# US 9,438,808 B2 · Image capture control apparatus, method of limiting control range of image capture direction, and storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,438,808 B2 - Document ID: US9438808B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/738,021 - Filed: 2013-01-10 - Published: 2013-08-01 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-01-31 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Yoshiro Hikida - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438808B2 ## CPC - H04N 23/69: Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming - H04N 23/631: {Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters} - H04N 23/661: Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet - H04N 23/695: Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects - H04N 23/815: {for controlling the resolution by using a single image} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An image capture control apparatus for controlling the image capture direction of an image capture unit limits the control range of the image capture direction to part of a range where the image capture direction is changeable, and generates, based on the output of the image capture unit, an image having an aspect ratio selected from a plurality of aspect ratios. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image capture control apparatus for controlling an image capture direction of an image capture unit, comprising: a limiting unit configured to limit an output image output by the image capture control apparatus to part of a range where the image capture unit can capture by changing the image capture direction; a generation unit configured to generate, based on a first output image of a first aspect ratio output by the image capture unit under limitation by the limiting unit to the part of the range where the image capture unit can capture, a second output image of a second aspect ratio under the limitation by the limiting unit to the part of the range where the image capture unit can capture; and an output unit configured to output the second output image of the second aspect ratio via a communication network, wherein said generation unit generates the second output image of the second aspect ratio to have a first side contacting with a first side of the part of the range where the image capture unit can capture, without removing, from the first output image, a region configured by a first side of the first output image contacting with the first side of the part of the range where the image capture unit can capture, but by removing, from the first output image, a region configured by a second side of the first output image opposite to the first side of the first output image. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said limiting unit limits a control range of the image capture direction not to capture an image outside a set range. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output unit outputs both the first image having the first aspect ratio output from said image capture unit and the second image having the second aspect ratio. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an acceptance unit configured to accept selection of the aspect ratio of the image to be output by the output unit from the plurality of aspect ratios. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said generation unit generates the second output image having an aspect ratio of 4:3 from the first output image having an aspect ratio of 16:9 output from said image capture unit. ### Claim 6 A method of limiting an output image output by an image capture apparatus, comprising: setting limitation on an output image output by the image capture apparatus to part of a range where an image capture unit of the image capture apparatus can capture by changing an image capture direction of the image capture unit; generating, based on a first output image of a first aspect ratio output by the image capture unit under the limitation set in the setting step to the part of the range where the image capture unit can capture, a second output image of a second aspect ratio under the limitation set in the setting step to the part of the range where the image capture unit can capture; and outputting both the first output image of the first aspect ratio and the second output image of the second aspect ratio via a communication network, wherein the second output image of the second aspect ratio is generated to have a first side contacting with a first side of the part of the range where the image capture unit can capture, without removing, from the first output image, a region configured by a first side of the first output image contacting with the first side of the part of the range where the image capture unit can capture, but by removing, from the first output image, a region configured by a second side of the first output image opposite to the first side of the first output image. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein in the setting step, a control range of the image capture direction is limited not to capture an image outside a set range. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein both the first image having the first aspect ratio output from the image capture unit and the second image having the second aspect ratio is output in the outputting step. ### Claim 9 A non-transitory storage medium storing a computer program configured to limit an output image output by an image capture apparatus, the computer program causing a computer to execute: a setting step of setting limitation on an output image output by the image capture apparatus to part of a range where an image capture unit of the image capture apparatus can capture by changing an image capture direction of the image capture unit; a generation step of generating, based on a first output image of a first aspect ratio output by the image capture unit under the limitation set in the setting step to the part of the range where the image capture unit can capture, a second output image of a second aspect ratio under the limitation set in the setting step to the part of the range where the image capture unit can capture; and an output step of outputting both the first output image of the first aspect ratio and the second output image of the second aspect ratio via a communication network, wherein the second output image of the second aspect ratio is generated to have a first side contacting with a first side of the part of the range where the image capture unit can capture without removing, from the first output image, a region configured by a first side of the first output image contacting with the first side of the part of the range where the image capture unit can capture, but by removing, from the first output image, a region configured by a second side of the first output image opposite to the first side of the first output image. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 9, wherein in the setting step, a control range of the image capture direction is limited not to capture an image outside a set range. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 9, wherein both the first image having the first aspect ratio output from the image capture unit and the second image having the second aspect ratio is output in the output step. ### Claim 12 An image capture control apparatus for controlling an image capture direction of an image capture unit, comprising: a limiting unit configured to limit an output image output by the image capture control apparatus to part of a range where the image capture unit can capture by changing the image capture direction; a control unit configured to control the image capture direction based on the part of the range; a determination unit configured to determine a region to be removed from a first output image of a first aspect ratio captured based on the image capture direction, controlled by the control unit, so that a contour of the region to be removed is opposite to a side of the first output image that contacts with a boundary line of the part of the range; and a generation unit configured to generate, by removing the region determined by the determination unit from the first output image of the first aspect ratio, a second output image of a second aspect ratio including a portion of the first output image that contacts with the boundary line of the part of the range. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said determination unit determines the region to be removed from a second side of the first output image opposite to the side of the first output image that contacts with the boundary line of the part of the range, and said generation unit generates the second output image of the second aspect ratio, to be in contact with the boundary line of the part of the range, without removing, from the first output image, a region of the first output image that contacts with the boundary line of the part of the range, but by removing the region determined by the determination unit from the first output image. ### Claim 14 A method of limiting an output image output by an image capture apparatus, comprising: limiting an output image output by the image capture apparatus to part of a range where an image capture unit of the image capture apparatus can capture by changing an image capture direction of the image capture unit; controlling the image capture direction based on the part of the range; determining a region to be removed from a first output image of a first aspect ratio captured based on the image capture direction, controlled in the controlling, so that a contour of the region to be removed is opposite to a side of the first output image that contacts with a boundary line of the part of the range; and generating, by removing the determined region from the first output image of the first aspect ratio, a second output image of a second aspect ratio including a portion of the first output image that contacts with the boundary line of the part of the range. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the determining step determines the region to be removed from a second side of the first output image opposite to the side of the first output image that contacts with the boundary line of the part of the range, and in the generation step, the second output image of the second aspect ratio has a first side contacting with the boundary line of the range, is generated without removing, from the first output image, a region of the first output image that contacts with the boundary line of the part of the range, but by removing the determined region from the first output image. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory storage medium storing a computer program configured to limit an output image output by an image capture apparatus, the computer program causing a computer to execute: a limiting step of limiting output images output by the image capture apparatus to part of a range where an image capture unit of the image capture apparatus can capture by changing an image capture direction of the image capture unit; a controlling step of controlling the image capture direction based on the part of the range; a determining step of determining a region to be removed from a first output image of a first aspect ratio captured based on the image capture direction, controlled in the controlling step, so that a contour of the region to be removed is opposite to a side of the first output image that contacts with a boundary line of the part of the range; and a generation step of generating, by removing the determined region from the first output image of a first aspect ratio, a second output image of a second aspect ratio including a portion of the first output image that contacts with the boundary line of the part of the range. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the determining step determines the region to be removed from a second side of the first output image opposite to the side of the first output image that contacts with the boundary line of the part of the range, and in the generation step, the second output image of the second aspect ratio has a first side contacting with the boundary line of the range, is generated without removing, from the first output image, a region of the first output image that contacts with the boundary line of the part of the range, but by removing the determined region from the first output image.