KR100392252B1 - Stereo Camera - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multi-eye stereo camera for taking a three-dimensional image of the subject. A multicular stereo camera composed of a reflecting optical system composed of at least two reflectors, a camera group consisting of at least two cameras, and a control unit for processing images taken from the camera group includes a reflecting optical system installed at the front of the camera group. The reflectors are rotated and linearly moved under the control of the control device to perform optical axis change correction and viewing angle control so that the cross-sectional images of the subject are accurately incident on the cameras.

As a result, it is possible not only to output a stereoscopic image of a subject rich in stereoscopic feelings, but also to provide a compact multi-eye stereo camera having a high processing speed and various functions.

Description

How to Control the Angle of View of the Multi-Angle Stereo Camera {Stereo Camera}

The present invention relates to a multi-eye stereo camera for taking a three-dimensional image of the subject, and more particularly, to a multi-eye stereo camera for taking a three-dimensional image of the subject using at least two or more cameras.

As a conventional technology of such a multi-eye stereo camera, there are [patent name: multi-eye stereo camera device, registration number: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-175143, registration year: 1995, country name: Japan], in which NTT is the right holder. This is a device that rotates two binocular cameras by a mechanical device to match the optical axis of the camera. In the optical axis direction control, a considerable size and weight of the camera must be moved, so a considerable driving force is required in the control, which results in a slow speed and an increase in the size of the entire camera device.

As another conventional technique, there is [patent name: stereo camera, registration number: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-344778, registration year: 1999, country name: Japan] in which the painter is the right holder. This adjusts the focus and the viewing angle by the mechanical cam. In operation, there is a disadvantage that it is too slow in the image processing speed because it operates mechanically.

1 is a block diagram of a conventional binocular stereo camera as described above. Camera support 103, two cameras 104 and 105 coupled and fixed on camera support 103, two camera rotation mechanisms 110 and 111 for rotating two cameras 104 and 105, camera support 103 and two It consists of a rotating mechanism 112 which rotates the camera support 103 in the state in which the two cameras 104 and 105 are coupled by the camera support 103 so that the whole camera may rotate the camera support.

In the binocular stereo camera configured as described above, two cameras 104 and 105 obtain a stereoscopic image by photographing the same cross-sectional image of the object 100 from different angles. In this case, whether the optical axes 101 and 102 of the two cameras 104 and 105 are facing the same point on the subject 100 may be compared with a partial image of the cross-sectional image coming from the two cameras 104 and 105, and the correlation value may be determined. The optical axis of the two cameras 104 and 105 is photographed at the same point on the subject by controlling the viewing angle by rotating at least one of the two cameras so that the correlation value is maximum.

In this case, as a method for controlling the viewing angle 113, the optical axis direction of one of the two cameras 104 and 105 is adjusted, or the optical axis direction is adjusted by rotating the two cameras 104 and 105 by about half. Alternatively, a method of adjusting the optical axis direction of each camera by using rotation of each camera and rotation of the camera support 103 is used.

However, this vergence control method requires a large driving force for rotation because each camera constituting the binocular stereo camera is large in size and heavy in weight, and thus, the rotation speed is slowed. In addition, there is a problem that the size of the entire camera increases because of the large movement range according to the rotation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention for solving the above problems of the prior art is that a reflecting optical system composed of a combination of at least two reflecting mirrors is installed in front of a camera group consisting of at least two or more cameras, so that the reflecting mirrors of the reflecting optical system are rotated and straight. By moving and adjusting the optical axis and the viewing angle of the camera, it is to provide a compact multi-eye stereo camera with a variety of functions and high speed.

1 is a block diagram of a binocular stereo camera according to the prior art,

2 is a block diagram of a multi-eye stereo camera according to an embodiment of the present invention,

3 is a block diagram showing the lens group and the location of the store according to the multi-eye stereo camera in the ideal case,

4 is a configuration diagram showing a position change of a shop according to a lens group of a zoom lens of a multi-eye stereo camera;

5 is a configuration diagram showing a position change of a shop according to a reflection optical system;

6 is a configuration diagram of a camera according to another embodiment of the present invention;

7 is a block diagram of a camera according to another embodiment of the present invention.

※ Explanation of code about main part of drawing ※

100,200: Subject

101,102,201,202: Optical axis of the camera

203,204,205,206: first, second, third, fourth reflector

104,105,207,208: Camera

106,107,209,210: Focusing Device

108,109,211,212: Sisi

213,214: Zoom drive

110,111,112: Camera Rotating Mechanism

40, 41, 42, 43: lens group

44: screen

45: stores corresponding to the center of the subject

113, 300

224: reflector control unit

226: guide for moving the reflector

227: support

The present invention for achieving the above object is a camera group consisting of at least two cameras arranged in parallel to each other to obtain a mono image of the subject at least two or more angles, and installed in front of the camera group and the subject A reflection optical system composed of at least two reflectors for receiving an image of the camera and inducing the camera group; and a controller for signal processing mono images of the subject photographed by the cameras and controlling the reflectors of the reflection optical system. A vergence control method of a multi-eye stereo camera, the method comprising: a first step of determining a distance between a subject and a camera group to determine whether the measured distance is within a predetermined range; When the distance between the subject and the camera group is within the predetermined range, the inner reflectors are rotated in the direction of the subject to receive a mono image first, and the respective outer reflectors are rotated in the direction of the inner reflector. In addition, a second step of linearly moving so as to be in line with the camera, and guides the mono image to each camera; If the distance between the subject and the camera group is farther than the predetermined range, the external reflectors are moved left and right, respectively, and rotated in the direction of the subject to receive a mono image first, and the respective inner reflectors are mounted on the outer side. A third step of rotating the light in the direction of the reflector and linearly moving the lens to be in line with the camera, and inducing the mono image to each camera; And when the distance between the subject and the camera is closer than the predetermined range, acquire a first mono image through one of the cameras, and obtain a second mono image through a center camera among the camera groups. It provides a vergence control method for a multi-eye stereo camera, characterized in that it comprises a fourth step.

In addition, it comprises a camera group consisting of at least two cameras, a reflection optical system composed of at least two reflectors provided in front of the camera group, a control device for controlling the rotation and linear movement of the reflectors of the reflective optical system. Signal control method of the rest stereo camera,

The control device changes the intensity and phase so as to be suitable for image broadcasting or recording of the image data input to the control device through the CD of the camera, and whether the centers of the images between the changed image data coincide with each other. Comparing and judging whether or not the image is corrected, and generating data necessary for adjusting the focus and angle of each of the cameras to control the focus control apparatus of the camera; The control device generates an analog electric signal that can change a relative distance between the lenses of the camera so that the zoom lens of the camera has a desired focal length by the photographer's operation to generate a zoom driving device of the camera. A second step of controlling; The controller generates data for controlling rotation and linear movement of the reflectors of the reflective optical system using data capable of controlling the focus adjusting device and the zoom driving device of the camera, and uses the data to control the rotation and linear motion of the reflecting optical systems. The third step is to control the rotation and linear motion of the reflectors.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in more detail a multi-eye stereo camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a block diagram of a multi-eye stereo camera according to the present invention. Camera group consisting of binocular cameras (207, 208), and installed at the front end of the camera group to adjust the viewing angle 300 for the subject 200 of the cameras, and the cross-sectional image of the subject 200 is incident on the cameras accurately A reflection optical system composed of four reflectors 203, 204, 205 and 206 for correcting optical axis changes, and a control device for controlling and signal-processing a mono image of the subject 200 photographed by the binocular cameras 207 and 208 and outputting a stereoscopic image. .

The reflective optical system guides linear movement of the first, second, third and fourth reflectors 203, 204, 205 and 206, the support 227 provided with the first to fourth reflectors, and the first to fourth reflectors 203, 204, 205 and 206. It is composed of a guide 226 for moving the reflector. The apparatus may further include a reflector rotating device for rotating the first to fourth reflectors, and a linear moving device for moving the first to fourth reflectors, respectively.

The camera group consists of binocular cameras 207 and 208 arranged in parallel with each other. The binocular cameras 207 and 208 are composed of a focus adjusting device 209 and 210, a CD 211 and 212 which are representative examples of an imaging device, and a zoom driving device 213 and 214 of a lens, respectively.

The controller receives the image buffers 215 and 216 for temporarily storing the image data from the CDs 211 and 212, and the image data stored in the image buffers 215 and 216, and adjusts the intensity and phase to be suitable for image broadcasting or recording. An image comparator for receiving image data from the image processor 217 and 218 and the image processor 217 and 218 for processing and comparing the two images to determine whether the centers of the images coincide with each other and whether or not the images are in focus; 219, the image converter 220, which generates data for focus adjustment using the data from the image comparator 219, receives data from the image converter 220, and then uses the data of the cameras 207 and 208. Focus control unit 221 for generating data capable of controlling the focus adjusting devices 209 and 210, and the zoom lens of the camera is operated by the photographer to adjust the focal length desired by the photographer. A zoom seesaw switch 222 for generating an analog electrical signal capable of changing a relative distance between the lenses of the camera so as to receive the analog electrical signal from the zoom seesaw switch 222, and a zoom driving device of the cameras 207 and 208. Reflective economic controller 224 that controls rotation and linear motion of the first to fourth reflectors 203, 204, 205, 206 and 207 using data received from the zoom control unit 223, the zoom control unit 223, and the focus control unit 221 that operate the 213 and 214. It consists of).

The operating principle of the multi-eye stereo camera including each of the above components is as follows. Image data input through the two cameras 211 and 212 are temporarily stored in the respective image buffers 215 and 216. The stored image data is transmitted to the respective image processing units 217 and 218 for intensity and phase processing to be suitable for image broadcasting or recording. The image data processed in this way is transferred to the image comparison unit 219 for comparison. In comparison, it is determined whether the centers of the two images coincide with each other and whether the centers of the two images are in focus, and transmits the image data necessary for adjusting the focus and reflector angles to the image conversion unit 220.

At this time, as an algorithm used in the image comparing unit 219, a method such as obtaining a correlation value between respective image centers obtained by the camera and making this value maximum is used.

The image converter 220 generates data necessary for focus adjustment of each camera and angle adjustment of the reflector from the transmitted image data, and transmits the data to the focus controller 221. The focus control unit 221 generates data necessary for controlling the focus control devices 209 and 210 of each camera based on the focus adjustment data of each camera transmitted from the image conversion unit, and uses the same to control the focus control devices 209 and 210 of each camera. While controlling, the data necessary for adjusting the angle of the reflector is transmitted to the reflector controller 224.

The zoom seesaw switch 222 generates an analog electrical signal to change the relative distance between the lenses so that the zoom lens of the camera has a desired focal length by the photographer's manipulation. The generated analog electrical signal is transmitted to the zoom control unit 223 and converted into data for controlling the zoom driving device of the camera. The converted data is transmitted to the reflector controller 224, and is transmitted to the zoom driving devices 213 and 214 of each camera to control the zoom driving device of each camera.

The reflector controller 224 generates data for controlling rotation and linear motion of the first to fourth reflectors 203, 204, 205, and 206 based on the data transmitted from the zoom controller 223 and the focus controller 221, and uses the data. To control the rotation and linear motion of the first to fourth reflectors 203, 204, 205 and 206.

However, since the multi-eye stereo camera of the operation principle is composed of at least two cameras, the location of the store corresponding to the center of the object formed by each camera is changed. Therefore, a means for correcting the movement of the shop is required in order to display a three-dimensional feeling without difficulty. In the present invention, lens groups, which are components of a zoom lens mounted on each camera, and reflecting mirrors of a reflecting optical system are used.

First, the occurrence of the eccentricity caused by the change of the position of the lens groups, which is a component of the zoom lens mounted on each camera, the change of the store and the method for correcting the same will be described. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a lens group of a zoom lens constituting each camera in the ideal case and a change in a shop by the same. In the drawing, one lens group is schematically illustrated as one lens, but may be actually configured as a composite lens composed of several lenses.

The zoom lens mounted on the camera comprises several lens groups 40, 41, 42 and 43, each of which consists of one or more lens components. Some of the configured lens groups are moved by a roller attached to the zoom lens along a cylindrical groove commonly called a cam curve. By this action, the relative position between the lens group and the lens group is changed, thereby changing the focal length of the entire lens. In the actual operation of the zoom lens having such a principle, the error in the manufacturing of the lens component constituting each lens group, the error occurring when the lens group is assembled by assembling them, the error caused by the operation during zoom driving by the mechanism part, etc. The position of the shop 45 corresponding to the center of the object to be imaged is changed.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an eccentricity caused by movement of each lens group in a zoom lens belonging to each camera and a change of a store caused by the zoom lens. FIG. 4 (a) illustrates a case in which the shop corresponding to the center of the subject has a shop 45 ′ on the upper right side of the ideal shop 45, and FIG. 4 (b) shows the shop 45 as compared to the ideal shop 45. Is close to the center, and FIG. 4 (C) shows that the ideal shop 45 has changed again and the shop 45 "'is lower down than the center. Since the shop movement phenomenon varies from camera to camera, as a means of compensating for this, it is difficult to use the control device in terms of difficulty and speed. Therefore, the change in the location of the store according to the zooming operation can be corrected by keeping the center of the subject range to be photographed always in the center of the screen for the zoom lens belonging to each camera.

Next, a method of correcting a positional shift of a store using the reflecting mirrors of the reflecting optical system and an error thereof will be described. 5 is a configuration diagram showing a position change of a shop by reflectors of the reflective optical system. By rotating the reflectors, the principle of changing the direction of light entering the zoom lens is used. As a result, the shop 45 corresponding to the center point of the object can be made into the shop 45 'on the center line dividing the screen. In some cases, however, if the two devices are installed in directions perpendicular to each other, the device can be adjusted at the same time. For this reason, the left and right are corrected by using a mechanism for correcting the viewing angle as in an embodiment of the present invention, and by using a mechanism for optical axis adjustment such as correcting a shop movement and a corresponding error by using an upper and lower reflective optical system. For example, you can adjust so that a certain point of the object is always in the center of the screen.

6 is a block diagram of a camera according to another embodiment of the present invention, and is a block diagram of a multi-eye stereo camera when the distance between the subject 200 and the cameras 207 and 208 is farther than a predetermined range. In this case, when the distance between the two cameras 207 and 208 is small, the viewing angle 300 becomes small, so that there is almost no difference between the taken right and left images, and it is difficult to output a stereoscopic image. The fundamental method for solving this problem is to lengthen the distance between the two cameras (207, 208), which is inconvenient to transport and use because the multi-eye stereo camera becomes too large.

Therefore, in another embodiment of the present invention, by linearly moving and rotating the reflectors, the first and second reflectors 203 and 204 receive a mono image of the subject 200 from the third and fourth reflectors 205 and 206, and thus, the two cameras ( 207,208, respectively. For this reason, as shown in the figure, the distance between the third and fourth reflecting mirrors 205 and 206 is increased, thereby producing an effect that the effective distance between the two cameras 207 and 208 is increased. Therefore, even when the distance between the subject and the camera is farther than a certain range, it is possible to implement a multi-eye stereo camera that can output a stereoscopic image of the subject.

Next, as another embodiment of the present invention, a case in which the distance between the subject 200 and the cameras 207 and 208 is closer than a predetermined range will be described. 7 is a block diagram of a camera according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The main feature is a trinocular camera with a center camera 308 between two cameras 207 and 208. Using three cameras, the cross-sectional image of the subject is taken in three dimensions. In processing the images of the two left and right cameras 207 and 208 obtained in this way, the image by the camera 308 is compared with the image taken by the two cameras 207 and 208, which is included between the two cameras 207 and 208. , Relative position of each image is determined. Thus, the image obtained by the two cameras 207 and 208 may be compared and processed to produce a three-dimensional image.

However, this method causes a problem in installing the center camera 308 between two cameras 207.208 arranged in parallel because the distance between the camera and the subject is too close. Therefore, in another embodiment of the present invention, the installation problem is solved by installing the center camera 308 above or below the same height line in which the two cameras 207.208 are arranged in parallel with each other.

While the invention has been described above based on the preferred embodiments thereof, these embodiments are intended to illustrate rather than limit the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, or adjustments to the above embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention will be limited only by the appended claims, and should be construed as including all such changes, modifications or adjustments.

As described above, according to the present invention, by configuring a multi-eye stereo camera further comprising a reflection optical system composed of at least two reflectors, the optical axis change correction and the viewing angle control of the cameras according to the rotation and linear movement of the reflectors can be performed. Can be. In particular, since it is possible to implement a compact multi-eye stereo camera capable of utilizing high speed and rich stereoscopic sense, it can be used for a multi-eye stereo camera that inputs a stereoscopic image such as a broadcast multi-eye stereo camera or a stereoscopic video input device for content production. It has an effect.

Claims (8)

A camera group composed of at least two cameras arranged in parallel to each other to obtain a mono image of the subject from at least two angles, and installed at a front end of the camera group to at least receive the image of the subject and guide the camera group And a reflecting optical system comprising two or more reflecting mirrors, and a controller for signal processing mono images of the subject photographed by the cameras and controlling the reflecting mirrors of the reflecting optical system. In Measuring a distance between a subject and a camera group to determine whether the measured distance is within a predetermined range; When the distance between the subject and the camera group is within the predetermined range, the inner reflectors are rotated in the direction of the subject to receive a mono image first, and the respective outer reflectors are rotated in the direction of the inner reflector. In addition, a second step of linearly moving so as to be in line with the camera, and guides the mono image to each camera; If the distance between the subject and the camera group is farther than the predetermined range, the external reflectors are moved left and right, respectively, and rotated in the direction of the subject to receive a mono image first, and the respective inner reflectors are mounted on the outer side. A third step of rotating the light in the direction of the reflector and linearly moving the lens to be in line with the camera, and inducing the mono image to each camera; And And when the distance between the subject and the camera is closer than the predetermined range, obtaining a first mono image through one of the cameras, and obtaining a second mono image through a center camera among the camera groups. Penetration control method of a multi-eye stereo camera, characterized in that it comprises four steps. delete delete delete delete delete delete delete