JPH08237533A - Method and device for controlling camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To improve operability in the case of operating a camera while watching the image of the camera on a monitor screen. CONSTITUTION: The monitor screen is provided with a camera image window 40 and a camera control panel 52. Concerning the camera image window 40, buttons 44 and 48 for panning and buttons 46 and 50 for tilting are provided outside an image display area 42 of the camera image window 40. When turning the camera right by a pan operating button 54, the camera is turned right by operating the button 48. The camera is turned left by pan operating buttons 44 and 56.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera control method and apparatus, and more particularly to a camera control method and apparatus for controlling a camera which can externally or remotely control zoom, pan and tilt.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Remotely controllable video cameras are used, for example, in video conferencing systems and remote surveillance systems. In a video conferencing system or a video conferencing system, the output image of the controlled camera and its operation panel are displayed on the monitor screen of the terminal, and the pan, tilt, zoom, etc. of the camera can be operated by operating the mouse on the monitor screen. Such a configuration is known.

FIG. 11 is a schematic external view of a conventional video conference terminal, and mainly shows a display example of a monitor screen. A video camera 12 whose pan, tilt, and zoom can be controlled is placed above a monitor display (hereinafter abbreviated as monitor) 10 of the terminal. On the screen of the monitor 10, a camera image window 14 for displaying an image from the video camera 12 or a conference partner, and a camera operation panel 16 for operating the cameras of the own terminal and the partner terminal are displayed. By operating each button of the camera operation panel 16 with a pointing device such as a mouse, the camera of the designated terminal can be controlled.

For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the camera operation panel 16 includes pan operation buttons 16a and 16b, tilt operation buttons 16c and 16d, and zoom buttons 16e and 16.
with f.

[0005]

When remotely controlling a camera placed remotely, generally, the camera image is displayed on the monitor after first roughly looking at the camera and adjusting the direction of the camera. Looking at the screen, the shooting direction and zoom magnification are finely adjusted.

However, while looking at the camera to be operated, the camera operation for changing the direction of the camera (hereinafter referred to as camera direct-view operation) and the image taken by the camera to be controlled are viewed on the monitor screen. The left and right sensations were opposite to those of the camera operation (hereinafter referred to as remote operation), making pan operation very difficult. This is exactly the same as that when displaying a self-portrait on a videophone, the image should be horizontally flipped and the left-right rotation operation of the camera should be reversed.

For example, it is assumed that when the pan operation button 16a is pressed, the camera is set to pan rightward as shown in FIG. At this time, the camera 12 rotates in the direction b in FIG. 11, that is, to the left when viewed from the user sitting in front. The user will intuitively press the pan operation button 16b when he or she wants to see a more rightward image. However, the button 16b does not move the camera 12 to the position shown in FIG.
1 is to rotate in the a direction, that is, to the right,
The camera 12 rotates in the direction opposite to the user's intention.

[0008] Further, at the time of remote operation, it is necessary to operate the camera operation panel 16 away from the camera image window 14 while watching the image displayed in the camera image window 14, which is a problem that it is difficult to operate. It was

An object of the present invention is to provide a camera control method and apparatus that solves these problems.

[0010]

A camera control method according to the present invention operates a camera connected to a computer,
A method for controlling a camera image displayed on a display, comprising an input step of inputting with an input device (pointing device, keyboard, etc.),
An input detection step of detecting that an input is made by the input device, or a mode of operating the camera by looking at the actual image screen projected from the camera or a mode of operating the camera by looking at the camera itself. A mode determination step for determining whether or not a command generation step for generating a camera control command according to the mode determined in the mode determination step, and a camera control step for controlling the camera according to the camera control command. It is characterized by

The camera control device according to the present invention arranges one or more camera operation buttons on the peripheral portion of the camera image display area for displaying the output image of the camera on the monitor screen, and responds to the operation of the camera operation button. And controlling the camera. The camera operation button is arranged outside or inside the camera image display area.

[0012]

With the above means, the camera operation control suitable for each of the remote operation and the direct camera operation can be performed, and the camera can be remotely operated more intuitively. Further, by providing a button or the like for operating the camera at the peripheral portion (outside or inside) of the image display area, it becomes easy to operate the camera while viewing the image.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an operation flowchart of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a conceptual block diagram of the hardware. In this embodiment, the video camera 20 is
The video camera 20 is mounted on a turntable (head) 22 that supports the video camera 20 so that the video camera 20 can rotate left and right and up and down, and the camera control device 24 zooms the video camera 20 according to an external camera control command. The rotation of the turntable 22 is controlled. The output video signal of the video camera 20 is applied to the GUI control unit 26 of the computer via the camera control unit 24, and the video is displayed on a predetermined portion of the monitor 28. Also,
In response to the operation of the 3-button mouse 30 attached to the computer, the GUI control unit 26 generates a corresponding camera control command and supplies it to the camera control device 24.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the camera video window displayed on the screen of the monitor 28 and the camera operation panel.
In the present embodiment, the camera video window 40 is provided on the four sides around the image display unit 42 that displays the video from the target camera, and the camera operation buttons 4 used for remote operation.
4, 46, 48 and 50 are arranged. Camera control panel 5
2 is the same as the camera operation panel 16 shown in FIG. 12, the pan operation buttons 54, 56 and the tilt operation buttons 58, 6
0, not only equipped with zoom buttons 62 and 64,
A home position return button 66 for instructing the return to the reference camera direction is provided in the center of the operation buttons 54 to 60. In this embodiment, the camera video window 40 and the camera operation panel 52 are built on the X window system. The user uses the buttons 44 to 50 of the camera image window 40 for remote operation, and the buttons 54 to 66 of the camera operation panel 52 for direct camera direct operation.

Even when the user wants to return to the home position and to perform the zoom operation even by remote operation,
A home position return button 66 and zoom buttons 62, 64 are available, respectively. This is because no sensory confusion occurs between the operation and the result. In this sense, of course, with respect to the tilt operation, the buttons 58 and 60 may be used in the remote operation without providing the buttons 46 and 50. However, in view of the operation while viewing the image, the image display unit 42. Buttons 46, which are placed close to
50 is excellent.

The operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. When there is a mouse input (S1), the GUI control unit 26 detects at which position on the monitor 28 the mouse input is made (S2). If the mouse input is the camera image window 40 (S3), the GUI control unit 26 interprets it as a mouse input for remote operation and sets the remote operation mode (S4), and executes the remote operation according to the mouse input position. A camera control command in the mode is generated and supplied to the camera control device 24 (S5).

If the mouse input is the camera operation panel (S7), the GUI control section 26 interprets it as a mouse input for the camera direct-view operation and sets the camera direct-view mode (S8). A camera control command is generated in the camera direct-view mode according to the
(S9).

Upon receiving the camera control command, the camera control device 24 controls the camera 20 and the support base 22 according to the contents of the camera control command (S6). The captured image of the video camera 20 thus operated is transmitted as a video image signal from the camera control device 24 to the GUI control unit 26, and the GUI control unit 26 displays the captured image on the image display unit of the camera image window 40 of the monitor 28. indicate.

As can be easily understood from the above description, the remote operation mode and the camera direct-view mode only have opposite directions of rotation of the camera 20 with respect to the pan operation, and there is no difference in tilt and zoom. Therefore,
The setting of the remote operation mode (S4) and the setting of the camera direct view mode (S8) have only a meaning of confirming the operation mode.

FIG. 4 shows a detailed flowchart of S5. The GUI control unit 26 checks whether the mouse button on which the input is performed is right, center, or left and the operation position thereof (S11, S12, S17).

If it is the right button (S11), an initialization command for returning the video camera 20 to the initial setting state is generated (S20).

If it is not the right button (S11), it is checked which button 44 to 50 of the camera video window 40 is (S12). If it is the button 44, the rotation command in the c direction of FIG. 5 is generated (S13), if it is the button 46, the rotation command in the b direction is generated (S14), and if it is the button 48, the rotation command in the a direction. Is generated (S1
5) If it is the button 50, a rotation command in the d direction is generated (S16).

If it is not at the position of the buttons 44 to 50 (S
12) Check whether it is the left button of the mouse 30 (S1
7). If it is the left button (S17), a zoom-in command is generated (S18), and if it is not the left button (S1)
7) That is, if the operated button is the center button, a zoom-out command is generated (S19).

FIG. 6 shows a detailed flowchart of S9. The GUI control unit 26 determines, according to which button 54 to 66 on the camera operation panel 52 is pressed,
An a-direction rotation command, a c-direction rotation command, a d-direction rotation command, a b-direction rotation command, a zoom-in command, a zoom-out command, and an initialization command are generated.

As shown in FIG. 7, the camera controller 24 responds to the initialization command from the GUI controller 26.
The zoom lens of the video camera 20 and the rotary base 22 are controlled to their initial positions, and the rotary base 22 is rotated to a target angle at a predetermined speed according to the rotation command in each direction, and the zoom command (zoom in and zoom out) is performed. The zoom lens of the camera 20 is controlled accordingly.

In the above description, the camera was operated only by the mouse, but a keyboard or the like may be used together. For example,
It may be possible to indicate the remote operation mode by moving the mouse cursor into the camera image window, and in this state, individual camera operations may be performed by a predetermined key of the keyboard.

In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the camera operation panel 52 for operating the camera when looking directly at the camera is provided separately from the camera image window 40. However, as shown in FIG.
A camera image window 70 similar to the camera image window 40 may be further provided with a button 72 for instructing camera operation in the camera direct view mode and a button 74 for instructing camera operation in the remote operation mode.

FIG. 9 shows an operation flowchart using the operating means shown in FIG. Either the remote operation or the camera direct-view operation is selected by the button 72 or 74 (S
31). When the local button 72 is pressed, the camera direct view mode is set, and when the remote button 74 is pressed, the remote mode is set. The selected button 72 or 74 is displayed brightly.

If there is a mouse input (S32), the mouse
The position of the cursor is detected (S33). If it is within the camera image window 70 (S34), the currently set mode is checked (S35). If in the remote operation mode (S35), the camera control command in the remote operation mode is generated (S36) as in S5 of FIG. 1, and in the camera direct view mode (S35), as in S9 of FIG. A camera control command is generated (S38). The generated camera control command is supplied to the camera control device 24, and the camera control device 24 controls the camera 20 and the turntable 22 according to each command.

If the mouse input is not within the camera image window 70, the process returns to S32 without doing anything.

In each of the above embodiments, the camera operation buttons are arranged in the camera image window (or in the periphery thereof), but as shown in FIG. 10, transparent areas A, B and C are formed at the edges of the image display section. , D to the camera operation buttons 44, 46,
When the mouse cursor is positioned in any one of these areas, a rotation command for a predetermined angle in each direction is generated at predetermined time intervals while the mouse cursor is positioned in any of these areas. May be. Such a technique itself is well known as a technique for displaying a three-dimensional image.

Further, according to a gripping operation for gripping the video displayed in the camera video window and a moving operation for moving the video gripped by the gripping operation on the monitor screen, in a direction according to the moving operation, The camera may be rotated by a movement angle corresponding to the movement amount of the movement operation.

[0034]

As can be easily understood from the above description, according to the present invention, two modes are provided, one for remote operation and one for direct camera operation, and separate camera operation control according to each mode. It became possible to do. In addition, for remote operation, a more intuitive camera operation became possible by providing a part for performing input operation very close to the display area of the actual image.

[0035]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an operation flowchart of this embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of hardware of the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a camera image window and a camera operation panel of the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a detailed flowchart of S5.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a camera rotation direction.

FIG. 6 is a detailed flowchart of S9.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing correspondence between camera control commands and control targets.

FIG. 8 is an example of a camera image window 70 including another operation button.

9 is an operation flowchart using the operation means shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 is another example of a camera image window.

FIG. 11 is a general user interface of a system for operating a camera connected to a computer.

FIG. 12 is a typical GUI screen in a conventional video camera operation.

FIG. 13 is a camera image screen.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10: Monitor display 12: Video camera 14: Camera image window 16: Camera operation panel 16a, 16b: Pan operation button 16c, 16d: Tilt operation button 16e, 16f: Zoom button 20: Video camera 22: Turntable (Platform) 24: Camera control device 26: GUI control unit 28: Monitor 30: Mouse 40: Camera image window 42: Image display unit 44, 46, 48, 50: Camera operation button 52: Camera operation panel 54, 56: Pan operation buttons 58, 60: Tilt operation buttons 62, 64: Zoom button 66: Home position return button 70: Camera image window 72: Local button 74: Remote button

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A method for controlling a camera image displayed on a display by operating a camera connected to a computer, the method comprising an input step of inputting with an input device (pointing device, keyboard, etc.), Input detection step to detect the input by the input device, whether to operate the camera by looking at the actual image screen projected from the camera or the mode of operating the camera by looking at the camera itself. And a command generation step for generating a camera control command according to the mode determined in the mode determination step, and a camera control step for controlling the camera according to the camera control command. A method of controlling a camera characterized by. 2. When the command generation step is a mode in which the camera is operated by looking at an actual image screen projected from the camera, the left and right directions instructed by the user in the input step when the camera rotates in the left and right directions are set. 2. The camera control method according to claim 1, wherein the actual camera rotation direction is reversed right and left. 3. In the command generating step, in a mode in which the camera is operated while looking at the camera itself, when the camera rotates in the left-right direction, the left-right direction designated by the user in the input step is the same as the actual camera rotation direction. The method of controlling a camera according to claim 1. 4. When the camera is operated by looking at the actual image screen displayed by the camera, a portion for input operation is arranged very close to the camera image display area.
The camera control method according to any one of 1. 5. On a monitor screen, one or more camera operation buttons are arranged in a peripheral portion of a camera image display area for displaying an output image of the camera, and the camera is controlled according to the operation of the camera operation button. A camera control device characterized by. 6. The camera control device according to claim 5, wherein the camera operation button is arranged outside the camera image display area. 7. The camera control device according to claim 5, wherein the camera operation button is arranged inside the camera image display area. 8. A monitor screen is provided with one or more cursor sensitive areas at a peripheral portion of a display area of an output image of the camera, and the camera is controlled according to the cursor sensitive area in which the cursor is located. Camera control device. 9. A camera image display area for displaying an output image of a camera is set on a monitor screen, and a grip operation for gripping an image displayed in the camera image display area and an image gripped by the grip operation are displayed on a monitor screen. According to a moving operation moving up, the camera control device rotates the camera in a direction according to the moving operation. 10. The camera control device according to claim 9, wherein the camera is rotated in a direction according to the movement operation by a movement angle according to a movement amount of the movement operation.