Patent EA-000243-B1 (EA)
Title: Multidirectional image pickup apparatus using a plurality of image pickup cameras
IPC: H04N7/18
Filed: 1997-08-26
Abstract: 1. A multidirectional image pickup apparatus using a plurality of image pickup cameras, comprising: image pickup main condition data acquisition means for acquiring image pickup main condition data representing an image pickup condition for a two- or three-dimensional main camera; address generation means for generating an address on the basis of the image pickup main condition data from said image pickup main condition data acquisition means; and image pickup subcondition memory means for, on the basis of the address obtained from said address generation means, outputting image pickup subcondition data for a two- or three-dimensional subcamera and supplying the image pickup subcondition data to said two- or three-dimensional subcamera to set an image pickup condition for said two-or three-dimensional subcamera. 2. An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the image pickup main condition data and the image pickup subcondition data are data representing zoom-up ratios set for said main camera and said subcamera, respectively. 3. An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the image pickup main condition data and the image pickup subcondition data are data representing zoom-up ratios set for said main camera and said subcamera, respectively, and directions of said cameras. 4. An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein each of said main camera and said subcamera comprises a two-dimensional camera unit for obtaining a two-dimensional image. 5. An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein each of said main camera and said subcamera comprises a three-dimensional camera unit having a pair of right and left two-dimensional cameras arranged at a predetermined interval. 6. An apparatus according to Claim 5, wherein each of said image pickup main condition data and said image pickup subcondition data includes at least data associated with a cross angle of optical axes of said right and left cameras for obtaining a stereoscopic image with said three-dimensional camera unit and data associated with zooming. 7. An apparatus according to Claim 5, wherein each of said three-dimensional main camera unit and said three-dimensional subcamera unit comprises right and left two-dimensional cameras; zooming control means for controlling a zoom-up ratio of each of said right and left two-dimensional cameras; camera interval control means for controlling the camera interval to adjust a cross position of optical axes of said right and left two-dimensional cameras along a front-and-rear direction; and data associating means for supplying control data to said camera interval control means in accordance with adjustment by said zooming control means. 8. An apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein said camera interval control means has characteristics representing that a slope representing camera interval changing characteristics is small before the zoom-up ratio is set at a predetermined value by said zooming control means, and the slope increases when the zoom-up ratio exceeds the predetermined angle. 9. An apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein each of said three-dimensional main camera unit and said three-dimensional subcamera comprises camera direction control means for adjusting a pan of each of said right and left two-dimensional cameras and a tilt control means for adjusting a tilt of each of said right and left two-dimensional cameras. 10. An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said three-dimensional camera comprises a pair of right and left two-dimensional cameras set to be directed in the same direction, a mechanism for variably controlling an interval between said pair of right and left cameras, and an optical axis changing mechanism for changing an optical axis of at least one of said pair of right and left cameras to control a cross point of optical axes of said pair of right and left cameras. 11. An image pickup condition acquiring apparatus for a multangular image pickup apparatus, comprising: condition data generation means for generating an image pickup main condition for a two-dimensional main camera and supplying the image pickup main condition to said two-dimensional main camera in adjusting said main camera, and generating an image pickup subcondition for a two-dimensional subcamera and supplying the image pickup subcondition to said two-dimensional subcamera in adjusting said subcamera; a main data memory for storing the image pickup main condition for said two-dimensional main camera in response to an operation from an operation unit; address generation means for generating an address corresponding to the image pickup main condition stored in said main data memory; a subdata memory for storing, at the address generated by said address generation means, the image pickup subcondition for said two-dimensional subcamera in response to the operation from said operation unit; and means for reading out image pickup condition subdata corresponding to the image pickup main condition from said subdata memory when said two-dimensional main camera receives the image pickup main condition data from said main data memory.