Image display apparatus, camera control apparatus and method

Claim 2

The image display apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising input means for reading a map, wherein said input means converts the read map to digital data, and said first memory stores the map data converted by said input means.

Claim 3

The image display apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising map generate means for generating a map, wherein said map generate means converts a generated map to digital data, and said first memory stores the map data converted by said map generate means.

Claim 4

A camera control apparatus capable of selecting a controllable camera from a plurality of cameras connected via a network and controlling the camera, charactirized by comprising: first memory (125, 126) for storing predetermined map data; map display means (135, 136) for displaying a map on a screen based on the map data stored in the first memory; symbol display means (135, 136) for superimposing a camera symbol indicative of the camera at an arbitrary position of the map displayed on the screen; and second memory (125, 126) for storing the camera symbol in association with the position.

Claim 5

The camera control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said symbol display means displays a possible range of panning operation of a camera which corresponds to the superimposed camera symbol, in association with a corresponding camera symbol.

Claim 6

The camera control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said second memory stores the possible range of panning operation of the camera in association with the corresponding camera symbol.

Claim 7

The camera control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said symbol display means is capable of changing a direction of a camera corresponding to the camera symbol by rotating the camera symbol.

Claim 8

The camera control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said second memory stores the direction of the camera symbol in association with the corresponding camera symbol.

Claim 9

A map edit apparatus for generating a map file which is utilized by an apparatus, wherein in accordance with a map file including: camera data specifying a camera subjected to remote control operation and map data indicating a position of the camera, said apparatus displays a camera symbol corresponding to a camera at a corresponding position, and enables to select a desired camera symbol whereby displaying an image sensed by a camera corresponding to the selected camera symbol, characterized by comprising: instruct means (128, 130) for instructing a position to display a camera symbol; attribute setting means (128, 130) for setting attribute data for the camera symbol displayed at the position instructed by said instruct means; and storing means (125, 126) for storing a map file in a predetermined form on the basis of the position data instructed by said instruct means and the attribute data set by said attribute setting means.

Claim 10

The map edit apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the attribute data set by said attribute setting means includes a camera name corresponding to the camera symbol, a camera position, and a direction of a pan head loading the camera.

Claim 11

The map edit apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said attribute setting means includes attribute input window display means for displaying an attribute input window where the camera name, the camera position, and the direction of the pan head loading the camera are input when the desired camera symbol is selected.

Claim 12

The map edit apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said attribute setting means includes camera symbol position change means for changing a position of a camera symbol in accordance with an instruction of a predetermined pointing device, wherein the position of the camera symbol is set by said camera symbol position change means.

Claim 13

The map edit apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said attribute setting means includes pointer display means for displaying a pointer to change the direction of the camera symbol when the desired camera symbol is selected, wherein in a case where the pointer is operated to change the direction of the camera symbol, in accordance with the direction of the pointer, a direction of a pan head of the camera corresponding to the selected camera symbol is changed.

Claim 14

The map edit apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the attribute data set by said attribute setting means includes an address of a terminal on a network connecting additional cameras to be controlled.

Claim 15

The map edit apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the attribute data set by said attribute setting means includes information indicative of whether or not a camera is remotely controllable.

Claim 16

The map edit apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said attribute setting means includes camera symbol position change means for changing a position of a camera symbol in accordance with an instruction of a predetermined pointing device, wherein the position of the camera symbol is set by said camera symbol position change means.

Claim 17

The map edit apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: image file select means for selecting an image file used as a background to place a camera symbol; and background image display means for reading image data from the image file selected by said image file select means and superimposing on the camera symbol.

Claim 18

The map edit apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a plurality of areas where the camera symbols are arranged are displayed, and each of the areas includes a tab so that one of the areas can be selected.

Claim 19

The map edit apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the map file is a text file.

Claim 20

A control method of a map edit apparatus for generating a map file which is utilized by an apparatus, wherein in accordance with a map file including: camera data specifying a camera subjected to remote control operation and map data indicating a position of the camera, said apparatus displays a camera symbol corresponding to a camera at a corresponding position, and enables to select a desired camera symbol whereby displaying an image sensed by a camera corresponding to the selected camera symbol, comprising the steps of: instructing a position to display a camera symbol; setting attribute data for the camera symbol displayed at the position instructed in said instructing step; and storing a map file in a predetermined form on the basis of the position data instructed in said instructing step and the attribute data set in said attribute setting step.

Claim 21

A memory medium storing computer program codes for a map editor for generating a map file which is utilized by an apparatus, wherein in accordance with a map file including: camera data specifying a camera subjected to remote control operation and map data indicating a position of the camera, said apparatus displays a camera symbol corresponding to a camera at a corresponding position, and enables to select a desired camera symbol whereby displaying an image sensed by a camera corresponding to the selected camera symbol, comprising: program codes for instructing a position to display a camera symbol; program codes for setting attribute data for the camera symbol displayed at the position instructed in said instructing step; and program codes for storing a map file in a predetermined form on the basis of the position data instructed in said instructing step and the attribute data set in said attribute setting step.