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

Abstract

To calculate an appropriate angle-of-view to display an image of an area specified on a map.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus comprises: a coordinate calculation unit for calculating, based on information received from a terminal apparatus that specifies an area where the image is displayed, coordinates of a point-of-interest in the area; a selection unit for selecting an imaging apparatus based on the coordinates of the point-of-interest calculated by the coordinate calculation unit; an angle-of-view calculation unit for calculating an angle-of-view adjusted so that two straight lines connecting the imaging apparatus selected by the selection unit and both ends of the area form an equal angle with a straight line connecting the point-of-interest and the imaging apparatus; an area determination unit for determining a display area adjusted based on the angle-of-view calculated by the angle-of-view calculation; and a first communication unit for transmitting information about the imaging apparatus selected by the selection unit and information on the display area determined by the area determination unit to the terminal apparatus.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] It is possible to construct a system for a user to view an image of an area specified on a map by using a plurality of cameras (imaging devices) connected to a communication network. As a conventional technology related to such a technology, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for calculating an angle of view based on a position (point of interest) specified by a user on a map and the position of a camera, and determining a display area of a captured image.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] However, in the conventional technology, when specifying an area on a map, an appropriate angle of view could not be calculated. This is because the display position has been determined for a specific point on the map until now, and when the display position is specified as an area, there is no process for determining the center of the angle of view or the angle of view that follows the selected area.

[0004] An embodiment of the present invention aims to calculate an appropriate angle of view for displaying an image of an area specified on a map in view of the above problems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention calculates coordinates of a point of interest in the area based on information specifying an area for displaying an image received from a terminal device, a selection unit that selects an imaging device based on the coordinates of the point of interest calculated by the coordinate calculation unit, Rectangular area on the map specify did information, and The coordinates of the intersection of the diagonals of the rectangle represented by the aforementioned region are coordinates of a point of interest in the area as a coordinate calculation unit to calculate, and The ends of the aforementioned region are defined as the midpoints of the pair of sides that are tangent to the outermost line drawn from the imaging device, and theAn angle of view calculation unit calculates an angle of view adjusted so that the angle between the two straight lines connecting the imaging device and the ends of the region is equal to the angle between the straight line connecting the point of interest and the imaging device, and the angle of view calculation Department Adjusted based on the field of view calculated by , in the video acquired by the selected imaging device The device is characterized by having a region determination unit that determines a display area, and a first communication unit that transmits information about the imaging device selected by the selection unit and information about the display area determined by the region determination unit to the terminal device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to calculate an appropriate field of view for displaying an image of a specified area on a map. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of a schematic diagram of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device and a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of a configuration diagram of a functional block in an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This sequence diagram shows an example of a process for displaying an image of a specified region according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a screen for specifying a display area using a map according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure illustrates a method for selecting a photographic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows an example of a process for calculating region information according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure illustrates a method for calculating the field of view for displaying a designated area according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9]This figure illustrates a method for adjusting the field of view for displaying a designated area according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This figure illustrates a method for determining information in a display area according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This figure illustrates the display area of ​​the video displayed on a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the information processing apparatus, information processing system, information processing method, and program according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0009] [First Embodiment] <System Overview> Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic diagram of an information processing system 6 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The information processing system 6 comprises at least one or more imaging devices 3 (when specifying each of multiple imaging devices 3, they will be referred to as imaging devices 3A, 3B, 3C, ...), a terminal device 5, and an information processing device 2, and each device is capable of communicating via a communication network 4. The imaging device 3 is capable of distributing video captured by a camera to the terminal device 5 and the like via the communication network 4. The imaging device 3 may be set up at multiple different locations, or it may be set up within a single location, for example, to display video covering the entire area of ​​a floor in an office. Furthermore, the imaging device 3 may also distribute audio recorded by a microphone simultaneously with the video.

[0010] Terminal device 5 sends a request to information processing device 2 to display video of an area specified by the user on a map, and terminal device 5 receives information from the camera 3 that transmits the video to the information processing device 2, as well as information regarding the video display area. Terminal device 5 can also receive video information from camera 3 and display video of the specified area.

[0011] The information processing apparatus 2 receives a request from the terminal device 5 to display a video of a specified area, and transmits information on the selected imaging device 3 and information on the video display area to the terminal device 5.

[0012] In the following description, the video distributed from the imaging device 3 may be a moving image or a still image periodically distributed, and the video may also be referred to as an image in some cases, but there is no difference in meaning between the two.

[0013] <Hardware configuration example> FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus 2 and the terminal device 5 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing apparatus 2 and the terminal device 5 are constructed by a computer, and include a CPU 501, a ROM 502, a RAM 503, a HD (Hard Disk) 504, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) controller 505, a display 506, an external device connection I / F (Interface) 508, a network I / F 509, a bus line 510, a keyboard 511, a pointing device 512, a DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable) drive 514, and a media I / F 516.

[0014] Among these, the CPU 501 controls the operations of the information processing apparatus 2 and the terminal apparatus 5 as a whole. The ROM 502 stores programs used for driving the CPU 501 such as the IPL. The RAM 503 is used as a work area for the CPU 501. The HD 504 stores various data such as programs. The HDD controller 505 controls the reading or writing of various data to and from the HD 504 according to the control of the CPU 501. The display 506 displays various information such as a cursor, menu, window, characters, or images. The external device connection I / F 508 is an interface for connecting various external devices. External devices in this case are, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, a printer, and the like. The network I / F 509 is an interface for data communication using the network N2. The bus line 510 is an address bus, a data bus, etc. for electrically connecting each component such as the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 6.

[0015] Also, the keyboard 511 is a type of input means having a plurality of keys used for inputting characters, numerical values, or various instructions. The pointing device 512 is a type of input means for selecting and executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, moving a cursor, and the like. The DVD-RW drive 514 controls the reading or writing of various data to and from the DVD-RW � as an example of a removable recording medium. Note that the DVD-RW drive 514 is not limited to the DVD-RW and may be a DVD-R or the like. The media I / F 516 controls the reading or writing (storage) of data to and from the recording medium 515 such as a flash memory.

[0016] <Regarding functions> Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a functional block in an information processing system 6 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 3, the information processing system 6 comprises an information processing device 2, a terminal device 5, and a shooting device 3 as devices having main functional blocks. Each functional block is a function or means realized by the CPU 901 executing instructions contained in one or more programs installed in the information processing device 2 or the terminal device 5, for example.

[0017] <Functions of the information processing device> The information processing device 2 includes a coordinate calculation unit 10, a selection unit 11, a field of view calculation unit 12, a region determination unit 13, and a first communication unit 14.

[0018] The coordinate calculation unit 10 calculates the coordinates of the point of interest from the coordinates of the start and end points that represent the specified area on the map specified by the user. Here, the start and end points are specified by the coordinates of two vertices at the diagonal corners of a rectangle. If the specified area is a rectangle, the coordinates of the intersection of the diagonals are calculated as the point of interest within the specified area. The point of interest is the center point when displaying the specified area.

[0019] The selection unit 11 selects from among multiple imaging devices 3 that can capture the location of the point of interest and is located closest to the point of interest, based on the coordinates of the point of interest calculated by the coordinate calculation unit 10.

[0020] The field of view calculation unit 12 first calculates two angles (α, β) at both ends of the designated area, centered on the point of interest. The size of the calculated field of view will vary depending on the positional relationship between the point of interest, the shooting device 3, and the designated area, but the field of view calculation unit 12 calculates a field of view adjusted so that the point of interest lies on a straight line that bisects the field of view. Specifically, if the two angles between the point of interest and both ends of the area are different (α > β), the field of view is adjusted by making the narrower angle (β) equal to the wider angle (α).

[0021] The area determination unit 13 determines the area to be displayed with the field of view adjusted by the field of view calculation unit 12, and determines area information as information necessary for the terminal device 5 to display the video from the shooting device 3 selected by the selection unit 11. Based on the area information determined by the area determination unit 13, the terminal device 5 can specify the area to be displayed from the video information received from the shooting device 3 and display the video.

[0022] The first communication unit 14 receives a request from the terminal device 5 to display a specified area and transmits information about the selected shooting device 3 and area information about the image to be displayed by the terminal device 5 to the terminal device 5.

[0023] <Functions of the terminal device> The terminal device 5 includes a display control unit 20, an operation reception unit 21, and a second communication unit 22.

[0024] The display control unit 20 displays a map for the user to specify the area to display the video, as well as the video received from the camera 3, on the display 506 of the terminal device 5.

[0025] The operation reception unit 21 receives user input to specify the coordinates of the start and end points for the area to be displayed in the video, and obtains those coordinates on the map. The operation reception unit 21 also receives a request from the user to display the specified area.

[0026] The second communication unit 22 transmits a display request for a specified area designated by the user, along with information about the specified area (map coordinates of the start and end points), to the first communication unit 14 of the information processing device 2. The second communication unit 22 also receives information about the selected imaging device 3 and information about the display area 66 determined by the area determination unit 13 from the information processing device 2. The second communication unit 22 also transmits a request to the third communication unit 31 of the imaging device 3 to distribute the video, and receives video information from the third communication unit 31 of the imaging device 3.

[0027] <Functions of the imaging device> The imaging device 3 comprises an imaging unit 30 and a third communication unit 31.

[0028] The camera unit 30 captures video for distribution to the terminal device 5.

[0029] The third communication unit 31 receives a request to distribute video from the second communication unit 22 of the terminal device 5 and transmits video information to the second communication unit 22 of the terminal device 5.

[0030] <Description of the process in the embodiment of the present invention> Figure 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the process for displaying an image of a specified region according to an embodiment of the present invention. Each step will be described below.

[0031] Step S40: The display control unit 20 of the terminal device 5 displays a map on the display 506 for the user to specify the area in which the image captured by the camera 3 will be displayed. The operation reception unit 21 of the terminal device 5 receives an operation from the user to specify the area in which the image will be displayed. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for specifying the area to be displayed using a map according to an embodiment of the present invention. The map screen 60 shown in Figure 5 is a plan view (plan) of an office where desks with PCs (Personal Computers) are arranged, viewed from directly above. The map screen 60 also includes information on the location where the camera 3 is installed. The terminal device 5 and the information processing device 2 are capable of referring to the same map information stored in a database or the like. The user specifies the designated area 63 in which the image from the camera 3 will be displayed by specifying a starting point 61 and an ending point 62 using a pointing device 512 or the like. For example, the user moves the pointer on the screen of the pointing device 52 to the starting point 61, then presses the button on the pointing device 52, and while still holding the button down, moves the pointer to the ending point 62 and releases the button to specify the area. The designated area 63 is a rectangle whose sides are either perpendicular or horizontal to the screen. The operation reception unit 21 receives an operation from the user to specify a start point 61 and an end point 62, and obtains the coordinates of the start point 61 and end point 62 on the map. The operation reception unit 21 also receives a request from the user to display the designated area 63 specified by the user.

[0032] Let's return to Figure 4 for explanation. Step S41: The second communication unit 22 of the terminal device 5 transmits a request to display the designated area 63 specified by the user to the first communication unit 14 of the information processing device 2, along with information regarding the map coordinates of the starting point 61 and ending point 62.

[0033] Step S42: The first communication unit 14 of the information processing device 2 transmits the received information regarding the map coordinates of the starting point 61 and ending point 62 to the coordinate calculation unit 10. Based on the received information, the coordinate calculation unit 10 calculates the coordinates of the point of interest 64 in Figure 5. The point of interest 64 is the intersection of the diagonals in the rectangle of the designated area 63 specified by the user. Therefore, for example, if the coordinates of the starting point 61 are (X1, Y1) and the coordinates of the ending point 62 are (X2, Y2), the coordinates of the point of interest can be calculated as ((X1+Y1) / 2, (X2+Y2) / 2).

[0034] Let's return to Figure 4 for explanation. Step S43: The selection unit 11 of the information processing device 2 selects a shooting device 3 based on the coordinates of the point of interest 64 calculated by the coordinate calculation unit 10. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the method of selecting a shooting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 6, the positions of shooting devices 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D and the corresponding areas for each shooting device 3 are shown by dotted lines on the office map screen 60 shown in Figure 5. The shooting device 3 is capable of capturing a wide area (e.g., a 360-degree image) and is installed near the ceiling of the office with its lens pointed diagonally downwards. As shown in Figure 6, the corresponding area is the area in which the shooting device can capture the position of the point of interest, and the selection unit 11 selects the shooting device that is closest to the point of interest. Therefore, since the coordinates of the point of interest 64 are located in the area corresponding to shooting device 3C, the selection unit 11 selects shooting device 3C. Here, it is assumed that all shooting devices 3 are installed at the same height, and the distance between the shooting device 3 and the point of interest can be compared using the distance on a plane. Alternatively, it is possible to calculate distances that take height into account by adding information about the shooting area and the height of the shooting device 3 to the map.

[0035] Let's return to Figure 4 for explanation. Step S44: The area determination unit 13 of the information processing device 2 determines the area information of the image to be displayed on the display 506 by the terminal device 5, based on the coordinates of the starting point 61 and ending point 62, the coordinate of the point of interest 64 calculated by the coordinate calculation unit 10, and the coordinate of the imaging device 3C selected by the selection unit 11. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the process for calculating area information according to an embodiment of the present invention. Each step will be explained below.

[0036] Step S50: Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating a method for calculating the field of view for displaying a designated area according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 shows the designated area 63 and the selected imaging device 3C shown in Figures 5 and 6. Hereafter, the point of interest 64 will also be referred to as point C for convenience. As shown in Figure 8, the midpoints of the shorter sides of the rectangle of the designated area 63 are denoted as points A and B, respectively, and the coordinate of the imaging device 3C is denoted as point O. Here, for example, the line connecting point C and point O is called line CO, the angle shown by line AO ​​and line CO is called angle AOC, and the distance of line CO is denoted as |CO|. Furthermore, in Figure 8, a line is drawn passing through point C and perpendicular to line OC, and the point where this line intersects with the line extended from line OA is denoted as point A', and the point where it intersects with line OB is denoted as point B'. In calculating the field of view for displaying the designated area 63, assuming that points A and B are the outermost points of the designated area 63, the field of view calculation unit 12 of the information processing device 2 calculates angles AOC (=α) and BOC (=β) using the following formulas. |OC|, etc., can be easily calculated because the position and height of the camera are included in the map.

[0037]

number

number

[0038]

number

[0039] Let's return to Figure 7 for explanation. Step S52: The region determination unit 13 determines the region information of the expanded display region 66 based on the field of view calculated in step S51. Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating a method for determining the information of the display region according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 10 shows the region of the image that can be captured by the shooting device 3C added to Figure 9. This region is represented by an arc ST with points S and T as its ends and centered at point O. Here, if we let point A'' be the intersection of the line OA and the arc ST, and P'' be the intersection of the line OP and the arc ST, then the display region 66 corresponds to the arc P''A'', and the information of the display region 66 can be shown by using the position on the arc ST. Here, if angle SOP'' = δ1 and angle TOA'' = δ2, then the lengths of arc SP'' and arc TA'', |arc SP''| and |arc TA''|, can be calculated by the following formulas.

[0040]

number

number

[0041] However, since the arc ST is drawn on the map, it is sufficient to transmit angle information, which is a ratio to the entire display area, as valid information for the display area 66. Therefore, the area determination unit 13 can use the values ​​of δ1 and α (or 2α) as information for the display area 66. Alternatively, it may use δ1 / γ and α / γ (or 2α / γ), which are ratios obtained by dividing by the field of view γ (γ = δ1 + δ2 + 2α) of the imaging device 3C. Here, the value of the field of view γ is assumed to be a predetermined fixed value and is shared between the information processing device 2 and the terminal device 5. Also, the field of view 2α is set within a range that does not exceed the field of view γ. That is, the value of α is set within a range where point P'' does not exceed point S, or point A'' does not exceed point T, and if the range is exceeded, the maximum value that does not exceed the range is set.

[0042] Furthermore, the image area that can be captured by the imaging device 3C may not be the arc ST shown in Figure 10, but may be a full 360 degrees. In such cases as well, it is possible to determine the information in the display area 66 based on the angle from the reference point S.

[0043] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the display area of ​​an image displayed in a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 11 shows an overall image 67 captured by the shooting device 3C and a display image 68 which corresponds to the display area 66. The display image 68 is the image displayed on the display 506 of the terminal device 5. The horizontal direction in Figure 11 corresponds to a straight line on the arc ST in Figure 10. On the other hand, the vertical direction in Figure 11 is determined by the vertical field of view of the shooting device 3C. The horizontal length of the overall image 67 is a fixed value determined, for example, by the number of pixels (=Q) at the field of view γ of the shooting device 3C. By using this value of the number of pixels Q, the number of pixels from point S to point P'' can be calculated as follows: number of pixels = Q × δ1 / γ, number of pixels from point P'' to point B'' = Q × 2α / γ, number of pixels from point B'' to point T = Q × δ2 / γ, and so on, allowing the pixels at the horizontal position of the display image 68 in the overall image 67 to be identified. The number of pixels in the vertical direction may be determined by a predetermined ratio of horizontal to vertical pixels, or it may be displayed at a position and size (number of pixels) specified by the user.

[0044] Let's return to Figure 4 for explanation. Step S45: The first communication unit 14 of the information processing device 2 transmits the information of the imaging device 3 selected by the selection unit 11 and the information of the display area 66 determined by the area determination unit 13 to the second communication unit 22 of the terminal device 5. Here, the information of the imaging device 3 may be the IP address of the imaging device 3, or hostname and domain information, or a predetermined ID that allows the terminal device 5 to identify the imaging device 3. The information processing device 2 may also obtain information such as the IP address to be transmitted to the terminal device 5 from a database for the imaging device 3 selected by the selection unit 11 on the map.

[0045] The display control unit 20 of the terminal device 5 displays the received information from the imaging device 3 and the information from the display area 66 on the display 502.

[0046] Step S46: The second communication unit 22 of the terminal device 5 transmits a request to the third communication unit 31 of the camera device 3C to distribute video, based on the information received from the camera device 3.

[0047] Step S47: When the third communication unit 31 of the imaging device 3C receives a request from the terminal device 5 to distribute video, the imaging unit 30 of the imaging device 3C starts recording video if it is not already recording video. The third communication unit 31 of the imaging device 3C transmits information about the video recorded by the imaging unit 30 to the terminal device 5. Here, the conditions for the video to be distributed (video resolution, bitrate, frame rate, etc.) are predetermined. Alternatively, these conditions may be determined between the terminal device 5 and the imaging device 3C before distribution begins, depending on the performance and load of the device or the load of the communication network.

[0048] Step S48: The second communication unit 22 of the terminal device 5 receives video information distributed from the third communication unit 31 of the imaging device 3C. The display control unit 20 extracts the video of the area of ​​the display video 68 shown in Figure 11 from the overall video 67 and displays it on the display 506 of the terminal device 5.

[0049] Through the above processing, the information processing device 2 can calculate an appropriate field of view for displaying the image of the area specified by the user on the map displayed on the terminal device 5, and transmit the area information necessary for displaying the image to the terminal device 5. In other words, the information processing device 2 adjusts the field of view and display area for the area specified by the user on the map so that the point of interest in the area is at the center. Furthermore, the terminal device 5 can calculate information to identify the image of the display area from the image (overall image) received from the camera device 3.

[0050] In the following sections, only the differences in processing compared to the first embodiment will be explained for Modifications 1 to 4 of the first embodiment.

[0051] [Modification 1 of the first embodiment] Modification 1 relates to the area where the user specifies the image on the map to be displayed in step S40 of the sequence diagram shown in Figure 4. In the first embodiment, the shape of the specified area was a rectangle (including a square) with each side being horizontal or perpendicular to the screen, but in Modification 1, it is possible to rotate the specified rectangular (including a square) area in any direction. In this case, the two endpoints that determine the field of view (points A and B shown in Figure 8) may be the midpoints of the sides of the rectangle, as in the first embodiment. However, the set of sides of the rectangle that results in the widest field of view should be selected. Alternatively, the two endpoints that determine the field of view may be the points where the straight line drawn from the shooting device 3 touches the outermost line (resulting in the widest field of view).

[0052] Alternatively, the shape of the region may be circular or elliptical. In this case, the two endpoints that determine the field of view are the points where the straight line drawn from the imaging device 3 touches the outermost line, and the point of interest is the center of the circle or ellipse.

[0053] For other processes, the same methods as those described in the first embodiment can be used.

[0054] [Modification 2 of the first embodiment] Modification 2 relates to the process of calculating the coordinates of the point of interest in step S42 in the sequence diagram shown in Figure 4. In the first embodiment, the coordinates of the point of interest were calculated as the coordinates of the intersection of the diagonals in the rectangular region. In Modification 2, after determining the two endpoints that define the field of view, the point of interest is selected on the line that bisects the field of view. For example, in Figure 8, the point of interest is the intersection of the angle bisector of angle AOB and the line AB. Alternatively, the point of interest may be the midpoint between the two points where the angle bisector of angle AOB touches the designated region 63. When the point of interest is determined in this way, the angles (α, β) from the point of interest to the left and right endpoints are equal, so the process of adjusting the field of view, which was performed in step 51 shown in Figure 7 in the first embodiment (or explained in Figure 9), does not need to be performed and can be skipped.

[0055] For other processes, the same methods as those described in the first embodiment can be used.

[0056] [Modification 3 of the first embodiment] Modification 3 relates to the process of adjusting and calculating the field of view, which was performed in step S51 of the flowchart shown in Figure 7. In the first embodiment, angles α and β were compared and adjusted to match the larger angle. That is, if α > β, the value of β was adjusted to be equal to α. In Modification 3, for example, if α > β, the value of α is adjusted to be equal to β. The display area can be adjusted in the same way as shown in Figure 9. Specifically, point A can be moved to the left in the same way that point B was moved to point P. Alternatively, the values ​​of α and β can be adjusted to (α + β) / 2. In this case, it is necessary to adjust the positions of both points A and B in Figure 9.

[0057] For other processes, the same methods as those described in the first embodiment can be used.

[0058] [Modification 4 of the first embodiment] Modification 4 relates to the processing in steps S46 to S48 in the sequence diagram shown in Figure 4. In the first embodiment, the terminal device 5 extracts (cuts out) the video of a specified area from the video information received from the imaging device 3C and displays it on the display 506. In Modification 4, in step S46, the second communication unit 22 of the terminal device 5 transmits the area information received from the information processing device 2 in step S45 to the third communication unit 31 of the imaging device 3, along with the video distribution request. In step S47, the third communication unit 31 of the imaging device 3C transmits only the video information of the area specified by the area information to the second communication unit 22 of the terminal device 5. In step S48, the display control unit 20 displays the received video as is on the display 506 of the terminal device 5. Here, the display control unit 20 does not need to cut out the video of the display video 68 from the overall video 67 shown in Figure 11.

[0059] For other processing, the same methods as those described in the first embodiment can be used. In Modification 4, only the video of the area to be displayed on the terminal device 5 is received and displayed from the imaging device 3C. Therefore, compared to the processing in the first embodiment, there is an effect of reducing the load on the processing of encoding video data and transmitting video data on the imaging device 3C, the load on the processing of decoding video data and receiving video data on the terminal device 5, and the load on the communication network.

[0060] Although several embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited in any way to these embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0061] For example, the example of the functional block configuration diagram in Figure 3 is divided according to its main function in order to facilitate understanding of the processing performed by the information processing device 2, terminal device 5, and information processing system 6. The present invention is not limited by the way the processing units are divided or the names of those units. The processing of the information processing device 2, terminal device 5, and information processing system 6 can be further divided into more processing units depending on the processing content. Alternatively, a single processing unit can be divided to include even more processing.

[0062] Furthermore, each function of the embodiments described above can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Hereinafter, "processing circuit" as used herein includes processors programmed to execute each function by software, such as processors implemented by electronic circuits, as well as devices such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), DSPs (digital signal processors), FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), and conventional circuit modules designed to execute each of the functions described above.

[0063] Furthermore, the described apparatus represents only one of several computing environments for carrying out the embodiments disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the information processing apparatus 2, terminal device 5, and information processing system 6 include multiple computing devices, such as a server cluster. The multiple computing devices are configured to communicate with each other via any type of communication link, including a communication network and shared memory, and to perform the processing disclosed herein.

[0064] Furthermore, the Second Communications Department 22, the First Communications Department 14, and the Third Communications Department 31 are sometimes simply referred to as the Communications Departments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 2. Information Processing Device 3. Imaging device 4. Communication Network 5 Terminal devices 6. Information Processing Systems 10. Coordinate Calculation Unit 11 Selection Section 12. Angle of View Calculation Unit 13 Area determination part 14. First Communications Department 20 Display Control Unit 21 Operation Reception Section 22. Second Communications Department 30 Photography Department 31. Third Communications Department [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0066] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6065195

Claims

1. A coordinate calculation unit calculates the coordinates of the intersection of the diagonals of the rectangle represented by the area, based on information received from a terminal device that specifies a rectangular area on a map where the video will be displayed, as the coordinates of the point of interest within the area. A selection unit selects a shooting device based on the coordinates of the point of interest calculated by the coordinate calculation unit, A field of view calculation unit calculates a field of view adjusted such that the ends of the aforementioned region are the midpoints of the pair of sides where lines drawn from the imaging device touch at their outermost edges, and the angles formed by the two lines connecting the imaging device and the ends of the region are equal to the angle formed by the line connecting the point of interest and the imaging device. A region determination unit that determines the display area in the image acquired by the selected shooting device, which is adjusted based on the field of view calculated by the field of view calculation unit, An information processing device having a first communication unit that transmits to the terminal device information related to the imaging device selected by the selection unit and information about the display area determined by the area determination unit.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the field of view calculation unit adjusts the field of view by making the narrower angle equal to the wider angle with respect to the two angles between the shooting device and both ends of the region.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the selection unit selects the imaging device that is closest to the point of interest.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the region is specified by the coordinates of two vertices at diagonal corners of a rectangle representing the region.

5. A coordinate calculation unit calculates the coordinates of the intersection of the diagonals of the rectangle represented by the area, based on information received from a terminal device that specifies an area on a map in which to display video, as the coordinates of the point of interest within the area. A selection unit selects a shooting device based on the coordinates of the point of interest calculated by the coordinate calculation unit, A field of view calculation unit calculates a field of view adjusted such that the ends of the aforementioned region are the midpoints of the pair of sides where lines drawn from the imaging device touch at their outermost edges, and the angles formed by the two lines connecting the imaging device and the ends of the region are equal to the angle formed by the line connecting the point of interest and the imaging device. A region determination unit that determines the display area adjusted based on the field of view calculated by the field of view calculation unit, An information processing device having a first communication unit that transmits information about the imaging device selected by the selection unit and information about the display area determined by the area determination unit to the terminal device, An operation reception unit that accepts an operation by the user to specify the area, The terminal device includes a display control unit that displays information of the imaging device and information of the display area received from the information processing device, An information processing system having

6. The aforementioned terminal device is The information processing system according to claim 5, further comprising a second communication unit that receives video information corresponding to the region from the aforementioned imaging device.

7. A coordinate calculation step in which, based on information received from a terminal device that specifies an area on a map in which the video is to be displayed, the coordinates of the intersection of the diagonals of the rectangle represented by the area are calculated as the coordinates of the point of interest in the area, A selection step in which a shooting device is selected based on the coordinates of the point of interest calculated in the above coordinate calculation step, A field of view calculation step, in which the ends of the aforementioned region are taken as the midpoints of the pair of sides where lines drawn from the imaging device touch at their outermost edges, and the field of view is calculated by adjusting the angle such that the angle between the two lines connecting the imaging device and the ends of the region is equal to the angle made by the line connecting the point of interest and the imaging device, A region determination step in which a display area is determined based on the field of view calculated in the field of view calculation step, A communication step which transmits to the terminal device information regarding the imaging device selected in the selection step and information regarding the display area determined in the area determination step, An information processing method having

8. In an information processing device, A coordinate calculation step in which, based on information received from a terminal device that specifies an area on a map in which the video is to be displayed, the coordinates of the intersection of the diagonals of the rectangle represented by the area are calculated as the coordinates of the point of interest in the area, A selection step in which a shooting device is selected based on the coordinates of the point of interest calculated in the above coordinate calculation step, A field of view calculation step, in which the ends of the aforementioned region are taken as the midpoints of the pair of sides where lines drawn from the imaging device touch at their outermost edges, and the field of view is calculated by adjusting the angle such that the angle between the two lines connecting the imaging device and the ends of the region is equal to the angle made by the line connecting the point of interest and the imaging device, A region determination step in which a display area is determined based on the field of view calculated in the field of view calculation step, A communication step which transmits to the terminal device information regarding the imaging device selected in the selection step and information regarding the display area determined in the area determination step, A program that executes the command.

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