Imaging control apparatus and method for generating a display image, and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9883103-B2
Application number	US-201514730607-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2015
Priority date	Jun 13, 2014
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

An imaging control apparatus that controls a capturing range in which an image is captured generates a display image showing a range to be captured by image capturing performed while the capturing range is changed from one of a plurality of predetermined capturing ranges to another one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges or a range not to be captured by the image capturing performed while the capturing range is changed from one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges to another one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging control apparatus that controls a capturing range in which an image is captured, the apparatus comprising:
an obtaining unit configured to obtain settings regarding a plurality of predetermined capturing ranges and settings regarding an order in which the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges are captured; and
a generating unit configured to generate a display image showing a range to be captured by image capturing performed while the capturing range is changed from one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges to another one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges or a range not to be captured by the image capturing performed while the capturing range is changed from one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges to another one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges, based on the settings regarding the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges and the settings regarding the order in which the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges are captured.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the generating unit is configured to generate a display image showing a range to be captured by image capturing performed while the capturing range is sequentially changed from one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges to another one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges so as to tour through the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges by the image capturing, or a range not to be captured by the image capturing.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the generating unit is configured to change the display image according to changes in the plurality of capturing ranges that are toured.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the generating unit is configured to generate a display image showing a range to be captured by image capturing performed while the capturing range is changed from one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges to another one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges or a range not to be captured by the image capturing performed while the capturing range is changed from one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges to another one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges, in a capturable range that can be captured by an image capturing unit by changing the capturing range of the image capturing unit.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the generating unit has a mode in which an image showing the capturable range and the display image are superimposed and displayed and a mode in which the image showing the capturable range is displayed without the display image being superimposed thereon.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the generating unit is configured to generate a display image showing a range to be captured by image capturing performed while the capturing range is changed from one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges to another one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges or a range not to be captured by the image capturing performed while the capturing range is changed from one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges to another one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges, according to a change ability of a changing unit for changing a capturing direction to a pan direction and a tilt direction.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the generating unit is configured to generate a display image showing a range to be captured by image capturing performed while the capturing range is changed from one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges to another one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges and a speed at which the capturing range is changed.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the generating unit is configured to generate a display image showing a range to be captured by image capturing performed while the capturing range is changed from one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges to another one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges, a time required to capture the one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges, and a time required to capture the another one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the generating unit includes a transmission unit configured to transmit the generated display image via a network.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the generating unit is configured to obtain a captured image captured by an imaging apparatus via a network so as to superimpose the obtained captured image and the display image.

11. A method for generating a display image in an imaging control apparatus that controls a capturing range in which an image is captured, the method comprising:
obtaining settings regarding a plurality of predetermined capturing ranges and settings regarding an order in which the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges are captured; and
generating a display image showing a range to be captured by image capturing performed while the capturing range is changed from one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges to another one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges or a range not to be captured by the image capturing performed while the capturing range is changed from one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges to another one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges, based on the settings regarding the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges and the settings regarding the order in which the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges are captured.

12. The method according to claim 11 , comprising
generating a display image showing a range to be captured by image capturing performed while the capturing range is sequentially changed from one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges to another one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges so as to tour through the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges by the image capturing, or a range not to be captured by the image capturing.

13. The method according to claim 11 , comprising generating a display image showing a range to be captured by image capturing performed while the capturing range is changed from one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges to another one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges or a range not to be captured by the image capturing performed while the capturing range is changed from one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges to another one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges, in a capturable range that can be captured by an image capturing unit by changing the capturing range of the image capturing unit.

14. A non-transitory storage medium storing a computer program that generates a display image,
wherein the computer program is configured to:
obtain settings regarding a plurality of predetermined capturing ranges and settings regarding an order in which the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges is captured; and
generate a display image showing a range to be captured by image capturing performed while the capturing range is changed from one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges to another one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges or a range not to be captured by the image capturing performed while the capturing range is changed from one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges to another one of the plurality of predetermined capturing ranges, based on the settings regarding the plurali

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Goto Tomohiro

Classifications

• H04N23/635

  Region indicators; Field of view indicators · CPC title

• H04N23/698 Primary

  for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture · CPC title

• H04N23/661 Primary

  Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet · CPC title

• H04N5/23238 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/23293

  Electricity · mapped topic