Monitoring method and camera

Abstract

A monitoring camera arranged to monitor a scene and a method of controlling camera settings for a monitoring camera arranged to monitor a scene wherein images are captured of different parts of the scene by altering a field of view of the camera, wherein data defining a camera settings control area within the scene is accessed, and it is determined if there is an overlapping region between a current field of view of the camera and the camera settings control area, and if there is an overlapping region, camera settings are controlled based on the overlapping region.

The invention claimed is:  
     
       1. A method of controlling camera settings for a camera arranged to capture images of a scene, the method comprising:
 detecting a current field of view of the camera within the scene; 
 accessing data that indicates a first image control area and a second image control area of the camera within the scene; 
 determining, by circuitry of the camera, whether the current field of view overlaps with both the first image control area and the second image control area; and 
 adjusting, when the current field of view overlaps with both the first image control area and the second image control area, image capture settings of the camera by selecting one of a first overlapping region and a second overlapping region based on region properties for the first and second overlapping regions, and adjusting the image capture settings based on the selected overlapping region, wherein 
 the first overlapping region is a portion of the current field of view that overlaps with the first image control area, 
 the second overlapping region is a portion of the current field of view that overlaps with the second image control area, and 
 the region properties include at least one of: size of region, amount of detected motion in region, a priority setting for the image control area corresponding to the respective region. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the image capture settings include at least one of:
 focus settings, exposure settings, white balance settings, IR cut filter mode and iris control settings. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the adjusting of the image capture settings comprises automatically adjusting the image capture settings according to image data captured by the camera in the selected overlapping region. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the adjusting of the image capture settings comprises:
 accessing data relating to predefined camera settings values related to the first and second image control areas, and 
 adjusting the image capture settings according to the predefined camera settings values. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting image capture settings for the one of the first and second image capture control areas, wherein
 the adjusting of the image capture settings comprises controlling the selected image capture settings. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the data indicates both the first image control area and the second image control area according to a coordinate system for the scene, and 
 the adjusting the image capture settings comprises comparing, in the coordinate system for the scene, coordinates of both the first image control area and the second image control area to coordinate of the current field of view. 
 
     
     
       7. A camera arranged to monitor a scene, the camera comprising;
 circuitry that
 detects a current field of view of the camera within the scene; 
 receive data that indicates a first image control area and a second image control area of the camera within the scene; 
 determine whether the current field of view overlaps with both the first image control area and the second image control area; and 
 adjust, when the current field of view overlaps with both the first image control area and the second image control area, image capture settings of the camera by selecting one of a first overlapping region and a second overlapping region based on region properties for the first and second overlapping regions, and adjusting the image capture settings based on the selected overlapping region, wherein 
 
 the first overlapping region is a portion of the current field of view that overlaps with the image control area, 
 the second overlapping region is a portion of the current field of view that overlaps with the second image control area, and 
 the region properties include at least one of: size of region, amount of detected motion in region, a priority setting for the image control area corresponding to the respective region. 
 
     
     
       8. The camera of  claim 7 , further comprising a motor, wherein
 the circuitry controls the motor to adjust the field of view of the camera in at least one of a pan, tilt or zoom direction. 
 
     
     
       9. The camera of  claim 7 , wherein the circuitry automatically adjusts the image capture settings according to image data captured by the camera in the selected overlapping region. 
     
     
       10. The monitoring camera of  claim 7 , wherein
 the circuitry receives data relating to predefined camera settings values related to the first and second image control areas, and 
 the circuitry adjusts the image capture settings according to the predefined values. 
 
     
     
       11. The camera of  claim 7 , wherein the data that indicates the first and second image control areas is based on user input. 
     
     
       12. The camera of  claim 7 , wherein
 the data indicates both the first image control area and the second image control area according to a coordinate system for the scene, and 
 the circuitry compares coordinate of both the first image control area and the second image control area to coordinate of the current field of view in the coordinate system for the scene. 
 
     
     
       13. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by circuitry of a camera arranged to capture images of a scene, cause the circuitry to:
 detect a current field of view of the camera within the scene; 
 access data that indicates a first image control area and a second image control area of the camera within the scene; 
 determine whether the current field of view overlaps with both the first image control area and the second image control area; and 
 adjust, when the current field of view overlaps with both the first image control area and the second image control area, image capture settings of the camera by selecting one of a first overlapping region and a second overlapping region based on region properties for the first and second overlapping regions, and adjusting the image capture settings based on the selected overlapping region, wherein 
 the first overlapping region is a portion of the current field of view that overlaps with the first image control area, 
 the second overlapping region is a portion of the current field of view that overlaps with the second image control area, and 
 the region properties include at least one of: size of region, amount of detected motion in region, a priority setting for the image control area corresponding to the respective region. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the camera includes a light source, and 
 the image capture settings include lighting settings for the light source.