JPH11136584A - Panoramic image pickup system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To quickly acquire a prescribed area image from a panoramic image. SOLUTION: A 360-degree panoramic image that is photographed by the built-in CCD line sensors 36 and 37 via the rotation of a panoramic image pickup device 31 is converted into a digital image and temporarily stored in a main memory 70. Then the image data on a prescribed area are segmented from the panoramic image data by an image segmentation part 71 and converted into the video signals at a video signal generation part consisting of a D/A converter 72 and a color data superimposition circuit 73. Then the video signals are outputted from an interface 74.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a panoramic image pickup system capable of cutting out and outputting a panoramic image obtained by picking up an image of 360 degrees around using an image pickup device such as a CCD sensor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various attempts have been made to record and reproduce an image closer to what is seen by the human eye.
For example, a normal 35 mm camera can capture only an image in a predetermined range, but in order to obtain a wider-angle image, a method of connecting and viewing images obtained by capturing an object such as a landscape, that is, a so-called connecting panoramic photograph is used. is there.
If this method is adopted, it becomes possible to reproduce and appreciate an image around 360 degrees.

In order to capture such a connected panoramic photograph for connecting and viewing a plurality of images, a normal film-exposed camera or electronic camera is used to move the photographer or the camera around the camera at a predetermined angle of, for example, 30 degrees. In this method, the image is divided into plural angles and imaged a plurality of times, and the images are joined manually or by using an image processing technique.

Further, with the development of computer-related technology in recent years, there is a technique for actively reproducing a captured image in a computer. An example of this is Quick
kTime VR (Virtual Reality)
There is something called. In this method, a plurality of images are taken at a certain angle with respect to 360 degrees around the camera, and are combined into one image by an image processing technique and reproduced on a computer screen.

[0005] Referring to the method of reproduction on a computer screen, FIG. 10 (a) is an initial screen showing the inside of a car, and a hand mark in the figure indicates a pointing device such as a mouse connected to the computer. It is a cursor that moves by operation. When the user performs an operation of moving the cursor while pressing a button of a pointing device called a drag, the image on the screen becomes an image having a different viewing angle as shown in FIG. When the drag operation is continued, the image further moves, and FIG.
(C). Then, if the user continues dragging, the inside of the car can be seen from behind, and by making a round in this way, the inside of the car can be seen 360 degrees. Further, by operating a predetermined button on the keyboard, the user can enlarge or reduce an image corresponding to zooming of the camera. As a result, the user can check everything in the vehicle while staying at home, for example.

[0006] As an apparatus for capturing such an image,
For example, one described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-275066 is known. As shown in FIG. 11, a dark box 1 which is a housing of a camera, a lens 2 attached to the dark box 1, and a one-line CCD 4 provided on a surface where an image is formed by the lens 2 in the dark box 1. A motor 3 for rotating the dark box 1, an angle detector 5 for detecting how much the dark box 1 is rotated from the reference position by setting the reference position to 0 °, and an analog signal from the one-line CCD 4. A / D converter 6 for converting an analog signal into a digital signal, and a timing and an address when an analog signal from the one-line CCD 4 is written into the image memory 7 are obtained by calculation based on the signal from the angle detecting device 5. A write control device 8 that outputs the image data as a memory write timing and an address signal, and image data based on a timing signal from a synchronization signal generation circuit 9. A read control device 10 for calculating a timing and an address at the time of reading from the memory 7 and outputting the result as a memory read timing and an address signal; and an image memory based on the memory read timing and the address signal from the read control device 10. 7 for converting the image data digital signal read out from 7 into an image data analog signal
An A / A converter 11 and a superimposing circuit 12 for superimposing a video synchronizing signal from the synchronizing signal generating circuit 9 and an image data analog signal to output a video signal.

[0007] This is to rotate the dark box 1 by the motor 3,
In synchronization with this rotation, one-line CCD 4 performs vertical scanning to capture an image, stores the A / D-converted image data in image memory 7 in sequence, and finally makes three rounds at the time of one rotation.
A 60-degree panoramic image is obtained. This apparatus has an advantage that, unlike the case of taking an image with a normal still camera, the post-processing of joining the divided images is unnecessary. Also, the one in this publication is
After the output data from the one-line CCD 4 is A / D-converted by the A / D converter 6, it is temporarily stored in the image memory 7, and then the signal corresponding to each color is converted into one analog video signal by the superimposing circuit 12. Since it is output, it can be used for moving images.

In this publication, the order of the data is changed at the stage of temporarily storing the output data in the memory and retrieving it again. This is because the image picked up by the one-line CCD is sequentially taken in the vertical direction. On the other hand, in a normal video system, since the horizontal direction is raster scanning in the main direction, it is necessary to perform vertical and horizontal conversion. In this publication, the center position of an image can be arbitrarily set by changing the writing position or the reading position with respect to the memory. Further, the memory is divided into several blocks so that images from the respective areas can be separately displayed as analog video signals on a plurality of monitors.

On the other hand, in stores and the like, CCT is used for security purposes.
A V camera system has been introduced. For example, an image taken by a CCD camera installed on a ceiling or the like is displayed on a monitor installed near a cash register in a security room or a clerk, and is used to prevent shoplifting and other crimes.
In such a system, a CCD camera is installed on an electric pan head, and the inside of the store can be monitored by remote control operation or automatic operation.

As such a surveillance camera, for example,
JP-A-3-253830 is known. As shown in FIG. 12, the CCD image sensor 21 is fixed to the geared image sensor fixing member 22 with the imaging surface facing down, and one end of a lens system 23 having a motor is fixed to the gear image sensor fixing member 22. The other end of the lens system 23 is fixed to a geared reflecting mirror fixing member 25 to which a reflecting mirror 24 is fixed. The reflecting mirror 24 reflects light from the subject in the direction of the optical axis of the lens system 23. Each fixing member 22,
Reduction gears 26 and 27 mesh with gear 25, respectively.
These reduction gears 26 and 27 are connected by a rod 28.

A motor 29 is attached to the tip of the rod 28, and the motor 29 uses the reduction gears 26 and 27 to reduce the image sensor fixing member 22 with gears and the reflecting mirror fixing member 25 with gears.
And the lens system 23 is rotated in the direction of arrow P in the figure. Further, a motor 30 such as a pulse motor is mounted on the reflecting mirror 24, and the reflecting mirror 24 is rotated by the motor 30 in the direction of arrow T in the figure. In this monitoring camera, a motor 29 rotates a geared imaging element fixing member 22, a geared reflecting mirror fixing member 25, and a lens system 23, and controls a tilt angle of a reflecting mirror 24 with a motor 30, thereby photographing a surrounding subject. It is supposed to.

[0012]

However, when a panorama image is obtained by connecting images captured by a still camera in a later process, a Quick Time VR is used.
Although the creation of a still panoramic image as described above can be realized by an existing system, there is a problem that it cannot handle moving images.

[0013] Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-275066, a one-line CCD and a lens system are housed in a dark box, and by rotating them together, a 360-degree panoramic image is captured. When writing or reading a captured image in the image memory, the center position of the image can be changed by setting the head position to a desired value.
Since all image data corresponding to 0 degrees are exchanged, there is a problem that smooth moving image processing cannot be performed unless a communication means or a control unit therearound is used, which can perform high-speed processing. Further, there is only one system for setting the center image, and there is a problem that even if there is a request that a plurality of users want to set another angle at the center, this request cannot be met.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-253830 is mainly used in the field of security. For example, by performing pan / tilt in accordance with a signal input from the outside, a single user can obtain a desired position. Can be observed, but cannot be used when a plurality of users have to look at different angles, for example, in a video conference.

Therefore, the present invention provides a panoramic image capturing system capable of obtaining an image of a predetermined area from a captured panoramic image in a short time. Further, the invention according to claim 2 provides a panoramic imaging system that can obtain an image of a predetermined area from a captured panoramic image in a short time and can change the set area with the passage of time. According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a panoramic image capturing system capable of obtaining an image of a predetermined area from a captured panoramic image in a short time and changing a set area by designating the panoramic image.

According to the fourth and fifth aspects of the present invention, an image of a predetermined area can be obtained in a short time from a captured panoramic image, and a plurality of users can simultaneously obtain images of an arbitrary set area. A panoramic imaging system is provided. In addition, the invention according to claim 6 provides a panoramic imaging system that can obtain an image of a predetermined area from a captured panoramic image in a short time and that can make the panoramic imaging apparatus compact.

[0017]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
One or a plurality of imaging devices and one or a plurality of imaging lens systems for forming an image of a subject on an imaging surface of the imaging device are provided. A panoramic image capturing apparatus that captures a panoramic image with an image sensor; a memory that stores image information of the panoramic image captured by the image sensor; an image extracting unit that extracts an image of a predetermined area from the image information stored in the memory; Output means for outputting image information extracted by the image extracting means.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided one or a plurality of imaging devices and one or a plurality of imaging lens systems for forming an image of a subject on an imaging surface of the imaging device, respectively. A panoramic imaging device that rotates a lens system integrally and captures a surrounding panoramic image with an imaging device;
A memory for storing image information of a panoramic image captured by the imaging element; an image extracting unit for extracting an image of a predetermined area from the image information stored in the memory while changing the position of the set area with time; Output means for outputting image information cut out by the cutout means.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided one or a plurality of image pickup devices and one or a plurality of image forming lens systems for forming an image of a subject on an image pickup surface of the image pickup device. A panoramic imaging device that rotates a lens system integrally and captures a surrounding panoramic image with an imaging device;
A memory for storing image information of a panoramic image captured by the image sensor, an image extracting unit for extracting an image of a predetermined area from the image information stored in the memory, and a position of a setting area from which the image extracting unit extracts an image. It is provided with an image cutout position specifying means to be specified, and an output means for outputting image information cut out by the image cutout means.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided one or a plurality of imaging devices and one or a plurality of imaging lens systems for forming an image of a subject on an imaging surface of the imaging device, respectively. A panoramic imaging device that rotates a lens system integrally and captures a surrounding panoramic image with an imaging device;
A memory for storing image information of a panoramic image captured by the image sensor, a plurality of image extracting means for respectively extracting images of a predetermined area from the image information stored in the memory, and a plurality of image extracting means provided corresponding to each of the image extracting means, respectively. And a plurality of output units for respectively outputting the image information extracted by each of the image extraction units.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided one or a plurality of image pickup devices and one or a plurality of image forming lens systems for forming an image of a subject on an image pickup surface of the image pickup device. A panoramic imaging device that rotates a lens system integrally and captures a surrounding panoramic image with an imaging device;
A memory for storing image information of a panoramic image captured by the image sensor, a plurality of image extracting means for respectively extracting images of predetermined regions different from each other from the image information stored in the memory, and a plurality of image extracting means respectively corresponding to the respective image extracting means. And a plurality of output means for respectively outputting the image information cut out by each of the image cutout means.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided one or a plurality of imaging devices and one or a plurality of imaging lens systems for forming an image of a subject on an imaging surface of the imaging device, respectively. A panoramic imaging device that rotates a lens system integrally and captures a surrounding panoramic image with an imaging device;
A memory for storing image information of a panoramic image captured by the image sensor, an image extracting unit for extracting an image of a predetermined area from the image information stored in the memory, and a display unit for displaying the image information extracted by the image extracting unit It is provided with.

[0023]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. (First Embodiment) It should be noted that this embodiment is a first embodiment.
Embodiments 3 to 3 will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a panoramic imaging device 31. The panoramic imaging device 31 includes a columnar device main body 32 and a columnar drive unit 33 for driving the device main body 32 to rotate. In the apparatus main body 32, two vertically long imaging windows 34 closed with a transparent member are formed at equal intervals along the circumferential surface, that is, at two locations at 180 ° intervals.

As shown in FIG. 2, the panoramic image pickup device 31 has a rotatable rotary shaft 35 at its center.
For example, two first and second CCD line sensors 36 and 37 are connected to the rotating shaft 35 as
A disc-shaped printed circuit board 38 arranged at 0 degrees,
A disk-shaped lens mounting plate 41 on which a pair of imaging lens systems 39 and 40 for forming a subject image on the CCD line sensors 36 and 37, respectively, and 2 corresponding to the CCD line sensors 36 and 37 are provided. Reflective surfaces 42, 43
The reflecting surfaces 42 and 43 are inclined by 45 degrees with respect to the optical axes of the imaging lens systems 39 and 40, and the optical path of the subject image captured through the imaging windows 34 is substantially reflected. Inverted pyramid-shaped reflecting members 44, which are bent at right angles and guided to the respective imaging lens systems 39 and 40, are attached at a predetermined interval from each other.

More specifically, a groove is formed along the circumference at a position where one end, which is the lower end of the rotating shaft 35, is left for a predetermined length, and an E-ring 45 is fitted into this groove. A hole formed in the center of the circuit board 38 on which the CCD line sensors 36 and 37 are arranged is inserted into the rotating shaft 35 from the other end, which is the upper end of the rotating shaft 35, and the E-ring 45 is used to perform downward positioning. Thus, the circuit board 38 is fixed to the rotating shaft 35.

The lens mounting plate 41 to which the imaging lens systems 39 and 40 are mounted is also the same as the circuit board 38.
, That is, each of the imaging lens systems 39 and 40 is
E-ring 46 is provided at a position where an image is formed on light receiving surfaces 6 and 37.
, And is fixed to the rotating shaft 35 by performing downward positioning. Similarly, the reflection member 44 is fixed to the rotating shaft 35 by performing downward positioning by an E-ring 47 at a position above the position of the lens mounting plate 41 by a predetermined distance. Then, the circuit board 38 on the rotating shaft 35
The circuit board 38, the lens mounting plate 41, and the reflection member 44 are stored at a position below the fixed position by a predetermined distance,
The bottom of a cylindrical housing 48 provided with the imaging window 34 is positioned and fixed with an E-ring 49 to fix the apparatus main body 3.
2 are formed.

The CCD line sensors 36, 3
7 is a one-column pixel array for monochrome correspondence, and a color-type one in which RGB filters are arranged in order for one row pixel array or three Of the type in which RGB filters are individually arranged in each column for the pixel arrangement of FIG. Further, the reflecting member 44 may be a prism-shaped member in which respective reflecting surfaces are integrated.

The remaining portion on one end side of the rotating shaft 35 is rotatably supported by two bearings 50 and 51 formed at the center of the driving portion 33. Then, one end of the rotating shaft 35 is projected slightly downward from the lower bearing bearing 51, and the gear 52 is fixed to this projected portion. On the other hand, a stepping motor 53 is provided in the driving unit 33, and the rotational force of the stepping motor 53 is transmitted to the gear 52 attached to the rotating shaft 35 via a transmission mechanism 54 including a gear train and a timing belt. It has become.

One end of the rotating shaft 35 extends from one end to an intermediate portion between the fixed position of the circuit board 38 and the bottom fixed position of the housing 48, and at the intermediate portion in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 35. A substantially L-shaped circular hole 55 is formed to bend to the outside. And this hole 55
The coupling lens 57 in which the optical fiber 56 is connected to the circumference of the rotating shaft 35 through which the
The tip of the optical fiber 56 is slightly discharged from one end of the rotating shaft 35.

On the bottom of the circuit board 38, the CCDs
A light emitting element 58 that converts electric signals from the line sensors 36 and 37 into optical signals and sequentially transmits the light to each CCD line sensor serially is provided. The light emitting surface of the light emitting element 58 is slightly spaced from the coupling lens 57. It is mounted so that it opens and faces each other. Further, in the driving section 33, a light receiving element 59 having a light receiving surface opposed to the tip of the optical fiber 56 is arranged and housed on a printed circuit board 60.

The panoramic imaging device 31 has two CCs
Since the D line sensors 36 and 37 are arranged at an interval of 180 degrees from each other, each CCD line sensor 36, 3
7 captures an image of the rotation range of 180 degrees, respectively.
Panoramic imaging at 0 degrees is possible. Each of the CCD line sensors 36 and 37 outputs the data of each pixel arranged in series at a predetermined period, and converts each pixel data of one period as one line of image data from the light emitting element 58 to the coupling lens 57 in line units. And light receiving element 5 via optical fiber 56
In FIG. 9, the data is transferred by optical communication to the drive unit which is a fixed unit.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the entire panoramic imaging system. The panoramic imaging device 31 is connected to a control device 62 via a cable 61. The control device 62 supplies a control signal for starting and ending the image capturing to the panoramic image capturing device 31 to control the image capturing of the image capturing device 31 and take in the image data from the image capturing device 31.

Further, the control device 62 controls the television monitor 6
3 and another TV monitor 65 via a control box 64. Further, the control device 62 is also connected to a network 66 such as the Internet or a LAN. Personal computers 67 of a plurality of users are connected to the network 66.

In this panoramic imaging system, for example,
When used for a video conference or the like, the user sends an instruction such as the start of imaging from the personal computer 67 to the control device 62, so that the image taken by the panoramic imaging device 31 can be viewed on the attached display. Also,
For example, when used for security such as surveillance, the panoramic image pickup device 31 is directly received from the control device 62, for example, by receiving an NTSC video signal and using the television monitors 63 and 65.
Will be able to see the captured image.

The image captured by the panoramic image capturing apparatus 31 is a 360-degree panoramic image. However, the user does not necessarily need to view the 360-degree panoramic image at the same time. For example, in a video conference, only the direction of the speaker is viewed. It is enough to be able to see a suspicious person for security purposes. Therefore, in this embodiment, a configuration is such that an image of a predetermined area can be cut out from a 360-degree panoramic image and provided to the user.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the panoramic image pickup device 31 converts image signals from the CCD line sensors 36 and 37 into digital image data by A / D converters 68 and 69, respectively. The data is transferred to the control device 62. The control device 62 includes a main memory 7
0, an image extracting unit 71, a D / A converter 72, a color data superimposing circuit 73, an interface 74, etc., so that the image data from the A / D converters 68 and 69 are stored in the main memory 70. Has become.

The image data stored in the main memory 70 is rearranged, and the 360-degree image data is stored so as to be arranged in the same order as in the actual space. As shown by hatching in FIG. 5, the image switching means 71 determines a predetermined area (a data range of all pixels in the vertical direction and a predetermined position in the horizontal direction in the circumferential direction) from the image data DT stored in the main memory 70. (A region enclosed by the range) DT1 is cut out. The color data superimposing circuit 7 superimposes the image data cut out by the image switching means 71 on the D / A converter 72 and the color data corresponding to each color of RGB.
3 is converted into a video signal of NTSC or the like by a video signal generation unit composed of 3 and then outputted to the interface 74. Therefore, the cut-out image can be viewed on the television monitors 63 and 65 and can be viewed on the personal computer 67 via the network 66. It should be noted that DMA control for driving the CCD line sensors 36 and 37 and the stepping motor 53 and for writing image data in the main memory 70 is performed by a CPU provided inside the control device 62.

In such a configuration, a part of the 360-degree image can be cut out, that is, only the minimum necessary information can be cut out and output. You can get in time. Therefore, images can be displayed in real time. If the area of the cut-out image with respect to the 360-degree panoramic image is changed over time by the CPU of the control device 62, the operation is equivalent to the panning motion of the CCD camera loaded with the electric pan head. Can be made to function as a traveling photograph in the store.
In this case, the temporal change of the region of the cut-out image may be performed at a constant speed as time elapses, or may be a step change in which the display screen is stopped and changed for a predetermined time.

When the cut-out image changes automatically with the lapse of time, the user unilaterally receives the transmitted image on the television monitor. However, the user operates the buttons and the joystick provided in the control box 64. By doing so, the user can determine the predetermined area as the cutout position and display an image. For example, ON / OF
By operating the F switch, an image of an appropriate place is started, and while watching the image at that position on the television monitor 65, the joystick is tilted left or right to send a signal for changing the cutout position to the control device 62. The control device 62 determines which area of the main memory 70 is to be cut out according to this signal,
An image signal of a predetermined area is output via the image cutout means 71, the D / A converter 72, the color data superimposing circuit 73, and the interface 74. Then, if the user returns the joystick when the desired image is obtained, the change of the cutout position is stopped, and the image of the same image area is continuously transmitted from the control device 62. Note that the cutout position can be automatically changed over time while the user does not operate the joystick, and it is more convenient if the user can set this by using a button or the like.

Here, the relationship of the speed when performing panoramic imaging by the CCD line sensor will be described. For example, the number of CCD line sensors to be used is N, and the number of screen frames required per unit time is K (plane / plane). sec), the rotation R of the stepping motor 53 (Rev / sec)
c) is R = K / N (1), where X represents the number of horizontal pixels, Y represents the number of pixels in the vertical direction, and a vertical image corresponding to the number of pixels in the vertical direction. Assuming that the angle is θY, the angular resolution per pixel (angle of view per pixel) dθ is as follows: dθ = θY / Y (2) Note that the effective angle of view θL of the imaging lens system may be determined so as to be larger than θY.

On the other hand, the scanning cycle FL (Hz) per line of the CCD line sensor and the transfer cycle FP (Hz) per pixel are as follows: FL = R · (360 / dθ) (3) FP = Y · FL = Y · R · (360 / dθ) (4) The reciprocal of FL corresponds to the accumulation time of the CCD line sensor.

Next, regarding the transfer speed of image data,
For example, the transfer rate T ₃₆₀ (Hz) of all the images after the 8-bit A / D conversion is calculated based on the FP and targets three colors of RGB, so that T ₃₆₀ = 3.8 · FP. (5) If only the necessary image area is transferred, the frequency T _eff (Hz) is as follows: T _eff = T ₃₆₀ × (θX / 360) (6)

(Second Embodiment) In this embodiment, an embodiment corresponding to claim 4 will be described. In this embodiment, the panoramic imaging device 51 of the first embodiment is used. This embodiment has a configuration in which a plurality of users can simultaneously view images in the same area or different areas, and is applicable to a video conference or the like.

As shown in FIG. 6, the control device 621 includes a main memory 70 and a plurality of, for example, n image cutting means 811 and 812 for cutting out an image of a predetermined area from a panoramic image stored in the main memory 70. ,... 81n are provided. The secondary memories 821, 822,... 82n, D / D correspond to the respective image extracting means 811 to 81n.
.. 83n and an interface 841 comprising an A converter and a color data superimposing circuit.
, 842,... 84n.

The image data of a predetermined area extracted by the image extracting means 811 to 81n is stored in the secondary memories 821 to 82n, respectively, and the secondary memories 821 to 82n are stored.
The image data stored in the video signal generators 831
After converting them into video signals of NTSC or the like by .about.83n, the signals are outputted from the interfaces 841 to 84n. Therefore, each of the image extracting means 811 to 81n
Can be simultaneously viewed by n users 851 to 85n. Also, in this case, since each of the interfaces 841 to 84n outputs only the image data of the extracted predetermined area, the image can be obtained in a short time, and the image can be displayed in real time.

Each of the users 851 to 85n can independently specify a cutout position for the control device 621 by operating, for example, a joystick of the control box. Of these, it is possible to specify and view the area in the direction in which one wants to view.

In this case, the digital image data stored in the main memory 70 is divided into image cut-out means 81, respectively.
After clipping at 1 to 81n, the video signal generators 831 to 831
The 3n D / A converter converts the image signal into an analog image signal, and the color data superimposing circuit synthesizes the color data based on the image signal. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to perform color matching with the stored digital image data and then convert it to an analog signal and send it to the user, or to send the digital image data to the user as it is. The data transmission from each of the interfaces 841 to 84n to the users 851 to 85n may be performed by a dedicated line.
Or by using an existing network such as the Internet.

In this embodiment, the secondary memory is provided to temporarily store the image data extracted by the image extracting means. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
If the speed of the interface used is sufficiently high with respect to the imaging speed, the secondary memory is not particularly required.

(Third Embodiment) In this embodiment, an embodiment corresponding to claim 5 will be described. In this embodiment, the panoramic imaging device 51 of the first embodiment is used. This embodiment is configured so that many users can simultaneously view images in the same area or different areas, and can be applied to a video conference or the like.

As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 622 cuts out a plurality of images, for example, m images, from the main memory 70 and panorama images stored in the main memory 70 in different predetermined regions. Means 911, 912, ... 9
1m is provided. Then, each of the image cutout means 911-
91m, the secondary memories 921, 922,
.. 92m and interfaces of channels CH-1, CH-2,... CH-m.

Each of the image extracting means 911 to 91m is adapted to extract an image in a different area having an angle of 360 / m so that a 360-degree panoramic image can be extracted as a whole. For example, if the image extracting means is 1
If there are 80 images, image data with an angle shift of 2 degrees is cut out. This means that, for example, the image data of a predetermined area is cut out with the center of the cutout direction by the image cutout means 911 being true north, and the image cutout means 912 is shifted by two times in the rotation direction from the true center of the cutout direction. Similarly, each image extracting means cuts out image data of a predetermined area in which the center of the extracting direction is shifted by 2 degrees, and the last image extracting means 91m rotates the center of the extracting direction by 358 degrees from true north in the rotation direction. That is,
Image data of a predetermined area shifted twice in the reverse direction of the rotation direction is cut out. FIG. 8 shows such cutout, and the non-overlapping portion of the image of the region cut out by each image cutout means is shifted by two times.

Then, each image cutting means 911 to 91m
The extracted image data is respectively stored in the secondary memory 921.
To 92 m, and the image data stored in each of the secondary memories 921 to 92 m are respectively stored in channels CH-1 and CH-2.
-2, output from CH-m.

Therefore, more users 941, 942, 943,... 94L than the number of channels can view the image of the desired area by selecting the channel outputting the image data of the area they want to see. . In this case, when a plurality of users simultaneously select the same channel, images in the same area can be viewed at the same time. Also in this case, since only the image data of the extracted predetermined area is output from each of the channels CH-1 to CH-m, an image can be obtained in a short time.

In this embodiment, a secondary memory is provided to temporarily store the image data extracted by the image extracting means. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
If the speed of the channel portion used is sufficiently high with respect to the imaging speed, the secondary memory is not particularly required.

(Fourth Embodiment) In this embodiment, an embodiment corresponding to claim 6 will be described. In this embodiment, the panoramic imaging device 51 of the first embodiment is used. This embodiment is effective when the communication means between the control device and the user is fast, and the image is cut out by the user's personal computer.

As shown in FIG. 9, the control device 623 is provided with only the main memory 70 and the interface 95, and from the interface 95, the main memory 70 is stored in the personal computers 961, 962,... All the 360-degree panoramic image data is transmitted.

Each of the personal computers 961 to 96-9
6X are image extracting means 971, 972,.
7X, video signal generators 981, 982,... 98X and display units 991, 992,... 99X, and once the panoramic image data transmitted from the control unit 623 is once taken into the internal memory, the image extracting means 971- A predetermined area is cut out by 97X, the cut-out image data is converted into a video signal of NTSC or the like by video signal generation sections 981 to 98X, and the converted signal is displayed on display sections 991 to 99X.

In this case, since the configuration of the control device 623 is simplified, the size of the panoramic imaging device can be reduced. In each user, the image cutout means 9
A necessary area is cut out from a 360-degree panoramic image by 71 to 97X and displayed on the display units 991 to 99X, so that an image of the predetermined area to be displayed from the panoramic image is obtained in a short time with little processing data. be able to. Also in this case, each user can specify the cut-out area of the image, so that each user can arbitrarily view the image of the desired area.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the panoramic imaging apparatus using two CCD line sensors has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and one or three or more CCD line sensors may be used. May be done.

[0060]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, an image of a predetermined area can be obtained in a short time from a captured panoramic image. According to the second aspect of the present invention, an image of a predetermined area can be obtained in a short time from a captured panoramic image, and the set area can be changed over time.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, an image of a predetermined area can be obtained in a short time from a captured panoramic image, and the set area can be changed by designation.

According to the fourth and fifth aspects of the present invention, it is possible to obtain an image of a predetermined area from a captured panoramic image in a short time, and it is also possible for a plurality of users to obtain images of an arbitrary set area at the same time. Can be. According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, an image of a predetermined area can be obtained from a captured panoramic image in a short time, and the panoramic imaging apparatus can be made compact.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exemplary perspective view showing the appearance of a panoramic imaging device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an internal configuration of the panoramic imaging device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the entire system according to the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a panoramic imaging device and a control device according to the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is an exemplary view for explaining extraction of a predetermined area image from panoramic image data in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a circuit configuration of a control device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a view for explaining the concept of cutting out a predetermined area in the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a control device and a user-side device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining Quick Time VR.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a conventional example.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an imaging apparatus showing another conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 31 ... Panorama imaging device 36,37 ... CCD line sensor (one-dimensional imaging device) 39,40 ... Imaging lens system 44 ... Reflection member 62 ... Control device 70 ... Main memory 71 ... Image cutting means 74 ... Interface

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup device comprising: one or a plurality of image sensors; and one or a plurality of image lens systems for forming an image of a subject on an image plane of the image sensor, respectively. A panoramic image capturing apparatus that rotates the panoramic image by using the image sensor to capture a surrounding panoramic image, a memory that stores image information of the panoramic image captured by the image sensor, and an image of a predetermined area from the image information stored in the memory. A panoramic imaging system comprising: an image extracting unit that extracts an image; and an output unit that outputs image information extracted by the image extracting unit. 2. An imaging device comprising: one or a plurality of imaging devices; and one or a plurality of imaging lens systems for forming an image of a subject on an imaging surface of the imaging device, wherein the imaging device and the imaging lens system are integrated. A panoramic image capturing apparatus that rotates the panoramic image by using the image sensor to capture a surrounding panoramic image, a memory that stores image information of the panoramic image captured by the image sensor, and an image of a predetermined area from the image information stored in the memory. A panoramic imaging system, comprising: an image extracting means for extracting the position of the set area with time, and an output means for outputting image information extracted by the image extracting means. 3. An imaging device comprising: one or a plurality of imaging devices; and one or a plurality of imaging lens systems for forming an image of a subject on an imaging surface of the imaging device, wherein the imaging device and the imaging lens system are integrated. A panoramic image capturing apparatus that rotates the panoramic image by using the image sensor to capture a surrounding panoramic image, a memory that stores image information of the panoramic image captured by the image sensor, and an image of a predetermined area from the image information stored in the memory. Image cutting means for cutting out, image cutting position specifying means for specifying the position of a setting area from which the image cutting means cuts out an image, and output means for outputting image information cut out by the image cutting means A panoramic imaging system. 4. An image pickup device comprising: one or a plurality of image sensors; and one or a plurality of image lens systems for forming an image of a subject on an image plane of the image sensor, respectively. A panoramic image capturing apparatus that rotates the panoramic image by using the image sensor to capture a surrounding panoramic image, a memory that stores image information of the panoramic image captured by the image sensor, and an image of a predetermined area from the image information stored in the memory. A panorama, comprising: a plurality of image cutting means each of which is cut out; and a plurality of output means provided in correspondence with each of the image cutting means, and each of which outputs the image information cut out by each of the image cutting means. Imaging system. 5. An imaging device comprising: one or a plurality of imaging devices; and one or a plurality of imaging lens systems for forming an image of a subject on an imaging surface of the imaging device, wherein the imaging device and the imaging lens system are integrated. A panoramic imaging device that rotates the panoramic image by using the image sensor, and a memory that stores image information of the panoramic image captured by the image sensor, and a predetermined area that differs from the image information stored in the memory. A plurality of image cutout means for cutting out images, and a plurality of output means for providing the image information cut out by each of the image cutout means provided in correspondence with each of the image cutout means. Panoramic imaging system. 6. An imaging device comprising: one or a plurality of imaging devices; and one or a plurality of imaging lens systems for forming an image of a subject on an imaging surface of the imaging device, wherein the imaging device and the imaging lens system are integrated. A panoramic image capturing apparatus that rotates the panoramic image by using the image sensor to capture a surrounding panoramic image, a memory that stores image information of the panoramic image captured by the image sensor, and an image of a predetermined area from the image information stored in the memory. A panoramic image pickup system comprising: an image extracting unit that extracts an image; and a display unit that displays image information extracted by the image extracting unit.