EP0687922A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for automatically tracking an image of an object for a video camera
Assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
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Filing: 1995-06-07
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2015-06-07
Abstract
Abstract An automatic tracking apparatus usable in a video camera or an automatic focus adjusting system of the video camera has a tracking signal detecting unit for detecting a tracking signal representing a feature of an image of an object from a scanning line of a video signal within a predetermined tracking area, and for detecting a movement of the image of the object from a movement of a position of the tracking signal. The tracking signal detecting unit detects plural tracking signals from plural scanning lines, respectively, in each field of the video signal, and detects the movement of the image of the object from interfields movements of positions of the plural tracking signals in the respective plural scanning lines. A tracking control unit is responsive to the detected movement of the image of the object for changing a position of the tracking area. It is preferable to use only interfields movements of positions of tracking signals whose interfield moving amounts are within a predetermined range.
Inventors
- 👤 Asanobu Ito
- 👤 Koichi Toyomura
- 👤 Keizo Ishiguro
- 👤 Yosuke Yamane
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 12:09
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S3/00; G01S3/78; G01S3/782; G01S3/785; G01S3/786; G01S3/7864; H; H04; H04N; H04N23/00; H04N23/60; H04N23/67; H04N23/673
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
187 words
An automatic tracking apparatus comprising: an image taking lens for forming an image of an object; an image pickup element for converting the image formed by the image taking lens to an electrical signal; a signal processing circuit for processing the electrical signal output from the image pickup element to obtain a video signal; a tracking signal detecting means for detecting a tracking signal representing a feature of the image of the object from a scanning line of the video signal within a predetermined tracking area, and for detecting a movement of the image of the object from a movement of a position of the tracking signal, wherein said tracking signal detecting means detects at least two tracking signals from at least two scanning lines, respectively, in each field of the video signal, and detects the movement of the image of the object from interfields movements of positions of said at least two tracking signals in the respective at least two scanning lines; and a tracking control part responsive to the detected movement of the image of the object for changing a position of the tracking area.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least two scanning lines are separated from each other so as to have at least one other scanning line intervened therebetween.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said tracking signal detecting means detects as said tracking signal a peak value of a high frequency component of the video signal on a scanning line within the tracking area.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said tracking signal detecting means detects the movement of the image of the object from only interfields movements of positions of at least two tracking signals whose interfield moving amounts are within a predetermined range.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said tracking signal detecting means calculates an average value of the interfields movements of positions of said at least two tracking signals whose interfield moving amounts are within the predetermined range to obtain the movement of the image of the object.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said tracking signal detecting means calculates an average value of the interfields movements of positions of said at least two tracking signals to obtain the movement of the image of the object.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
272 words
An automatic focus adjusting apparatus comprising: an image taking lens for forming an image of an object, said image taking lens including therein a focus adjusting lens movable to change a focusing state of the image; an image pickup element for converting the image formed by the image taking lens to an electrical signal; a signal processing circuit for processing the electrical signal output from the image pickup element to obtain a video signal; a focus detecting means for detecting a focusing state of the image of the object from the video signal within a predetermined tracking area and for producing a focus signal indicative of the detected focusing state; a focus control means responsive to the focus signal for driving said focus adjusting lens to control the focusing state of the image of the object within.said tracking area; a tracking signal detecting means for detecting a tracking signal representing a feature of the image of the object from a scanning line of the video signal within said predetermined tracking area, and for detecting a movement of the image of the object from a movement of a position of the tracking signal, wherein said tracking signal detecting means detects at least two tracking signals from at least two scanning lines, respectively, in each field of the video signal, and detects the movement of the image of the object from interfields movements of positions of said at least two tracking signals in the respective at least two scanning lines; and a tracking control part responsive to the detected movement of the image of the object for changing a position of the tracking area.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said at least two scanning lines are separated from each other so as to have at least one other scanning line intervened therebetween.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said tracking signal detecting means detects as said tracking signal a peak value of a high frequency component of the video signal on a scanning line within the tracking area.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said tracking signal detecting means detects the movement of the image of the object from only interfields movements of positions of at least two tracking signals whose interfield moving amounts are within a predetermined range.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
48 words
An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said tracking signal detecting means calculates an average value of the interfields movements of positions of said at least two tracking signals whose interfield moving amounts are within the predetermined range to obtain the movement of the image of the object.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said tracking signal detecting means calculates an average value of the interfields movements of positions of said at least two tracking signals to obtain the movement of the image of the object.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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