Monitoring camera and swing correction method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017230580-A1
Application number	US-201715428560-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 9, 2017
Priority date	Feb 10, 2016
Publication date	Aug 10, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A monitoring camera sets ON or OFF of swing correction in accordance with setting information about whether or not the swing correction of an image (that is, captured image) captured by an image sensor is performed, and corrects swing by cutting out a part of the captured image based on a swing detected value of a vibration sensor in a case where the swing correction is set ON. The monitoring camera outputs the captured image while maintaining a state thereof in a case where the swing correction is set OFF.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A monitoring camera which is installed at a place at which swing is generated in a fixed surface itself, the monitoring camera comprising:
a body housing configured to be fixed to the fixed surface; a vibration sensor that detects swing of the monitoring camera; an image sensor that captures an image; and a processor that performs swing correction by cutting out a part of the image captured by the image sensor based on a detected value of the vibration sensor, wherein the processor sets ON or OFF of the swing correction in accordance with setting information about whether or not the swing correction is performed, and outputs the image captured by the image sensor when the setting information indicates that the swing correction is set to OFF; and wherein the processor sets ON or OFF of the swing correction in accordance with a remote operation.

2 . The monitoring camera according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a pan housing supported to be pan-rotatable around a pan axis; a supporting arm having a base end which is supported on one end portion of the pan housing to be rotatable around a first tilt axis which is separated from and intersects perpendicularly with the pan axis; and a tilt housing having one end portion which faces the supporting arm and which is supported at a tip end of the supporting arm to be rotatable around a second tilt axis which extends in the same direction as that of the first tilt axis.

3 . The monitoring camera according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a light source that illuminates a capturing range of the image sensor; and a light source lens disposed at a front of the light source, and wherein a light condensing rate of the light source lens is variable, wherein when the swing correction of the image sensor is performed, the processor reduces the light condensing rate to be lower than that in a case where the swing correction of the image sensor is not performed.

4 . The monitoring camera according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a light source that illuminates a capturing range of the image sensor; and a light source lens disposed at a front of the light source, and wherein a light condensing rate of the light source lens is variable, wherein when the swing correction of the image sensor is performed, the processor reduces the light condensing rate to be lower than that in a case where the swing correction of the image sensor is not performed.

5 . A monitoring camera which is capable of performing pan rotation and tilt rotation, the monitoring camera comprising:
a capturing portion that captures an image; a sensor that detects swing of the monitoring camera; a swing correction amount calculating portion that calculates a correction amount of the swing of the image captured by the capturing portion, based on a swing detected value of the sensor; a rotation control portion that generates a control signal for performing at least one of the pan rotation and the tilt rotation to reduce the swing of the monitoring camera, based on the swing detected value of the sensor; a swing correction portion that performs swing correction of the image in accordance with the correction amount calculated by the swing correction amount calculating portion; and a rotation mechanism portion that performs at least one of the pan rotation and the tilt rotation in accordance with the control signal generated by the rotation control portion.

6 . The monitoring camera according to claim 5 ,
wherein the sensor detects the swing of the monitoring camera in which at least one of the pan rotation and the tilt rotation is performed by the rotation mechanism portion.

7 . The monitoring camera according to claim 5 ,
wherein the swing correction amount calculating portion calculates an image shift amount related to cut-out of the image captured by the capturing portion as the correction amount; and wherein the swing correction portion outputs an image obtained by cutting out a part of the image captured by the capturing portion in accordance with the image shift amount calculated by the swing correction amount calculating portion.

8 . The monitoring camera according to claim 5 ,
wherein the capturing portion includes a swing correction lens which is capable of being driven in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis of the monitoring camera; wherein the swing correction amount calculating portion calculates a shift amount with respect to the optical axis of the swing correction lens as the correction amount; and wherein the swing correction portion changes a capturing range of the image captured by the capturing portion based on the driving of the swing correction lens corresponding to the shift amount calculated by the swing correction amount calculating portion and outputs the image with the changed capturing range.

9 . The monitoring camera according to claim 5 , wherein the rotation control portion generates a signal for not allowing the monitoring camera to perform the pan rotation and the tilt rotation as the control signal, when an absolute value of each of a pan rotation angle and a tilt rotation angle corresponding to the swing detected values of the sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

10 . The monitoring camera according to claim 5 , wherein the sensor is disposed at a position where a starting point of a detection axis of the swing of the monitoring camera overlaps the optical axis of the capturing portion.

11 . A swing correction method used in a monitoring camera being capable of performing pan rotation and tilt rotation, the swing correction method comprising:
capturing an image by a capturing portion; detecting swing of the monitoring camera by a sensor; generating a control signal for performing at least one of the pan rotation and the tilt rotation by a processor to reduce the swing of the monitoring camera based on a swing detected value of the sensor; performing at least one of the pan rotation and the tilt rotation by a rotation mechanism portion in accordance with the generated control signal; calculating a correction amount of the swing of the image captured by the capturing portion based on the swing detected value of the sensor by the processor; and performing swing correction of the image by the processor in accordance with the calculated correction amount.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ohara Masamichi
• Yokoyama Takamasa
• Yoshino Kazuki
• Sakakibara Yoshio
• Yamagi Yoichiro
• Kuribayashi Hironori
• Urashima Yoshihito
• Wada Jyouji
• Okamura Shinichiro

Classifications

• H04N23/6812

  based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/683 Primary

  performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory · CPC title

• H04N23/667

  Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes · CPC title

• G08B13/1963 Primary

  Arrangements allowing camera rotation to change view, e.g. pivoting camera, pan-tilt and zoom [PTZ] · CPC title