Imaging apparatus, imaging method, imaging system, and program product

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit that generates first image data by an imaging process;

a receiving unit that receives view angle change information to instruct a change in angle of view on which an imaging process is performed, and number-of-pixels information related to the number of pixels of a display unit of an operation terminal;

an image cropping unit that sets an area of part of a first image data as a crop area based on the view angle change information and the number-of-pixels information, and crops a second image data included in the crop area;

a transmitting unit that transmits the second image data to the operation terminal,

an area number-of-pixels detection unit that detects the number of pixels of the crop area in the first image data; and

a view angle control unit that changes the angle of view of the imaging unit based on the number of pixels of the crop area in the first image data, wherein

the image cropping unit reduces, when the number of pixels of the crop area is greater than the number of pixels coinciding with the number-of-pixels information, the number of pixels of the crop area in the first image data to the number of pixels coinciding with the number-of-pixels information; and the image cropping unit increases, when the number of pixels of the crop area is less than the number of pixels coinciding with the number-of-pixels information, the number of pixels of the crop area in the first image data to the number of pixels coinciding with the number-of-pixels information; and

the view angle control unit optically widens, when the number of pixels of the crop area is greater than the number of pixels coinciding with the number-of-pixels information, the angle of view of the imaging unit such that the number of pixels of the crop area becomes the number of pixels based on the view angle change information; and the view angle control unit optically narrows, when the number of pixels of the crop area is less than the number of pixels coinciding with the number-of-pixels information, the angle of view of the imaging unit such that the number of pixels of the crop area becomes the number of pixels based on the view angle change information.

2. An imaging system comprising:

an imaging apparatus; and

an operation terminal that operates the imaging apparatus, wherein

the imaging apparatus and the operation terminal are connectable via a communication path,

the imaging apparatus includes

an imaging unit that generates a first image data by an imaging process,

a first receiving unit that receives view angle change information to instruct a change in angle of view on which an imaging process is performed, and number-of-pixels information related to the number of pixels of a display unit of the operation terminal,

an image cropping unit that sets an area of a part of the first image data as a crop area based on the view angle change information and the number-of-pixels information, and crops a second image data included in the crop area,

a first transmitting unit that transmits the second image data to the operation terminal,

an area number-of-pixels detection unit that detects the number of pixels of the crop area in the first image data, and

a view angle control unit that changes the angle of view of the imaging unit based on the number of pixels of the crop area in the first image data, wherein

the image cropping unit reduces, when the number of pixels of the crop area is greater than the number of pixels coinciding with the number-of-pixels information, the number of pixels of the crop area in the first image data to the number of pixels coinciding with the number-of-pixels information; and the image cropping unit increases, when the number of pixels of the crop area is less than the number of pixels coinciding with the number-of-pixels information, the number of pixels of the crop area in the first image data to the number of pixels coinciding with the number-of-pixels information; and

the view angle control unit optically widens, when the number of pixels of the crop area is greater than the number of pixels coinciding with the number-of-pixels information, the angle of view of the imaging unit such that the number of pixels of the crop area becomes the number of pixels based on the view angle change information; and the view angle control unit optically narrows, when the number of pixels of the crop area is less than the number of pixels coinciding with the number-of-pixels information, the angle of view of the imaging unit such that the number of pixels of the crop area becomes the number of pixels based on the view angle change information; and

the operation terminal includes

an operation unit,

a view angle change information generation unit that generates the view angle change information based on operation of the operation unit,

a second receiving unit that receives the second image data,

a display unit that displays the second image data thereon, and

a second transmitting unit that transmits the view angle change information and the number-of-pixels information of the display unit to the imaging apparatus.

3. An imaging method comprising:

generating a first image data by an imaging process;

receiving view angle change information to instruct a change in angle of view on which an imaging process is performed, and number-of-pixels information related to the number of pixels of a display unit of an operation terminal;

when the number of pixels of an area that is instructed with the view angle change information is greater than the number of pixels coinciding with the number-of-pixels information,

setting to reduce the number of pixels of a crop area in the first image data to the number of pixels coinciding with the number-of-pixels information, and setting to optically widen the angle of view such that the number of pixels of the crop area becomes the number of pixels based on the view angle change information;

when the number of pixels of an area that is instructed with the view angle change information is less than the number of pixels coinciding with the number-of-pixels information,

setting to increase the number of pixels of a crop area in the first image data to the number of pixels coinciding with the number-of-pixels information, and setting to optically narrow the angle of view such that the number of pixels of the crop area becomes the number of pixels based on the view angle change information;

cropping a second image data included in the crop area; and

transmitting the second image data to the operation terminal.

4. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having computer readable program causing a computer to execute:

generating a first image data by an imaging process;

receiving view angle change information to instruct a change in angle of view on which an imaging process is performed, and number-of-pixels information related to the number of pixels of a display unit of an operation terminal;

when the number of pixels of an area that is instructed with the view angle change information is greater than the number of pixels coinciding with the number-of-pixels information,

setting to reduce the number of pixels of a crop area in the first image data to the number of pixels coinciding with the number-of-pixels information, and setting to optically widen the angle of view such that the number of pixels of the crop area becomes the number of pixels based on the view angle change information;

when the number of pixels of an area that is instructed with the view angle change information is less than the number of pixels coinciding with the number-of-pixels information,

setting to increase the number of pixels of a crop area in the first image data to the number of pixels coinciding with the number-of-pixels information, and setting to optically narrow the angle of view such that the number of pixels of the crop area becomes the number of pixels based on the view angle change information;

cropping a second image data included in the crop area; and

transmitting the second image data to the operation terminal.