JPH08275046A - Image pickup device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To obtain the image pickup device in which a range desired especially taken notice of is obtained with a 1st image pickup means having a narrow image pickup range by always confirming a required range with a 2nd image pickup means having a wide image pickup range. CONSTITUTION: The image pickup device is provided with a drive means comprising a movable camera section A as a 1st image pickup means whose image pickup direction is made variable, a panning drive circuit 107 displacing an image pickup direction of the movable camera section A, and a tilt drive circuit 108, with a system control means comprising a system control circuit 104 controlling the drive by the drive means according to an external command via a communication interface circuit 106, and with a fixed camera section B as a 2nd image pickup means whose image pickup range 'b' is the same as or more than an image pickup enable range of the movable camera section A and whose image pickup direction is fixed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video camera used for surveillance and the like, a video input device of a computer, an image pickup device used for a TV conference system and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, video surveillance using a video camera has been frequently performed, and some of them include a pan head function to change an imaging range. Further, there is proposed a video camera integrated with a pan head and a video camera, in which the pan head function and various functions of the video camera can be collectively controlled from a personal computer.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a conventional image pickup apparatus. An example of those apparatuses will be described with reference to FIG.

An optical signal in the image pickup range is guided to the CCD 202 by the lens 201. The optical signal obtained by the lens 201 is converted into an electric signal by the CCD 202, further converted into a video signal by the signal processing circuit 203, and then outputted from the signal output circuit 205. Camera part C is pan head part D
The pan drive circuit 207 and the tilt drive circuit 208 can move the imaging range obtained by the lens 201 up, down, left and right. The movement control at this time is controlled by the system control circuit 204 by a command signal obtained via the communication interface, and the photographer can select an arbitrary imaging position by instructing the imaging direction.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the imaged range is only a part of the imageable range achieved by the pan head function, and the entire range is not always imaged. Was insufficient. In order to make it easier to specify the image capturing range, for example, the image being captured is displayed on the monitor of the personal computer,
By moving the cursor and selecting an arbitrary position on the screen with an input device such as a mouse, you can instruct the preferred imaging range, and the platform operates according to the instructions to automatically capture the desired imaging range. However, even in this case, there is a problem in that it is impossible to instruct by moving and selecting the cursor with an input device such as a mouse, other than the range where the image is captured.

Therefore, an object of the present invention as set forth in claim 1 is that the user can always confirm the necessary range in the image of the second image pickup means, and select the range in which the user wants to pay attention. An object of the present invention is to provide an image pickup device capable of picking up an image with an image pickup means.

Further, the object of the present invention set forth in claim 2 is to:
To provide an image pickup apparatus in which a second image pickup means for always confirming a necessary range and a first image pickup means for picking up an image of a selected range are integrally configured, and a control method and installation thereof can be further simplified. It is in.

Further, the object of the present invention set forth in claim 3 is to:
An image pickup apparatus in which the operability can be expected to be improved by displaying the imageable range of the first image pickup unit that picks up the selected range on the image of the second image pickup unit that constantly checks the necessary range. To provide.

Further, the object of the present invention set forth in claim 4 is to:
The image captured by the first image capturing unit that captures the selected range is displayed in the image captured by the second image capturing unit that constantly confirms the necessary range, and the image capturing with the improved operability can be expected. To provide a device.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention according to claim 1 displaces the image pickup direction of the first image pickup means capable of varying the image pickup direction. The drive means, the system control means for controlling the drive of the drive means in accordance with an instruction from the outside, and the imaging direction is fixed at an imaging range which is the same as or more than the imaging range of the first imaging means. A second image pickup means is provided.

Further, the present invention according to claim 2 is the image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein the first image pickup means and the second image pickup means are provided.
Is characterized in that the image pickup means is integrally formed. Furthermore, the present invention described in claim 3 is the same as claim 1 or 2.
In the image pickup apparatus described above, the image pickup possible range of the first image pickup unit is displayed in the video signal obtained by the second image pickup unit.

Further, according to the present invention as set forth in claim 4, in the image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, the image pickup range of the first image pickup means is displayed on the video signal obtained by the second image pickup means. It is characterized by

Further, the present invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that the first and second image pickup means are CCD sensors.

[0014]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the second image pickup means has the same image pickup range as that of the first image pickup means whose image pickup direction can be changed. Alternatively, since the image pickup direction is fixed at the same or more, the user can always confirm the necessary range by the image obtained by the second image pickup means, and the particularly noticeable range is the first range.
It can be obtained by the image pickup means.

According to the present invention as set forth in claim 2, since the first image pickup means and the second image pickup means are integrally formed,
The positional relationship between the two can be easily defined, and control and the like can be further simplified.

According to the present invention as set forth in claim 3, since the image pickup range of the first image pickup means is displayed on the video signal obtained by the second image pickup means, the operability is further improved. You can

According to the present invention as set forth in claim 4, the image signal obtained by the second image pickup means displays the area actually imaged by the first image pickup means, so that the operability is improved. Can be improved.

[0018]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image pickup apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image pickup apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is composed of a movable camera section A which is a first image pickup section and a fixed camera section B which corresponds to a second image pickup section.

The movable camera section A includes a lens (1) 101,
It has a CCD (1) 102 and a signal processing circuit (1) 103.

The fixed camera section B includes a system control circuit 10
4, signal output circuit 105, communication interface circuit 1
06, a pan drive circuit 107, a tilt drive circuit 108, a second lens (2) 109, a second CCD (2) 110,
Second signal processing circuit (2) 111, signal adding circuit 112
have.

Next, the operation will be described.

In the movable camera section A, the image pickup range “a” is obtained by the lens 101, the information obtained by the lens 101 is converted into an electric signal by the CCD 102, and the obtained electric signal is video-processed by the signal processing circuit 103. After being converted into a signal, the signal is output from the signal output circuit 105.

In the fixed camera section B, the imaging range "b" is obtained by the lens 109. The information obtained by the lens 109 is converted into an electric signal by the CCD 110, the obtained electric signal is converted into a video signal by the signal processing circuit 111, and then output from the signal output circuit 105.

In this case, the movable camera unit A includes a pan (horizontal direction) drive circuit 107 and a tilt (vertical direction) drive circuit 10.
8, the imaging range “a” obtained by the lens 101 can be moved up, down, left, and right, and the movement control is controlled by the system control circuit 104 by a command signal input via the communication interface 106.

The image pickup range "b" obtained by the lens (2) 109 includes all the image pickup range "a" of the first image pickup means that can be obtained by the pan / tilt operation, that is, the image pickup range. To do.

Further, the signal indicating the image pickup range "a" is added to the video signal obtained by the signal processing circuit (2) 111 by the system control circuit 104 in the signal addition circuit 112, so that in the movable camera section A. It is possible to display the area that is actually being imaged and the image capture range, and to check the image capture range "a" on the image of the image capture range "b" on the monitor (window,
(Frame, cursor, etc.)
The configuration and control of the image pickup unit and the second image pickup unit are integrated.

As described above, in the present embodiment, conventionally, the selection can be made only within a narrow area corresponding to the image pickup range "a" of the camera unit A, but the user can obtain a wide range obtained by the second image pickup means. It is possible to always confirm the necessary range by the image of No. 2 and to select the range of particular interest from the image of the imaging range "b" obtained by the second image pickup unit and take the image by the first image pickup unit. You can

[0028]

As described above, the image pickup apparatus of the present invention as set forth in claim 1 comprises the first image pickup means capable of changing the image pickup direction, and the drive means for displacing the image pickup direction of the first image pickup means. A system control means for controlling the driving of the driving means in accordance with an instruction from the outside, and a second image pickup means having an image pickup range which is the same as or larger than the image pickup range of the first image pickup means and whose image pickup direction is fixed. Therefore, the user can always confirm the necessary range from the image obtained by the second image pickup means, and the user can select the range of particular interest from the image obtained by the second image pickup means. 1
The image can be picked up by the image pickup means.

Further, in the image pickup apparatus of the present invention as defined in claim 2, in the image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, since the first image pickup means and the second image pickup means are integrally formed, the positions of both of them are arranged. The relationship can be easily defined, and its control method and installation can be further simplified.

Further, the image pickup device of the present invention according to claim 3 is the image pickup device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the image pickup range of the first image pickup means is added to the video signal obtained by the second image pickup means. Since it is displayed, it is expected that the operability will be improved.

Further, in the image pickup device of the present invention as defined in claim 4, in the image pickup device according to claim 1 or 2, the image pickup range of the first image pickup means is added to the video signal obtained by the second image pickup means. Since it is displayed, the operability can be further improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image pickup apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a conventional imaging device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101 lens (1) 102 CCD (1) 103 signal processing circuit (1) 104 system control circuit 105 signal output circuit 106 communication interface circuit 107 pan drive circuit 108 tilt drive circuit 109 lens (2) 110 CCD (2) 111 signal processing Circuit (2) 112 signal addition circuit A movable camera unit B fixed camera unit a, b imaging range

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A first image pickup means capable of changing the image pickup direction, a drive means for displacing the image pickup direction of the first image pickup means, and a system control means for controlling the drive of the drive means according to an external instruction. An image pickup apparatus comprising: a second image pickup unit whose image pickup range is the same as or larger than the image pickup range of the first image pickup unit and whose image pickup direction is fixed. 2. A first image pickup means capable of changing the image pickup direction, a drive means for displacing the image pickup direction of the first image pickup means, and a system control means for controlling the drive of the drive means according to an external instruction. And a second image pickup unit having an image pickup range which is the same as or larger than the image pickup range of the first image pickup unit and whose image pickup direction is fixed.
2. An image pickup apparatus, wherein the image pickup means and the second image pickup means are integrally formed. 3. A first image pickup unit capable of changing the image pickup direction, a drive unit for displacing the image pickup direction of the first image pickup unit, and a system control unit for controlling the drive of the drive unit according to an external instruction. A second image pickup unit having an image pickup range that is the same as or larger than the image pickup range of the first image pickup unit and has a fixed image pickup direction;
The image pickup device, wherein the image pickup possible range of the first image pickup means is displayed on the video signal obtained by the image pickup means. 4. A first image pickup means capable of changing the image pickup direction, a drive means for displacing the image pickup direction of the first image pickup means, and a system control means for controlling the drive of the drive means according to an external instruction. A second image pickup unit having an image pickup range that is the same as or larger than the image pickup range of the first image pickup unit and has a fixed image pickup direction;
The image pickup device, wherein the image pickup range of the first image pickup means is displayed on the video signal obtained by the image pickup means. 5. The first and second image pickup means are CCDs.
The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device is a sensor.