Although it is possible to specify the name of the connected camera instead of the reception date and time on the date and time specification screen 41, this case will be described after the description of the search display by the reception date and time specification.

Next, when the operator selects the stored still image to be displayed on the display image designation screen 42 and presses the execute key, the control device 14 enters the search / display of the stored image. Here, the control device 14 The following processing is changed depending on whether the selected stored still image is one or more.

First, when there is only one selected stored still image, the compressed image data is immediately read from the storage device 16 according to the image data file name 21 of the record of the corresponding stored still image related information (step 33). The read compressed image data is decompressed and decoded by the image decompressing device 11 (step 34), and then is synthesized by the screen synthesizing device 12 with the connected camera name 22, the position name 23, the reception time 24, etc., which were previously selected. And is displayed on the monitor display 13 (step 35).

Next, when there are a plurality of selected stored still images, the controller 14 first displays the display interval designation screen 43. Here, when the operator specifies the display interval of a plurality of selected stored still images in units of seconds, for example, and presses the execution key, the control device 14 performs the same processing as in the case where there is one selected stored still image. enter. On the display interval designation screen 43, the operator can also designate the display stop time. If the display stop time is not designated, the control device 14 waits for an instruction from the operator after displaying one of the selected plurality of stored still images at the designated display interval. If the display stop time is designated, after the designated time elapses from the time when the execution key is pressed, and after the last image of the plurality of selected stored still images is displayed, the control device 14 is operated by the operator. Waiting for instructions. It should be noted that the operator can make the control device 14 wait for the instruction from the operator by pressing the stop key even before the control device 14 waits for the instruction from the operator.

The above is the method for realizing the search and display of the accumulated still image by designating the reception date or the reception date and time. Next, a method for realizing the search / display of the stored still image by designating the connected camera name 22 will be described.

When the operator presses the connection destination key on the date / time designation screen 41, the control device 14 sorts each record of the stored still image related information stored in the storage device 16 by the connected camera name 22, and the connected camera name. The specified screen 44 displays the connected camera name 22 and the number of records having the connected camera name 22, that is, the number of stored still image data files of the connected camera name 22. Then, when the operator selects the connected camera name 22 and presses the search key, the control device 14
From the stored still image related information sorted by the connected camera name 22, only the record of the specified connected camera name 22 is extracted and sorted by the position name 23. Then, the position name 23 and the number of records having the position name 23, that is, the number of accumulated still image data files of the position name 23 are displayed on the position name designation screen 45.

Subsequently, when the operator selects the position name 23 and presses the search key, the controller 14 receives the record having the selected position name 23 among the records sorted by the position name 23. Time 2
4 are displayed in order of time on the display image designation screen 46. Also,
The connected camera name 22 and the position name 23 which are uniquely determined are also displayed.

The method of selecting the stored still image to be displayed on the display image designation screen 46 is the same as that on the display image designation screen 42. The same applies to the case where a plurality of images are selected, the display interval designation screen 43 is passed.

The above is the method of realizing the search / display of the accumulated still image by designating the connected camera name 22. It should be noted that when the end key is pressed on each of the screens 41 to 46 that have appeared, the initial menu screen 40 is returned to.

In the present embodiment, the control device 14 displays the received still image on the monitor display 13 and then stores the still image being displayed according to an instruction from the operator. However, the size is set as a preset condition. The storage of still images may be automatically performed only when the display screen size is specified to be full. As a result, it is possible to easily perform conversion (reduced display) to various display sizes while suppressing deterioration of image quality to the minimum.

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention, the received still images being displayed are accumulated so that they can be searched and displayed later, so that even in bad weather or at night, the time can be traced back from the time when the display is attempted. A still image at a certain point can be secured as a still image for display, and the search display can be specified by the connected camera name, position name, reception time, etc. The usage such as displaying is also possible, and there is an effect that the real-time still image can be more effectively used as information.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a still image transfer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a data structure diagram of accumulated still image related information stored in a storage device 16 together with a received still image.

FIG. 3 is a schematic flow chart from still image storage to display in this embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing changes in the display contents of the monitor display 13 when a stored still image is searched and displayed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Electric Zoom Lens 2 Camera 3 Remote Control Platform 4 Servo Amplifier 5 Image Capture Device 6 Image Compressor 7 Network Control Device (Camera Installation Side) 8 Control Device (Camera Installation Side) 9 Storage Device (Camera Installation Side) 10 Network Control Device (remote operation side) 11 Image decompressor 12 Screen synthesizer 13 Monitor display 14 Control device (remote operation side) 15 Keyboard 16 Storage device (remote operation side) 17 ISDN public communication network 18, 19 Subscriber line 21 Image data File name 22 Connected camera name 23 Position name 24 Reception time 31-35 Step 40-46 screen

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A remote control device comprising a device on the camera installation side and a device on the remote operation side connected to the device on the camera installation side via a communication line, the remote control having a size and a compression ratio specified by the device on the remote operation side. In a still image transfer system that transfers the real-time still images acquired from the camera and the device on the camera installation side to the device on the remote control side via the communication line, the compression still image is generated by the storage device and the operator's still image storage instruction. Image data is stored in the storage device together with the related information, or compressed still image data satisfying a certain condition is automatically stored in the storage device together with the related information, and the stored still image that the operator wants to display on the display. Is specified,
A control device that searches the storage device based on the related information, reads the specified stored still image data, decompresses and decodes the data with an image decompressing device, and synthesizes the related information and the like with a screen synthesizing device, and displays the result on a display. A still image transfer system having.