JP2000358239A - Television camera system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] (with correction) [PROBLEMS] To store a delay amount generated in a system transmission in an operation control device of an electric pan head, and to allow an operator to obtain a desired position of a subject to be imaged on a video monitor screen when a required position is reached. Even if the control of the movement of the electric pan head on which the TV camera is mounted is stopped, the television camera can be controlled to move in the reverse direction in accordance with the delay amount stored in the operation control device, so that the imaging position does not shift. Provided is a TV camera system that images a subject. A video camera that outputs a video signal of a target subject, a video transmission device that transmits a transmission signal to a transmission path, a video reception device that receives a transmission signal, a video monitor that displays a video, and a pan head drive An electric pan head that moves up and down and left and right by a signal, an operation unit that outputs an operation signal to remotely control the movement, and a control signal of the correction amount calculated from the operation signal and the transmission delay amount following the control signal from the operation unit And a head control device that outputs a head drive signal based on the control signal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a television camera system capable of remotely controlling the imaging direction of a television camera, and more particularly, to a television camera which is caused by a signal delay caused by transmitting a video signal and a control signal. The present invention relates to a television camera system that can automatically correct a deviation from an imaging target that occurs when the camera stops at the imaging target and can reliably capture an image of a target object.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, a television camera system has a television camera installed at a remote location, and a pan head and an imaging lens are operated by remote control to transmit an image of an object to be imaged. This allows a video monitor to display an image of a desired subject at a remote place, and is often used for monitoring disaster prevention and crime prevention, for example, and for broadcasting weather forecasts and news back scenes.

FIG. 4 shows a general block diagram of such a conventional television camera system. Television camera systems are broadly divided into video signal transmission systems and control signal transmission systems. In a video signal transmission system, a television camera 42 having an imaging lens 41
Captures a target subject via the imaging lens 41, photoelectrically converts the captured subject optical image into a video signal, amplifies the video signal, performs necessary signal processing, and converts a predetermined video signal into a video transmission device. 43. Video transmission device 43
Performs necessary signal processing to transmit a video signal input from the television camera 42, for example, modulates a carrier with a video signal or a digitally compressed video signal into a modulated wave, and converts the modulated wave into a transmission path. , For example, via a coaxial cable. The video receiving device 44 receives a modulated wave transmitted from the video transmitting device 43 via, for example, a coaxial cable, demodulates the received modulated wave, performs signal processing to generate a predetermined video signal, and converts the video signal into a video signal. Output to the monitor 45 and other devices, for example, a video recording device.

In a control signal transmission system, an operating device 5
When the user operates a required operation switch to capture an image of a target object, the user tilts the electric camera platform 47 on which the television camera 42 is mounted in the direction of the imaging target (up,
An operation signal for lowering, panning (right, left) or stopping, or an operation signal for focusing or iris of the imaging lens 41 provided in the television camera 42 is output to the operation control device 49. The operation control device 49 processes the operation signal input from the operation device 50 into a control signal, further converts the control signal into a transmission signal, and converts the transmission signal via a transmission path, for example, a coaxial cable. Transmit to The head controller 48 receives a transmission signal transmitted from, for example, a coaxial cable from the operation controller 49, converts the received transmission signal into a control signal, converts the control signal into a drive signal, and converts the converted drive signal. Electric pan head 4 for signal
7 is output. The electric pan head 47 moves in a required direction and stops in response to a drive signal input from the pan head controller 48.

In a system having a large transmission delay such as compression and expansion of a video signal, when the television camera 42 captures and monitors a target object, the user operates a pan switch right switch of the operation device 50, for example. Video monitor 45
When the right switch is turned off when the target object comes to a predetermined position, for example, in the center of the screen, the object on the screen of the video monitor 45 will not be stopped immediately because the television camera 42 does not stop immediately. It will stop at a position past. Such a phenomenon occurs mainly because a video signal is delayed by a video signal transmission system, and further, a delay of a control signal transmission system is added thereto. Conventionally, in order to prevent such a state, in consideration of a delay time from when the operation switch of the operation device 50 is stopped to when the subject on the screen of the video monitor 45 stops, the target subject is Control is performed to stop the operation just before stopping in the middle of the screen of the video monitor 45, and when the television camera 42 stops, the target subject stops in the middle of the screen.

[0006]

In a television camera system according to the prior art, when a transmission delay of a signal generated in a video signal transmission system and a control signal transmission system is large, a target subject is located at a required position on a video monitor screen. In such a case, even if the movement of the television camera mounted on the electric pan head is stopped, the movement of the television camera is excessive, so that there is a problem that the stop must be performed in consideration of the transmission delay. According to the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the operation controller of the electric pan / tilt head stores in advance the amount of delay generated in transmission as a television system, and the operator can set the imaging target on the screen of the video monitor. Even when the control of the movement of the electric pan head with the television camera is stopped when the subject is at the required position, the television camera moves in the reverse direction according to the delay amount stored in the operation control device. It controls to move. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a television camera system capable of capturing an image of a target subject without shifting the imaging position.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a television camera system according to the present invention comprises: a television camera for imaging a target object and outputting a video signal; As a video transmitting apparatus and a video receiving apparatus that receives and processes the transmission signal via the transmission path and outputs the video signal, and a video monitor that displays an image of the transmitted video signal, An electric pan head on which the television camera is mounted and which moves in the vertical and horizontal directions by a pan head drive signal, and an operation unit that outputs an operation signal for remotely controlling the movement of the electric pan head in a required direction, Following a control signal based on the operation signal input from the operation device, a calculation is performed using the operation signal and a transmission delay amount of a video signal and a control signal generated in a system stored in advance. An operation control device for transmitting a control signal of the correction amount of the movement of the electric camera platform to a transmission line as a transmission signal, and receiving and processing a transmission signal transmitted from the operation control device via the transmission line. A pan head control device for outputting the pan head drive signal based on a control signal, for capturing an image of a target subject without deviation in remote control due to transmission delay of the system.

More specifically, an operation control device for a television camera system according to the present invention comprises: an operation signal input section for generating and outputting operation information based on an operation signal input from an operation device; The operation information input from the input unit is output as movement data, and a movement correction amount for correcting a stop of the camera platform with the stop position delay data input based on the collation based on the operation information is calculated. A correction amount calculating unit that outputs correction amount data, and stores the stop position delay data of a plurality of conditions for stopping the camera platform in advance, and compares the stop position delay data collated based on the input operation information. And a delay amount storage unit for outputting to the correction amount calculation unit.

An operation control device for a television camera system according to the present invention includes an operation signal input section for generating and outputting operation information based on an operation signal input from an operation device, and an input from the operation signal input section. The operation information to be output is output as movement data, and a correction amount of the movement for correcting the stop of the camera platform with the stop position delay data input based on the collation based on the operation information is calculated, and the movement correction is performed based on the movement data. A correction amount calculating unit that outputs the amount data, and stores the stop position delay data of a plurality of conditions for stopping the camera platform in advance, and compares the stop position delay data collated based on the input operation information with the correction amount. A delay amount storage unit that outputs to the calculation unit; and a control signal transmission that converts the movement data and the movement correction amount data input from the correction amount calculation unit into transmission signals and transmits the transmission signals to a transmission path. Those having a part. Further, the camera platform control device of the television camera system of the present invention includes:
A control signal transmission unit that receives a transmission signal obtained by converting movement data and movement correction amount data input from the operation control device via a transmission path, converts the movement signal into movement data and movement correction amount data, and outputs the control signal; The camera has a camera platform control unit that converts the movement data and the movement correction amount data input from the transmission unit into a camera platform drive signal and outputs the signal.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a television camera system according to the present invention will be described. The television camera system is roughly divided into a video signal transmission system and a control signal transmission system. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing details of each device of the control signal transmission system of the television camera system according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an example of a television camera system according to the present invention, which includes a video signal transmission system and the control signal transmission system shown in FIG.
In this embodiment, a television camera equipped with an imaging lens and an electric camera platform are installed on a remote place, for example, on a high-rise building with good visibility in the surroundings, as a television camera system for monitoring. Give an explanation.

In FIG. 2 showing the configuration of the entire television camera system, reference numeral 10 denotes an imaging lens for imaging a subject to be monitored, 11 denotes an imaging lens,
A television camera 12 that processes a video signal of an imaged subject and outputs a predetermined video signal is a video signal of the object captured by the television camera 11 or a modulated wave obtained by modulating a carrier with a digitized video signal. Is a transmission path through which a modulated wave transmitted from the video transmission apparatus 12 is transmitted. For example, a coaxial cable 14 is transmitted through the transmission path 13 from the video transmission apparatus 12.
A video receiving apparatus for receiving and demodulating a modulated wave transmitted through a video signal and outputting a video signal of a captured subject;
Is a video monitor that displays an image of a subject to be monitored based on an image signal input from the image receiving device 14;
An operation device which has a plurality of operation switches for giving necessary operation instructions to the imaging lens 10 and the electric camera platform 1 and outputs an operation signal according to the operation instruction. An operation control device 18 for transmitting a required control signal as a transmission signal to a transmission line is a transmission line through which a transmission signal transmitted from the operation control device 19 is transmitted. For example, a coaxial cable 17 is connected to the operation control device 19 A pan head controller 1 that receives and processes a transmission signal transmitted and transmitted through the transmission path 18 and outputs a pan head drive signal is a television camera 11 on which a television camera 11 is mounted. An electric pan head that performs tilt (vertical direction) and pan (horizontal direction) operation by a pan head driving signal input from a pan head control device 17 so that 11 captures an image of a subject in a required direction. Iris imaging lens 10 provided in Nkamera 11, zoom, the lens control unit for outputting a lens drive signal for controlling the operation of a focus indicating. In FIG. 1 showing a detailed block diagram of the control signal transmission system, the operation control device 19 includes an operation signal input unit 5, a correction amount calculation unit 6, a delay amount storage unit 7, and a control signal transmission unit 4. The head control device 17 includes a control signal transmission unit 3 and a head control unit 2.

The operation of the television camera system according to the present invention will be described. The operation device 8 included in the television camera system includes an imaging lens and a plurality of operation switches for controlling the motorized pan head. An operation signal is transmitted by operating a required operation switch, and the television camera system is operated. For example, the iris, zoom, focus, and the like of the imaging lens 10 provided in the lens control device 16
Or, for example, tilt, pan, etc. of the electric pan head 1 on which the television camera 11 is mounted can be operated through the pan head control device 17, but in the following description, the electric pan head will be described. The following description focuses on the required control operation of the platform 1. Television camera 1 including imaging lens 10
Numeral 1 is mounted on the electric camera platform 1, captures an image of a subject that changes in accordance with the tilt or pan of the motor platform 1 through the imaging lens 10, and photoelectrically converts the captured object optical image into a video signal. Then, the video signal is amplified and required signal processing is performed, and a predetermined video signal is output to the video transmission device 12. The video transmission device 12 performs necessary signal processing necessary for transmitting a video signal input from the television camera 11, and modulates a carrier wave with the video signal or a digitized video signal (mainly a JPEG system). And MPE
A modulated wave obtained by modulating a carrier by a high-efficiency image compression technique such as the G system is amplified to a required level and transmitted to the transmission line 13.

The transmission path 1 transmitted from the video transmitting apparatus 12
3 is received by the video receiver 14. The video receiving device 14 demodulates the received modulated wave, performs required signal processing to obtain a predetermined video signal, and outputs the video signal to the video monitor 15. Video monitor 1
5 displays an image of a subject captured at a remote place by a video signal input from the video receiving device 14.
In this way, for example, a video of a subject captured by the television camera 11 installed on a high-rise building with a good view, which is a remote place, is transmitted by the video signal transmission system and monitored by the video monitor 15. be able to. An operator who is monitoring a subject at a remote place using the television camera system operates a required operation switch of the operating device 8 while monitoring images of various subjects displayed on the video monitor 15. Thus, the electric camera platform 1 on which the television camera 11 is mounted is moved by remote control (similarly, the imaging lens 10) so that the subject to be imaged is displayed on the video monitor 15.
When the subject of the imaging target is displayed on the screen, the operation can be stopped. Further, by operating a required operation switch of the operation device 8, a target subject can be brought to a required position of the video monitor 15.

The operating device 8 tilts the electric pan head 1 (upper,
A required operation switch for panning (right, left) and panning (right, left) is operated (for example, when it is desired to monitor an object in the right direction of the object displayed on the video monitor 15, for example, a right switch of the operation device 8 (see FIG. (Not shown) on and off), a corresponding operation signal (for example, a signal for moving the electric pan head 1 to the right and stopping it) is input to the operation signal input unit of the operation control device 19. 5 (see FIG. 1). The operation signal input unit 5 outputs to the correction amount calculation unit 6 operation information corresponding to the operation signals of moving up, down, left, and right, and stopping, which are input from the operation device 8. The correction amount calculation unit 6 outputs the operation information input from the operation signal input unit 5 to the control signal transmission unit 4 as movement and stop data, and stores the operation information in advance in the delay amount storage unit 7 based on the operation information. Check the stop position delay data,
A correction amount for correcting the stop of the electric camera platform 1 is calculated, and the calculated movement correction amount data is output to the control signal transmission unit 4 following the movement and stop data. The control signal transmission unit 4 converts the movement and stop data of the electric head 1 and the movement correction amount data input from the correction amount calculation unit 6 into transmission signals, and
Send to 8.

The signal transmitted from the control signal transmission unit 4 and transmitted through the transmission line 1
The transmission signal transmitted through 8 is received by the control signal transmission unit 3 of the camera platform control device 17. The control signal transmission unit 3 converts the received transmission signal into movement and stop data and movement correction amount data of the electric camera platform 1, and sends the converted movement and stop data and movement correction amount data to the head control unit 2. Output. The head control unit 2 converts the movement and stop data and the movement correction amount data input from the control signal transmission unit 3 into a head drive signal for driving the electric head 1, and converts the converted head drive signal into an electric signal. Output to head 1 The electric pan head 1 starts moving according to the pan head drive signal input from the pan head control unit 2,
Then, the movement is stopped, and from this stopped position, the movement is made in the reverse direction by the movement correction amount and stopped.

The operation of the television camera system of the present invention will be further described in detail with reference to the operation timing chart shown in FIG. The camera video signal 33 and the monitor video signal 34 shown in FIG.
.. Each conceptually represents one frame. Television camera 1 installed at a remote location
The video signal 33 output from 1 is transmitted to the video transmission device 12,
The video signal is transmitted through the transmission path 13 and the video receiving device 14 and is input to the video monitor 15 as a video signal 34. It is assumed that an image in a certain direction, for example, an image of a building in a certain direction, displayed by the television camera 11 is displayed on the screen of the video monitor 15. Further, at this time, assuming that the electric pan head 1 is stopped, the video signal 33 of the building in a certain direction output by the television camera 11 causes the television camera 11 to continuously capture the same subject. Therefore, for example, the frame A is continuous and transmitted, and the video signal 34 input to the video monitor 15 is also a continuous frame A which is the video signal of the same subject. An image of a building in a certain direction is displayed continuously.
The video signal captured by the television camera 11 is transmitted to the video transmission device 12, the transmission path 13, and the video reception device 14.
The circuit configurations of the video transmitting device 12 and the video receiving device 14 and the transmission
A transmission delay t1 determined by the length of T3.

The operator monitoring the image displayed on the screen of the video monitor 15 is
When the operator wants to move the television camera 11 in order to view a screen of a building in a required direction, for example, a building in the right direction, while watching the screen of a building in a certain direction being imaged by the operator, A required operation switch of the container 8, for example, a right switch of pan is turned on. When the right switch of the pan is turned on, a of the operation signal 31 which is movement data is output from the operation device 8 and moves to the electric pan head 1 via the operation control device 19, the transmission path 18, and the pan head control device 17. The data “a” of the pan head drive signal 32 is input, and the electric pan head 1 starts moving rightward. While the right switch of the pan is turned on and the operation device 8 outputs the operation signal 31 of the movement data 31 from the operation device 8, the pan head controller 17 sends the electric head to the electric pan head 1. B of signal 32
Is output, and the electric pan head 1 continues to move.
In addition, before the operation signal output from the operating device 8 controls the electric pan head 1 via the operation control unit 19, the transmission path 18, and the pan head control unit 17, the operation control unit 19 and the pan head control unit 17 A transmission delay t2 determined by the circuit configuration and the length of the transmission path 18 occurs.

With the movement of the electric camera platform 1, the subject being imaged by the television camera 11 also changes, and the output video signal 33 also changes to frame A, frame 1, frame 2,. The video signal 34 input to the monitor 15 also includes frame A, frame 1, frame 2,.
And the displayed image of the subject also changes. The image displayed on the video monitor 15 changes,
When the image of the target building is displayed on the screen and the target building is almost in the center of the screen (for example, the image of frame 5 of the monitor video signal 34 in FIG. 3), the right switch of the pan is turned off. Then, the operation signal 31 output from the operation device 8 is turned off (see c of the waveform 31 in FIG. 3), stop data is output, and after the transmission delay t2, the pan head controller 17 sends the electric pan head 1 Head drive signal 3 output to
2 is also turned off (see c of the waveform 32 in FIG. 3), and the electric pan head 1 stops. The correction amount is calculated by the correction amount calculation unit 6 of the operation control device 19 following c (off) of the operation signal 31 which is the stop data, and is output as the correction signal 35. This signal is output to the camera platform controller 17 as a movement correction signal for moving the motorized camera platform 1 in the reverse direction, and is output from the camera platform controller 17 to the motorized camera platform 1 as a movement correction signal 36.

As described above, the electric pan head 1 stops, but the position where the electric pan head 1 is stopped by turning off the operation signal 31 is a position where the pan head drive signal 32 is delayed from the operation signal 31 by t2. The television camera 11 mounted on the motor-driven pan head 1 outputs the frame 8 of the video signal 33 obtained by imaging the subject to the right of the target building. Therefore, the video signal 34 input to the video monitor 15 changes to the frame 5, the frame 6, the frame 7, and the frame 8 even though the stop operation is performed on the video of the frame 5, and is the video of the target building. Frame 5
To the stopped image of the frame 8 are displayed in succession. Next, after the transmission delay t2, the movement correction signal 35 output from the operation control device 19 becomes the movement correction signal 36 from the camera platform control device 17 and is output to the motor-driven camera platform 1, and the motor-driven camera platform 1 is moved in the reverse direction. , And moves and stops by the movement correction amount t1 + t2 due to the transmission delay. The video signal 33 output from the television camera 11 mounted on the motor-driven pan head 1 changes to frame 8, frame 7, frame 6, and frame 5 with the movement in the opposite direction, and changes to the target building. The video signal is stopped at frame 5 which is a video signal, and the video signal of frame 5 is continuously output. Therefore, the video signal 34 input to the video monitor 15 is
The frame changes to frame 8, frame 7, frame 6, and frame 5, and the image of frame 5, which is the image of the target building, is displayed subsequently.

The delay amount corresponding to the delay t1 of the video signal and the delay t2 of the control signal stored in advance in the delay amount storage unit 7 is controlled by the operating unit 8 when the television camera system is installed. The control time for the camera platform 1 is stored by changing the direction (up / down, right / left), magnification of the imaging lens, and the like. In addition, the storage in the delay amount storage unit 7 during normal operation is performed by operating the television camera system to perform the control operation of the electric camera platform 1, perform control in the required direction, and then perform control in the reverse direction. It can also be operated as a learning function for recognizing the correction operation and storing the required delay amount.

[0021]

According to the present invention, the amount of delay generated in the transmission as a television system is stored in advance in the operation control device of the electric pan head, and the operator can set the object to be imaged on the screen of the video monitor. When the camera reaches the required position, even if control of the movement of the electric pan head with the television camera is stopped, the television camera moves in the opposite direction according to the delay amount stored in the operation control device. And a television camera system capable of capturing an image of a target subject without shifting the imaging position.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control signal transmission system of a television camera system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a television camera system according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an operation timing chart of the television camera system according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a conventional television camera system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 47 motorized head, 2 head control unit, 3 control signal transmission unit, 4 control signal transmission unit, 5 operation signal input unit, 6 correction amount calculation unit, 7 delay amount storage unit, 8, 50 operation unit, 10 , 41 imaging lens, 11, 42 television camera, 12, 43 video transmission device, 13 transmission path, 14, 44 video reception device, 15, 45 video monitor, 16, 46 lens control device, 17, 48 pan head control device , 18 transmission line, 19, 49 operation control device. 31 operation signal, 32 pan head drive signal, 33 camera video signal, 34 monitor video signal, 35, 36 movement correction signal.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A television camera for capturing an image of a target object and outputting a video signal, a video transmitting apparatus for processing the video signal and transmitting the same as a transmission signal to a transmission path, and receiving the transmission signal via the transmission path. A video receiver for processing and outputting the video signal; a video monitor for displaying the video of the transmitted video signal; and an electric motor for mounting the television camera and moving up, down, left and right by a pan head drive signal. A camera head, an operation device that outputs an operation signal for remotely controlling movement of the electric camera head in a required direction, and a control signal based on the operation signal input from the operation device. Transmitting the control signal of the correction amount of the movement of the motorized pan head calculated from the video signal generated by the stored system and the transmission delay amount of the control signal to the transmission path as a transmission signal. A control device, a head control device that receives and processes a transmission signal transmitted from the operation control device via the transmission path, and outputs the head drive signal according to the control signal; A television camera system, which captures an image of a target subject without deviation of remote control by the camera. 2. The television camera system according to claim 1, wherein the operation control device generates an operation information based on an operation signal input from an operation device and outputs the operation information; The operation information input from the unit is output as movement data, and a movement correction amount for correcting the stop of the camera platform with the stop position delay data input based on the collation based on the operation information is calculated. Subsequently, a correction amount calculation unit that outputs correction amount data, and stores the stop position delay data of a plurality of conditions for stopping the camera platform in advance, and compares the stop position delay data collated based on the input operation information. A television camera system comprising: a delay amount storage unit that outputs the correction amount to a correction amount calculation unit. 3. The television camera system according to claim 1, wherein the operation control device generates an operation information based on an operation signal input from an operation device and outputs the operation information; The operation information input from the unit is output as movement data, and a movement correction amount for correcting the stop of the camera platform with the stop position delay data input based on the collation based on the operation information is calculated. Next, a correction amount calculating unit that outputs the movement correction amount data, and stores the stop position delay data of a plurality of conditions for stopping the camera platform in advance, and compares the stop position delay data collated based on the input operation information. A delay amount storage unit that outputs to the correction amount calculation unit, and converts the movement data and the movement correction amount data input from the correction amount calculation unit into a transmission signal and transmits the transmission signal to a transmission path. Television camera system characterized by a control signal transmission unit. 4. The television camera system according to claim 1, wherein the pan head control device receives a transmission signal obtained by converting movement data and movement correction amount data input from the operation control device via a transmission path, A control signal transmission unit that converts and outputs the movement data and the movement correction amount data; and a head control unit that converts the movement data and the movement correction amount data input from the control signal transmission unit into a head drive signal and outputs the same. A television camera system comprising: