IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,592,078
Granted Patent B2
US 12,592,078 · App. 18/215,428 · Granted Mar 31, 2026

Video monitoring device, video monitoring system, video monitoring method, and storage medium storing video monitoring program

Inventors: Jun Minagawa (Tokyo, JP); Kohei Okahara (Tokyo, JP); Kento Yamazaki (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
G06V20/52G06T7/292G06T7/70G06V10/26G06V10/761H04N23/695H04N23/90G06V2201/07
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,592,078
App. No.
18/215,428
Granted
Mar 31, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A video monitoring device includes processing circuitry to acquire position information indicating a position of a mobile object; to command image capturing directions of a plurality of movable cameras provided at predetermined positions; to evaluate a viewability level of the mobile object in a video captured by each of the plurality of movable cameras based on the position of the mobile object and the positions of the plurality of movable cameras; to select a movable camera for use for image capturing of the mobile object from the plurality of movable cameras based on the viewability level; and to display the video of the mobile object captured by the selected movable camera, wherein the viewability level is evaluated based on an angular speed of swiveling of each of the plurality of movable cameras necessary for each of the plurality of movable cameras to keep sight of the mobile object.

Claims (41)

1 . A video monitoring device comprising:

processing circuitry to acquire position information indicating a position of a mobile object as a moving target object;

to command image capturing directions of a plurality of movable cameras provided at predetermined positions;

to evaluate a viewability level of the mobile object in a video captured by each of the plurality of movable cameras based on the position of the mobile object and the positions of the plurality of movable cameras;

to automatically select a movable camera for use for image capturing of the mobile object from the plurality of movable cameras based on the viewability level;

to automatically control the selected movable camera so that the movable camera is directed toward the mobile object; and

to display the video of the mobile object captured by the selected movable camera on a monitor screen,

wherein the viewability level is evaluated based on an angular speed of swiveling of each of the plurality of movable cameras necessary for each of the plurality of movable cameras to keep sight of the mobile object, and

wherein the processing circuitry automatically selects and controls the movable camera, based on the angular speed of swiveling of each of the plurality of movable cameras.

2 . The video monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein the viewability level is evaluated based on the angular speed, and the viewability level increases with a decrease in the angular speed.

3 . The video monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein the viewability level of the mobile object in the video captured by each of the plurality of movable cameras is evaluated based on the angular speed and a distance between the position of the mobile object and the position of each of the plurality of movable cameras.

4 . The video monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein

the viewability level of the mobile object in the video captured by each of the plurality of movable cameras is evaluated based on the angular speed and a feature level of the mobile object included in the video captured by each of the plurality of movable cameras, and

the feature level is calculated as a similarity level between a vector of a desired image capturing direction and a vector of the image capturing direction of each of the plurality of movable cameras.

5 . The video monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein

the viewability level of the mobile object in the video captured by each of the plurality of movable cameras is evaluated based on the angular speed, a distance between the position of the mobile object and the position of each of the plurality of movable cameras, and a feature level of the mobile object included in the video captured by each of the plurality of movable cameras, and

the feature level is determined based on a predetermined part or a part designated by a user in the mobile object.

6 . The video monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein

the viewability level is evaluated based on the angular speed and an occlusion occurrence level corresponding to an occurrence time of occlusion occurring when each of the plurality of movable cameras keeps track of the mobile object for a predetermined time, and

the viewability level increases with a decrease in the angular speed and with a decrease in the occlusion occurrence level.

7 . The video monitoring device according to claim 6 , wherein the viewability level of the mobile object in the video captured by each of the plurality of movable cameras is evaluated based on the angular speed, the occlusion occurrence level, and a distance between the position of the mobile object and the position of each of the plurality of movable cameras.

8 . The video monitoring device according to claim 6 , wherein

the viewability level of the mobile object in the video captured by each of the plurality of movable cameras is evaluated based on the angular speed, the occlusion occurrence level, and a feature level of the mobile object included in the video captured by each of the plurality of movable cameras, and

the feature level is calculated as a similarity level between a vector of a desired image capturing direction and a vector of the image capturing direction of each of the plurality of movable cameras.

9 . The video monitoring device according to claim 6 , wherein

the viewability level of the mobile object in the video captured by each of the plurality of movable cameras is evaluated based on the angular speed, the occlusion occurrence level, a distance between the position of the mobile object and the position of each of the plurality of movable cameras, and a feature level of the mobile object included in the video captured by each of the plurality of movable cameras, and

the feature level is calculated as a similarity level between a vector of a desired image capturing direction and a vector of the image capturing direction of each of the plurality of movable cameras.

10 . The video monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein a desired image capturing direction is determined and the viewability level of the mobile object in the video captured by each of the plurality of movable cameras is evaluated based on an operation performed on a user operation unit having a display function of displaying a model simulating the mobile object and an operation function of rotating the model according to a user operation.

11 . A video monitoring system comprising:

the video monitoring device according to claim 1 ; and

the plurality of movable cameras.

12 . A video monitoring method executed by a computer, the method comprising:

acquiring position information indicating a position of a mobile object as a moving target object;

commanding image capturing directions of a plurality of movable cameras provided at predetermined positions;

evaluating a viewability level of the mobile object in a video captured by each of the plurality of movable cameras based on the position of the mobile object and the positions of the plurality of movable cameras;

automatically selecting a movable camera for use for image capturing of the mobile object from the plurality of movable cameras based on the viewability level;

automatically controlling the selected movable camera so that the movable camera is directed toward the mobile object; and

displaying the video of the mobile object captured by the selected movable camera on a monitor screen,

wherein the viewability level is evaluated based on an angular speed of swiveling of each of the plurality of movable cameras necessary for each of the plurality of movable cameras to keep sight of the mobile object, and

wherein the method further comprises automatically selecting and controlling the movable camera, based on the angular speed of swiveling of each of the plurality of movable cameras.

13 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a video monitoring program that causes a computer to execute the video monitoring method according to claim 12 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 28, 2023
From: MINAGAWA, JUN; OKAHARA, KOHEI; YAMAZAKI, KENTO
To: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064100/0334 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2021006571 · Feb 22, 2021
Related Publication 20230343103A1 · Oct 26, 2023
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