Image capture control device, imaging control method, and program

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of being able to highly accurately detect an object in a moving image captured by an image capture device, even when the object is moving. On the basis of a detection result of an object from one or more sensors, an estimation unit estimates a distance and a direction of an object with respect to an installation position of an image capture device. A first setting unit outputs a setting value for an angle of view of the image capture device according to the estimated distance of the object. A first control unit outputs a control value for an image capture direction of the image capture device according to the direction of the object estimated by the sensor(s). A detection unit detects the object in an image captured by the image capture device.

Description

Photographing Control Device, Photographing Control Method, and Program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a photographing control device, a photographing control method, and a program, and particularly to a photographing control device, a photographing control method, and a program for controlling the photographing direction and the angle of view of a photographing device.

[0002] In recent years, there has been a growing concern about an increase in cases where drones, such as those referred to as drones or UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), enter restricted flight areas (for example, the airspace above and the surrounding areas of airports and important facilities) without permission, and technologies for detecting the flight of drones within a surveillance area are being studied. Also, even when drones are used for material transportation, it is desirable to be able to detect flying objects around a logistics base for the departure / arrival management and collision prevention of drones.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes detecting and tracking flying objects within a surveillance area using a surveillance radio wave detection device. Also, Patent Document 1 describes determining the suspiciousness of a flying object based on the trajectory of the flying object detected by the surveillance radio wave detection device, and photographing while variably controlling the photographing direction so that a flying object with a high degree of suspiciousness is displayed at the center of the screen by a photographing device having a drive unit capable of controlling the photographing direction and the zoom ratio (angle of view).

[0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017 - 167870

[0005] In order to detect or identify a flying object on an image using a computer with artificial intelligence or the like, or for a user to confirm a flying object on an image, it is conceivable to control the photographing direction of the photographing device based on the position information of the flying object obtained from the surveillance radio wave detection device as in Patent Document 1 so that the flying object is displayed within the screen. At this time, in order to improve the detection / identification performance of the object by the computer and the visibility when the user views the image, it is preferable that the flying object always appears on the image with a size within a predetermined range.

[0006] However, since the distance between the aircraft detected by the radio wave detection device and the imaging device, and the size of the object, vary each time, if the imaging device controls the imaging direction to capture the object within a constant field of view, the size of the object in the captured image when it is within the field of view may deviate from a predetermined range, potentially reducing the detection and identification performance. Furthermore, if the field of view is changed while the imaging direction is being controlled in response to the movement of the object in the image, so that the object appears within a predetermined range in the image, the amount of change in the imaging direction corresponding to the movement in the image changes, which may cause instability in the control of the imaging direction.

[0007] This disclosure has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to improve the detection and identification performance of an object using an image, and the visibility of the object in the image, by controlling the field of view of the camera so that the object to be detected is always captured within a predetermined size range in the captured image.

[0008] A shooting control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: estimation means for estimating the distance and direction of an object with respect to the installation position of a shooting device based on the detection results of an object by one or more sensors; first setting means for outputting a setting value for the field of view of the shooting device according to the distance of the object estimated by the estimation means; first control means for outputting a control value for the shooting direction of the shooting device according to the direction of the object estimated by the estimation means; and detection means for detecting the object on the image captured by the shooting device.

[0009] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a computer estimates the distance and direction of an object relative to the installation position of a camera based on the detection results of an object by one or more sensors, outputs a set value for the field of view of the camera according to the estimated distance of the object, outputs a control value for the shooting direction of the camera according to the estimated direction of the object, and detects the object on the image captured by the camera.

[0010] A program according to one aspect of this disclosure causes a computer to perform the following processes: estimating the distance and direction of an object to the installation position of a camera based on the detection results of an object by one or more sensors; setting the field of view of the camera according to the estimated distance of the object; outputting a control value for the shooting direction of the camera according to the estimated direction of the object; and detecting the object on the image captured by the camera.

[0011] According to one aspect of this disclosure, by controlling the field of view of the camera so that the object to be detected is always captured within a predetermined size range in the captured image, the object detection and identification performance using the image and the visibility of the object in the image can be improved.

[0012] This figure schematically shows an example of an aircraft tracking system equipped with a photographic control device according to one embodiment. This figure shows an example of the content that the photographic control device according to one embodiment displays on the display device of the aircraft tracking system. This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the photographic control device according to one embodiment. This is a flowchart showing the operation of the photographic control device according to one embodiment figure showing an example of the hardware configuration of the photographic control device according to one embodiment.

[0013] [Embodiment 1] Figure 1 shows an example of an aircraft tracking system in Embodiment 1. The aircraft tracking system 1 includes a radio wave detection device 100, a photography device 200, a photography control device 10, and a display device 300 (Figure 2).

[0014] The radio wave detection device 100 is a device that searches for flying objects within the monitoring area using radio waves and transmits the detection results of the flying objects to the image control device 10. In Figure 1, the fan-shaped figure simulates the range of the radio wave detection device 100's search for flying objects. Examples of flying objects include those that can be flown by remote control or autopilot, such as unmanned aircraft, unmanned rotary-wing aircraft, and unmanned airships (unmanned aerial vehicles), as well as those flown by people using specific aerial equipment, such as balloons, hang gliders, and paragliders, and flying creatures such as birds.

[0015] Examples of radio wave detection devices 100 include radar and passive radar. Radar transmits radio waves and receives reflected waves that have been reflected by an aircraft. Using the time from the transmission of the radio waves to the reception of the reflected waves, and the direction in which the reflected waves were received, it is possible to calculate the presence or absence of an aircraft, as well as the distance to the aircraft and its direction. Passive radar, also called a radio wave detection sensor, can determine the position of an aircraft by detecting radio waves used for communication between an aircraft, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle, and a ground station. There are several types of radar and passive radar.

[0016] When radar or passive radar is used as the radio wave detection device 100, the type of radar or passive radar is predetermined by the system designer or others, taking into consideration various factors such as the size of the monitoring area, the type of aircraft to be detected, the type of facility being monitored by the monitoring system to which the aircraft tracking system 1 is applied, and its surrounding environment.

[0017] In embodiments 1 to 3 described later, the types of radars and passive radars used as the radio wave detection device 100 are not limited, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0018] The imaging device 200 is a device that photographs an aircraft detected by the radio wave detection device 100, and includes a drive unit 201 for controlling the shooting direction and a field of view changing unit 202 for controlling the field of view (or the focal length of the camera lens) by a zoom function (digital zoom or optical zoom). In Figure 1, the triangular shape simulates the shooting range of the imaging device 200.

[0019] The imaging device 200 may be one unit or multiple units, as shown in Figure 1, and the number is not limited. If multiple aircraft are detected simultaneously by the radio wave detection device 100, the target to be photographed by the imaging device 200 may be determined based on predetermined rules, or multiple imaging devices 200 may each photograph different aircraft. The field of view that can be specified by the field of view changing unit 202 is predetermined by the system designer or the like, depending on the size of the monitoring area, the distance to the detected target, the size of the detected target, etc. The imaging device 200 continuously photographs within the shooting range and transmits the photographic data to the imaging control device 10.

[0020] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the imaging control device 10 according to this embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 3, the imaging control device 10 includes an estimation unit 11, a first setting unit 12, a first control unit 13, and a detection unit 14.

[0021] The estimation unit 11 estimates the distance and direction of an aircraft relative to the installation position of the imaging device 200 (Figure 1) based on the detection results of the aircraft by one or more sensors (hereinafter simply referred to as "sensors"). The first setting unit 12 sets the field of view of the imaging device 200 according to the distance of the aircraft estimated by the estimation unit 11. The first control unit 13 controls the shooting direction of the imaging device 200 toward the estimated direction of the aircraft. The detection unit 14 detects the aircraft on the image captured by the imaging device 200.

[0022] In one example, the sensor includes a radio wave detection device 100, and the position information of the aircraft includes the distance and direction of the aircraft relative to the installation location of the sensor. In another example, the sensor includes a camera 200, and the position information of the aircraft includes the direction of the aircraft relative to the installation location of the camera 200, and the size of the area occupied by the aircraft in the captured image. In yet another example, the sensor is a radio wave detection device 100 and a camera 200, and the position of the aircraft includes either the distance and direction of the aircraft relative to the installation location of the camera 200, or the direction of the aircraft relative to the installation location of the camera 200 and the size of the area occupied by the aircraft in the captured image.

[0023] Each function of the shooting control device 10 may be implemented as software, or as hardware using hardware resources such as a computer (Figure 8).

[0024] As shown in Figure 4, the estimation unit 11 performs signal processing on the radio wave detection signal output from the radio wave detection device 100 to estimate the distance and direction of the aircraft relative to the installation position of the imaging device 200 (step S101 in Figure 4). The output of the estimation unit 11 may be the estimated distance and direction of the aircraft at the current time, or it may be the estimated distance and direction of the aircraft at a future time, taking into account the current angle or angular velocity of the imaging device 200. The radio wave detection signal includes, for example, information on the aircraft's position (latitude, longitude, altitude), speed, and detection time.

[0025] Next, the first setting unit 12 sets the field of view of the imaging device 200 according to the distance of the aircraft output by the estimation unit 11 (step S102). The relationship between the estimated distance of the aircraft and the field of view to be set may be predetermined. In this example, the field of view V is set based on the distance L of the aircraft according to a predetermined relational expression (Figure 7). The predetermined relational expression may be, for example, a lookup table (LUT) determined for each distance of the aircraft, or it may be expressed as V = (L / L0)V0 using a field of view V0 determined for a certain fixed distance L0. The first setting unit 12 may also set the field of view of the imaging device 200 so that the area occupied by the aircraft on the captured image is within a predetermined size range.

[0026] The first control unit 13 causes the drive unit 201 to control the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 so that the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 matches the direction of the aircraft output by the estimation unit 11 (step S103). The first control unit 13 may also control the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 so that the aircraft fits within a predetermined area on the captured image. The first control unit 13 may determine the amount of control for the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 based on the field of view of the shooting device 200 at the current time, the position of the aircraft on the captured image, or the change in its position, or both.

[0027] The detection unit 14 starts processing when the operation of the drive unit 201 is completed. The detection unit 14 detects the aircraft on the image captured by the imaging device 200 (step S104). The detection method is not limited here.

[0028] The display device 300 is a device that provides information by displaying characters and images on a screen. Here, the display device 300 receives the detection results of the aircraft by the radio wave detection device 100 and the detection results from the detection unit 14 of the shooting control device 10, and provides information about the aircraft to the user of the aircraft tracking system 1, for example. The display device 300 may be, for example, a monitor connected to the shooting control device 10, or a display device such as a portable terminal carried by the user.

[0029] (Example of a screen displayed on the display device 300) Figure 2 shows an example of a screen displayed on the display device 300. In the example shown in Figure 2, the upper left of the screen displays a detection result image showing the position of an aircraft detected by the radio wave detection device 100, and a mark indicating the aircraft being photographed by the camera device 200 among the aircraft on the detection result image. The shape of the mark is not limited to that shown in Figure 2; it may be a graphic, a symbol, or a mark resembling an aircraft, and can be set as appropriate by the system designer or the like.

[0030] Furthermore, if there are multiple imaging devices 200, different marks may be set according to the identification number of each imaging device 200. The image captured by the imaging device 200 is displayed on the right side of the screen. In Figure 2, a frame is displayed superimposed on the image area of ​​the aircraft; this indicates that it is an aircraft to be detected.

[0031] Furthermore, the means by which the display device 300 provides information is not limited to the above, as long as it can inform the user that the target aircraft has been detected.

[0032] (Effects of this embodiment) According to the configuration of Embodiment 1, the aircraft tracking system 1 sets the field of view of the shooting device 200 according to the distance of the aircraft estimated by the estimation unit 11 using the first setting unit 12, thereby making it possible to keep the size of the aircraft in the captured image within a predetermined range. This improves the aircraft detection and identification performance using the image and the visibility of the aircraft in the image.

[0033] [Embodiment 2] Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 8.

[0034] In this second embodiment, components common to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0035] (Configuration of the shooting control device 10) Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the shooting control device 10 according to this second embodiment. In addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, the shooting control device 10 in this second embodiment further comprises a second setting unit 15, a second control unit 16, and an integrated processing unit 25.

[0036] The second setting unit 15 receives size information of the aircraft on the captured image (for example, the number of pixels occupied by the aircraft on the captured image) from the detection unit 14 and outputs an updated field of view value for the imaging device 200 based on predetermined conditions. The predetermined conditions may include, for example, expanding or shrinking the field of view so that the size of the aircraft is kept within a predetermined range, but other conditions may also be used.

[0037] The second control unit 16 receives position information of the aircraft on the captured image from the detection unit 14 and the field of view value z at the current time from the field of view changing unit 202, and outputs an updated value for the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 based on predetermined conditions. For example, the amount of update to the shooting direction can be calculated based on a PID control law so that the aircraft continues to be captured within a predetermined range near the center of the image, but it may also be based on other conditions. The second control unit 16 may determine the amount of control for the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 based on the field of view of the shooting device 200 at the current time and the position, or change in position, or both of the aircraft on the captured image.

[0038] Here, the coefficient k for converting the position or change in position of the aircraft on the captured image into the relative angle between the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 and the aircraft needs to be determined each time based on the current field of view value. The coefficient k may be determined, for example, based on a lookup table defined for each field of view, or it may be expressed as (z / z0)k0 using a fixed coefficient k0 at the reference field of view z0.

[0039] The integrated processing unit 25 receives updated field of view values ​​from the first setting unit 12 and the second setting unit 15, and updated shooting direction values ​​from the first control unit 13 and the second control unit 16, and outputs a field of view command value to the field of view changing unit 202 and a shooting direction command value to the drive unit 201 based on predetermined conditions.

[0040] The predetermined conditions could be, for example, that if the detection unit 14 cannot detect an aircraft, or if the reliability of the output of the detection unit 14 is low, the results of the first setting unit 12 and the first control unit 13 are adopted, and otherwise the results of the second setting unit 15 and the second control unit 16 are adopted. However, other conditions may also be used.

[0041] In this way, by using both the detection results of aircraft detected using radio waves and the detection results of aircraft detected from captured images, depending on the situation, the possibility of losing track of the aircraft being tracked can be reduced.

[0042] (Operation of the shooting control device 10) Referring to Figure 6, the operation of the shooting control device 10 according to this second embodiment will be explained. Note that steps S101 to S104 are the same as in the first embodiment, so the explanation here will be omitted. If the aircraft on the captured image could not be detected in S104 (No in S105), the flow returns to S101. If the aircraft is detected on the captured image (Yes in S105), the second control unit 16 outputs an updated value for the shooting direction based on the position information of the aircraft on the captured image received from the detection unit 14. The integrated processing unit 25 outputs an instruction to the drive unit 201 to change the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 based on the updated value for the shooting direction based on the latest detection result of the radio wave detection device 100 received from the first control unit 13 and the updated value for the shooting direction received from the second control unit 16 (S106).

[0043] If the angle-of-view change unit 202 is in operation based on the previous angle-of-view change instruction (No in S107), the flow returns to step S104. If the angle-of-view change unit 202 is not in operation (Yes in S107), the second setting unit 15 outputs an updated value of the angle of view based on the size information of the flying object on the captured image received from the detection unit 14. The integration processing unit 25 outputs an angle-of-view change instruction to the angle-of-view change unit 202 based on the updated value of the angle of view based on the latest detection result of the radio wave detection device 100 received from the first setting unit 12 and the updated value of the angle of view received from the second setting unit 15 (S108).

[0044] Thereafter, the flow returns to step S104.

[0045] (Effect of this embodiment) According to the configuration of the second embodiment, the flying object tracking system 1 continuously outputs an updated value of the angle of view (zoom ratio) of the imaging device 200 by the first setting unit 12 or the second setting unit 15, and outputs an updated value of the imaging direction of the imaging device 200 by the first control unit 13 and the second control unit 16. Thereby, for example, the flying object tracking system 1 can continue to capture the target flying object while keeping it at a constant size on the image and within the angle of view. In addition, the integration processing unit 25 can improve the robustness of tracking by using the updated values of the angle of view and the imaging direction calculated by two different methods in combination.

[0046] [Other embodiments] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can take various forms. For example, other embodiments in the present disclosure may further include an angle-of-view estimation unit 35 as shown in FIG. 7. The angle-of-view estimation unit 35 acquires the operating state of the angle-of-view change unit 202. If the angle-of-view change unit 202 is in operation, the angle-of-view estimation unit 35 estimates the current angle of view based on the latest angle-of-view change instruction value, the angle-of-view change start time, and the elapsed time since the start of the angle-of-view change.

[0047] The method of estimating the current angle of view may assume, for example, that "the mechanism starts operating with a certain delay time after instructing the angle-of-view change, and changes to the command value at a constant change rate after the start of the operation". If the angle-of-view change unit 202 is not in operation, the angle-of-view estimation unit 35 outputs the latest angle-of-view change instruction value as the current angle-of-view value.

[0048] The output of the angle estimation unit 35 is linked to the first control unit 13 or the second control unit 16 and is used to calculate the control value for the shooting direction of the imaging device 200.

[0049] Also, for example, the embodiment in the present disclosure may further include a tracking unit not shown in the figure. The tracking unit cooperates with the detection unit 14 and tracks the detected flying object using the captured image. Various tracking methods for tracking a subject using a captured image have been proposed, and although not limited here, for example, a method using a tracking model generated by artificial intelligence (AI) can be mentioned. The tracking model is generated, for example, by learning two sets of local images obtained by cutting out only the flying object area of the tracking target and the entire image including the background as teacher data. [[ID='4']]

[0050] The input information to the tracking model is, for example, two captured images of the imaging device 200 and the local image of the flying object obtained as the output of the previous tracking model. The output information from the tracking model includes, for example, the position information of the flying object being tracked in the input captured image and the local image obtained by cutting out the flying object area.

[0051] In this case, for the time-series continuous captured images (video) obtained by the imaging device 200, the frame image to be processed is selected every predetermined number of frames. In one example, the tracking unit executes a tracking process for tracking the target flying object as described above for the selected frame image.

[0052] Also, for example, the detection unit 14 may further identify the type of the detected flying object and provide the identification result to the user through the display device 300. In the display device 300, for example, a mark corresponding to the type of the flying object can be superimposed and displayed at the detection position of the flying object.

[0053] Further, the detection unit 14 is further provided with a function of determining whether or not the detected flying object is a suspicious flying object whose flight within the monitoring area is not permitted. If it is determined that the flying object is a suspicious flying object, an alert may be issued to a predetermined notification destination.

[0054] The initial detection method for flying objects in the area is not limited to detection by the radio wave detection device 100; detection may also be performed using physical phenomena other than radio waves, such as sound waves or light waves. Furthermore, although the above embodiment described the case where the detection target is a flying object, the detection target may also be an object moving on the ground or at sea.

[0055] (Hardware configuration of the imaging control device 10) Each component of the imaging control device 10 described in the above embodiment represents a functional unit block. Some or all of these components are realized by an information processing device, such as the one shown in Figure 8. Figure 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device.

[0056] As shown in Figure 8, the computer 110 comprises a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 111, main memory 112, storage device 113, input interface 114, display controller 115, data reader / writer 116, and communication interface 117. Each of these components is connected to each other via a bus 121 to enable data communication. In addition to the CPU 111, or in place of the CPU 111, the computer 110 may also include a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

[0057] The CPU 111 loads the program (code) in this embodiment, stored in the storage device 113, into the main memory 112 and performs various calculations by executing them in a predetermined order. The main memory 112 is typically a volatile storage device such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). The program in this embodiment is provided stored in a computer-readable recording medium 120. The program in this embodiment may also be distributed over the internet connected via the communication interface 117.

[0058] Specific examples of the storage device 113 include hard disk drives and semiconductor storage devices such as flash memory. The input interface 114 mediates data transmission between the CPU 111 and input devices 118 such as a keyboard and mouse. The display controller 115 is connected to the display device 119 and controls the display on the display device 119.

[0059] The data reader / writer 116 mediates data transmission between the CPU 111 and the recording medium 120, reads programs from the recording medium 120, and writes processing results from the computer 110 to the recording medium 120. The communication interface 117 mediates data transmission between the CPU 111 and other computers.

[0060] Furthermore, specific examples of the recording medium 120 include general-purpose semiconductor memory devices such as CF (Compact Flash®) and SD (Secure Digital), magnetic recording media such as Flexible Disks, or optical recording media such as CD-ROMs (Compact Disk Read Only Memory).

[0061] (Note) Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following.

[0062] (Note 1) A camera control device comprising: estimation means for estimating the distance and direction of an object with respect to the installation position of a camera device based on the detection results of an object by one or more sensors; first setting means for outputting a setting value for the field of view of the camera device according to the distance of the object estimated by the estimation means; first control means for outputting a control value for the shooting direction of the camera device according to the direction of the object estimated by the estimation means; and detection means for detecting the object on the image captured by the camera device.

[0063] (Note 2) The imaging control device according to Note 1, wherein the sensor includes a radio wave detection device, and the detection result of the object includes the distance and direction of the object with respect to the installation position of the imaging device.

[0064] (Note 3) The imaging control device according to Note 1, wherein the sensor includes the imaging device, and the position information of the object includes the direction of the object with respect to the installation position of the imaging device, and the size of the area occupied by the object in the captured image.

[0065] (Note 4) The imaging control device according to Note 1, wherein the sensor is a radio wave detection device and the imaging device, and the position information of the object includes either the distance and direction of the object with respect to the installation position of the imaging device, or the direction of the object with respect to the installation position of the imaging device and the size of the area occupied by the object in the captured image.

[0066] (Note 5) The shooting control device according to any one of Notes 1 to 4, characterized in that the first setting means sets the field of view of the shooting device such that the area occupied by the object on the captured image is within a predetermined size range.

[0067] (Note 6) The photographic control device according to any one of Notes 1 to 5, wherein the first control means controls the shooting direction of the photographic device so that the object fits within a predetermined area on the captured image.

[0068] (Note 7) The photographic control device according to any one of Notes 1 to 6, further comprising: a second setting means for outputting a set value for the field of view of the photographic device based on the size of the object in the photographed image; a second control means for outputting a control value for the shooting direction of the photographic device based on the position of the object in the photographed image; and an integrated processing means for determining updated values ​​for the field of view and shooting direction of the photographic device based on either the output of the first setting means and the first control means, or the output of the second setting means and the second control means.

[0069] (Note 8) The photographic control device according to any one of Notes 1 to 7, further comprising a field of view estimation means for estimating the field of view of the photographic device at the current time, wherein the first control means determines a control amount for the photographic direction of the photographic device based on the field of view of the photographic device at the current time and the position or change in position of the object on the photographed image, or both.

[0070] (Note 9) A shooting control method in which a computer estimates the distance and direction of an object relative to the installation position of a shooting device based on the detection results of an object by one or more sensors, outputs a set value for the field of view of the shooting device according to the estimated distance of the object, outputs a control value for the shooting direction of the shooting device according to the estimated direction of the object, and detects the object on the image captured by the shooting device.

[0071] (Note 10) A program for causing a computer to perform the following: a process of estimating the distance and direction of an object to the installation position of the imaging device based on the detection results of the object by one or more sensors; a process of setting the field of view of the imaging device according to the estimated distance of the object; a process of outputting a control value for the shooting direction of the imaging device according to the estimated direction of the object; and a process of detecting the object on the image captured by the imaging device.

[0072] Furthermore, some or all of the configurations described in Appendices 2 to 8, which are dependent on Appendice 1 (e.g., device) as described above, may also be dependent on Appendice 9 (e.g., method) and Appendice 10 (e.g., program) in the same dependent relationship as Appendices 2 to 8. Moreover, within the scope that does not depart from each of the embodiments described above, some or all of the configurations described as appendices may also be dependent on various hardware, software, various recording means for recording software, or systems.

[0073] The present disclosure has been described above with reference to several embodiments. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. Each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate. Furthermore, various modifications to the configuration and details of the embodiments can be made as understandable to those skilled in the art within the scope of the present disclosure. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-181955, filed on 17 October 2024, and incorporates all of its disclosures herein.

[0074] This disclosure can be used, for example, in an aircraft tracking system that tracks aircraft such as logistics drones using a telephoto camera.

[0075] 1. Aircraft tracking system 10. Image capture control device 11. Estimation unit 12. First setting unit 13. First control unit 14. Detection unit 15. Second setting unit 16. Second control unit 25. Integrated processing unit 35. Field of view estimation unit 100. Radio wave detection device 200. Image capture device 201. Drive unit 202. Field of view changing unit 300. Display device

Claims

1. A camera control device comprising: an estimation means for estimating the distance and direction of an object relative to the installation position of a camera device based on the detection results of an object by one or more sensors; a first setting means for outputting a set value for the field of view of the camera device according to the distance of the object estimated by the estimation means; a first control means for outputting a control value for the shooting direction of the camera device according to the direction of the object estimated by the estimation means; and a detection means for detecting the object on the image captured by the camera device.

2. The imaging control device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a radio wave detection device, and the detection result of the object includes the distance and direction of the object with respect to the installation position of the imaging device.

3. The imaging control device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes the imaging device, and the position information of the object includes the direction of the object with respect to the installation position of the imaging device, and the size of the area occupied by the object in the captured image.

4. The imaging control device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a radio wave detection device and the imaging device, and the position information of the object includes either the distance and direction of the object with respect to the installation position of the imaging device, or the direction of the object with respect to the installation position of the imaging device and the size of the area occupied by the object in the captured image.

5. The shooting control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the first setting means sets the field of view of the shooting device such that the area occupied by the object on the captured image is within a predetermined size range.

6. The imaging control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the first control means controls the imaging direction of the imaging device so that the object is contained within a predetermined area on the captured image.

7. The photographic control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: a second setting means for outputting a set value for the field of view of the photographic device based on the size of the object in the captured image; a second control means for outputting a control value for the shooting direction of the photographic device based on the position of the object in the captured image; and an integrated processing means for determining updated values ​​for the field of view and shooting direction of the photographic device based on either the output of the first setting means and the first control means, or the output of the second setting means and the second control means.

8. The shooting control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a field of view estimation means for estimating the field of view of the shooting device at the current time, wherein the first control means determines a control amount for the shooting direction of the shooting device based on the field of view of the shooting device at the current time and the position or change in position of the object on the captured image, or both.

9. A shooting control method comprising: a computer estimating the distance and direction of an object relative to the installation position of a shooting device based on the detection results of an object by one or more sensors; outputting a set value for the field of view of the shooting device according to the estimated distance of the object; outputting a control value for the shooting direction of the shooting device according to the estimated direction of the object; and detecting the object on the image captured by the shooting device.

10. A program to cause a computer to perform the following: a process of estimating the distance and direction of an object relative to the installation position of a camera based on the detection results of an object by one or more sensors; a process of setting the field of view of the camera according to the estimated distance of the object; a process of outputting a control value for the shooting direction of the camera according to the estimated direction of the object; and a process of detecting the object on the image captured by the camera.

Images