Network Camera Slave Device Identification Using PT Coordinates

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems cannot identify a slave device included in a captured image by the image capturing apparatus alone, as they rely on external servers for monitoring target information and lack physical positional relationships between slave and master devices.

Innovation Solution

The system uses pan and tilt (PT) coordinates or direction and inclination values of registered slave devices to determine if they are within the image capturing range, allowing the network camera to identify and display information about the slave device superimposed on the captured image.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the system uses external servers to provide monitoring target information, then the identification accuracy of monitoring targets is improved, but the system complexity and dependency on external infrastructure increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveidentification accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The image capturing apparatus performs identification processing autonomously using its own captured images and embedded identification unit, eliminating dependency on external servers. The apparatus captures images, extracts features, and identifies monitoring targets independently, making the system self-sufficient while maintaining identification accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The identification function is extracted from external server infrastructure and integrated directly into the image capturing apparatus. By embedding the identification unit within the apparatus itself, the system removes the external dependency while preserving the identification capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Device complexity

If the master device holds slave device information without physical positional relationship data, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ability to identify slave devices in captured images is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata structure simplicityVSAvoidslave device identification capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary registration of slave devices where the master device captures images of slave devices and stores their image data and identification information in advance. This preliminary action creates a reference database that enables later identification without requiring complex real-time positional tracking.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of storing complex positional relationship data, the system captures and stores image copies of slave devices during registration. These image copies serve as reference patterns that can be compared against newly captured images to identify slave devices, simplifying the data structure while maintaining identification capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If the system relies on external servers for monitoring target information, then the identification accuracy is improved, but the loss of time for data transmission and processing increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveidentification accuracyVSAvoiddata transmission time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The image capturing apparatus performs identification processing autonomously using its own captured images and embedded identification unit, eliminating the time required for data transmission to and from external servers. The apparatus captures images, extracts features, and identifies monitoring targets independently, making the system self-sufficient while maintaining identification accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary registration of slave devices where the master device captures images of slave devices and stores their image data and identification information in advance. This preliminary action creates a reference database that enables later identification without requiring complex real-time positional tracking.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4092630B1Control apparatus and method of controlling the same
Publication Date: 2025.04.23 CANON KK
  • EP4092630B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4092630B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~3
  • EP4092630B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A control apparatus (100) configured to operate as a master device that controls a slave device (400). The control apparatus (100) comprises: image capturing means (101); registration means (500) configured to register slave device information of a slave device to be controlled by the control apparatus; and identification means (103) configured to, based on the slave device information registered by the registration means, identify a slave device that exists in a range of image capturing by the image capturing means. The registration means registers, as the slave device information, information on a relative direction (504) of existence of a slave device with respect to a position of the image capturing means.