DE-102025146201-A1 - Roller control device, roller control method and image acquisition control system

Abstract

A roller control device for controlling the operation of a physical camera according to a roller set for one of a plurality of virtual cameras, wherein at least one of the plurality of virtual cameras is associated with the physical camera, is disclosed. The roller control device generates initial information that specifies a correspondence between the plurality of virtual cameras and their respective rollers set for them, and sets a roller for each virtual camera of the plurality of virtual cameras based on this initial information.

Inventors

• Masayuki Ishizawa

Assignees

• CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20251110

Priority Date

20241111

Claims (20)

1. A roller control device for controlling the operation of a physical camera according to a roller set for one of a plurality of virtual cameras, wherein at least one of the plurality of virtual cameras is associated with the physical camera, the roller control device comprising: a first generating device for generating first information specifying a correspondence between the plurality of virtual cameras and their respective rollers set for them, and a setting device for setting a roller for each virtual camera of the plurality of virtual cameras based on the first information.
2. Roller control device according to Claim 1 , furthermore with: a control device for controlling the operation of the physical camera according to the role set for one of the multitude of virtual cameras associated with the physical camera.
3. Roller control device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein: the physical camera is one of a plurality of physical cameras, and the roller control device further comprises: a second generating device for generating second information that specifies a correspondence relationship between the plurality of physical cameras and the plurality of virtual cameras.
4. Roller control device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein: the physical camera is one or the plurality of physical cameras and each of the plurality of virtual cameras is associated with one of the plurality of physical cameras.
5. Roller control device according to Claim 3 or after Claim 4 , if this is from Claim 3 depends, wherein the first generating device generates the first information in a state in which the roller control device is not included in an image acquisition system containing the plurality of physical cameras.
6. Roller control device according to Claim 5 , wherein the second generating device generates the second information in a state in which the roller control device is contained in the image acquisition system which contains the plurality of physical cameras.
7. Roller control device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the rollers comprise a roller for a main camera and a roller for a secondary camera, and the roller for the secondary camera contains information specifying a method of operational control carried out by an external device.
8. Roller control device according to Claim 7 , wherein a physical camera associated with a virtual camera set to the role of secondary camera is controlled to work in coordination with another physical camera associated with a virtual camera set to the role of collaboration target.
9. Roller control device according to Claim 8 , where the other physical camera is a physical camera to which a virtual camera is associated, for which a specific role is set.
10. Roller control device according to Claim 9 , where the specific role is the role for the main camera.
11. Roller control device according to Claim 7 , or after one of the Claims 8 until 10 , if these are from Claim 7 depend, furthermore with: a transmission device for transmitting third-party information to the external device, specifying the definitions of the roles.
12. Roller control device according to Claim 11 , furthermore with: a fourth generating device for generating the third information, which specifies the definitions of the roles.
13. Roller control device according to Claim 11 or after Claim 12 , if this is from Claim 8 depends, with the cooperation goal being set in the third piece of information.
14. A roller control device according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: one or more processors and a storage device configured to store: a plurality of parts of the first information, each specifying a different combination of correspondences between the plurality of virtual cameras and the roller set for the respective virtual cameras, and a computer program which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to select one of the plurality of parts of the first information, which is selected in response to a user operation.
15. Roller control device according to Claim 1 , or after one of the Claims 4 until 14 , if these are from Claim 3 depend, furthermore with: a specification device for specifying a role that is set for each of the plurality of virtual cameras based on the first information and the second information, a third generating device for generating fourth information that specifies a correspondence relationship between the plurality of physical cameras and a role set for them, and a transmission device for transmitting the fourth information instead of the first information and the second information to the external device.
16. Roller control device according to Claim 3 , or after one of the Claims 4 until 15 , if these are from Claim 3 depend, furthermore with: a specification device which is set up to specify for each of the plurality of physical cameras and based on the first information and the second information a role which has been set for it, and to determine whether the role is suitable or not, and a warning device to warn when it is determined that the role is unsuitable.
17. Roller control device according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: a transmission device for transmitting the first information to an external device that controls the operation of each of a plurality of physical cameras.
18. Roller control device according to Claim 3 , or after one of the Claims 4 until 17 , if these are from Claim 3 depend, furthermore with: a transmission device for transmitting the first information and the second information to the external device that controls the operation of each of the plurality of physical cameras.
19. Roller control device according to Claim 14 , or after one of the Claims 15 until 18 , if these are from Claim 14 depend, furthermore with: a transmission device for transmitting one of the multitudes of first information selected by a user to the external device.
20. Image acquisition systems with: a multitude of physical cameras, the roller control device according to one of the Claims 1 until 19 and one or the external device that controls the operation of each of the plurality of physical cameras using the first information transmitted by the roll control device according to the roll set for a virtual camera associated with the respective physical camera.

Description

BACKGROUND Technical field The present disclosure relates to a roller control device, a roller control method and an image acquisition control system, and relates in particular to a method for automatically controlling the operation of image acquisition devices. Description of the related technique JP 2020-25248 A reveals an image acquisition system in which a multitude of cameras are divided into a main camera and secondary cameras, and the secondary cameras are controlled to take pictures of the same object as an object captured by the main camera. SUMMARY At the in JP 2020-25248 A The described image acquisition system allows for the automatic control of image acquisition by the secondary cameras, thereby saving labor. However, there is room for improvement regarding the degree of freedom in the image acquisition control of the secondary cameras. According to one aspect of this disclosure, a roller control device and a roller control method for implementing automatic image acquisition control with a high degree of freedom are provided. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a roller control device is provided for controlling the operation of a physical camera according to a roller that is set for one of a plurality of virtual cameras, wherein at least one of the plurality of virtual cameras is associated with the physical camera, the roller control device comprising: a first generating device (such as a roller setting application running on the roller control device) for generating first information that provides a match between the plurality of virtual cameras and the respective rollers set for them, and a setting device for setting a roller for each of the plurality of virtual cameras based on the first information. According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, a roller control device is provided which controls the operation of a physical camera according to a roller that is set for one of the virtual cameras associated with the physical camera, wherein the roller control device comprises: a first generating device for generating first information indicating a match between a plurality of virtual cameras and respective rollers set for them, and a setting device for setting a roller for each of the plurality of virtual cameras. According to examples, the role control device further includes a control device for controlling the operation of the physical camera according to the role that is set for one of the multitude of virtual cameras associated with the physical camera. According to examples, the physical camera is one of a variety of physical cameras. According to examples, the roller control device further includes a second generating device (such as a roller setting application running on the roller control device) for generating second information (such as a physical camera list) that specifies a correspondence relationship between the plurality of physical cameras and the plurality of virtual cameras. According to examples, each of the multitude of virtual cameras is associated with one of the multitude of physical cameras. According to examples, the first generating device produces the first information in a state where the roller control device is not included in an image acquisition system that contains the plurality of physical cameras. According to examples, the second generating device produces the second information in a state in which the roller control device is included in the image acquisition system, which contains the plurality of physical cameras. According to examples, the rolls contain a roll for a main camera and a roll for a secondary camera, and the roll for the secondary camera contains information that specifies a method of operational control carried out by an external device. For example, a physical camera associated with a virtual camera assigned the role of secondary camera is controlled to work in accordance with another physical camera associated with a virtual camera set as a collaboration target for the role. According to examples, the other physical camera is a physical camera to which a virtual camera is associated, to which a specific role is assigned. According to examples, the specific role is the role for the main camera. According to examples, the role control device further includes a transmission device for transmitting third-party information (such as a role definition list) specifying the definitions of the roles to the external device. According to examples, the roller control device further includes a fourth generating device for generating the third piece of information, which specifies the definitions of the rollers. According to examples, the cooperation goal is set in the third piece of information. According to examples, the roller control device also includes one or more processors. According to examples, the role control device further comprises a storage device configured to store a plurality of parts of the first in