Apparatus for controlling image capturing device and shutter
AssigneePanasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
InventorHirofumi Enomoto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A monitoring apparatus is provided for controlling an image capturing device and a shutter which limits a capturing area of the image capturing device. The monitoring apparatus includes a capturing area controller, configured to transmit a first control signal to cause the image capturing device to capture an image in an actual capturing area of the image capturing device, and a shutter controller, configured to transmit a second control signal to open the shutter after the first control signal is transmitted. The actual capturing area of the image capturing device is selected from a capturable area of the image capturing device in accordance with first information which is sensed by a sensor device.
Claims19
A monitoring apparatus for controlling an image capturing device and a shutter which limits a capturing area of the image capturing device, the monitoring apparatus comprising:
- a capturing area controller, configured to transmit a first control signal over a first communication link to a designated camera to cause the image capturing device to align the designated camera and to prepare to capture an image in an actual capturing area of the image capturing device;
- a shutter controller, configured to transmit a second control signal over the first communication link to open the shutter after the first control signal is transmitted and after the designated camera has been substantially aligned, in response to the first control signal, enabling the capturing of the image in the actual capturing area, and
- a communicator that receives first information sensed by a sensor over a second communication link,
- wherein the actual capturing area of the image capturing device is selected by the capturing area controller from a capturable area of the image capturing device in accordance with the first information, which is sensed by the sensor and transmitted over the second communication link from the sensor to the capturing area controller through the communicator.
A monitoring system, comprising:
- an image capturing device for capturing an image;
- a shutter which limits a capturing area of the image capturing device;
- a monitoring apparatus for controlling the image capturing device and the shutter;
- and
- a sensor,
- wherein the sensor senses and transmits first information over a second communication link to the monitoring apparatus,
- the monitoring apparatus includes:
- a receiver, configured to receive the first information;
- and
- a transmitter, configured to transmit a first control signal and a second control signal over a first communication link to the image capturing device, wherein the first control signal causes the image capturing device to align and to prepare to capture an image in an actual capturing area of the image capturing device, and the second control signal opens the shutter after the designated camera has been substantially aligned,
- the image capturing device receives the first control signal and captures the image in the actual capturing area,
- the shutter receives the second control signal, and opens in accordance with the second control signal after the image capturing device has been substantially aligned enabling the capturing of the image in the actual capturing area, and
- the actual capturing area of the image capturing device is selected by the monitoring apparatus from a capturable area of the image capturing device in accordance with the first information which is sensed by the sensor.
A method for controlling an image capturing device and a shutter in a monitoring system, the method comprising:
- sensing first information by a sensor;
- selecting, by a capturing area controller, an actual capturing area of the image capturing device in accordance with the first information;
- aligning the image capturing device toward the selected actual capturing area and preparing capture an image in the selected actual capturing area of the image capturing device;
- and
- opening the shutter after the image capturing device is substantially aligned toward the selected actual capturing area enabling the image capturing device to capture the image in the selected actual capturing area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.