# US 12,225,287 B2 · Camera control apparatus capable of acquiring images from a plurality of cameras and performing image-capturing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,225,287 B2 - Document ID: US12225287B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/747,834 - Filed: 2022-05-18 - Published: 2022-11-24 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2021-05-21 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Mai Komiyama - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12225287B2 ## CPC - H04N 23/661: Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet - H04N 23/667: Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes - H04N 23/64: {Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image} - H04N 23/66: Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices - H04N 23/69: Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming - H04N 23/695: Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects - H04N 23/90: Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A control apparatus that acquires images from a plurality of cameras performing automatic image-capturing includes a status acquisition unit that acquires an automatic image-capturing status of each of the plurality of cameras, the automatic image-capturing status including information about a current automatic image-capturing target, a recommended camera identification unit that identifies, based on the acquired automatic image-capturing status, a camera from among the plurality of cameras for which manual image-capturing is recommended, and a notification control unit configured to perform control to provide notification a result of the identification by the recommended camera identification unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A control apparatus configured to acquire images from a plurality of cameras performing control so that a subject is at a predetermined position of a captured image by tracking the subject and performing automatic image-capturing, the control apparatus comprising: at least one memory storing instructions; and at least one processor that, upon execution of the instructions, is configured to: acquire a status of the automatic image-capturing of each of the plurality of cameras, the automatic image-capturing status including information about a current automatic image-capturing target; identify based on the acquired automatic image-capturing status, a camera from among the plurality of cameras for which manual image-capturing by a user is recommended; and perform control to provide notification based on a result of the identification. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to identify a camera, whose acquired automatic image-capturing status is not equal to a predetermined ideal automatic image-capturing status, as a manual image-capturing recommended camera. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is to acquire an automatic image-capturing policy including at least one of an ideal automatic image-capturing status instructed to each of the plurality of cameras or a degree of importance of a subject, and identify, based on the acquired automatic image-capturing policy, a camera for which manual image-capturing is recommended. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is configured to identify a camera, whose current acquired automatic image-capturing status is not equal to the acquired ideal automatic image-capturing status, as a manual image-capturing recommended camera. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to acquire an automatic image-capturing policy, determine, based on the acquired image-capturing policy, a priority of a recommended camera is identified, and provide notification based on a result of the determination. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a manual image-capturing recommended scene of an image-capturing target, and identify a camera that is capturing images of a scene determined as a recommended scene as the manual image-capturing recommended camera. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the automatic image-capturing status includes information regarding an image-capturing composition of the current automatic image-capturing target. ### Claim 8 A method for acquiring images from a plurality of cameras performing control so that a subject is at a predetermined position of a captured image by tracking the subject and performing automatic image-capturing, the method comprising: acquiring a status of the automatic image-capturing of each of the plurality of cameras, the automatic image-capturing status including information about a current automatic image-capturing target; identifying, based on the acquired automatic image-capturing status, a camera from the plurality of cameras for which manual image-capturing by a user is recommended; and performing control to provide notification based on a result of the identification. ### Claim 9 A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a method for acquiring images from a plurality of cameras performing control so that a subject is at a predetermined position of a captured image by tracking the subject and performing automatic image-capturing: acquiring a status of the automatic image-capturing of each of the plurality of cameras, the automatic image-capturing status including information about a current automatic image-capturing target; identifying, based on the acquired automatic image-capturing status, a camera for which manual image-capturing by a user is recommended; and performing control to provide notification based on a result of the identification.