Camera device and method for notifying of angle of view deviation

Abstract

To allow an operator to find deviation at an early stage and shorten a time for adjusting a field angle even under a circumstance where a field angle for imaging is easily deviated from that at the time of installation.SOLUTION: A camera device comprises: an inclination sensor for repetitively detecting the inclination of a camera casing; a memory for storing as an initial value the detection value of inclination at the time of installation of the camera casing; a plurality of light emitting elements provided on the surface of the camera casing; and a processor for controlling the driving of the light-emitting elements. The processor controls the driving of the light-emitting elements with different light emitting patterns in accordance with the difference between the detection value of the inclination of the camera casing and the initial value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a camera device and a method for notifying a user of a deviation in an angle of view. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a vehicle monitoring device that can be easily installed and its position adjusted after installation (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This vehicle monitoring device captures a traveling vehicle with a monitoring camera and analyzes the captured image to obtain the vehicle's registration number or color. The vehicle monitoring device is equipped with an image processing device that includes a tilt detection unit that detects the edge of the image and detects the tilt of the monitoring camera from the tilt of the edge, and a field of view detection unit that recognizes the width of the license plate in the image and detects the field of view width of the camera based on the recognized width and the image width. Based on the detected tilt and field of view width of the monitoring camera, the image processing device determines whether the tilt of the monitoring camera and the distance between the camera and the position of the monitored vehicle are appropriate, and if it determines that they are not appropriate, displays information on a display device instructing the adjustment direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-25583 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the vehicle monitoring device of Patent Document 1 is assumed to be fixed at the side of the road on which the vehicle is traveling and captures images, and does not take into consideration the possibility that the angle of view will be distorted during shooting (in other words, the angle of view will deviate from the set angle of view). Here, let us assume that the angle of view will be distorted during shooting. In the configuration of Patent Document 1, if the shooting area is not appropriate, the display unit will display an image captured by the surveillance camera with a position adjustment method added to avoid abnormalities. For this reason, the worker must alternate between viewing the display unit and adjusting the position of the surveillance camera, which takes time to complete the work. Furthermore, if the surveillance camera and the display unit are far apart, at least two people are required to perform the work, which takes even more time.

[0005] The present disclosure has been devised in consideration of the above-described conventional situation, and aims to provide a camera device and a method for notifying an angle of view deviation that enables an operator to detect deviations early and adjust the angle of view in a short time, even when the camera is placed in an environment where the angle of view for imaging is likely to shift from the time of installation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present disclosure provides a camera comprising a tilt sensor that repeatedly detects the tilt of a camera body, a memory that stores the detected value of the tilt when the camera body is installed as an initial value, a plurality of light-emitting elements provided on a surface of the camera body, and a processor that controls the driving of the plurality of light-emitting elements, the processor controlling the driving of the plurality of light-emitting elements with different light-emitting patterns depending on the difference between the detected value of the tilt of the camera body and the initial value. the camera housing has a lens section whose optical axis is perpendicular to the surface, a first side surface of a triangular prism-shaped attachment is fixed to a rear surface of the camera housing, a perpendicular screw hole is formed in a second side surface of the attachment, and a support shaft that moves in a tilting direction of the camera housing is screwed into the screw hole, the surface of the camera housing is formed in a rectangular shape, the optical axis of the lens section is disposed offset with respect to an intersection of a pair of diagonals of the surface, four bolt fixing holes are provided on the rear surface at positions corresponding to each corner of the square, a pair of through holes are formed on the second side surface, which communicate with any two adjacent ones of the four bolt fixing holes, and the attachment is screwed to the rear surface by screwing a pair of fixing bolts respectively inserted into the pair of through holes into any two adjacent ones of the four bolt fixing holes. The present invention provides a camera device. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, even if the camera is placed in an environment where the angle of view for imaging is likely to shift from the time of installation, an operator can quickly detect the shift and adjust the angle of view in a short time. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a camera device according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the camera device shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a situation when a camera device is installed. [Figure 4] An explanatory diagram showing an example of a setting screen displayed on a setting terminal. [Diagram 5] A flowchart showing an example of the operation procedure of a method for notifying a deviation in an angle of view executed by the camera device shown in FIG. [Figure 6] An explanatory diagram showing an example of a light emission pattern using multiple LEDs. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a camera housing of the camera device 11 according to the first embodiment with the attachment removed; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a camera device according to a comparative example, which is horizontally long and supported in an upright position, as viewed from above the side; [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a camera device supported in a horizontally elongated upright position, as viewed obliquely from the rear; [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a camera device supported in a horizontally elongated upright position, as viewed obliquely from the front; [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a camera device supported in a vertically long, suspended position, as viewed from above the side; [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a camera device supported in a horizontally long, suspended position, seen obliquely from the front; [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an imaging range during operation of a camera device according to a comparative example; [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an imaging range of a camera device when in operation; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings as appropriate, an embodiment specifically disclosing a camera device and a method for notifying a deviation in an angle of view according to the present disclosure will be described in detail. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanation of already well-known matters or duplicate explanation of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming unnecessarily redundant and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Note that the attached drawings and the following explanation are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0011] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a camera device 11 according to the first embodiment. The camera device 11 according to the first embodiment is, for example, a surveillance camera arranged so that an area to be imaged is included within the angle of view, and the surface 15 of the camera housing 13 is formed in a rectangular plate shape. The camera housing 13 is a combination of a front housing 17 on the front side in the thickness direction and a rear housing 19 on the rear side in the thickness direction. The camera device 11 is a so-called small compact camera that does not require a large installation space. The dimensions of the camera housing 13 of the camera device 11 are, for example, about 76 mm wide, about 48 mm high, and about 21 mm thick. It goes without saying that the dimensions of the camera housing 13 are not limited to the above dimensions.

[0012] The camera device 11 is formed so that the front view is compact in the landscape orientation by cutting down the front and rear edges of the upper and lower surfaces of the camera housing 13. The camera device 11 has a laterally extruded shape that makes it difficult to sense the orientation of the camera. The lens unit 21 is disposed so that the optical axis 23 is offset from the intersection of a pair of diagonal lines formed from the four corner points of the surface 15. In the first embodiment, the lens unit 21 is disposed on the surface 15 close to the center of one of the short sides. The optical axis 23 of the lens unit 21 is perpendicular to the surface 15. The lens unit 21 is disposed inside the black frame 25 that hides the circular shape that is easily recognized as a camera.

[0013] In the camera device 11, a plurality of light emitting elements (for example, LEDs: Light Emission Diodes) are visibly arranged on the surface 15 of the camera housing 13. In addition, on the surface 15 of the camera housing 13, a pair of a first microphone 27 and a second microphone 29 are arranged close to each other on the left and right sides of one of the long sides.

[0014] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the camera device 11 shown in Fig. 1. The camera device 11 includes an imaging unit 31, a processor 33, a storage unit 35, a first microphone 27 and a second microphone 29, an audio processing unit 37, a first LED 39 and a second LED 41, a tilt sensor 43, a power supply unit 45, a wired communication unit 47, a video processing unit 49, a wireless communication unit 51, and an external interface 53. The number of microphones and LEDs provided in the camera device 11 is not limited to two each, and may be three or more.

[0015] The imaging unit 31 is configured to have at least the lens unit 21 and an image sensor (not shown) as optical elements. The lens unit 21 receives light reflected by an object within the angle of view of the area to be imaged, and forms an optical image of the object on the light receiving surface of the image sensor (in other words, the imaging surface). The image sensor is a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charged Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The image sensor converts the optical image formed on the imaging surface via the lens unit 21 into an electrical signal at predetermined intervals (for example, 1 / 30 (seconds)) and sends the signal to the processor 33. For example, when the predetermined time is 1 / 30 (seconds), the frame rate of the camera device 11 is 30 fps. The imaging unit 31 may generate image data (video data) by performing predetermined signal processing on the electrical signal at the above-mentioned predetermined intervals. The process of generating the image data (video data) may be executed by the processor 33. The imaging unit 31 outputs image data (video data) to the processor 33.

[0016] The processor 33 is configured using, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a graphical processing unit (GPU), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The processor 33 functions as a controller that manages the overall operation of the camera device 11, and performs control processing for managing the operations of each part of the camera device 11, input / output processing of data between each part of the camera device 11, calculation processing of data, and storage processing of data. The processor 33 operates according to a program stored in the storage unit 35. The processor 33 uses the storage unit 35 during operation, and temporarily stores data generated or acquired by the processor 33 in the storage unit 35. For example, the processor 33 performs storage processing of video data from the imaging unit 31, storage processing of audio data from each of the first microphone 27 and the second microphone 29, drive control of the first LED 39 and the second LED 41, storage processing of detection values ​​of the tilt sensor 43 (for example, displacement information of pitch and roll), and the like. Furthermore, the processor 33 can read out a learned model obtained in advance by a learning process from the storage unit 35 and execute a process using artificial intelligence (AI) (for example, a process for detecting a person or a face in image data). Note that the process using AI is not limited to the above-mentioned process for detecting a person or a face. Furthermore, the process using artificial intelligence described above may be executed by the image processing unit 49 instead of the processor 33.

[0017] The storage unit 35 is configured using, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory), and temporarily stores a program required for executing the operation of the camera device 11, and further data generated during the operation. The RAM is, for example, a work memory used during the operation of the camera device 11. The ROM stores and holds, for example, a program for controlling the camera device 11 in advance. In other words, the processor 33 executes a program stored in the ROM, thereby enabling the camera device 11, which is a computer, to execute various processes (steps) related to the angle of view deviation notification method according to the present disclosure. For example, the storage unit 35 may temporarily store image data captured by the imaging unit 31. The storage unit 35 may further include a flash memory in addition to the RAM and ROM, and may store image data (video data). The storage unit 35 also stores data of a trained model for AI processing that can be executed by the processor 33 or the video processing unit 49.

[0018] Furthermore, the storage unit 35 may or may not temporarily store image data (video data), audio data, and detection values ​​of the tilt sensor 43 (for example, displacement information of pitch and roll). In the first embodiment, the storage unit 35 may temporarily store an initial value DataX (see below) indicating a detection value of the tilt sensor 43 when the camera device 11 is installed. Furthermore, the storage unit 35 may temporarily store a detection value DataY repeatedly detected by the tilt sensor 43 during operation after the camera device 11 is installed. Furthermore, the storage unit 35 may temporarily store a difference DiffA between the initial value DataX and the detection value DataY. Furthermore, the storage unit 35 stores thresholds of tilt that increase in sequence (for example, a first threshold A, a second threshold B, and a third threshold C).

[0019] Each of the first microphone 27 and the second microphone 29 converts sound waves generated around the camera device 11 into an electric signal and transmits the electric signal to the audio processor 37. Each of the first microphone 27 and the second microphone 29 is, for example, an ECM microphone (electret condenser microphone).

[0020] The audio processing unit 37 is configured using a signal circuit that performs existing signal processing such as AD conversion on the electrical signals of the sounds picked up by the first microphone 27 and the second microphone 29. The audio processing unit 37 generates audio data through the above-mentioned signal processing. The audio processing unit 37 sends the generated audio data to the processor 33. The sent audio data is stored in the storage unit 35 via the processor 33.

[0021] Each of the first LED 39 and the second LED 41, which are examples of light-emitting elements, is a light-emitting device provided on the surface of the camera housing 13. This allows a worker (see below) to visually grasp the color of light emitted when at least one of the first LED 39 and the second LED 41 is emitting light. In the first embodiment, for example, the first LED 39 emits green light, and the second LED 41 emits red light. Each of the first LED 39 and the second LED 41 is controlled by the processor 33 to light up or blink. The control of the lighting or blinking of the first LED 39 and the second LED 41 will be described later with reference to FIG. 6.

[0022] When the tilt sensor 43 is configured with a gyro sensor, for example, it is a device that detects the tilt of the camera housing 13, which is installed to enable imaging of the area to be imaged, by the values ​​of pitch and roll. Pitch is the direction of vertical shaking. Roll is the direction of horizontal shaking. The tilt sensor 43 utilizes, for example, the property that when a rotational angular velocity is applied to an object, a Coriolis force is generated in a direction perpendicular to the displacement. The tilt sensor 43 can detect the movement motion information of the pitch (vertical shaking direction) and roll (horizontal shaking direction) by detecting the Coriolis force as an electric signal by a piezoelectric ceramic. The tilt sensor 43 may be configured with an acceleration sensor that can detect the tilt of the camera housing 13 by detecting the acceleration value in each of the three axial directions (for example, horizontal direction, height direction, and thickness direction) of the camera housing 13, instead of a gyro sensor. In any case, the pitch and roll displacement information detected by the tilt sensor 43 is stored in the memory unit 35 by the processor 33.

[0023] The power supply unit 45 holds a rechargeable battery capable of supplying power to each unit of the camera device 11. The power supply unit 45 may be supplied with power from PoE (Power of Ethernet (registered trademark)) via a wired LAN (Local Area Network) connection of the wired communication unit 47 or from a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection via the external interface 53.

[0024] The wired communication unit 47 is configured by a communication device that is connected to an external device such as a PC via a communication network using a wired LAN so as to be able to perform wired communication. The wired communication unit 47 transmits and receives data to and from the external device. Note that the wired communication unit 47 may be omitted as a component of the camera device 11. The wired communication unit 47 may transmit, for example, video data or audio data input from the processor 33 to the above-mentioned external device, or may transmit data sent from the external device (see above) to the processor 33.

[0025] The image processing unit 49 is configured using a signal processing circuit that performs various signal processing such as white balance correction, gamma correction, contour enhancement, and color correction on the image data sent from the processor 33, and sends the image data after signal processing to the processor 33. The sent image data is stored in the storage unit 35 by the processor 33. As described above, the image processing unit 49 may read out a learned model obtained in advance by a learning process from the storage unit 35 and execute processing by artificial intelligence (AI) (for example, detection processing of a person or their face in image data). The result of this processing is stored in the storage unit 35 via the processor 33, for example.

[0026] The wireless communication unit 51 is configured with a communication device that is wirelessly connected to a setting terminal 55 (for example, the setting terminal 55) that is portable by a worker who installs the camera device 11. The wireless communication unit 51 transmits and receives data to and from the setting terminal 55, for example, when the worker installs the camera device 11.

[0027] The external interface 53 has a connector that can be connected to, for example, a USB. An external device can be connected to the external interface 53 via the USB connector. A wireless device equipped with a USB connector may also be directly connected to the external interface 53. For example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or the like can be used for wireless communication by this wireless device.

[0028] Next, a method for adjusting the angle of view of the camera device 11 and a method for notifying a deviation in the angle of view will be described.

[0029] [How to adjust the angle of view] First, the method of adjusting the angle of view will be described with reference to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a situation when installing the camera device 11. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a setting screen displayed on the setting terminal 55.

[0030] A worker who installs the camera device 11 wirelessly connects the setting terminal 55 carried by the worker at the installation location to the camera device 11 so that data communication between them is possible. That is, the worker can adjust the angle of view by himself when initially installing the camera device 11 or during regular maintenance (hereinafter abbreviated as "installation") while looking at the setting screen (see FIG. 4) displayed on the display of the setting terminal 55.

[0031] When the camera device 11 is installed, a setting screen displayed on the display of the setting terminal 55 has a display area for the video data Pic captured by the camera device 11. In addition to the video data Pic captured by the camera device 11, this setting screen simultaneously displays the current tilt information PLd (e.g., the detected pitch value and the detected roll value) of the camera housing 13 acquired by the tilt sensor 43 provided in the camera housing 13. This tilt information PLd is displayed in real time every time the tilt of the camera housing 13 is detected by the tilt sensor 43 while the camera device 11 and the setting terminal 55 are wirelessly connected.

[0032] The worker holds the camera housing 13 while looking at the video data Pic captured by the camera device 11, and adjusts the angle of view of the camera device 11 to be captured. When the worker who has looked at the video data Pic has determined the optimal angle of view, the worker presses a button (not shown) for registering an angle of view in a setting screen displayed on the display of the setting terminal 55 together with the video data Pic. This causes operation information (a signal for registering an angle of view) from the setting terminal 55 based on the pressing of the button for registering an angle of view to be transmitted to the processor 33 of the camera device 11 via the wireless communication unit 51. The processor 33 receives the signal for registering an angle of view transmitted from the setting terminal 55, and stores the detection values ​​(e.g., pitch and roll) of the tilt sensor 43 at the time of pressing the button for registering an angle of view in the storage unit 35 as initial values ​​DataX. This allows the camera device 11 to store the detection values ​​of the tilt sensor 43 at the time of installation of the camera housing 13 in the storage unit 35 as initial values. After the processing of the method for adjusting the angle of view is performed, the processing of the method for notifying an angle of view deviation, which will be described with reference to FIG. 5, is performed.

[0033] [How to notify angle of view deviation] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation procedure of the view angle deviation notification method executed by the camera device 11 shown in Fig. 1. Each process shown in Fig. 5 is mainly executed by the processor 33 of the camera device 11. The following operation procedure may be executed, for example, at the time of initial installation when the camera device 11 is newly installed, or may be executed when the camera device 11 itself is replaced with a new one during periodic maintenance (for example, during cleaning or relocation).

[0034] In FIG. 5, when the camera device 11 receives power from the power supply unit 45 and starts up (St1), the processor 33 reads out the initial value DataX, which is the detection value by the tilt sensor 43 stored during the angle of view adjustment, from the storage unit 35 (St2).

[0035] The processor 33 determines whether or not this initial value DataX is valid data (for example, whether or not it is data that has already been registered in the memory unit 35 by the processing of the angle of view adjustment method) (St3). If the initial value DataX is not registered (St3, NO), when the angle of view registration button is pressed after the processing of the angle of view adjustment method is performed by the operator as described above, the processor 33 sets the detection value by the tilt sensor 43 at the time of the pressing operation as the initial value DataX (St4).

[0036] If the initial value DataX has been registered (St3, YES) or after step St4, the processor 33 acquires data of the current detection value by the tilt sensor 43 (St5). The processor 33 stores the acquired detection value data as a detection value DataY in the memory unit 35 for a comparison process described later (St5). The processor 33 calculates the difference DiffA between the detection value DataY and the initial value DataX (i.e., the detection value DataY-initial value DataX) and stores it in the memory unit 35 (St6).

[0037] As described above, the camera device 11 stores the first threshold A, the second threshold B, and the third threshold C, which increase in sequence (first threshold A<second threshold B<third threshold C), in the storage unit 35. The camera device 11 controls the driving of multiple LEDs (e.g., the first LED 39 and the second LED 41) in different light emission patterns according to the difference DiffA calculated in step St6 (see FIG. 6).

[0038] Here, the light emission pattern will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a light emission pattern by a plurality of LEDs. The processor 33 judges whether or not the difference DiffA calculated in step St6 is less than the first threshold A (St7). When the processor 33 judges that the difference DiffA calculated in step St6 is less than the first threshold A (St7, YES), it controls the driving so as to turn on the first LED 39 (St8). As a result, the first LED 39 is turned on green in the camera device 11. That is, for example, a store clerk who periodically checks the status of the camera device 11 arranged in a store can easily know that there is almost no deviation in the angle of view at the present time by the green lighting state.

[0039] When the processor 33 determines that the difference DiffA calculated in step St6 is equal to or greater than the first threshold A (St7, NO), it determines whether or not the difference DiffA is less than the second threshold B (St9). When the processor 33 determines that the difference DiffA calculated in step St6 is less than the second threshold B (St9, YES), it controls the driving so that the first LED 39 blinks (St10). As a result, the first LED 39 of the camera device 11 blinks green. That is, for example, a store clerk who periodically checks the status of the camera device 11 arranged in a store can easily understand from the blinking green state that there is a slight deviation in the angle of view at the present time, but that it is not something to be concerned about.

[0040] When the processor 33 determines that the difference DiffA calculated in step St6 is equal to or greater than the second threshold B (St9, NO), it determines whether or not the difference DiffA is less than the third threshold C (St11). When the processor 33 determines that the difference DiffA calculated in step St6 is less than the third threshold C (St11, YES), it controls the driving so that the second LED 41 blinks (St12). As a result, the second LED 41 of the camera device 11 blinks red. That is, for example, a store clerk who periodically checks the status of the camera device 11 arranged in a store can easily know from the blinking red state that there is a deviation in the angle of view at the current time and that the angle of view needs to be adjusted.

[0041] When the processor 33 determines that the difference DiffA calculated in step St6 is equal to or greater than the third threshold C (St11, NO), it controls the driving so as to turn on the second LED 41 (St13). As a result, the second LED 41 of the camera device 11 is turned on in red. That is, for example, a store clerk who periodically checks the status of the camera device 11 arranged in the store can easily understand from the red lighting state that there is a large deviation in the angle of view at the present time and that it is necessary to immediately remove the camera device 11 and adjust the angle of view.

[0042] The lighting / flashing control from step St5 to step St13 based on the comparison of the difference DiffA with the first threshold A, the second threshold B, and the third threshold C is loop processing by the processor 33. Therefore, the camera device 11 is in a state where the inclination of the camera housing 13 is constantly monitored, and it is possible to intuitively notify the presence or absence of deviation in the angle of view and its degree in real time by the flashing or lighting of the LED.

[0043] Next, a support structure that the camera device 11 has in the camera housing 13 will be described.

[0044] In a conventional camera device 57 (see FIG. 8) in which a screw hole for screwing into the support shaft is provided vertically on the back surface, if the support shaft supporting the camera housing cannot be tilted downward from the horizontal direction, the optical axis 23 of the lens unit 21 provided on the surface 15 of the camera housing 59 is horizontal. The support shaft is supported on the upper end of an upright pole 61 (see FIG. 8). For this reason, the conventional camera device 57 cannot capture images in a direction with an elevation angle or a dip angle in which the optical axis 23 is tilted toward the pole side.

[0045] 7 is an exploded perspective view of the camera housing 13 of the camera device 11 according to the first embodiment with the attachment 63 removed. The camera device 11 includes the attachment 63 as a connecting part. The attachment 63 is detachably fixed to the rear surface 65 of the camera housing 13. The attachment 63 is formed, for example, in a triangular prism shape. That is, the side surface of the attachment 63 that connects three quadrangles in a ring shape is sandwiched between the front and back surfaces of a pair of parallel triangles. Note that the pair of parallel triangles does not necessarily have to be equilateral triangles. That is, the attachment 63 does not have to be an equilateral triangular prism.

[0046] The attachment 63 has a first rectangular side surface 67 fixed to the rear surface 65 of the camera housing 13. A vertical screw hole 71 is formed in a second rectangular side surface 69 of the attachment 63. The screw hole 71 is, for example, an inch-threaded camera screw. A support shaft 73 (see FIG. 9) that moves in the tilt directions of pitch and roll can be screwed into this screw hole 71.

[0047] The support shaft 73 is supported by the pole 61 or the like via, for example, a ball joint 75 that is movable in the tilt directions of pitch and roll. The ball joint 75 makes it possible to fix and release the support shaft 73 by rotating a fixing lever 77. The pole 61 equipped with the ball joint 75 may be further fixed to an attachment 79 (see Figs. 13 and 14) such as a shelf arranged in a store via a fixing flange 81 or the like. The shelf referred to here may be, for example, a product shelf on which products (items for sale) handled in the store are displayed, or it may be a shelf used for other purposes.

[0048] The camera device 11 is provided with four bolt fixing holes 83 at positions corresponding to the respective corners of the square on the back surface 65. Meanwhile, a pair of through holes 85 is formed on the second side surface 69 of the attachment 63, which leads to any two of the four bolt fixing holes 83 that are adjacent to each other. In each of the through holes 85, a seating surface that abuts against the head of the inserted fixing bolt 87 is formed parallel to the back surface 65 of the camera housing 13. In addition, a V-shaped recess 89 is formed by carving the inclined second side surface 69 parallel to the back surface 65 near the opening of the through hole 85 so that the head of the fixing bolt 87 can be accommodated. For example, a hexagon socket bolt that can be easily tightened in the recess 89 is preferably used as the fixing bolt 87.

[0049] The camera housing 13 can also be fixed by directly screwing a fixing bolt 87 that passes through the adherend 79 into the back surface 65 without using the attachment 63 and the support shaft 73 .

[0050] The attachment 63 is screwed to the back surface 65 by screwing a pair of fixing bolts 87 inserted into a pair of through holes 85 into any two of the four bolt fixing holes 83 that are adjacent to each other. In other words, the attachment 63 can be attached to the back surface 65 in four different positions (orientations) at 90° intervals around a vertical rotation center.

[0051] 8 is a perspective view of a comparative example of a camera device 57 that is horizontally long and supported in an upright position, as viewed from above the side. In conventional camera device 57 that does not have attachment 63, support shaft 73 is screwed into bolt fixing hole 83 formed vertically in rear surface 65. In this camera device 57, if support shaft 73 is not directed downward from the horizontal direction, optical axis 23 of lens unit 21 is not directed downward from the horizontal direction.

[0052] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the camera device 11 supported in a landscape and upright position, as viewed from the diagonal rear. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the camera device 11 supported in a landscape and upright position, as viewed from the diagonal front. In the camera device 11 according to the first embodiment, the attachment 63 is attached to the back surface 65. The support shaft 73 is screwed in a vertical direction to the second side surface 69 of the attachment 63. As a result, in the camera device 11, as in the above, even if the support shaft 73 is not directed downward from the horizontal direction, the optical axis 23 of the lens unit 21 can be tilted downward from the horizontal direction. In other words, the camera device 11 supported in a landscape and upright position can tilt the optical axis 23 of the lens unit 21 forward.

[0053] Fig. 11 is a perspective view of camera device 11 supported in a vertically long suspended position as viewed from above the side. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of camera device 11 supported in a horizontally long suspended position as viewed from diagonally forward. Camera device 11 can support rectangular camera housing 13 in a vertically long position as shown in Fig. 11 or in a horizontally long position as shown in Fig. 12 by changing the fixing direction of attachment 63. In other words, camera device 11 supported in a suspended position can tilt optical axis 23 of lens unit 21 in the direction of the elevation angle.

[0054] Next, the operation of the camera device 11 according to the above-mentioned embodiment 1 will be described.

[0055] Camera device 11 according to embodiment 1 includes tilt sensor 43 that detects the tilt of camera housing 13, a memory (e.g., storage unit 35) that stores the detected value of the tilt when camera housing 13 is installed as an initial value, a plurality of light-emitting elements (e.g., first LED 39, second LED 41) provided on surface 15 of camera housing 13, and processor 33 that controls the driving of the plurality of light-emitting elements. Processor 33 drives and controls the plurality of light-emitting elements with different light-emitting patterns according to the difference between the detected value of the tilt of camera housing 13 and the initial value.

[0056] The view angle deviation notification method according to the first embodiment is executed by a camera device 11 equipped with a tilt sensor 43 that detects the tilt of the camera housing 13. The view angle deviation notification method stores a detected value of the tilt of the camera housing 13 at the time of installation in a memory (e.g., storage unit 35) as an initial value, calculates a difference between the detected value of the tilt of the camera housing 13 and the initial value, and drives and controls a plurality of light-emitting elements (e.g., LEDs) provided on the surface of the camera housing 13 with different light-emitting patterns according to the difference.

[0057] When the camera housing 13 of the camera device 11 is installed, the inclination of the camera housing 13 is detected by the inclination sensor 43 provided on the camera housing 13. The detection value consisting of the pitch and roll detected by the inclination sensor 43 is stored in the memory unit 35 by the processor 33 as an initial value DataX. On the other hand, during operation, the camera housing 13 may be tilted in a direction different from the imaging direction set as the initial value (for example, a customer or a cleaning staff member's hand may bump into the camera housing 13 during cleaning and move it). For this reason, in the camera device 11, the processor 33 periodically calculates and obtains the detection value DataY consisting of, for example, pitch and roll, even during operation after installation.

[0058] That is, the processor 33 calculates the difference DiffA between the initial value DataX, which is the tilt at the time of installation, and the detection value DataY, which is changed by subsequent movement, and drives and controls the multiple LEDs in different light emission patterns based on the difference DiffA. Examples of the light emission patterns include light emission colors, and lighting / blinking.

[0059] As a result, when the camera housing 13 is moved in a direction different from the initial value DataX during operation (e.g., during cleaning or relocation), a worker (e.g., a store clerk at the store in which the camera device 11 is installed) can immediately know that the camera housing 13 has moved (i.e., that the angle of view has changed) from the LED light emission pattern.

[0060] Therefore, an operator who knows that the angle of view has changed from the light emission pattern of the LEDs can make adjustments such as timely correction of the tilt of camera housing 13 while watching the light emission pattern of the LEDs provided on surface 15 of camera housing 13. When the tilt of camera housing 13 is changed and the changed tilt becomes closer to the initial value DataX, the light emission pattern changes. By visually checking the light emission pattern, the operator can know that camera housing 13 has been adjusted in a direction closer to the original angle of view.

[0061] That is, the worker can easily restore the inclination of the camera housing 13 to the initial value DataX by himself by adjusting the inclination of the camera housing 13 while visually checking the light emission pattern of the LED. As a result, even if the initially set angle of view is shifted, the worker can easily restore the original angle of view in a short time without directly checking the captured image, working with two people, or using a protractor or the like. That is, according to the camera device 11 or the method for notifying the angle of view shift, even if the camera is placed in an environment where the angle of view for imaging is likely to shift from the time of installation, the worker can quickly detect the shift and adjust the angle of view in a short time.

[0062] Furthermore, in the camera device 11, a memory (e.g., storage unit 35) stores a first threshold A, a second threshold B larger than the first threshold A, and a third threshold C larger than the second threshold B. The multiple light-emitting elements include a first light-emitting element (e.g., first LED 39) and a second light-emitting element (e.g., second LED 41) that emit different colors of light. The processor 33 controls the driving of the first light-emitting element (e.g., first LED 39) so as to light up while the difference is less than the first threshold A.

[0063] In this camera device 11, the degree of deviation from the initial value DataX is stored in the memory unit 35 as a number of thresholds (e.g., a first threshold A, a second threshold B, and a third threshold C) that increase in sequence. As a guideline, for example, the first threshold A indicates that the deviation is small, the second threshold B indicates that a deviation has occurred, and the third threshold indicates that the deviation is large. The processor 33 calculates a difference DiffA between the detection value detected by the tilt sensor 43 during operation and the initial value DataX, and controls the driving of the multiple LEDs with different light emission patterns based on the difference DiffA and the various thresholds described above.

[0064] Here, the multiple LEDs are composed of two LEDs with different light emission colors, a first LED 39 and a second LED 41. The first LED 39 emits light of, for example, green. The second LED 41 emits light of, for example, red.

[0065] The processor 33 lights the first LED 39 green while the calculated difference DiffA is less than the first threshold value A. Therefore, in the camera device 11, the first LED 39 continues to light green as long as the camera housing 13 has not been moved from the initial position or has been moved only slightly. Also, if the first LED 39 lights green during the restoration work, the worker can know that restoration to the initial position has been completed.

[0066] Furthermore, in the camera device 11, a memory (e.g., storage unit 35) stores a first threshold A, a second threshold B larger than the first threshold A, and a third threshold C larger than the second threshold B. The multiple light-emitting elements have a first light-emitting element (e.g., first LED 39) and a second light-emitting element (e.g., second LED 41) that emit different colors of light. The processor 33 controls the driving of the first light-emitting element (e.g., first LED 39) to blink while the difference is equal to or larger than the first threshold A and smaller than the second threshold B.

[0067] In this camera device 11, the processor 33 causes the first LED 39 to flash green while the difference DiffA is equal to or greater than the first threshold A and less than the second threshold B. Therefore, in the camera device 11, if the camera housing 13 is slightly displaced from the initial position, the first LED 39 continues to flash green. Also, if the first LED 39 flashes green during the restoration work, the worker can know that restoration to the initial position is nearing completion.

[0068] Furthermore, in the camera device 11, a memory (e.g., storage unit 35) stores a first threshold A, a second threshold B larger than the first threshold A, and a third threshold C larger than the second threshold B. The multiple light-emitting elements have a first light-emitting element (e.g., first LED 39) and a second light-emitting element (e.g., second LED 41) that emit different colors of light. The processor 33 controls the driving of the second light-emitting element (e.g., second LED 41) to blink while the difference is equal to or larger than the second threshold B and smaller than the third threshold C.

[0069] In this camera device 11, the processor 33 causes the second LED 41 to flash in red while the difference DiffA is equal to or greater than the second threshold B and less than the third threshold C. Therefore, in the camera device 11, if the camera housing 13 is displaced from the initial position, the second LED 41 continues to flash in red. Also, if the second LED 41 flashes red during the restoration work, the worker can know that the camera housing 13 is still displaced from the initial position and restoration is incomplete.

[0070] Furthermore, in the camera device 11, a memory (e.g., storage unit 35) stores a first threshold A, a second threshold B larger than the first threshold A, and a third threshold C larger than the second threshold B. The multiple light-emitting elements include a first light-emitting element (e.g., first LED 39) and a second light-emitting element (e.g., second LED 41) that emit different colors of light. The processor 33 controls the driving of the second LED 41 so as to light it up while the difference is equal to or larger than the third threshold C.

[0071] In this camera device 11, the processor 33 lights the second LED 41 in red while the difference DiffA is equal to or greater than the third threshold C. Therefore, in the camera device 11, if the camera housing 13 is significantly displaced from the initial position, the second LED 41 continues to light in red. Also, if the second LED 41 lights in red during recovery work, the worker can know that the camera housing 13 is still significantly displaced from the initial position.

[0072] In the camera device 11, the camera housing 13 has a lens unit 21 with an optical axis 23 perpendicular to the surface 15, and a rectangular first side surface 67 of a triangular prism-shaped attachment 63 is fixed to a rear surface 65 of the camera housing 13. A vertical screw hole 71 is formed in a rectangular second side surface 69 of the attachment 63, and a support shaft 73 that moves in the tilt direction of the camera housing 13 is screwed into the screw hole 71.

[0073] In this camera device 11, a rectangular first side surface 67 of a triangular prism-shaped attachment 63 is fixed to a rear surface 65 of a camera housing 13. A screw hole 71 is formed perpendicularly in a rectangular second side surface 69 of this attachment 63. Therefore, the second side surface 69 in which the screw hole 71 is formed is inclined at an angle with respect to the rear surface 65 of the camera housing 13.

[0074] A support shaft 73 that moves in the tilt directions of pitch and roll is screwed into the screw hole 71 of the second side surface 69. In other words, the camera device 11 with the support shaft 73 screwed into the second side surface 69 is supported by the support shaft 73 via the attachment 63.

[0075] 13 is a schematic diagram showing the imaging range during operation of camera device 57 according to a comparative example. Here, when support shaft 73 for supporting camera housing 13 is oriented horizontally, optical axis 23 of lens unit 21 is horizontal in a conventional camera housing 59 having vertical screw hole 71 on rear surface 65. If support shaft 73 cannot be tilted downward from the horizontal direction, camera device 57 cannot orient optical axis 23 downward from the horizontal direction.

[0076] 14 is a schematic diagram showing the imaging range when the camera device 11 is in operation. In contrast, in the camera device 11 having the attachment 63 on the back surface 65, when the horizontally oriented support shaft 73 is screwed into the second side surface 69 of the attachment 63, the back surface 65 of the camera housing 13 can be tilted forward with respect to the vertical plane. This allows the camera device 11 to expand the imaging range to a range closer to the pole 61 supporting the support shaft 73 than the camera device 57 not having the attachment 63.

[0077] In addition, in the camera device 11, the surface 15 of the camera housing 13 is formed in a rectangular shape, and the lens unit 21 is disposed with the optical axis 23 offset from the intersection of a pair of diagonals of the surface 15. Four bolt fixing holes 83 are provided in the rear surface 65 of the camera housing 13 at positions corresponding to the respective corners of the square, and a pair of through holes 85 leading to any two adjacent bolt fixing holes 83 of the four bolt fixing holes 83 are formed in the second side surface 69, and the attachment 63 is screwed to the rear surface 65 by screwing a pair of fixing bolts 87, which are respectively inserted into the pair of through holes 85, into any two adjacent bolt fixing holes 83 of the four bolt fixing holes 83.

[0078] In this camera device 11, the attachment 63 is detachably fixed to the back surface 65 of the camera housing 13 by a fixing bolt 87. Here, the camera housing 13 is formed in a rectangular shape. The lens unit 21 is disposed offset from the intersection of a pair of diagonals of the surface 15. For example, the lens unit 21 is disposed close to the short side of the camera housing 13.

[0079] Four bolt fixing holes 83 are provided in the rear face 65 of the camera housing 13 at positions corresponding to the corners of a square. Meanwhile, a pair of through holes 85 leading to any two adjacent bolt fixing holes 83 of the four bolt fixing holes 83 are formed in the attachment 63. In other words, the attachment 63 can be fixed to the rear face 65 in four different orientations in which the line segment connecting the pair of through holes 85 overlaps with each side of the square connecting the four bolt fixing holes 83.

[0080] Camera housing 13 can be fixed to rear surface 65 in four different orientations, so the captured image can be portrait, landscape, or upside down. This allows camera device 11 to determine the imaging range with the same degree of freedom in setting the angle of view, whether camera housing 13 is supported on pole 61 installed on the floor side or on pole 61 installed on the ceiling side.

[0081] Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications, corrections, substitutions, additions, deletions, and equivalents within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the components in the various embodiments described above may be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0082] The present disclosure is useful for a camera device and a method for notifying an angle of view deviation that enable an operator to detect deviations early and adjust the angle of view in a short time, even when the camera is placed in an environment where the angle of view for imaging is likely to shift from the time of installation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 11 Camera equipment 13 Camera housing 15 Surface 21 Lens section 23 Optical axis 33 Processors 35 Storage section 39 1st LED 41 2nd LED 43 Tilt Sensor 63 Attachment 65 Back 67 First aspect 69 Second aspect 71 Screw hole 73 Support shaft 83 Bolt fixing hole 85 Through hole 87 Fixing bolt

Claims

1. a tilt sensor that repeatedly detects the tilt of the camera body; a memory that stores the detected value of the tilt at the time of installation of the camera housing as an initial value; A plurality of light emitting elements provided on a surface of the camera housing; A processor for controlling driving of the plurality of light-emitting elements, the processor controls the plurality of light-emitting elements to have different light-emitting patterns in accordance with a difference between the detected value of the tilt of the camera body and the initial value; the camera housing has a lens portion whose optical axis is perpendicular to the surface, A first side surface of a triangular prism-shaped attachment is fixed to a rear surface of the camera housing, A vertical screw hole is formed in a second side surface of the rectangular shape of the attachment, A support shaft that moves in a tilt direction of the camera body is screwed into the screw hole, The surface of the camera housing is formed in a rectangular shape, an optical axis of the lens portion is offset from an intersection of a pair of diagonals of the surface; The rear surface is provided with four bolt fixing holes at positions corresponding to the respective corners of the square; A pair of through holes communicating with any two of the four bolt fixing holes adjacent to each other are formed on the second side surface, The attachment is screwed to the back surface by screwing a pair of fixing bolts respectively inserted into the pair of through holes into any two of the four bolt fixing holes that are adjacent to each other. Camera equipment.

2. the memory stores a first threshold, a second threshold greater than the first threshold, and a third threshold greater than the second threshold; the plurality of light-emitting elements include a first light-emitting element and a second light-emitting element having different light emission colors; The processor controls the first light-emitting element to be turned on while the difference is less than the first threshold value. The camera device according to claim 1 .

3. the memory stores a first threshold, a second threshold greater than the first threshold, and a third threshold greater than the second threshold; the plurality of light-emitting elements include a first light-emitting element and a second light-emitting element having different light emission colors; The processor controls driving of the first light-emitting element to blink while the difference is equal to or greater than the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value. The camera device according to claim 1 .

4. the memory stores a first threshold, a second threshold greater than the first threshold, and a third threshold greater than the second threshold; the plurality of light-emitting elements include a first light-emitting element and a second light-emitting element having different light emission colors; The processor controls driving of the second light-emitting element to blink while the difference is equal to or greater than the second threshold value and less than the third threshold value. The camera device according to claim 1 .

5. the memory stores a first threshold, a second threshold greater than the first threshold, and a third threshold greater than the second threshold; the plurality of light-emitting elements include a first light-emitting element and a second light-emitting element having different light emission colors; The processor controls driving to turn on the second light-emitting element while the difference is equal to or greater than the third threshold value. The camera device according to claim 1 .

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