Imaging apparatus, imaging method, and computer program

Abstract

To provide an imaging apparatus that has two cameras with different photographic angles of view, and can improve the quality of videos photographed by a wide-angle camera.SOLUTION: An imaging apparatus comprises a first camera, and a second camera having a wider photographic angle of view than the first camera, and the imaging apparatus drives the first camera and the second camera in conjunction with each other to revolve in the same direction, and makes the revolving speed of the first camera faster than the revolving speed of the second camera.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, an imaging method, a computer program, and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] Some imaging devices (hereafter referred to as PTZ cameras) with remotely operable pan-tilt-zoom functions are equipped with multiple camera units with different focal lengths, with the wide-angle camera capturing an overall bird's-eye view and the telephoto camera capturing detailed images of the subject.

[0003] Having camera units with multiple focal lengths makes it possible to use, for example, wide-angle images to track a subject captured by a telephoto camera. In Patent Document 1, in such an imaging device, both wide-angle and telephoto camera units are positioned so that they can be panned and tilted, thereby enabling coverage over a wide range of imaging ranges. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-177037 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, the wide-angle and telephoto cameras are placed next to each other on the pan / tilt movable section, so the wide-angle and telephoto camera units pan and tilt with the same movement. Therefore, when attempting to photograph a moving subject, the angle of view of the telephoto camera follows the movement of the subject, and the angle of view of the wide-angle camera also moves in the same way.

[0006] This causes the wide-angle camera to pan and tilt together with the telephoto camera even though the subject is within its angle of view, resulting in a lot of unnecessary movement of the angle of view.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide an imaging device that has two cameras with different imaging angles of view and that can improve the image quality of the wide-angle camera. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In the imaging device, The first camera; a second camera having a wider angle of view than the first camera; The first camera and the second camera are driven to rotate in the same direction in an interlocking manner, and the rotation speed of the first camera is set to be faster than the rotation speed of the second camera. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an imaging device that has two cameras with different imaging angles of view and that can improve the image quality of the wide-angle camera. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall perspective view of an imaging device 1 of a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is an XZ cross-sectional view of the movable part 20 of the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a YZ cross-sectional view of the base part of the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a pan drive unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of the pan drive unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 10A to 10C are diagrams showing the relationship between the angles of view of the cameras during pan driving in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a pan drive unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8]10 is a flowchart showing the pan driving of the imaging apparatus of the second embodiment. [Figure 9] 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a system including an imaging device 1 according to first and second embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In each drawing, the same members or elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted or simplified.

[0012] <Embodiment 1> Fig. 1 is an overall perspective view of the imaging device 1 of embodiment 1. In the description of this embodiment, the directions indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1 are defined as the +X direction, +Y direction, and +Z direction, respectively, and the opposite directions are defined as the -X direction, -Y direction, and -Z direction, respectively.

[0013] 1 is referred to as the front surface, and the surface viewed from the -Y direction is referred to as the back surface. The surface viewed from the -X direction of the imaging device 1 is referred to as the right side, the surface viewed from the +X direction as the left side, the surface viewed from the +Z direction as the top surface, and the surface viewed from the -Z direction as the bottom surface.

[0014] 1, the imaging device 1 has a base 10, a movable unit 20 that is capable of panning relative to the base 10 around a first pan axis Pa, and a first camera 30 that is supported by the movable unit 20 and is capable of tilting relative to the movable unit 20 around a first tilt axis Ta. The movable unit 20 is located on the base 10.

[0015] That is, the movable unit 20 functions as a movable unit capable of a first rotation drive (pan rotation) relative to the base unit. Also, the first camera 30 is capable of a second rotation drive (tilt rotation) relative to the movable unit. Note that the first rotation drive may be a tilt rotation and the second rotation drive may be a pan rotation, and the rotation drive includes at least one of a pan drive and a tilt drive.

[0016] The first camera 30 is equipped with a zoomable lens unit, an image sensor, etc., and can capture images in a desired direction by panning and / or tilting. The image sensor may be, for example, a CMOS image sensor, which receives subject light and converts it into an electrical signal. A second camera 40 is disposed on the front portion of the base 10 so as to be able to pan and rotate around a second pan axis Pb relative to the base 10.

[0017] In the following description, the pan and tilt state of the first camera 30 shown in Fig. 1 in the imaging device 1 is taken as the normal position of the first camera 30, and the phase is taken as 0°. As shown by the white arrows Pa1 and Pa2, the rotation of the movable part 20 around the first pan axis Pa is called pan rotation.

[0018] As shown by white arrows Ta1 and Ta2, rotation of the first camera 30 around the first tilt axis Ta is called tilt rotation. Similarly, for the second camera 40, the pan state of the second camera 40 shown in FIG. 1 is the normal position of the second camera 40, with a phase of 0°. As shown by white arrows Pb1 and Pb2, rotation of the second camera 40 around the second pan axis Pb is called pan rotation.

[0019] The first camera 30 and the second camera 40 are cameras with different focal lengths, and the second camera 40 has a wider shooting angle of view than the first camera 30. Therefore, for example, by using the first camera 30 to shoot a zoomed-in image of a subject and the second camera 40 to shoot a bird's-eye image, it is possible to obtain images with two different angles of view using a single imaging device.

[0020] Moreover, the overhead image captured by the second camera 40 can be used by the first camera 30 to automatically track the subject.

[0021] 2 is an XZ cross-sectional view of movable section 20 of embodiment 1, taken along an XZ plane including first pan axis Pa and first tilt axis Ta of imaging device 1, as viewed from the +Y direction. The internal configuration of movable section 20 of imaging device 1 and the configuration of the tilt drive section of first camera 30 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0022] Movable section 20 has movable section base 201, and left tilt shaft holding member 202 and right tilt shaft holding member 203, which are arranged perpendicular to movable section base 201 and at positions facing each other with first camera 30 sandwiched between them.

[0023] The movable unit base 201 also has a movable unit outer cover 204 and a movable unit inner cover 205 that cover them. A first pan axis member 206 and a first pan pulley 207 for transmitting power from a pan motor 500 (described later) to the first pan axis member 206 are attached to the movable unit base 201.

[0024] Left tilt axis holding member 202 and right tilt axis holding member 203 each have a coaxial recess or opening shape to rotatably hold the tilt axis portion of first camera 30, and the tilt axis portion of first camera 30 is held via a bearing.

[0025] A tilt motor 208 is attached to the right tilt axis holding member 203, and the tilt motor 208 transmits power via a tilt belt 209 to a tilt pulley 210 fastened to the first camera 30, thereby enabling the first camera 30 to be tilted.

[0026] A movable section control board 211 and a heat dissipation member 212 for cooling the electrical elements mounted on movable section control board 211 are attached to left tilt axis holding member 202. Movable section control board 211 sends drive control signals to tilt motor 208 and pan motor 500 (described below), and each camera pans and tilts by a predetermined amount based on these control signals.

[0027] Next, the internal configuration of the base 10 of the imaging device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a YZ cross-sectional view of the base of embodiment 1. That is, it is a cross-sectional view along the YZ plane that includes the first pan axis Pa of the imaging device 1, as viewed from the -X direction.

[0028] The housing of the base unit 10 is composed of a first base unit cover 101 made of resin that forms the exterior parts of the front, top, left side, and right side, a second base unit cover 102 which is a sheet metal part that forms the back, and a third base unit cover 103 which is a sheet metal part that forms the bottom.

[0029] For example, ICs used for image processing, memories, CPUs, power supplies, various interfaces where connectors for various wirings are arranged, and the like are mounted on base control boards 104a, 104b arranged inside the base 10. The CPUs mounted on the base control boards 104a, 104b, etc. function as control means for controlling each part of the imaging device 1.

[0030] The various interfaces are mounted on base control boards 104a and 104b facing the rear surface of the imaging device 1, and various cables and the like are connected through openings (not shown) provided in the third base cover 103. In addition, the base control boards 104a and 104b are held by sheet metal parts (not shown), and heat generated by the mounted parts is transferred to the sheet metal parts and cooled by the cooling fan 105.

[0031] Next, we will explain the second camera 40 and the parts arranged around it. The second camera 40 is a unit consisting of a camera unit 400 and a camera holding member 401. The second camera 40 is held by the camera holding member 401, which has a cylindrical side surface, with the camera unit 400 held in such a way that part of the lens protrudes from the cylindrical side surface.

[0032] The camera holding member 401 is a resin part, and has a cylindrical protrusion 4011 that serves as the center of pan rotation of the second camera 40. The second camera holding sheet metal 402 is a sheet metal part that has an axis hole 4021 that communicates with the protrusion 4011.

[0033] With the convex portion 4011 of the camera holding member 401 communicating with the shaft hole portion 4021, the second camera holding sheet metal 402 holds the camera holding member 401, so that the camera holding member 401 and the second camera 40 are held so that they can pan and rotate around the convex portion 4011.

[0034] Furthermore, a second pan gear 4012 is formed on a part of the camera holding member 401, and the second pan gear 4012 is rotationally driven by a driving force transmitted from a pan motor 500. This allows the second camera 40 and the camera holding member 401 to pan around a second pan axis Pb. Note that the pan drive unit 50 (enclosed by a dotted line in FIG. 3) that transmits power from the pan motor 500 to the camera holding member 401 will be described in detail later.

[0035] The second camera 40 is arranged so that the lens of the second camera 40 and part of the cylindrical side surface of the camera holding member 401 are exposed to the outside of the imaging device 1 through a base opening 1011 provided in the front part of the first base cover 101.

[0036] Next, a detailed configuration of the pan drive unit 50 that pans the first camera 30 and the second camera 40 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the pan drive unit of the first embodiment, and is a diagram of the pan drive unit 50 inside the base unit 10. The arrows in the diagram indicate the relationship between the rotation directions of the gears and pulleys.

[0037] The pan drive unit 50 includes a stepping motor serving as a pan motor 500 that generates a driving force for rotating the first camera 30 and the second camera 40 in the pan direction. The driving force of the pan motor 500 is transmitted to the first pan pulley 207 and the second pan gear 4012 at a predetermined reduction ratio.

[0038] Furthermore, pan drive unit 50 is configured using a plurality of gears and other components to align the directions of pan rotation of first camera 30 and second camera 40. Here, the drive system from pan motor 500 to first pan pulley 207 is called first drive train 51, and the drive system from pan motor 500 to second pan gear 4012 is called second drive train 52.

[0039] Here, the pan motor 500 functions as a first motor that rotates and drives the movable part, and the first drive train 51 is arranged between the first motor and the movable part 20 and functions as a first reduction mechanism that reduces the speed of the power of the first motor and transmits it to the movable part 20.

[0040] Additionally, the second drive train 52 is disposed between the first motor and the second camera 40, and functions as a second speed reduction mechanism that reduces the speed of the power of the first motor and transmits it to the second camera 40. Note that, although the present embodiment will be described using an example of a pan motor 500 as the first motor, the first motor may also be a tilt motor.

[0041] A first pinion pulley 511 and a first gear 521 are directly connected to the drive shaft of the pan motor 500, and the first pinion pulley 511 branches the power of the pan motor 500 to the first drive train 51, and the first gear 521 branches the power of the pan motor 500 to the second drive train 52, respectively.

[0042] In the first drive train 51, the drive of the first pinion pulley 511 is transmitted to the first pan pulley 207 via the first pan belt 512, thereby causing the first pan axis member 206 and the first camera 30 to rotate.

[0043] Meanwhile, in second drive train 52, the drive of first gear 521 is transmitted to second gear 522. Third gear 523 is integrally provided with second gear 522, and rotates integrally with rotation of second gear 522. The drive of third gear 523 is transmitted to second pan gear 4012 of second camera 40, causing first camera 30 to rotate around convex portion 4011. In this way, second drive train 52 serving as a second reduction mechanism includes a reduction mechanism made up of multiple gears.

[0044] Here, for example, the reduction ratio of the first drive train 51 as a first reduction mechanism is configured to be smaller than the reduction ratio of the second drive train 52 as a second reduction mechanism, such that the reduction ratio of the first drive train 51 is 1 / 10 and the reduction ratio of the second drive train 52 is 1 / 20.

[0045] Next, a configuration using two belt members will be described as another example of the configuration of the pan drive unit 50 with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the pan drive unit of the first embodiment, and is a diagram of the pan drive unit 50 extracted from inside the base unit 10.

[0046] 5, the drive system from pan motor 500 to first pan pulley 207 is called third drive train 53, and the drive system from pan motor 500 to second pan gear 4012 is called fourth drive train 54. Here, third drive train 53 functions as a first reduction mechanism, and fourth drive train 54 functions as a second reduction mechanism.

[0047] A second pinion pulley 531 and a fourth gear 541 are directly connected to the drive shaft of the pan motor 500, and the second pinion pulley 531 branches the power of the pan motor 500 to the third drive train 53, and the fourth gear 541 branches the power of the pan motor 500 to the fourth drive train 54, respectively.

[0048] In the third drive train 53, the drive of the second pinion pulley 531 is transmitted to the first pan pulley 207 via the second pan belt 532, thereby causing the first pan axis member 206 and the first camera 30 to rotate.

[0049] In the fourth drive train 54, the drive of a fourth gear 541 is transmitted to a fifth gear 542. The drive of the fifth gear 542 is transmitted to a first pulley 544 via a third pan belt 543. A sixth gear 545 is provided integrally with the first pulley 544, and rotates integrally with the first pulley 544 as the first pulley 544 rotates.

[0050] The drive force of sixth gear 545 is transmitted to second pan gear 4012 of second camera 40, causing second camera 40 to rotate around convex portion 4011. In this way, fourth drive train 54 serving as the second reduction mechanism includes at least a reduction mechanism using a belt and pulleys.

[0051] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which a stepping motor is used as the motor that generates the driving force for rotating each camera in the pan / tilt direction, but this is not limited to the above, and a motor such as a DC brushless motor may also be used.

[0052] Additionally, the second drive train 52 and the fourth drive train 54 from the pan motor 500 to the second pan gear 4012 may each be configured to have an additional clutch mechanism to separate the power, thereby enabling the user to select whether the pan operation of the second camera 40 is on or off.

[0053] That is, the second drive train 52 and the fourth drive train 54 serving as the second reduction mechanism may have a switching means such as a clutch mechanism that switches between a state in which the power of the first motor is transmitted to the second camera 40 and a state in which it is not transmitted.

[0054] Next, the operation of the imaging device 1 of this embodiment during pan and tilt operations will be described with reference to Figures 6(A) to 6(C). Figures 6(A) to 6(C) are diagrams showing the relationship between the angles of view of the cameras during pan driving in embodiment 1. Figures 6(A) to 6(C) show the horizontal positional relationship between the first angle of view A of the first camera 30 (gray range in the diagram) and the second angle of view B of the second camera 40 (dot pattern range in the diagram) when the first camera 30 is in three different pan phases.

[0055] First, we will explain the panning operation. The dotted line in the figure represents the center of the angle of view when the pan phase is 0°, and the dashed-dotted line represents the center of the angle of view of each camera when the camera pans. Furthermore, α1 and β1 represent the pan phase angles of the first camera 30, and α2 and β2 represent the pan phase angles of the second camera 40.

[0056] Fig. 6(A) shows the relationship between the angles of view when the pan phase of the first camera 30 is 0°. At this time, the phases of the optical axes of the first angle of view A and the second angle of view B are 0° and match. Next, Fig. 6(B) shows a state in which the first camera 30 is at a pan phase α1, which is an arbitrary angle of pan rotation relative to the state of Fig. 6(A).

[0057] At this time, the pan phase α2 of the second angle of view B is smaller than the pan phase α1 of the first angle of view A. In other words, when the first camera 30 and the second camera 40 pan, the movement amount (movement speed) of the angle of view of the second camera 40 is smaller than the movement amount (movement speed) of the angle of view of the first camera 30.

[0058] 6(C) shows a state in which the pan phase of the first camera 30 is at a pan phase β1 that is even greater than α1. As shown in FIG. 6(C), when the pan phase of the first camera 30 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, a part or all of the first angle of view A may fall outside the range of the second angle of view B.

[0059] In this embodiment, the user is notified when the state shown in Fig. 6(C) is reached, or when the pan phase timing for reaching such a state is reached, etc. As an example of a notification method, the pan angle required to reach the state shown in Fig. 6(C) is displayed as a numerical value on the screen of the controller device for the PTZ camera.

[0060] This allows the user to take pictures while taking into consideration the relative positional relationship between the first angle of view A and the second angle of view B. In addition, in this embodiment, as for tilting, only the first camera 30 is configured to be tiltable, so the first angle of view A can be moved in a tilt direction independently of the second angle of view B.

[0061] In this embodiment, with the above-described configuration, the pan rotation speed of the second camera 40 is set to be slower than the pan rotation speed of the first camera 30. That is, in this embodiment, the amount of movement of the angle of view of the second camera 40 is set to be smaller than the amount of movement of the angle of view of the first camera 30.

[0062] When shooting with a PTZ camera, the first camera 30, which has a telephoto angle of view, needs to be panned and tilted to match the movement of the subject. On the other hand, the second camera 40, which has a wide angle of view, captures an image of the entire scene, so it is preferable to reduce the amount and speed of the angle of view movement.

[0063] In this embodiment, the pan drive of the second camera 40 is configured with a larger reduction ratio. As a result, even if the first camera 30 performs a pan operation in accordance with the movement of the subject, the movement of the angle of view of the second camera 40 can be kept relatively small.

[0064] Furthermore, the angle of view of the second camera 40 does not change in response to the tilting operation of the first camera 30. As described above, by adopting the configuration of this embodiment, it is possible to capture a wide range of images by panning the second camera 40, while reducing the amount of movement in the angle of view, thereby making it possible to acquire more effective images.

[0065] It should be noted that the greater the difference in tilt angle between the first camera 30 and the second camera 40, the more likely it is that part or all of the first angle of view A will fall outside the range of the second angle of view B. Therefore, when the shooting angle of view of the first camera deviates from the shooting angle of view of the second camera by a predetermined amount or more, it is desirable to issue a warning at a smaller pan angle as the tilt angle difference increases.

[0066] The second camera 40 may also be configured to be tiltable. In this case, it is desirable to make the amount of change in the tilt angle of the second camera 40 smaller than the amount of change in the tilt angle of the first camera 30. The present invention can also be applied to cases where the first camera 30 and the second camera 40 are only capable of panning.

[0067] Conversely, the present invention is also applicable to cases where the first camera 30 and the second camera 40 are only capable of tilting. Note that, in this embodiment, an example of a PTZ camera is described for the sake of simplicity, but the camera may be configured to be only capable of panning or tilting, or may not be capable of zooming.

[0068] As described above, in embodiment 1, a common motor drives the first and second cameras to rotate in the same direction in tandem, and the mechanical configuration makes the rotation speed of the first camera faster than the rotation speed of the second camera.

[0069] <Embodiment 2> 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the pan drive unit of embodiment 2, and shows the configuration of the pan drive unit 50 of the first camera 30 and the second camera 40 in embodiment 2. In embodiment 2, the same components and parts as those shown in embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0070] The pan driving unit 50 in the second embodiment has a first pan motor 5001 that drives and turns the first camera 30, and a second pan motor 5002 that drives and turns the second camera 40. That is, the pan driving unit 50 has the first pan motor 5001 as the first motor that drives and turns the first camera, and the second pan motor 5002 as the second motor that drives and turns the second camera.

[0071] Power is transmitted between the drive shaft of first pan motor 5001 and second pan motor 5002, via a second pinion pulley 531 and a fifth gear 542. Power transmission to the subsequent stages is the same as that using the two belt members described in Fig. 5, and will not be described here.

[0072] Next, drive control of the first camera 30 and the second camera 40 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart of pan driving of the imaging device of embodiment 2, and shows an example of an imaging method using the first camera 30 and the second camera 40 from the start to the end of a command for panning operation of the imaging device 1 from the user.

[0073] The CPU 917 or the like serving as a computer within the system control unit 903, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 9, executes a computer program stored in memory, thereby sequentially performing the operations of the steps in the flowchart of FIG.

[0074] 8 starts when a drive command is received from the user. First, in step S81, it is determined whether to pan the second camera 40. Note that the user may set a mode in which only the second camera 40 is fixed without pan rotation, and in this case, the second pan motor 5002 is not driven.

[0075] In the case of a mode in which the second camera 40 is fixed without pan rotation, the process proceeds to step S82, where a pan drive command is received from the user and only the first pan motor 5001 is driven. This causes only the first camera 30 to pan in accordance with the user's input. If there is no pan operation command from the user after a predetermined time has elapsed, the flow of FIG. 8 ends.

[0076] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S81 that the user setting is to pan both the first camera 30 and the second camera 40 in unison, the process proceeds to step S83, where the setting value for the ratio of the rotation speeds of the first camera 30 and the second camera 40 during panning is obtained.

[0077] In this embodiment, the user can arbitrarily set the ratio of the rotation speeds of the first camera 30 and the second camera 40. For example, if the ratio of the rotation speeds of the first camera 30 and the second camera 40 is set to 2:1, the amount of movement in the angle of view of the second camera 40 will be half the amount of movement in the angle of view of the first camera 30, making it possible to reduce movement in the angle of view.

[0078] As described above, in the second embodiment, the user can arbitrarily set the movement of the angle of view of the first camera 30 and the second camera 40 depending on the shooting environment and the subject, enabling shooting with a wider degree of freedom. Note that the ratio of the rotation speeds of the first camera 30 and the second camera 40 may be set to 1:1, that is, a mode in which the first camera 30 and the second camera 40 rotate at the same speed may be provided.

[0079] In step S84, each camera begins to rotate by issuing a control signal from the movable part control board 211 to the first pan motor 5001 and the second pan motor 5002 so that the ratio of the rotation speeds of the first camera 30 and the second camera 40 becomes equal to the ratio obtained from the user settings.

[0080] In step S85, while the cameras are rotating, information is provided to a control device 930 (see FIG. 9) as an external client device operated by a user, while the information is updated sequentially regarding the positional relationship between the first angle of view A of the first camera 30 and the second angle of view B of the second camera 40.

[0081] The information to be provided may be, for example, a graphic display such as those shown in Figures 6(A) to 6(C) displayed on the display unit of the control device 930 together with the images from the first and second cameras. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 6(C), if at least a part of the angle of view A deviates from the angle of view B by more than a predetermined amount, a warning to that effect may be displayed, and numerical values ​​such as the pan phases β1 and β2 at that time may be displayed.

[0082] That is, if the photographing angle of view of the first camera 30 deviates from the photographing angle of view of the second camera 40 by a predetermined amount or more, a warning or the like may be transmitted to the control device 930 and displayed.

[0083] If there is no drive command from the user even after a predetermined time has elapsed, the flow of Fig. 8 ends. Note that in this embodiment, the user setting value may be acquired in advance at a stage before a pan drive command is received from the user in step S83.

[0084] In the above, steps S81 to S85 function as a control step (control means) that drives the first camera and the second camera to rotate in the same rotation direction in conjunction with each other, and makes the rotation speed of the first camera faster than the rotation speed of the second camera. That is, in the control step (control means), the rotation speed of the first camera driven by the first motor is controlled to be faster than the rotation speed of the second camera driven by the second motor.

[0085] Fig. 9 is a functional block diagram showing an example configuration of an imaging system 900 including the imaging device 1 according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention. Note that some of the functional blocks shown in Fig. 9 are realized by causing a CPU serving as a computer included in the imaging device 1 to execute a computer program stored in a memory serving as a storage medium (not shown).

[0086] However, some or all of these functions may be implemented by hardware. Examples of hardware that can be used include dedicated circuits (ASICs) and processors (reconfigurable processors, DSPs). Furthermore, the functional blocks shown in Fig. 9 do not have to be built into the same housing, and may be configured as separate devices connected to each other via signal paths.

[0087] The imaging system 900 is composed of an imaging device 1, a control device 930, etc. Reference numeral 902 denotes an image processing unit, and 903 denotes a system control unit incorporating a CPU 917 as a computer, which executes various operations of the imaging device 1 based on computer programs stored in a program memory 915.

[0088] Reference numeral 904 denotes a recording unit, and 905 denotes a lens driving unit which drives the aperture, angle of view, focus, etc. of at least the lens unit of the first camera 30. Reference numeral 906 denotes an imaging angle of view control unit which outputs a signal for controlling at least the angle of view of the lens unit of the first camera 30. Reference numeral 907 denotes a focus control unit which outputs a signal for controlling the focus of each lens unit if the lens unit is of a type capable of adjusting focus.

[0089] Reference numeral 908 denotes an image sensor driving unit, and 909 denotes an image sensor control unit, which control the driving timing of the first camera 30 and the second camera 40. Reference numeral 910 denotes a pan driving unit, 913 denotes a tilt driving unit, 911 denotes a pan / tilt control unit, and 912 denotes a communication unit.

[0090] The imaging device 1 and a control device 930 as an external client device are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via a network 920. A communication unit 912 also functions as a communication means for receiving signals for controlling each lens unit from the control device 930.

[0091] The configuration and main functions of each part of the imaging system 900 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. The image processing unit 902 performs predetermined image processing, image inversion processing, compression encoding processing, etc. on the signals captured and photoelectrically converted by the first camera 30 and the second camera 40, respectively, to generate a first image and a second image, respectively.

[0092] Here, the image inversion process is a process for rotating the image by 90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270 degrees, etc. The system control unit 903 analyzes the camera control command sent from the control device 930 and performs processing according to the command.

[0093] The recording unit 904 records video and various data in internal and external storage. The pan / tilt control unit 911 commands the pan driving unit 910 and tilt driving unit 913 to change the pan / tilt based on the pan / tilt setting values ​​transmitted from the system control unit 903.

[0094] The communication unit 912 transmits the video data to the control device 930 via the network 920. The communication unit 912 also receives various commands transmitted from the control device 3100 and transmits them to the system control unit 903. The installation information management unit 914 stores and manages the installation orientation of the camera and installation information related to the installation orientation.

[0095] A general-purpose computer such as a personal computer is typically used as the control device 3100. A liquid crystal display device or the like is used as the display unit 3102, and displays images acquired from the imaging device 1 and a GUI for controlling the camera.

[0096] The system control unit 3103 has a built-in CPU and executes various operations based on computer programs stored in a program memory, and generates camera control commands in response to GUI operations by the user, for example, and transmits them to the imaging device 1 via the communication unit 931.

[0097] Furthermore, the system control unit 933 displays on the display unit 932 the video data received from the imaging device 1 via the communication unit 931, and data indicating the imaging angle of view including zoom, focus, and pan / tilt settings.

[0098] The input unit 934 uses a keyboard, a mouse, a pointing device such as a touch panel, and the like, and a user of the control device 930 as a client device operates the GUI via the input unit 934.

[0099] In the first and second embodiments, the first camera 30 and the second camera 40 have the same imaging wavelength and both capture visible light. However, both may capture invisible light. The imaging wavelength bands of the first camera 30 and the second camera 40 may be different. At least one of the lens units may be a fixed focal length lens.

[0100] Although the present invention has been described in detail above based on the preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and combinations of the above embodiments are possible based on the spirit of the present invention, and are not excluded from the scope of the present invention. The present invention also includes the following combinations.

[0101] (Configuration 1) An imaging device characterized by comprising a first camera, a second camera having a wider angle of view than the first camera, the first camera and the second camera being rotated in the same direction in conjunction with each other, and the rotation speed of the first camera being made faster than the rotation speed of the second camera.

[0102] (Configuration 2) An imaging device according to Configuration 1, characterized in that it has a base and a movable part capable of a first rotational movement relative to the base, and the first camera is capable of a second rotational movement relative to the movable part.

[0103] (Configuration 3) An imaging device according to Configuration 2, comprising: a first motor that rotates the movable part; a first reduction mechanism that is disposed between the first motor and the movable part and that reduces the power of the first motor before transmitting it to the movable part; and a second reduction mechanism that is disposed between the first motor and the second camera and that reduces the power of the first motor before transmitting it to the second camera, wherein the first reduction mechanism is configured to have a smaller reduction ratio than the second reduction mechanism.

[0104] (Configuration 4) The imaging device according to configuration 3, wherein the second reduction mechanism includes a reduction mechanism using a plurality of gears.

[0105] (Configuration 5) The imaging device according to configuration 3 or 4, wherein the second speed reduction mechanism includes at least a speed reduction mechanism using a belt and a pulley.

[0106] (Configuration 6) An imaging device described in any one of configurations 3 to 5, characterized in that the second reduction mechanism has a switching means for switching between a state in which the power of the first motor is transmitted to the second camera and a state in which it is not transmitted.

[0107] (Configuration 7) An imaging device according to configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that it has a first motor that rotates the first camera and a second motor that rotates the second camera, and has a control means that makes the rotation speed of the first camera driven by the first motor faster than the rotation speed of the second camera driven by the second motor.

[0108] (Configuration 8) The imaging device according to configuration 7, wherein the ratio between the rotation speed of the first camera and the rotation speed of the second camera can be set.

[0109] (Configuration 9) The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, wherein a warning is transmitted when the imaging angle of view of the first camera deviates from the imaging angle of view of the second camera by a predetermined amount or more.

[0110] (Configuration 10) The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, wherein the rotation drive includes at least one of pan drive and tilt drive.

[0111] (Method 1) An imaging method using an imaging device having a first camera, a second camera having a wider angle of view than the first camera, a first motor for rotating the first camera, and a second motor for rotating the second camera, characterized in that the imaging method includes a control step of rotating the first camera and the second camera in the same direction in conjunction with each other, and making the rotation speed of the first camera driven by the first motor faster than the rotation speed of the second camera driven by the second motor.

[0112] (Program) A computer program for controlling the control steps of the imaging method described in Method 1 by a computer.

[0113] In order to realize some or all of the control in the above-described embodiments, a computer program that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments may be supplied to an imaging device or the like via a network or various storage media. Then, a computer (or a CPU, MPU, or the like) in the imaging device or the like may read and execute the program. In this case, the program and the storage medium storing the program constitute the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0114] 1: Imaging device 10: Base 20: Moving parts 207: The First Pampouli 30: First Camera 40: Second Camera 401: Camera holding member 4011: Convex part 4012: The Second Pangia 402: Second camera holding plate 4021: Shaft hole 50: Pan drive unit 500: Pan motor

Claims

1. A first camera; a second camera having a wider angle of view than the first camera; An imaging device, characterized in that the first camera and the second camera are driven to rotate in the same direction in conjunction with each other, and the rotation speed of the first camera is set to be faster than the rotation speed of the second camera.

2. A base portion and a movable portion that can be driven to perform a first rotation relative to the base portion; 2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the first camera is capable of second rotational movement relative to the movable portion.

3. a first motor that rotates the movable part; a first reduction mechanism disposed between the first motor and the movable part, which reduces the speed of power of the first motor and transmits it to the movable part; a second reduction mechanism disposed between the first motor and the second camera, which reduces the speed of the power of the first motor and transmits it to the second camera; 3. The imaging device according to claim 2, wherein the first reduction mechanism has a smaller reduction ratio than the second reduction mechanism.

4. 4. The imaging device according to claim 3, wherein the second speed reduction mechanism includes a speed reduction mechanism using a plurality of gears.

5. 4. The imaging device according to claim 3, wherein the second speed reduction mechanism includes at least a speed reduction mechanism using a belt and a pulley.

6. 4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second speed reducing mechanism has a switching means for switching between a state in which the power of the first motor is transmitted to the second camera and a state in which it is not transmitted.

7. 2. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising: a first motor for driving the first camera to rotate; and a second motor for driving the second camera to rotate; and a control means for making the rotation speed of the first camera driven by the first motor faster than the rotation speed of the second camera driven by the second motor.

8. 8. The imaging device according to claim 7, wherein the ratio between the rotation speed of the first camera and the rotation speed of the second camera can be set.

9. 2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein a warning is sent when the angle of view of the first camera deviates from the angle of view of the second camera by a predetermined amount or more.

10. 2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation drive includes at least one of a pan drive and a tilt drive.

11. An imaging method using an imaging device having a first camera, a second camera having a wider angle of view than the first camera, a first motor that rotates the first camera, and a second motor that rotates the second camera, a control step of driving the first camera and the second camera to rotate in the same rotation direction in coordination with each other, and making the rotation speed of the first camera driven by the first motor faster than the rotation speed of the second camera driven by the second motor.

12. A computer program for controlling the control step of the imaging method according to claim 11 by a computer.

Images