Image displaying apparatus, image displaying system, image displaying method and image displaying program

1. An image displaying apparatus connected to a first camera and a second camera, on both of which pan/tilt control can be carried out, by communication lines, said image displaying apparatus comprising:

an information acquisition section acquiring information used for moving a display area over a virtual area obtained by combining a first area serving as the pan/tilt range of said first camera with a second area serving as the pan/tilt range of said second camera by making said first and second areas adjacent to each other;

a control section

monitoring position of said display area in said virtual area,

requesting said first camera to carry out pan/tilt operations to receive an image of said display area when said display area is positioned in said first area before and after a movement of said display area, and

requesting said second camera to carry out pan/tilt operations to receive an image of said display area when said display area has been moved from said first area to the boundary between said first and second areas; and

an image displaying section displaying an image received from one of said first and second cameras as an image of said display area.

2. The image displaying apparatus according to claim 1 wherein, after requesting said second camera to carry out pan/tilt operations to receive an image of said display area when said display area has been moved from said first area to said boundary between said first and second areas, in a state of displaying an image included in said first area, said control section requests said first camera to terminate transmission of said image included in said first area and requests said second camera to start transmission of an image included in said second area.

3. The image displaying apparatus according to claim 1 wherein,

said virtual area is an area obtained by combining said first and second areas with each other and by partially superposing said first and second areas on each other and thus has an overlap area obtained by superposing a portion of said first area on a portion of said second area;

when said display area has been moved from said first area to said boundary between said first and second areas, said control section requests:

said second camera to carry out pan/tilt operations to follow said display area moving over said overlap area;

said first camera to carry out pan/tilt operations to follow said display area moving over said overlap area till the position of said imaging area of said first camera coincides with the position of said imaging area of said second camera; and

said first camera to terminate transmission of an image included in said first area and said second camera to start transmission of an image included in said second area as said position of said imaging area of said first camera coincides with said position of said imaging area of said second camera.

4. The image displaying apparatus according to claim 1 wherein zoom control can be carried out on said first and second cameras;

said information acquisition section further acquires information used for enlarging and contracting said display area; and

said control section requests said second camera to carry out zoom operation to receive an image of said display area when said display area has been moved from said first area to said boundary between said first and second areas.

5. The image displaying apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said information acquisition section acquires operation information used for moving said display area from the user.

6. The image displaying apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said information acquisition section acquires object detection information used for moving said display area capturing an object, which is moving in said virtual area, in said virtual area by following the movement of said object from one of the first and second cameras.

7. An image displaying system comprising:

a first camera and a second camera, on both of which pan/tilt control can be carried out, and

an image displaying apparatus connected to said first camera and said second camera,

wherein said image displaying apparatus includes

an information acquisition section acquiring information used for moving a display area over a virtual area obtained by combining a first area serving as the pan/tilt range of said first camera with a second area serving as the pan/tilt range of said second camera by making said first and second areas adjacent to each other;

a control section

monitoring position of said display area in said virtual area,

requesting said first camera to carry out pan/tilt operations to receive an image of said display area when said display area is positioned in said first area before and after a movement of said display area, and

requesting said second camera to carry out pan/tilt operations to receive an image of said display area when said display area has been moved from said first area to the boundary between said first and second areas; and

an image displaying section displaying an image received from one of said first or second cameras as an image of said display area.

8. An image displaying method making use of a first camera and a second camera, on both of which pan/tilt control can be carried out, as well as an image displaying apparatus connected to said first and second cameras by communication lines, said image displaying method comprising:

acquiring information used for moving a display area over a virtual area obtained by combining a first area serving as the pan/tilt range of said first camera with a second area serving as the pan/tilt range of said second camera by making said first and second areas adjacent to each other;

monitoring position of said display area in said virtual area;

requesting said first camera to carry out pan/tilt operations to receive an image of said display area when said display area is positioned in said first area before and after a movement of said display area;

requesting said second camera to carry out pan/tilt operations to receive an image of said display area when said display area has been moved from said first area to the boundary between said first and second areas; and

displaying an image received from one of said first and second cameras as an image of said display area.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon, a set of computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform an image displaying method making use of a first camera and a second camera, on both of which pan/tilt control can be carried out, as well as an image displaying apparatus connected to said first and second cameras by communication lines, wherein said image displaying method comprises:

acquiring information used for moving a display area over a virtual area obtained by combining a first area serving as the pan/tilt range of said first camera with a second area serving as the pan/tilt range of said second camera by making said first and second areas adjacent to each other;

monitoring position of said display area in said virtual area;

requesting said first camera to carry out pan/tilt operations to receive an image of said display area when said display area is positioned in said first area before and after a movement of said display area;

requesting said second camera to carry out pan/tilt operations to receive an image of said display area when said display area has been moved from said first area to the boundary between said first and second areas; and

displaying an image received from one of said first and second cameras-as an image of said display area.