IP Library Granted Patent US 9,313,400
Granted Patent B2
US 9,313,400 · App. 14/056,515 · Granted Apr 12, 2016

Linking-up photographing system and control method for linked-up cameras thereof

Inventor: Chih-Chiang Chen (New Taipei, TW)
Assignee: VIVOTEK INC.
H04N5/23238G08B13/19643G08B13/19689H04N7/18H04N7/181
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,313,400
App. No.
14/056,515
Granted
Apr 12, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosure relates to a linking-up photographing system and a control method of linked-up cameras thereof including the following steps. A first image is acquired via a first camera. A second image is acquired via a second camera and presents a field of view (FOV) which partially overlaps a FOV of the first image at least. A control look-up table is established according to the first image and the second image. A designating command specifying a region of interest (ROI) in the first image is received. A FOV of the second camera is adjusted according to the ROI and the control look-up table, and then the second camera photographs a view specified by the ROI, so as to obtain a third image. In this way, the second camera can link up and cooperate with the first camera easily.

Claims (84)

1. A control method of linked-up cameras, comprising:

acquiring a first image via a first camera;

acquiring a second image via a second camera, wherein a field of view (FOV) of the second image partially at least overlaps a FOV of the first image;

establishing a control look-up table according to the first image and the second image;

receiving a designating command which specifies a region of interest (ROI) in the first image; and

adjusting a FOV of the second camera according to the ROI and the control look-up table, and then controlling the second camera to photograph a view specified by the ROI, to obtain a third image,

wherein the step of adjusting the FOV of the second camera according to the ROI and the control look-up table, and then controlling the second camera to photograph a view specified by the ROI to obtain the third image comprises:

looking up a capture position parameter which corresponds to the ROI, in the control look-up table according to a third central point of the ROI; and

controlling the second camera according to the capture position parameter, so as to obtain the third image;

wherein the second image comprises a second central point, the ROI comprises a plurality of boundary points, and the step of looking up the capture position parameter which corresponds to the ROI, in the control look-up table according to the third central point of the ROI comprises:

calculating a third central mapping point of the second image corresponding to the third central point, and calculating a plurality of boundary mapping points of the second image corresponding to the boundary points;

calculating a scaling angle according to the boundary mapping points, the second central point and the third central mapping point; and

looking up the capture position parameter which corresponds to the ROI, in the control look-up table according to the third central mapping point, wherein the capture position parameter comprises a tilt coefficient and a pan coefficient; and

wherein the step of calculating the scaling angle according to the boundary mapping points, the second central point and the third central mapping point comprises:

calculating a plurality of angles formed by the boundary mapping points, the second central point and the third central mapping point; and

multiplying a maximum acute angle of the angles by 2 to obtain the scaling angle.

2. The control method of linked-up cameras according to claim 1 , wherein the step of acquiring the second image from the second camera comprises:

capturing a plurality of fourth images according to various FOVs by the second camera; and

stitching the fourth images to generate the second image which is panoramic.

3. The control method of linked-up cameras according to claim 1 , wherein the first image includes a plurality of coordinate points, and the step of establishing the control look-up table according to the first image and the second image comprises:

setting M position points in the first image and in the second image, and the M position points of the first image corresponding to the M position points of the second image respectively, where M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3;

grouping every three of the M position points of the first image together to generate permutations, and to generate N position point sets according to an order of all the permutations, where N is a positive integer;

calculating N coordinate transformation parameter sets which correspond to the N position point sets respectively;

performing a mapping transformation procedure on each coordinate point in the first image according to one of the N coordinate transformation parameter sets to obtain a capture position parameter corresponding to the coordinate point, for the second camera; and

storing the capture position parameters in the control look-up table.

4. The control method of linked-up cameras according to claim 3 , wherein the mapping transformation procedure performs the following steps on each coordinate point:

selecting one of the N position point sets according to current one of the coordinate points;

calculating a mapping point of the second image corresponding to the current coordinate point according to the coordinate transformation parameter set corresponding to the selected position point set; and

obtaining the capture position parameter corresponding to the mapping point.

5. The control method of linked-up cameras according to claim 4 , wherein the selected position point set has the three position points closest to the current coordinate point.

6. The control method of linked-up cameras according to claim 3 , wherein the capture position parameter comprises a tilt coefficient and a pan coefficient for the second camera.

7. A linking-up photographing system, comprising:

a first camera configured to acquire a first image;

a second camera configured to acquire a second image presenting a FOV which partially at least overlaps a FOV of the first image;

a calibration processor configured to establish a control look-up table according to the first image and the second image; and

a control processor configured to receive a designating command which specifies a ROI in the first image, and adjust a FOV of the second camera according to the ROI and the control look-up table, so as to control the second camera to photograph a view specified by the ROI, to obtain a third image,

wherein the control processor looks up a capture position parameter corresponding to the ROI in the control look-up table according to a third central point of the ROI, and controls the second camera to obtain the third image according to the capture position parameter;

wherein the second image comprises a second central point, the ROI comprises a plurality of boundary points, and when looking up the capture position parameter corresponding to the ROI in the control look-up table according to the third central point of the ROI, the control processor performs the following steps:

calculating a third central mapping point of the second image corresponding to the third central point;

calculating a plurality of boundary mapping points of the second image corresponding to the boundary points;

calculating a scaling angle according to the boundary mapping points, the second central point and the third central mapping point; and

looking up the capture position parameter corresponding to the ROI in the control look-up table according to the third central mapping point, wherein the capture position parameter comprises a tilt coefficient and a pan coefficient; and

wherein when calculating the scaling angle according to the boundary points, the second central point and the third central mapping point, the control processor calculates a plurality of angles formed by the boundary mapping points, the second central point and the third central mapping point, and multiplies a maximum acute angle of the angles by 2 to obtain the scaling angle.

8. The linking-up photographing system according to claim 7 , wherein the second camera captures a plurality of fourth images according to various FOVs, and the fourth images are stitched to generate the second image which is panoramic.

9. The linking-up photographing system according to claim 7 , wherein the first image comprises a plurality of coordinate points, and when establishing the control look-up table according to the first image and the second image, the calibration processor performs the following steps:

setting M position points in the first image and in the second image, wherein the M position points of the first image correspond to the M position points of the second image respectively, and M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3;

successively grouping every three of the M position points of the first image together to generate permutations, and to generate N position point sets according to an order of all the permutations, where N is a positive integer;

calculating N coordinate transformation parameter sets corresponding to the N position point sets respectively;

performing a mapping transformation procedure on each of the coordinate points of the first image according to one of the N coordinate transformation parameter sets to obtain a capture position parameter of the second camera corresponding to the coordinate point; and

storing the capture position parameters in the control look-up table to establish the control look-up table.

10. The linking-up photographing system according to claim 9 , wherein in the mapping transformation procedure, the control processor performs the following steps:

selecting one of the N position point sets according to current one of the coordinate points;

calculating a mapping point of the second image corresponding to the current coordinate point according to the coordinate transformation parameter set corresponding to the selected position point set; and

calculating and obtaining the capture position parameter corresponding to the mapping point.

11. The linking-up photographing system according to claim 10 , wherein the selected position point set comprises the three position points closest to the current coordinate point.

12. The linking-up photographing system according to claim 9 , wherein the capture position parameter comprises a tilt coefficient and a pan coefficient for the second camera.

13. A control method of linked-up cameras, comprising:

acquiring a first image via a first camera;

acquiring a second image via a second camera, wherein a field of view (FOV) of the second image partially at least overlaps a FOV of the first image;

establishing a control look-up table according to the first image and the second image;

receiving a designating command which specifies a region of interest (ROI) in the first image; and

adjusting a FOV of the second camera according to the ROI and the control look-up table, and then controlling the second camera to photograph a view specified by the ROI, to obtain a third image,

wherein the ROI is circular and has a plurality of boundary points, the second image has a second central point, and the step of looking up the capture position parameter which corresponds to the ROI, in the control look-up table according to the third central point of the ROI comprises:

calculating a second central mapping point of the first image corresponding to the second central point, and calculating a third central mapping point of the second image corresponding to the third central point;

defining a first reference circle by setting the second central mapping point to be a center of circle and setting a distance between the second central mapping point and the third central point to be a radius, wherein the first reference circle joins two of the boundary points;

calculating two boundary mapping points of the second image corresponding to the two boundary points joining the first reference circle;

calculating a scaling angle according to the two boundary mapping points, the second central point and the third central mapping point; and

looking up the capture position parameter which corresponds to the ROI, in the control look-up table according to the third central mapping point, wherein the capture position parameter comprises a tilt coefficient and a pan coefficient; and

wherein the step of calculating the scaling angle according to the two boundary mapping points, the second central point and the third central mapping point comprises:

calculating a plurality of angles formed by the two boundary mapping points, the second central point and the third central mapping point; and

multiplying a maximum acute angle of the angles by 2 to obtain the scaling angle.

14. A linking-up photographing system, comprising:

a first camera configured to acquire a first image;

a second camera configured to acquire a second image presenting a FOV which partially at least overlaps a FOV of the first image;

a calibration processor configured to establish a control look-up table according to the first image and the second image; and

a control processor configured to receive a designating command which specifies a ROI in the first image, and adjust a FOV of the second camera according to the ROI and the control look-up table, so as to control the second camera to photograph a view specified by the ROI, to obtain a third image,

wherein the ROI is circular and comprises a plurality of boundary points, the second image comprises a second central point, and when looking up the capture position parameter corresponding to the ROI in the control look-up table according to the third central mapping point, the control processor performs the following steps:

calculating a second central mapping point of the first image corresponding to the second central point;

calculating a third central mapping point of the second image corresponding to the third central point;

defining a first reference circle by setting the second central mapping point to be a center of circle, and by setting a distance between the second central mapping point and the third central point to be a radius, wherein the first reference circle joins two of the boundary points;

calculating two boundary mapping points of the second image corresponding to the two boundary points joining the first reference circle;

calculating a scaling angle according to the two boundary mapping points, the second central point and the third central mapping point; and

looking up the capture position parameter corresponding to the ROI in the control look-up table according to the third central mapping point, wherein the capture position parameter comprises a tilt coefficient and a pan coefficient; and

wherein when calculating the scaling angle according to the two boundary points, the second central point and the third central mapping point, the control processor calculates a plurality of angles formed by the two boundary mapping points, the second central point and the third central mapping point, and multiplies a maximum acute angle of the angles by 2 to obtain the scaling angle.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 17, 2013
From: CHEN, CHIH-CHIANG
To: VIVOTEK INC.
Reel/Frame 031427/0517 →
Priority Claims (2)
TW 101138328 A · Oct 17, 2012 · national
TW 102121251 A · Jun 14, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20140104376A1 · Apr 17, 2014