Information processing device, information processing method, program, and information processing system

Abstract

The present invention provides an information processing device that enables smooth tracking imaging without sudden acceleration or reversals when the imaging device transitions to automatic tracking. [Solution] An information processing device that controls the imaging direction of an imaging device to keep the subject to be tracked at the target position in the captured image captured by the imaging device, and is capable of switching between manual tracking control and automatic tracking control, comprising: a switching means for switching between manual tracking control and automatic tracking control; a determination means for determining the target position; a detection means for detecting the subject position in each captured image from a plurality of captured images acquired from the imaging device; a determination means for determining whether the subject position is approaching or moving away from the target position; and a control means for controlling the rotational speed of a drive unit for changing the imaging direction of the imaging device according to the determination result of the determination means, wherein the switching means switches from manual tracking control to automatic tracking control according to the positional relationship between the target position and the subject position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a program, and an information processing system.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, there has been a technology for detecting an object from an image captured by an imaging device (camera) and controlling the imaging direction of the imaging device so as to keep the detected object within the captured image. When such a technology is used for video production, it is important to perform smooth tracking shooting.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a method of performing smooth tracking shooting without moving the pan-tilt head in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the subject.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in Patent Document 1, the pan-tilt head may perform unnecessary acceleration in order to automatically track and capture the tracking target, resulting in non-smooth tracking shooting.

[0006] [[ID=D43]]Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus that enables smooth tracking imaging without sudden acceleration or sudden reversal when the imaging device shifts to automatic tracking.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To achieve the above objective, an information processing device as one aspect of the present invention controls the imaging direction of an imaging device so as to keep the subject to be tracked at the target position in the image captured by the imaging device, and is an information processing device that can switch between manual tracking control and automatic tracking control, comprising: switching means for switching between manual tracking control and automatic tracking control; determination means for determining the target position; detection means for detecting the subject position in each image from a plurality of images acquired from the imaging device; determination means for determining whether the subject position is approaching or moving away from the target position; and control means for controlling the rotational speed of a drive unit for changing the imaging direction of the imaging device so as to bring the subject position closer to the target position, wherein the switching means switches from manual tracking control to automatic tracking control according to the positional relationship between the target position and the subject position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, when the imaging device transitions to automatic tracking, it is possible to perform smooth tracking imaging without sudden acceleration or sudden reversals. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the automatic tracking system in Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This figure shows the hardware configuration of the controller according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This is a hardware configuration diagram of the camera according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram of the controller in Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] This figure shows example A, where the subject's position is approaching the target position. [Figure 6] This figure shows example B, where the subject's position approaches the target position. [Figure 7] This figure shows example C, where the subject's position moves away from the target position. [Figure 8]This figure shows example D, where the subject's position moves away from the target position. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart of the first example showing the process up to switching to automatic tracking in Embodiment 1. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart of the first example showing the process up to switching to automatic tracking in Embodiment 1. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart of a second example showing the process up to switching to automatic tracking in Embodiment 1. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart of a second example showing the process up to switching to automatic tracking in Embodiment 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In each drawing, the same reference numeral is used for the same member or element, and redundant explanations are omitted or simplified.

[0011] <Embodiment 1> Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the automatic tracking system of Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration that can be used to realize the functions of the controller 100 in Embodiment 1.

[0012] The information processing system (imaging system, automatic tracking system) of this embodiment is a system that enables both manual and automatic tracking control to keep the subject being tracked at the target position in the image captured by the camera 103 (imaging device). Furthermore, the information processing system of this embodiment is also a system that allows switching between manual and automatic tracking control. In addition, the information processing system of this embodiment has a controller 100, a pan / tilt head 102, and a camera 103, which are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a network 101. The method of connection between each device (controller 100, camera 103, pan / tilt head 102) is not limited to a specific method. For example, they may be connected via wireless LAN or by wired cable.

[0013] The controller (control means) 100 functions as an information processing device that can be operated by the user. In this embodiment, the controller 100 can control the operation of the pan / tilt head 102 and the camera 103 by transmitting predetermined control instructions (control signals) to the pan / tilt head 102 and the camera 103. The controller 100 has a hardware configuration that includes a CPU 10, RAM 11, ROM 12, HDD 13, and I / F (communication unit) 14. The controller 100 also has a display unit and an operation unit, although these are not shown. The display unit is composed of, for example, a monitor or display. The operation unit is composed of, for example, a lever, analog stick, buttons, keyboard, mouse, etc. The display unit and the operation unit may be integrated with the controller 100, but either the display unit or the operation unit, or both, may be separate and connected to the controller 100 via a line.

[0014] The CPU (Central Processing Unit) 10 is a processor (central processing unit) that overall controls the controller 100. The CPU 10 controls the controller 100 by executing control programs stored in the ROM (Random Access Memory) 11 and the RAM (Read Only Memory) 12. Also, by sending control instructions (control commands) to the pan-tilt unit 102 and the camera 103, each operation of the pan-tilt unit 102 and the camera 103 can be controlled. That is, in addition to controlling the controller 100, the CPU 10 functions as a control unit that can overall control each component in the pan-tilt unit 102 and the camera 103.

[0015] The RAM 11 can temporarily store computer programs executed by the CPU 10. Also, the RAM 11 provides a work area used when the CPU 10 executes processing. Further, the RAM 12 can function as a frame memory or a buffer memory. The ROM 12 stores programs used by the CPU 10 to control the controller 100. The HDD 13 is a storage device (secondary storage device) that records data such as images and videos. The I / F 14 communicates with an external device via the network 101. The I / F 14 can perform communication according to TCP / IP, HTTP, etc. Note that the RAM 11 and the ROM 12 can constitute the storage unit 21 described later.

[0016] Note that at least a part of the functions of the controller 100 may be realized by dedicated hardware. For example, processing for displaying a GUI (GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE) and videos on a display unit (not shown) may be performed by a GPU (GRAPHICS PROCESSING UNIT). Also, processing for reading program codes from the ROM 12 and expanding them in the RAM 11 may be performed by a DMA (DIRECT MEMORY ACCESS) that functions as a transfer device.

[0017] Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the controller 100 shown in Figure 4, which will be described later, can be realized by a processor such as the CPU 10 executing a program stored in memory such as RAM 11, ROM 12, or HDD 13.

[0018] The pan head 102 has a pan drive unit for rotating horizontally (pan direction) and a tilt drive unit for rotating vertically (tilt direction). The pan drive unit and the tilt drive unit are drive units that change the shooting direction of the camera 103, respectively. The camera 103 in this embodiment is attached (fixed) to the pan head 102. The pan drive unit and the tilt drive unit of the pan head 102 may each be composed of actuators such as a stepping motor, a DC motor, a vibration motor, and a voice coil motor, for example.

[0019] Figure 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of the camera 103 according to this embodiment. The camera 103 in this embodiment includes a control unit 20, a storage unit 21, an imaging unit 22, a signal processing unit 23, and a communication unit 24.

[0020] The control unit 20 includes a CPU and memory (storage unit), and is composed of at least one computer. The control unit 20 comprehensively controls the operation of the camera 103 according to a program stored in memory. For example, the control unit 20 transmits information and image data stored in the memory unit 21 (described later) to the controller 100 or an external device such as a client device (not shown) according to control instructions sent from the controller 100 or an external device. The control unit 20 may also control the drive units of the pan / tilt head 102 by sending control instructions (control commands) to each drive unit of the pan / tilt head 102. In this case, the control unit 20 can control the drive of the pan / tilt head 102.

[0021] The memory unit 21 is primarily a storage area for programs executed by the control unit 20 and a storage area for work data during program execution. Furthermore, the memory unit 21 is used as a storage area for various types of data, such as various parameters and image data and video data generated by the imaging unit 22.

[0022] The imaging unit 22 has an imaging optical system composed of multiple optical elements such as lenses and holding members, and an image sensor. The imaging optical system may be configured to adjust the zoom magnification and focus position using a lens drive motor or the like, and may also be configured to allow the insertion and removal of filters that transmit or attenuate specific wavelengths. The image sensor has semiconductor elements such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor. The image sensor is sensitive to light in the visible light region, but is not limited to this, and may be sensitive to non-visible light regions such as infrared light. The imaging unit 22 captures an image of the subject formed by the imaging optical system of the camera 103, converts the acquired analog signal into a digital signal, and outputs it to the signal processing unit 23 and the storage unit 21.

[0023] The signal processing unit 23 performs image signal processing, such as WB (white balance) processing and NR (noise reduction) processing, on the digital signal converted and output by the imaging unit 22, and outputs it to the storage unit 21 and the communication unit 24. The communication unit 24 distributes the image signal processed by the signal processing unit 23 to the controller 100 or external devices such as client devices (not shown). The communication unit 24 is not limited to sending still image data; for example, it may generate video data from stored image data, apply compression encoding processing such as H.264, and distribute it. The output destination of the image signal may be an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) built into the camera or an external display. The communication unit 24 may also acquire control information of the camera 103 based on control instructions from the controller 100.

[0024] In this information processing system, the imaging direction of the camera 103 can be changed to any direction by connecting (mounting) the camera 103 to a pan / tilt head 102 which has drive units (pan drive unit, tilt drive unit) that can be driven horizontally and vertically. Furthermore, by sending control instructions from the controller 100 to each drive unit of the pan / tilt head 102, it becomes possible to change the imaging direction of the camera 103 remotely. In addition, the controller 100 can also remotely control image acquisition and zoom drive by sending control instructions to the camera 103.

[0025] The CPU 10 of the controller 100 detects the subject from the image captured by the camera 103 and sends control instructions to the pan / tilt head 102 to keep the subject in a preset position in the captured image, thereby enabling automatic subject tracking.

[0026] Next, an example of the functional configuration of the controller 100 will be described with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a functional block diagram of the controller 100 in this embodiment. The controller 100 has the following functional units: a target position determination unit 201, a pan / tilt head rotation speed calculation unit 202, a pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203, a subject position detection unit 204, a subject speed calculation unit 205, an automatic tracking switching unit 206, and a determination unit 207. The controller 100 in this embodiment, by having these functional units, constitutes an information processing system that controls the rotational movement (rotational movement) of the pan / tilt head 102.

[0027] The target position determination unit 201 determines the position within the captured image, that is, within the frame of the captured image, as the target position. For example, if the captured image has an FHD resolution of 1920 x 1080 and the lower left corner is the reference position X:0, Y:0, then if the target position is the center of the captured image, it will be X:960, Y:540. In this embodiment, the target position determination unit 201 also functions as a determination means for determining the target position.

[0028] The pan / tilt head rotation speed calculation unit 202 calculates a rotation speed vector of the pan / tilt head 102 in one direction. When calculating the rotation speed vector of the pan / tilt head, the pan / tilt head rotation speed calculation unit 202 calculates it based on, for example, a measurement value (measurement result) of a position sensor such as an encoder. In this embodiment, the pan / tilt head rotation speed calculation unit 202 also functions as a first calculation means for calculating the rotation speed (rotation speed) of the pan / tilt head 102 of the camera 103 in order to change the imaging direction of the camera 103.

[0029] The pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 sets the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 and controls its speed, including acceleration, deceleration, and constant speed. The pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 also accepts target rotation speed instructions from the user, enabling manual rotation of the pan / tilt head 102. For example, the target rotation speed can be set by manually rotating the pan / tilt head 102 using an analog stick or other control unit. The target position determined by the target position determination unit 201 moves in sync with the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102. The pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 also functions as a control means that controls the rotation speed (rotation speed) and rotation direction of each drive unit of the pan / tilt head 102 to bring the subject position closer to the target position, according to the determination result of the determination unit 207, which will be described later.

[0030] The subject position detection unit 204 acquires video footage captured by the camera 103. Specifically, it acquires multiple consecutive captured images (frames). Furthermore, the subject position detection unit 204 detects the position (center point) of the subject to be tracked within the captured images by performing an object detection process using a trained model (hereinafter referred to as object detection AI). In other words, the subject position detection unit 204 detects the position of the subject in each captured image from the multiple captured images acquired by the camera 103. During this process, the subject position detection unit 204 also functions as a detection means for detecting the position of the subject to be tracked.

[0031] The subject position detected by the subject position detection unit 204 is output to the subject velocity calculation unit 205 as subject position information. The subject position information is expressed in pixels [pix] according to the resolution of the captured image. For example, if the captured image has an FHD resolution of 1920 x 1080 and the lower left corner is the reference position X:0, Y:0, the position information for a subject located in the center of the image will be X:960, Y:540 (the center point will be omitted below). In this embodiment, the subject position detection unit 204 is used to detect the subject position, but this may be done by other functional units, and is not limited to this.

[0032] The subject velocity calculation unit 205 acquires information on the position of the subject being tracked from the subject position detection unit 204. Furthermore, the subject velocity calculation unit 205 calculates a unidirectional velocity vector of the subject as the relative velocity of the subject with respect to the pan / tilt head 102, using the information on the position of the subject being tracked one or more frames prior to the acquired frame and the information on the position of the subject being tracked in the acquired frame. When the pan / tilt head 102 is rotating, the imaging area and the target position move, so the movement speed calculated from the position information between frames obtained from the camera 103 becomes a relative velocity vector with respect to the pan / tilt head 102. Here, the subject velocity calculation unit 205 calculates a unidirectional velocity vector of the subject by comparing the unidirectional rotation velocity vector of the pan / tilt head 102 calculated by the pan / tilt head rotation velocity calculation unit 202 with the relative velocity vector of the subject with respect to the pan / tilt head 102. Note that the method for calculating the unidirectional velocity vector of the subject is not limited to this. For example, the unidirectional velocity vector of the subject may be calculated from GPS information mounted on the subject. In this embodiment, the subject speed calculation unit 205 also functions as a second calculation means that calculates the speed of the subject based on the subject position information detected by the subject position detection unit 204.

[0033] The automatic tracking switching unit 206 switches between manual tracking (manual tracking control) and automatic tracking (automatic tracking control). Specifically, it receives an operation from the user on the controller 100 and switches the tracking of the subject to be tracked from manual tracking (manual tracking control) to automatic tracking (automatic tracking control). Automatic tracking refers to rotating the pan / tilt head so that the position (center point) of the subject to be tracked in the captured image detected by the object detection AI matches the target position determined by the target position determination unit 201, even if the user does not set a target rotation speed. In this embodiment, the automatic tracking switching unit 206 also functions as a switching means for switching between manual tracking control and automatic tracking control.

[0034] The determination unit 207 determines whether the subject is approaching or moving away from the target. The determination unit 207 also determines whether the magnitude of the subject's velocity vector and the pan / tilt head's rotation velocity vector are the same. The determination unit 207 also determines whether the subject's velocity vector is greater than (or less than) the pan / tilt head 102's rotation velocity vector. The determination unit 207 also determines whether the target is in the opposite direction of the subject's movement or whether the target is in the direction of the subject's movement. It also determines whether the target is at the same position as the subject. The determination unit 207 functions as a determination means during each of these determination processes.

[0035] The following provides a detailed explanation of the state in which the subject position approaches the target position and the state in which the subject position moves away from the target position, referring to Figures 5 to 8. The frame 301 of the captured image indicates the frame of the image captured by the camera 103. The rotation speed vector 302 of the pan / tilt head 102 indicates the magnitude and direction of the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102. The subject 303 indicates the subject detected by the object detection AI. The velocity vector 304 of the subject 303 indicates the magnitude and direction of the velocity of the subject 303. The target position 305 indicates the target position where the subject will be photographed.

[0036] Figure 5 shows an example A of the state where the subject's position is approaching the target position. In the state shown in Figure 5, the velocity vector 304 of the subject 303 is greater than the rotation velocity vector 302 of the pan / tilt head 102, and the target position 305 is in the direction of the subject 303's movement, so the subject 303 is approaching the target position. If automatic tracking is performed in this state, the pan / tilt head 102 will rotate in the opposite direction to the rotation velocity vector 302 of the pan / tilt head 102 in order to make the target position 305 coincide with the center point of the subject 303.

[0037] Figure 6 shows example B of the state where the subject's position is approaching the target position. In the state shown in Figure 6, the velocity vector 304 of the subject 303 is smaller than the rotation velocity vector 302 of the pan / tilt head 102, and the target position 305 is in the opposite direction of the subject 303's movement, so the subject 303 is approaching the target position 305. If automatic tracking is enabled in this state, the pan / tilt head 102 will rotate to increase the magnitude of its rotation velocity vector 302 in order to make the target position 305 coincide with the center point of the subject 303. In such a case, even though the subject's position is already approaching the target position 305 without increasing the rotation velocity vector 302 of the pan / tilt head 102, unnecessary rapid acceleration occurs.

[0038] Figure 7 shows an example C where the subject's position is moving away from the target position. In the state shown in Figure 7, the velocity vector 304 of the subject 303 is smaller than the rotation velocity vector 302 of the pan / tilt head 102, and the target position 305 is in the direction of the subject 303's movement, so the subject 303 is moving away from the target position 305. If automatic tracking is performed in this state, the pan / tilt head 102 will rotate in the opposite direction to the rotation velocity vector 302 of the pan / tilt head 102 in order to make the target position 305 coincide with the center point of the subject 303.

[0039] Figure 8 shows an example D of the situation where the subject's position is moving away from the target position. In the state shown in Figure 8, the velocity vector 304 of the subject 303 is greater than the rotation velocity vector 302 of the pan / tilt head, and since the target position is in the opposite direction of the subject 303's movement, the subject 303 is moving away from the target position 305. If automatic tracking is performed in this state, the pan / tilt head 102 will rotate to increase the magnitude of its rotation velocity vector 302 in order to make the target position 305 coincide with the center point of the subject 303. If the rotation velocity vector 302 of the pan / tilt head 102 is increased until the target position 305 coincides with the center point of the subject 303, then the velocity vector 304 of the subject 303 will become greater than the rotation velocity vector 302 of the pan / tilt head 102.

[0040] Figures 9 and 10 are flowcharts of a first example showing the process of switching from manual tracking to automatic tracking by the information processing system of this embodiment. In the process shown in Figures 9 and 10, it is determined which of the states described in Figures 5 to 8 is in place, and the method of accelerating and decelerating the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 is changed according to the determined state (determination result) before switching from manual tracking to automatic tracking. In addition, the target position is determined by the target position determination unit 201 before starting the following process.

[0041] Furthermore, each operation (process) shown in the flowcharts of Figures 9 and 10 is controlled by the controller 100 (CPU 10) executing a program stored in memory (ROM 12). In addition, the notation for each process (step) is omitted by prefixing it with "S".

[0042] In S900, the determination unit 207 determines whether the magnitude of the velocity vector of the subject (for example, subject 303) and the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102 are the same. If it is determined that the magnitudes of the velocity vector of the subject and the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102 are the same, the process proceeds to S901. On the other hand, if it is determined that the magnitudes of the velocity vector of the subject and the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102 are different, the process proceeds to S911. The rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102 is calculated by the tripod head rotation velocity calculation unit 202. The velocity vector of the subject is calculated by the subject velocity calculation unit 205. Based on the calculation results of the tripod head rotation velocity calculation unit 202 and the subject velocity calculation unit 205, the determination unit 207 performs the determination process in S900.

[0043] In S901, the determination unit 207 determines whether the subject position and the target position (for example, target position 305) are at the same location. If it is determined that the subject position and the target position are at the same location, the automatic tracking switching unit 206 switches from manual tracking to automatic tracking, and then terminates the process. On the other hand, if it is determined that the subject position and the target position are not at the same location, the process proceeds to S902. Based on the subject position information detected by the subject position detection unit 204 and the target position information determined by the target position determination unit 201, the determination unit 207 determines whether the subject position and the target position are at the same location.

[0044] In S902, the determination unit 207 determines whether the target position is in the opposite direction of the subject's movement (whether the target position is in the opposite direction to the subject's movement). If it is determined that the target position is in the opposite direction of the subject's movement, the process proceeds to S903. On the other hand, if it is determined that the target position is not in the opposite direction of the subject's movement (i.e., the target position is in the direction of the subject's movement), the process proceeds to S907. The determination unit 207 determines whether the target position is in the opposite direction of the subject's movement based on the positional relationship between the subject position detected by the subject position detection unit 204 and the target position determined by the target position determination unit 201.

[0045] In S903, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 (performs acceleration control). That is, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 sends a control instruction to at least one drive unit of the pan / tilt head 102 to accelerate the rotation speed, causing the pan / tilt head 102 to rotate at a speed faster than its current rotation speed. When the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102, it does so in the current direction of rotation. In other words, it accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 without changing the current direction of rotation.

[0046] In S904, the determination unit 207 determines whether the subject's position has approached the target position. In the determination process in S904, the determination unit 207 determines whether the subject's position has approached the target position based on a predetermined threshold. That is, the determination unit 207 determines that the subject's position has approached the target position if the subject's position exceeds the predetermined threshold (for example, if the subject's position is within the range of the threshold starting from the target position). The determination unit 207 may also determine that the subject's position has approached the target position if the subject's position reaches a predetermined threshold position (point). If it is determined that the threshold has been exceeded (or the threshold position has been reached), the process proceeds to S905. On the other hand, if it is determined that the threshold has not been exceeded (or the threshold position has not been reached), the determination process in S904 is repeated until it is determined that the threshold has been exceeded (or the threshold position has been reached). Furthermore, in S904, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 continues the acceleration control of the pan / tilt head 102, which was started in S903, until it is determined that the subject position exceeds a threshold.

[0047] In S905, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 (performs deceleration control). That is, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 sends a control instruction to at least one drive unit of the pan / tilt head 102 to decelerate the rotation speed, causing the pan / tilt head 102 to rotate at a speed slower than its current rotation speed. At this time, the controller 100 sends a control instruction to the pan / tilt head 102 such that the magnitude of the velocity vector of the subject and the rotation speed vector of the pan / tilt head 102 match when the subject's position is the same as the target position. Furthermore, when the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102, it decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 in the current direction of rotation. In other words, it decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 without changing the current direction of rotation.

[0048] In S906, the determination unit 207 determines whether the target position is the same as the subject position. If it is determined that the target position is the same as the subject position, the automatic tracking switching unit 206 switches from manual tracking to automatic tracking and then terminates the process. On the other hand, if it is determined that the target position is not the same as the subject position, the determination process in S906 is repeated until it is determined that the target position is the same as the subject position. In addition, in S906, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 continues the deceleration control of the pan / tilt head 102 that was started in S905 until it is determined that the target position is the same as the subject position.

[0049] In S907, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 (performs deceleration control). That is, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 sends a control instruction to at least one drive unit of the pan / tilt head 102 to decelerate the rotation speed, causing the pan / tilt head 102 to rotate at a speed slower than its current rotation speed. When the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102, it decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 in the current direction of rotation. In other words, it decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 without changing the current direction of rotation.

[0050] In S908, the determination unit 207 determines whether the subject's position has approached the target position. In the determination process in S908, the determination unit 207 determines whether the subject's position has approached the target position based on a predetermined threshold. That is, the determination unit 207 determines that the subject's position has approached the target position if the subject's position exceeds the predetermined threshold (for example, if the subject's position is within the range of the threshold starting from the target position). The determination unit 207 may also determine that the subject's position has approached the target position if the subject's position reaches a predetermined threshold position (point). If it is determined that the threshold has been exceeded (or the threshold position has been reached), the process proceeds to S909. On the other hand, if it is determined that the threshold has not been exceeded (or the threshold position has not been reached), the determination process in S908 is repeated until it is determined that the threshold has been exceeded (or the threshold position has been reached). Furthermore, in S908, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 continues the deceleration control of the pan / tilt head 102, which was started in S907, until it is determined that the subject position exceeds a threshold.

[0051] In S909, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 (performs acceleration control). That is, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 sends a control instruction to at least one drive unit of the pan / tilt head 102 to accelerate the rotation speed, causing the pan / tilt head 102 to rotate at a speed faster than its current rotation speed. At this time, the controller 100 sends a control instruction to the pan / tilt head 102 such that the magnitude of the velocity vector of the subject and the rotation speed vector of the pan / tilt head 102 match when the subject's position is the same as the target position. Furthermore, when the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102, it does so in the current direction of rotation. In other words, it accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 without changing the current direction of rotation.

[0052] In S910, the determination unit 207 determines whether the target position has become the same as the subject position. If it is determined that the target position has become the same as the subject position, the automatic tracking switching unit 206 switches from manual tracking to automatic tracking and terminates the process. On the other hand, if it is determined that the target position is not the same as the subject position, the determination process in S910 is repeated until it is determined that the target position has become the same as the subject position. In addition, in S910, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 continues the acceleration control of the pan / tilt head 102 that was started in S909 until it is determined that the target position has become the same as the subject position.

[0053] In S911, the determination unit 207 compares the magnitude of the subject's velocity vector with the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102 and determines whether the subject's velocity vector is greater than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102. If it is determined that the subject's velocity vector is greater than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102, the process proceeds to S912. On the other hand, if it is determined that the subject's velocity vector is not greater than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102 (i.e., smaller than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102), the process proceeds to S915. The rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102 is calculated by the tripod head rotation velocity calculation unit 202. The velocity vector of the subject is calculated by the subject velocity calculation unit 205. Based on the calculation results of the tripod head rotation velocity calculation unit 202 and the subject velocity calculation unit 205, the determination unit 207 performs the determination process in S911.

[0054] In S912, the determination unit 207 determines whether the target position is in the opposite direction of the subject's movement, and whether the target position is at the same position as the subject. If either condition is met, the process proceeds to S903. That is, if it is determined that the target position is in the opposite direction of the subject's movement, or if it is determined that the target position is at the same position as the subject, the process proceeds to S903. On the other hand, if neither condition is met, the process proceeds to S913. That is, if it is determined that the target position is not in the opposite direction of the subject's movement (the target position is in the direction of the subject's movement), and the target position is not at the same position as the subject (different position), the process proceeds to S913. The determination unit 207 performs the determination process in S912 based on the calculation results of the pan / tilt head rotation speed calculation unit 202 and the subject speed calculation unit 205.

[0055] Furthermore, if the determination unit 207 determines in S911 that the velocity vector of the subject is greater than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102, and in S912 it determines that the target position is in the opposite direction to the subject's direction of travel, then it determines that the subject is moving away from the target position. Also, if the determination unit 207 determines in S911 that the velocity vector of the subject is greater than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102, and in S911 it determines that the target position is at the same position as the subject, then it determines that the subject is moving away from the target position. Also, if the determination unit 207 determines in S911 that the velocity vector of the subject is greater than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102, and in S912 it determines that the target position is in the direction of the subject's travel and the target position is at a different position from the subject's position, then it determines that the subject is approaching the target position.

[0056] In S913, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 (performs acceleration control). That is, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 sends a control instruction to at least one drive unit of the pan / tilt head 102 to accelerate the rotation speed, causing the pan / tilt head 102 to rotate at a speed faster than its current rotation speed. At this time, the controller 100 sends a control instruction to the pan / tilt head 102 such that the magnitude of the velocity vector of the subject and the rotation speed vector of the pan / tilt head 102 match when the subject's position is at the same position as the target position. Furthermore, when the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102, it does so in the current direction of rotation. In other words, it accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 without changing the current direction of rotation.

[0057] In S914, the determination unit 207 determines whether the target position has become the same as the subject position. If it is determined that the target position has become the same as the subject position, the automatic tracking switching unit 206 switches from manual tracking to automatic tracking and then terminates the process. On the other hand, if it is determined that the target position is not the same as the subject position, the determination process in S914 is repeated until it is determined that the target position has become the same as the subject position. In addition, in S914, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 continues the acceleration control of the pan / tilt head 102 that was started in S913 until it is determined that the target position has become the same as the subject position.

[0058] In S915, the determination unit 207 determines whether the target position is in the direction of the subject's movement, and whether the target position is in the same position as the subject. If either condition is met, the process proceeds to S907. That is, if it is determined that the target position is in the direction of the subject's movement, or if it is determined that the target position is in the same position as the subject, the process proceeds to S907. On the other hand, if neither condition is met, the process proceeds to S916. That is, if it is determined that the target position is not in the direction of the subject's movement (the target position is in the opposite direction to the subject's movement), and the target position is not in the same position as the subject (a different position), the process proceeds to S916.

[0059] Furthermore, if the determination unit 207 determines in S911 that the velocity vector of the subject is smaller than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102, and in S915 it determines that the target position is in the direction of the subject's movement, then it determines that the subject is moving away from the target position. Also, if the determination unit 207 determines in S911 that the velocity vector of the subject is smaller than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102, and in S915 it determines that the target position is at the same position as the subject, then it determines that the subject is moving away from the target position. Also, if the determination unit 207 determines in S911 that the velocity vector of the subject is smaller than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102, and in S912 it determines that the target position is not in the direction of the subject's movement and that the target position is at a different position from the subject, then it determines that the subject is approaching the target position.

[0060] In this way, the determination unit 207 determines whether the subject's position is moving away from the target position or approaching the target position based on the subject's velocity vector, the rotation velocity vector of the pan / tilt head 102 drive unit, and the positional relationship between the subject's position and the target position.

[0061] In S916, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 (performs deceleration control). That is, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 sends a control instruction to at least one drive unit of the pan / tilt head 102 to decelerate the rotation speed, causing the pan / tilt head 102 to rotate at a speed slower than its current rotation speed. At this time, when the subject's position is at the same position as the target position, the controller 100 sends a control instruction to the pan / tilt head 102 such that the magnitude of the subject's velocity vector and the pan / tilt head 102's rotation speed vector match. Furthermore, when the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102, it decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 in the current direction of rotation. In other words, it decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 without changing the current direction of rotation.

[0062] In S917, the determination unit 207 determines whether the target position is the same as the subject position. If it is determined that the target position is the same as the subject position, the automatic tracking switching unit 206 switches from manual tracking to automatic tracking and then terminates the process. On the other hand, if it is determined that the target position is not the same as the subject position, the determination process in S917 is repeated until it is determined that the target position is the same as the subject position. In addition, in S917, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 continues the deceleration control of the pan / tilt head 102 that was started in S916 until it is determined that the target position is the same as the subject position.

[0063] In this manner, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 controls each drive unit of the pan / tilt head 102 by performing at least one of deceleration control and acceleration control, or a combination of deceleration control and acceleration control, according to the determination result in the determination unit 207, so that the target position and the subject position are at the same position.

[0064] Furthermore, the magnitudes of the subject's velocity vector and the pan / tilt head's rotation velocity vector, as determined by the determination unit 207 in S900, do not have to be exactly the same. For example, if they are within a predetermined tolerance range, the determination unit 207 may determine that the magnitudes of the subject's velocity vector and the pan / tilt head's rotation velocity vector are the same. Also, for example, the subject position and target position determined by the determination unit 207 in at least one of the processes S901, S906, S910, S914, or S917 do not have to be exactly the same. For example, if they are within a predetermined tolerance range (for example, if the subject position is within a threshold range starting from the target position), the determination unit 207 may determine that the subject position and target position are the same. In this case, the automatic tracking switching unit 206 switches from manual tracking to automatic tracking when it is determined that the target position is the same as the subject position (their respective positions match), or when it is determined that the subject position is within a threshold range starting from the target position.

[0065] According to the processes shown in Figures 9 and 10 above, in example A, where the subject position approaches the target position 305 as in Figure 5, the controller 100 accelerates the rotation speed of the tripod head 102 to match the subject position with the target position, and then switches from manual tracking to automatic tracking. Also, in example B, where the subject position approaches the target position 305 as in Figure 6, the controller 100 decelerates the rotation speed of the tripod head 102 to match the subject position with the target position, and then switches from manual tracking to automatic tracking. Also, in example C, where the subject position moves away from the target position as in Figure 7, the controller 100 decelerates the rotation speed of the tripod head 102 to bring the subject position closer to the target position. Then, when the subject position is close to the target position, the controller 100 accelerates the rotation speed of the tripod head 102 to match the subject position with the target position, and then switches from manual tracking to automatic tracking. Thus, in cases like Figure 7, the rotation speed of the tripod head 102 is decelerated and then accelerated. Furthermore, in the case of example D, where the subject's position moves away from the target position, as shown in Figure 8, the controller 100 accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 to bring the subject's position closer to the target position. Once the subject's position is close to the target position, the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 is decelerated to align the subject's position with the target position, and then the system switches from manual tracking to automatic tracking. Thus, in cases like Figure 8, the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 is accelerated and then decelerated.

[0066] In this way, the controller 100 determines whether the subject's position is approaching or moving away from the target position, and controls the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 to bring the subject's position closer to the target position according to the result of this determination. Then, depending on the relative positions of the target position and the subject's position, it switches from manual tracking control to automatic tracking control.

[0067] As described above, according to the first example of the processing performed by the information processing system in this embodiment, automatic tracking control can be initiated after the subject position and target position, and the subject's velocity vector and the pan / tilt head's rotation velocity vector coincide. This makes it possible to perform smooth tracking without sudden acceleration or sudden reversals.

[0068] Figures 11 and 12 are flowcharts of a second example showing the process from manual tracking to automatic tracking by the information processing system of this embodiment. In the process shown in Figures 11 and 12, the process of the first example shown in Figures 9 and 10 is similar to the process of determining which of the states in Figures 5 to 8 is in place, and the method of accelerating and decelerating the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 is changed according to the state before switching to automatic tracking.

[0069] Furthermore, each operation (process) shown in the flowcharts of Figures 11 and 12 is controlled by the controller 100 (CPU 10 of the controller 100) executing a computer program. In addition, the notation of each process (step) is omitted by prefixing it with "S".

[0070] In S1100, the determination unit 207 determines whether the magnitude of the velocity vector of the subject (for example, subject 303) and the rotation velocity vector of the pan / tilt head 102 are the same. If it is determined that the magnitudes of the velocity vector of the subject and the rotation velocity vector of the pan / tilt head 102 are the same, the process proceeds to S1101. On the other hand, if it is determined that the magnitudes of the velocity vector of the subject and the rotation velocity vector of the pan / tilt head 102 are different, the process proceeds to S1115.

[0071] In S1101, the determination unit 207 determines whether the subject position and the target position (for example, target position 305) are at the same location. If it is determined that the subject position and the target position are at the same location, the automatic tracking switching unit 206 switches from manual tracking to automatic tracking and then terminates the process. On the other hand, if it is determined that the subject position and the target position are not at the same location, the process proceeds to S1102. Based on the subject position information detected by the subject position detection unit 204 and the target position information determined by the target position determination unit 201, the determination unit 207 determines whether the subject position and the target position are at the same location.

[0072] In S1102, the determination unit 207 determines whether the target position is in the opposite direction of the subject's movement (whether the target position is in the opposite direction to the subject's movement). If it is determined that the target position is in the opposite direction of the subject's movement, the process proceeds to S1103. On the other hand, if it is determined that the target position is not in the opposite direction of the subject's movement (i.e., the target position is in the direction of the subject's movement), the process proceeds to S1109. The determination unit 207 determines whether the target position is in the opposite direction of the subject's movement based on the positional relationship between the subject position detected by the subject position detection unit 204 and the target position determined by the target position determination unit 201.

[0073] In S1103, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 (performs acceleration control). That is, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 sends a control instruction to at least one drive unit of the pan / tilt head 102 to accelerate the rotation speed, causing the pan / tilt head 102 to rotate at a speed faster than its current rotation speed. When the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102, it does so in the current direction of rotation. In other words, it accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 without changing the current direction of rotation.

[0074] In S1104, the determination unit 207 compares the magnitude of the subject's velocity vector with the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102 and determines whether the subject's velocity vector is smaller than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102. If it is determined that the subject's velocity vector is smaller than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102, the process proceeds to S1105. On the other hand, if it is determined that the subject's velocity vector is not smaller than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102 (i.e., larger than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head), the process in S1104 is repeated until it is determined that the subject's velocity vector is smaller than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102. In S1104, the tripod head rotation velocity control unit 203 continues the acceleration control of the tripod head 102 that was started in S1103 until it is determined that the subject's velocity vector is smaller than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102. The rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102 is calculated by the tripod head rotation velocity calculation unit 202. Furthermore, the velocity vector of the subject is calculated by the subject velocity calculation unit 205. The determination unit 207 performs the determination process in S1104 based on the calculation results of the pan / tilt head rotation speed calculation unit 202 and the subject velocity calculation unit 205.

[0075] Furthermore, in the determination process in S1104, a predetermined threshold may be set in advance, and the determination unit 207 may perform acceleration control on the pan / tilt head 102 until the velocity vector of the subject becomes smaller than the rotation velocity vector of the pan / tilt head 102 by the threshold. In this case, the determination unit 207 may determine that the velocity vector of the subject is smaller than the rotation velocity vector of the pan / tilt head 102 when the velocity vector of the subject becomes smaller than the rotation velocity vector of the pan / tilt head 102 by the threshold.

[0076] In S1105, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 controls the pan / tilt head 102 to maintain its current rotation speed (performs constant speed control). In other words, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 does not perform acceleration or deceleration control on the pan / tilt head 102, but controls the pan / tilt head 102 to maintain the rotation speed at the start of processing in S1105.

[0077] In S1106, the determination unit 207 determines whether the subject position has approached the target position. In the determination process in S1106, the determination unit 207 determines whether the subject position has approached the target position based on a predetermined threshold. That is, the determination unit 207 determines that the subject position has approached the target position if the subject position exceeds the predetermined threshold (for example, if the subject position is within the range of the threshold starting from the target position). The determination unit 207 may also determine that the subject position has approached the target position if the subject position reaches a predetermined threshold position (point). If it is determined that the threshold has been exceeded (or the threshold position has been reached), the process proceeds to S1107. On the other hand, if it is determined that the threshold has not been exceeded (or the threshold position has not been reached), the process in S1106 is repeated until it is determined that the threshold has been exceeded (or the threshold position has been reached). Furthermore, in S1106, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 continues the constant speed control of the pan / tilt head 102 that was started in S1105 until it is determined that the subject position exceeds a threshold.

[0078] In S1107, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 (performs deceleration control). That is, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 sends a control instruction to at least one drive unit of the pan / tilt head 102 to decelerate the rotation speed, causing the pan / tilt head 102 to rotate at a speed slower than its current rotation speed. At this time, the controller 100 sends a control instruction to the pan / tilt head 102 such that the magnitude of the velocity vector of the subject and the rotation speed vector of the pan / tilt head 102 match when the subject's position is the same as the target position. Furthermore, when the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102, it decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 in the current direction of rotation. In other words, it decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 without changing the current direction of rotation.

[0079] In S1108, the determination unit 207 determines whether the target position has become the same as the subject position. If it is determined that the target position has become the same as the subject position, the automatic tracking switching unit 206 switches from manual tracking to automatic tracking and then terminates the process. On the other hand, if it is determined that the target position is not the same as the subject position, the determination process in S1108 is repeated until it is determined that the target position has become the same as the subject position. In addition, in S1108, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 continues the deceleration control of the pan / tilt head 102 that was started in S1107 until it is determined that the target position has become the same as the subject position.

[0080] In S1109, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 (performs deceleration control). That is, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 sends a control instruction to at least one drive unit of the pan / tilt head 102 to decelerate the rotation speed, causing the pan / tilt head 102 to rotate at a speed slower than its current rotation speed. When the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102, it decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 in the current direction of rotation. In other words, it decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 without changing the current direction of rotation.

[0081] In S1110, the determination unit 207 compares the magnitude of the subject's velocity vector with the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102 and determines whether the subject's velocity vector is greater than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102. If it is determined that the subject's velocity vector is greater than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102, the process proceeds to S1111. On the other hand, if it is determined that the subject's velocity vector is not greater than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102 (i.e., smaller than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102), the process in S1110 is repeated until it is determined that the subject's velocity vector is greater than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102. In S1110, the tripod head rotation speed control unit 203 continues the deceleration control of the tripod head 102 that was started in S1109 until it is determined that the subject's velocity vector is greater than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102. The rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102 is calculated by the tripod head rotation speed calculation unit 202. Furthermore, the velocity vector of the subject is calculated by the subject velocity calculation unit 205. The determination unit 207 performs the determination process of S1110 based on the calculation results of the pan / tilt head rotation speed calculation unit 202 and the subject velocity calculation unit 205.

[0082] Furthermore, in the determination process in S1110, a predetermined threshold may be set in advance, and the controller 100 may perform acceleration control on the pan / tilt head 102 until the velocity vector of the subject becomes greater than the rotation velocity vector of the pan / tilt head by the threshold. In this case, the controller 100 may determine that the velocity vector of the subject is greater than the rotation velocity vector of the pan / tilt head 102 when the velocity vector of the subject becomes greater than the rotation velocity vector of the pan / tilt head 102 by the threshold.

[0083] In S1111, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 controls the pan / tilt head 102 to maintain its current rotation speed (performs constant speed control). In other words, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 does not perform acceleration or deceleration control on the pan / tilt head 102, but controls the pan / tilt head 102 to maintain the rotation speed at the start of processing in S1111.

[0084] In S1112, the determination unit 207 determines whether the subject position has approached the target position. In the determination process in S1112, the determination unit 207 determines whether the subject position has approached the target position based on a predetermined threshold that has been set in advance. That is, the determination unit 207 determines that the subject position has approached the target position if the subject position exceeds the predetermined threshold (for example, if the subject position is within the range of the threshold starting from the target position). The determination unit 207 may also determine that the subject position has approached the target position if the subject position reaches the predetermined threshold position (point). If it is determined that the threshold has been exceeded (or the threshold position has been reached), the process proceeds to S1113. On the other hand, if it is determined that the threshold has not been exceeded (or the threshold position has not been reached), the process in S1112 is repeated until it is determined that the threshold has been exceeded (or the threshold position has been reached). Furthermore, in S1112, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 continues the constant speed control of the pan / tilt head 102 that was started in S1111 until it is determined that the subject position exceeds a threshold.

[0085] In S1113, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 (performs acceleration control). That is, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 sends a control instruction to at least one drive unit of the pan / tilt head 102 to accelerate the rotation speed, causing the pan / tilt head 102 to rotate at a speed faster than its current rotation speed. At this time, the controller 100 sends a control instruction to the pan / tilt head 102 such that the magnitude of the velocity vector of the subject and the rotation speed vector of the pan / tilt head 102 match when the subject's position is at the same position as the target position. Furthermore, when the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102, it does so in the current direction of rotation. In other words, it accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 without changing the current direction of rotation.

[0086] In S1114, the determination unit 207 determines whether the target position is the same as the subject position. If it is determined that the target position is the same as the subject position, the automatic tracking switching unit 206 switches from manual tracking to automatic tracking and then terminates the process. On the other hand, if it is determined that the target position is not the same as the subject position, the determination process in S1114 is repeated until it is determined that the target position is the same as the subject position. In addition, in S1114, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 continues the acceleration control of the pan / tilt head 102 that was started in S1113 until it is determined that the target position is the same as the subject position.

[0087] In S1115, the determination unit 207 compares the magnitude of the subject's velocity vector with the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102 and determines whether the subject's velocity vector is greater than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102. If it is determined that the subject's velocity vector is greater than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102, the process proceeds to S1116. On the other hand, if it is determined that the subject's velocity vector is not greater than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102 (i.e., smaller than the rotation velocity vector of the tripod head), the process proceeds to S1119. The rotation velocity vector of the tripod head 102 is calculated by the tripod head rotation velocity calculation unit 202. The velocity vector of the subject is calculated by the subject velocity calculation unit 205. Based on the calculation results of the tripod head rotation velocity calculation unit 202 and the subject velocity calculation unit 205, the determination unit 207 performs the determination process in S1115.

[0088] In S1116, the determination unit 207 determines whether the target position is in the opposite direction of the subject's movement, and whether the target position is at the same position as the subject. If either condition is met, the process proceeds to S1103. That is, if it is determined that the target position is in the opposite direction of the subject's movement, or if it is determined that the target position is at the same position as the subject, the process proceeds to S1103. On the other hand, if neither condition is met, the process proceeds to S1117. That is, if it is determined that the target position is not in the opposite direction of the subject's movement (the target position is in the direction of the subject's movement), and the target position is not at the same position as the subject (different position), the process proceeds to S1117. The determination unit 207 performs the determination process in S1116 based on the calculation results of the pan / tilt head rotation speed calculation unit 202 and the subject speed calculation unit 205.

[0089] In S1117, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 (performs acceleration control). That is, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 sends a control instruction to at least one drive unit of the pan / tilt head 102 to accelerate the rotation speed, causing the pan / tilt head 102 to rotate at a speed faster than its current rotation speed. When the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102, it does so in the current direction of rotation. In other words, it accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 without changing the current direction of rotation.

[0090] In S1118, the determination unit 207 determines whether the target position has become the same as the subject position. If it is determined that the target position has become the same as the subject position, the automatic tracking switching unit 206 switches from manual tracking to automatic tracking and then terminates the process. On the other hand, if it is determined that the target position is not the same as the subject position, the determination process in S1118 is repeated until it is determined that the target position has become the same as the subject position. In addition, in S1118, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 continues the acceleration control of the pan / tilt head 102 that was started in S1117 until it is determined that the target position has become the same as the subject position.

[0091] In S1119, the determination unit 207 determines whether the target position is in the direction of the subject's movement, and whether the target position is in the same position as the subject. If either condition is met, the process proceeds to S1109. That is, if it is determined that the target position is in the direction of the subject's movement, or if it is determined that the target position is in the same position as the subject, the process proceeds to S1109. On the other hand, if neither condition is met, the process proceeds to S1120. That is, if it is determined that the target position is not in the direction of the subject's movement (the target position is in the opposite direction to the subject's movement), and the target position is not in the same position as the subject (a different position), the process proceeds to S1120.

[0092] In S1120, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 (performs deceleration control). That is, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 sends a control instruction to at least one drive unit of the pan / tilt head 102 to decelerate the rotation speed, causing the pan / tilt head 102 to rotate at a speed slower than its current rotation speed. At this time, the controller 100 sends a control instruction to the pan / tilt head 102 such that the magnitude of the velocity vector of the subject and the rotation speed vector of the pan / tilt head 102 match when the subject's position is at the same position as the target position. Furthermore, when the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102, it decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 in the current direction of rotation. In other words, it decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 without changing the current direction of rotation.

[0093] In S1121, the determination unit 207 determines whether the target position is the same as the subject position. If it is determined that the target position is the same as the subject position, the automatic tracking switching unit 206 switches from manual tracking to automatic tracking. After that, the process ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that the target position is not the same as the subject position, the determination process in S1121 is repeated until it is determined that the target position is the same as the subject position. In addition, in S1121, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 continues the deceleration control of the pan / tilt head 102 that was started in S1120 until it is determined that the target position is the same as the subject position.

[0094] In this way, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 controls each drive unit of the pan / tilt head 102 so that the target position and the subject position are at the same position by performing at least one of deceleration control and acceleration control according to the determination result in the determination unit 207. In addition, the pan / tilt head rotation speed control unit 203 controls each drive unit of the pan / tilt head 102 so that the target position and the subject position are at the same position by combining at least two of deceleration control, acceleration control and constant speed control according to the determination result in the determination unit 207.

[0095] Furthermore, as in the first example shown in Figures 9 and 10 above, the magnitudes of the velocity vector of the subject and the rotation velocity vector of the pan / tilt head 102 determined by the determination unit 207 in S1100 do not have to be exactly the same. For example, if they are within a predetermined tolerance range, the determination unit 207 may determine that the magnitudes of the velocity vector of the subject and the rotation velocity vector of the pan / tilt head 102 are the same. Also, for example, the subject position and target position determined by the determination unit 207 in at least one of the processes S1101, S1108, S1114, S1118, and S1121 do not have to be exactly the same. For example, if they are within a predetermined tolerance range (for example, if the subject position is within a threshold range starting from the target position), the determination unit 207 may determine that the subject position and target position are the same. In this case, similar to the first example described above, the automatic tracking switching unit 206 switches from manual tracking to automatic tracking when it is determined that the target position is the same as the subject position (their respective positions coincide), or when it is determined that the subject position is within a threshold range starting from the target position. Furthermore, the determination unit 207's determination of whether the subject position is moving away from or approaching the target position can be the same as in the first example.

[0096] According to the processes shown in Figures 11 and 12 above, in example A, where the subject position is approaching the target position as shown in Figure 5, the controller 100 accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 to match the subject position with the target position, and then switches from manual tracking to automatic tracking. Also, in example B, where the subject position is approaching the target position as shown in Figure 6, the controller 100 decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 to match the subject position with the target position, and then switches from manual tracking to automatic tracking. Furthermore, in example C, where the subject position is moving away from the target position as shown in Figure 7, the controller 100 decelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 once to bring the subject position closer to the target position, and then maintains the speed. When the target position approaches the subject position, the controller 100 accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 to match the subject position with the target position, and then switches from manual tracking to automatic tracking. Thus, in the case shown in Figure 7, the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 is controlled to decelerate, then controlled to a constant speed, and then accelerated. Also, in the case of example D, where the subject position is moving away from the target position, as shown in Figure 8, the controller 100 accelerates the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 once until the subject position approaches the target position, and then maintains that speed. When the target position approaches the subject position, the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 is decelerated to make the subject position and the target position coincide, and then the system switches from manual tracking to automatic tracking. Thus, in the case shown in Figure 8, the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 is controlled to decelerate, then controlled to a constant speed, and then decelerated.

[0097] Thus, even in the second example, the controller 100 determines whether the subject position is approaching or moving away from the target position, and controls the rotation speed of the pan / tilt head 102 to bring the subject position closer to the target position according to the result of the determination. Then, it switches from manual tracking control to automatic tracking control depending on the positional relationship between the target position and the subject position.

[0098] As described above, in the second example of the processing performed by the information processing system in this embodiment, just like in the first example, the system can transition to automatic tracking control after the subject position and target position, and the subject's velocity vector and the pan / tilt head's rotation velocity vector coincide. This makes it possible to perform smooth tracking without sudden acceleration or sudden reversals, just like in the first example.

[0099] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention as described in the claims.

[0100] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by a process in which one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0101] This embodiment includes the following configurations, methods, programs, and systems.

[0102] (Composition 1) An information processing device that controls the imaging direction of an imaging device so as to keep the subject to be tracked at the target position in the image captured by the imaging device, and is capable of switching between manual tracking control and automatic tracking control, A switching means for switching between the manual tracking control and the automatic tracking control, The determination means for determining the target position, A detection means for detecting the position of a subject in each image from a plurality of images acquired from the aforementioned imaging device, A determination means for determining whether the subject position is approaching or moving away from the target position, The system includes a control means for controlling the rotational speed of a drive unit for changing the imaging direction of the imaging device so that the subject position is brought closer to the target position, according to the determination result of the determination means, The switching means switches from manual tracking control to automatic tracking control according to the positional relationship between the target position and the subject position. An information processing device characterized by the following:

[0103] (Configuration 2) The information processing apparatus according to Configuration 1, characterized in that the control means controls the drive unit by combining at least one of deceleration control, which reduces the rotational speed of the drive unit, and acceleration control, which accelerates the rotational speed of the drive unit, or at least two of the deceleration control, acceleration control, and constant speed control, which sets the rotational speed of the drive unit to a constant speed, according to the determination result.

[0104] (Composition 3) A first calculation means for calculating the rotational speed of the drive unit, The system includes a second calculation means for calculating the speed of the subject based on the information of the subject's position detected by the detection means, The information processing apparatus according to configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that the determination means determines whether the subject position is approaching or moving away from the target position based on the speed of the subject, the rotational speed of the drive unit, and the positional relationship between the subject position and the target position.

[0105] (Composition 4) The information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that the switching means switches from manual tracking control to automatic tracking control when the target position becomes the same position as the subject position, or when the subject position falls within a threshold range starting from the target position.

[0106] (Composition 5) The information processing apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, characterized in that, when the speed of the subject and the rotational speed of the drive unit are the same and the target position is in the opposite direction to the direction of travel of the subject position, the control means performs acceleration control to accelerate the rotational speed of the drive unit, followed by deceleration control to decelerate the rotational speed of the drive unit, thereby bringing the subject position to coincide with the target position.

[0107] (Composition 6) The information processing apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, characterized in that, when the speed of the subject and the rotational speed of the drive unit are the same and the target position is in the direction of travel of the subject position, the control means performs deceleration control to reduce the rotational speed of the drive unit, followed by acceleration control to accelerate the rotational speed of the drive unit, thereby making the subject position coincide with the target position.

[0108] (Composition 7) The information processing apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, characterized in that, when the determination means determines that the subject position is moving away from the target position, the control means performs acceleration control to accelerate the rotation speed of the drive unit followed by deceleration control to decelerate the rotation speed of the drive unit, or deceleration control followed by acceleration control, to bring the subject position to match the target position.

[0109] (Composition 8) The information processing device according to any one of configurations 5 to 7, characterized in that the control means switches from the acceleration control to the deceleration control or from the deceleration control to the acceleration control when the determination means determines that the subject position exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0110] (Composition 9) The information processing apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, characterized in that when the determination means determines that the subject position is approaching the target position, the control means performs acceleration control to accelerate the rotation speed of the drive unit or deceleration control to decelerate the rotation speed of the drive unit, thereby bringing the subject position to coincide with the target position.

[0111] (Composition 10) The information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, characterized in that, when the speed of the subject and the rotational speed of the drive unit are the same and the target position is in the opposite direction to the direction of travel of the subject position, the control means performs acceleration control to accelerate the rotational speed of the drive unit, then constant speed control to set the rotational speed of the drive unit to a constant speed, and then deceleration control to decelerate the rotational speed, thereby bringing the subject position to coincide with the target position.

[0112] (Composition 11) The information processing apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 10, characterized in that, when the speed of the subject and the rotational speed of the drive unit are the same and the target position is in the direction of travel of the subject position, the control means performs deceleration control to reduce the rotational speed of the drive unit, then constant speed control to set the rotational speed of the drive unit to a constant speed, and then acceleration control to accelerate the rotational speed to bring the subject position to coincide with the target position.

[0113] (Composition 12) The information processing apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, characterized in that, when the determination means determines that the subject position is moving away from the target position, the control means performs acceleration control to accelerate the rotation speed of the drive unit, then constant speed control to set the rotation speed of the drive unit to a constant speed, and then deceleration control to reduce the rotation speed, thereby bringing the subject position to coincide with the target position.

[0114] (Composition 13) The information processing apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 12, characterized in that when the determination means determines that the subject position is approaching the target position, the control means performs deceleration control to reduce the rotational speed of the drive unit, then constant speed control to set the rotational speed of the drive unit to a constant speed, and then acceleration control to accelerate the rotational speed, thereby bringing the subject position to coincide with the target position.

[0115] (Composition 14) An information processing method that controls the imaging direction of an imaging device so as to keep the subject to be tracked at the target position in the image captured by the imaging device, and is capable of switching between manual tracking control and automatic tracking control, A switching step of switching between the manual tracking control and the automatic tracking control, The determination step for determining the target position, A detection step of detecting the position of a subject in each image from a plurality of images acquired from the aforementioned imaging device, A determination step of determining whether the subject position is approaching or moving away from the target position, The system includes a control step that controls the rotational speed of a drive unit for changing the imaging direction of the imaging device so that the subject position is brought closer to the target position, according to the determination result of the determination step, In the switching process, the manual tracking control is switched to the automatic tracking control depending on the positional relationship between the target position and the subject position. An information processing method characterized by the following:

[0116] (Composition 15) A program for causing a computer to execute an information processing method that controls the imaging direction of an imaging device so as to keep the subject to be tracked at the target position in the image captured by the imaging device, and that allows switching between manual tracking control and automatic tracking control, wherein the program causes the computer to: A switching step of switching between the manual tracking control and the automatic tracking control, The determination step for determining the target position, A detection step of detecting the position of a subject in each image from a plurality of images acquired from the aforementioned imaging device, A determination step of determining whether the subject position is approaching or moving away from the target position, A control step is performed to control the rotational speed of the drive unit for changing the imaging direction of the imaging device so that the subject position is brought closer to the target position, in accordance with the determination result of the determination step. In the switching process, the manual tracking control is switched to the automatic tracking control depending on the positional relationship between the target position and the subject position. A program characterized by the following features.

[0117] (Composition 16) An information processing system that controls the imaging direction of an imaging device so as to keep the subject to be tracked at the target position in the image captured by the imaging device, and is capable of switching between manual tracking control and automatic tracking control, A switching means for switching between the manual tracking control and the automatic tracking control, The determination means for determining the target position, A detection means for detecting the position of a subject in each image from a plurality of images acquired from the aforementioned imaging device, A determination means for determining whether the subject position is approaching or moving away from the target position, The system includes a control means for controlling the rotational speed of a drive unit for changing the imaging direction of the imaging device so that the subject position is brought closer to the target position, according to the determination result of the determination means, The switching means switches from manual tracking control to automatic tracking control according to the positional relationship between the target position and the subject position. An information processing system characterized by the following:

[0118] (Composition 17) The system comprises an information processing device, a pan / tilt head that is communicatively connected to the information processing device, and an imaging device fixed to the pan / tilt head. The information processing system according to configuration 16, characterized in that the drive unit is arranged on the pan / tilt head. [Explanation of symbols]

[0119] 100 controllers 101 Network 102 Panhead 103 Camera 201 Target position determination section 202 Tripod Head Swivel Speed ​​Calculation Unit 203 Tripod Head Swivel Speed ​​Control Unit 204 Subject position detection unit 205 Subject speed calculation section 206 Automatic tracking switching unit 207 Judgment section 301 Frame of the captured image 302 Swivel speed vector of the pan / tilt head 303 Subject 304 Velocity vector of the subject 305 Target position

Claims

1. An information processing device that controls the imaging direction of an imaging device so as to keep the subject to be tracked at the target position in the image captured by the imaging device, and is capable of switching between manual tracking control and automatic tracking control, A switching means for switching between the manual tracking control and the automatic tracking control, The determination means for determining the target position, A detection means for detecting the position of a subject in each image from a plurality of images acquired from the aforementioned imaging device, A determination means for determining whether the subject position is approaching or moving away from the target position, The system includes a control means for controlling the rotational speed of a drive unit for changing the imaging direction of the imaging device so that the subject position is brought closer to the target position, according to the determination result of the determination means, The switching means switches from manual tracking control to automatic tracking control according to the positional relationship between the target position and the subject position. An information processing device characterized by the following:

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means controls the drive unit by combining at least one of deceleration control to reduce the rotational speed of the drive unit and acceleration control to accelerate the rotational speed of the drive unit, or at least two of the deceleration control, acceleration control and constant speed control to set the rotational speed of the drive unit to a constant speed, according to the determination result.

3. A first calculation means for calculating the rotational speed of the drive unit, The system includes a second calculation means for calculating the speed of the subject based on the information of the subject's position detected by the detection means, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the determination means determines whether the subject position is approaching or moving away from the target position based on the speed of the subject, the rotational speed of the drive unit, and the positional relationship between the subject position and the target position.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the switching means switches from manual tracking control to automatic tracking control when the target position becomes the same position as the subject position, or when the subject position falls within a threshold range starting from the target position.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the speed of the subject and the rotational speed of the drive unit are the same and the target position is in the opposite direction to the direction of travel of the subject position, the control means performs acceleration control to accelerate the rotational speed of the drive unit, followed by deceleration control to decelerate the rotational speed of the drive unit, thereby bringing the subject position to coincide with the target position.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the speed of the subject and the rotational speed of the drive unit are the same and the target position is in the direction of travel of the subject position, the control means performs deceleration control to reduce the rotational speed of the drive unit, followed by acceleration control to accelerate the rotational speed of the drive unit, thereby making the subject position coincide with the target position.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the determination means determines that the subject position is moving away from the target position, the control means performs acceleration control to accelerate the rotation speed of the drive unit followed by deceleration control to decelerate the rotation speed of the drive unit, or deceleration control followed by acceleration control, to bring the subject position to match the target position.

8. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the control means switches from the acceleration control to the deceleration control or from the deceleration control to the acceleration control when the determination means determines that the subject position exceeds a predetermined threshold.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that when the determination means determines that the subject position is approaching the target position, the control means performs acceleration control to accelerate the rotation speed of the drive unit or deceleration control to decelerate the rotation speed of the drive unit, thereby bringing the subject position to coincide with the target position.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the speed of the subject and the rotational speed of the drive unit are the same and the target position is in the opposite direction to the direction of travel of the subject position, the control means performs acceleration control to accelerate the rotational speed of the drive unit, then performs constant speed control to set the rotational speed of the drive unit to a constant speed, and then performs deceleration control to reduce the rotational speed, thereby bringing the subject position to coincide with the target position.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the speed of the subject and the rotational speed of the drive unit are the same and the target position is in the direction of travel of the subject, the control means performs deceleration control to reduce the rotational speed of the drive unit, then performs constant speed control to set the rotational speed of the drive unit to a constant speed, and then performs acceleration control to accelerate the rotational speed to bring the subject position to coincide with the target position.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the determination means determines that the subject position is moving away from the target position, the control means performs acceleration control to accelerate the rotation speed of the drive unit, then performs constant speed control to set the rotation speed of the drive unit to a constant speed, and then performs deceleration control to reduce the rotation speed, thereby bringing the subject position to coincide with the target position.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the determination means determines that the subject position is approaching the target position, the control means performs deceleration control to reduce the rotational speed of the drive unit, then performs constant speed control to set the rotational speed of the drive unit to a constant speed, and then performs acceleration control to accelerate the rotational speed, thereby bringing the subject position to coincide with the target position.

14. An information processing method that controls the imaging direction of an imaging device so as to keep the subject to be tracked at the target position in the image captured by the imaging device, and is capable of switching between manual tracking control and automatic tracking control, A switching step of switching between the manual tracking control and the automatic tracking control, The determination step for determining the target position, A detection step of detecting the position of a subject in each image from a plurality of images acquired from the aforementioned imaging device, A determination step of determining whether the subject position is approaching or moving away from the target position, The system includes a control step that controls the rotational speed of a drive unit for changing the imaging direction of the imaging device so that the subject position is brought closer to the target position, according to the determination result of the determination step, In the switching process, the manual tracking control is switched to the automatic tracking control depending on the positional relationship between the target position and the subject position. An information processing method characterized by the following:

15. A program for causing a computer to execute an information processing method that controls the imaging direction of an imaging device so as to keep the subject to be tracked at the target position in the image captured by the imaging device, and that allows switching between manual tracking control and automatic tracking control, wherein the program causes the computer to: A switching step of switching between the manual tracking control and the automatic tracking control, The determination step for determining the target position, A detection step of detecting the position of a subject in each image from a plurality of images acquired from the aforementioned imaging device, A determination step of determining whether the subject position is approaching or moving away from the target position, A control step is performed to control the rotational speed of the drive unit for changing the imaging direction of the imaging device so that the subject position is brought closer to the target position, in accordance with the determination result of the determination step. In the switching process, the manual tracking control is switched to the automatic tracking control depending on the positional relationship between the target position and the subject position. A program characterized by the following features.

16. An information processing system that controls the imaging direction of an imaging device so as to keep the subject to be tracked at the target position in the image captured by the imaging device, and is capable of switching between manual tracking control and automatic tracking control, A switching means for switching between the manual tracking control and the automatic tracking control, The determination means for determining the target position, A detection means for detecting the position of a subject in each image from a plurality of images acquired from the aforementioned imaging device, A determination means for determining whether the subject position is approaching or moving away from the target position, The system includes a control means for controlling the rotational speed of a drive unit for changing the imaging direction of the imaging device so that the subject position is brought closer to the target position, according to the determination result of the determination means, The switching means switches from manual tracking control to automatic tracking control according to the positional relationship between the target position and the subject position. An information processing system characterized by the following:

17. The system comprises an information processing device, a pan / tilt head that is communicatively connected to the information processing device, and an imaging device fixed to the pan / tilt head. The information processing system according to claim 16, characterized in that the drive unit is provided in the tripod head.

Images