Abstract:
A system is provided to control cameras of a camera array setup. The system generates an electric signal relative to a contacting track of a touching device on a touch screen. Therefore, a displacement of the touching device on the touch screen is obtained. The system generates a control signal. The control signal indicates a displacement range in which the displacement of the touching device is on the touch screen. The displacement range corresponds to a required camera of the camera array setup. The system controls the camera array setup to transmit video captured by the required camera to the touch screen. The video is displayed on the touch screen. The system can also switch the cameras of the camera array setup when a touch on the touch screen is sensed.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a system and a method for camera array control. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    A camera array setup can be employed in a monitoring system to capture video. A camera array setup includes several cameras operating simultaneously. To select which one or more views of the cameras to display on a media player usually involves using keys or buttons to input commands which can be complex and hard for a user to memorize. To solve this problem, touch screens have been utilized. However, at this time the touch screens require users to accurately use graphical user interfaces which can slow down the selection of cameras and camera functions. This kind of operating procedure may not provide the best control needed in an environment where quick camera control is needed for security reasons. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a controlling system for a camera array, the system includes an electronic device. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of the camera array setup. 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a first embodiment of a controlling method for the camera array setup of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart of a second embodiment of a controlling method for the camera array setup of  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of a controlling system  100  for a camera array setup  60  includes an electronic device  10 , a storage system  20 , a processing unit  30 , and a network unit  40 . The electronic device  10  includes a touch screen  12 . The camera array setup  60  may be used for security monitoring. The camera array setup  60  includes a plurality of cameras  60   a   0 ,  60   a   1  . . . ,  60   an  . . . ,  60   mn . In this embodiment the cameras  60   a   0 - 60   mn  can shoot video simultaneously from different shooting angles. The system  100  is operable to select a current camera from the plurality of cameras  60   a   0 - 60   mn . One of the cameras  60   a   0 - 60   mn  is selected by operating the touch screen  12  without guidance from a graphical user interface (GUI), that is no GUI, or on screen menu is used. The touch screen  12  can also display video captured by the current camera. In this embodiment, the electronic device  10  has a media player function. Simply put, a user can make camera selections and even function selections with simple touches and swiping gestures on the touch screen which lends itself to intuitive operation by a user and will be better suited to security environments where the camera array setup  60  is utilized. Commands (e.g. camera selection, pan, tilt) are associated with touches according to the nature (swipe or tap) and general location (e.g. upper left portion of screen) of touch. 
         [0011]    The storage system  20  includes a calculating module  22 , a control module  24 , and a selecting module  26 . The calculating module  22 , the control module  24 , and the selecting module  26  may include a plurality of computerized instructions and are executed by the processing unit  30 . 
         [0012]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the touch screen  12  of the electronic device  10  is a capacitive touch screen or a resistance touch screen. The touch screen  12  may be operated by a touching device  14 . The touching device  14  may be a stylus or a finger of a user which, when moved around on the touch screen  12 , functions as an input device of the electronic device  10 . The touch screen  12  is capable of converting tracks and/or locations of contacts of the touching device  14  to electrical signals. A plane coordinate system may be defined on the touch screen  12 , such as the XOY coordinate system as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0013]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , in the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of cameras  60   a   0  . . . ,  60   an  . . . ,  60   mn  are arrayed in matrix in n rows and m lines. Any one of the plurality of cameras  60   a   01 - 60   mn  may be selected by the selecting module  26 . In this embodiment, the camera  60   a   0  may be predetermined to be the current camera. 
         [0014]    Commands or functions can be associated with each kind of track or touch. In a first embodiment, simple touches to the touch screen  12  that do not slide (static touches), correspond to camera selection according to location of the static touch. Whereas sliding touches are associated with pan and tilt commands for a current camera causing the camera to pan and/or tilt certain direction and magnitude according to direction and magnitude of the sliding touch of the touching device  14 . 
         [0015]    In the first embodiment, when the calculating module  22  receives an electric signal corresponding to a touch of the touching device  14  on a touch point of the touch screen  12 , it calculates coordinates of the touch point according to the electric signal. The control module  24  receives the coordinates and outputs a first control signal accordingly. The first control signal indicates a coordinate range of the touch point. The selecting module  26  receives the first control signal. 
         [0016]    The coordinate range includes a horizontal axis (X axis) distance range and an ordinate axis (Y axis) distance range. For example, a coordinate range may be depressed as (0-2 units, 2-4 units) or ((−2)-0 units, 0-2 units). Each unit of distance may be a length value, such as 1 centimeters (cm), corresponding to a distance between the touch point and the origin O of the plane coordinate system, such as 1.5 cm. The origin O of the plane coordinate system may be the center of the touch screen  12 . A coordinate range ((−2)-2 units, (−2)-2 units) may correspond to the predetermined camera  60   a   0 . If, for example, the coordinates of the touch point is in the range of ((−2)-2 units, (−2)-2 units), then the selecting module  26  will not change from the current camera to another. That is, if a distance between the touch point and the center of the touch screen  12  is less than 2 units, the selecting module  26  will not change from the current camera to another. If the coordinates of the touch point are in a range of (0-2 units, 4-6 units), the camera  60   c   0  which is in the first line and third row, is selected. If the coordinates of the touch point are in a range of (2-4 units, 2-4 units), the camera  60   b   1  aligned in the second line and the second row is selected. The video currently being shot by the selected camera is transmitted to the touch screen  12  by the network unit  40 , and displayed on the touch screen  12 . Therefore, a GUI is not needed to make camera selections. Speed of operating the system  100  to select a camera is relatively very fast. 
         [0017]    The calculating module  22  may also receive an electric signal corresponding to a track of contact of the touching device  14  from the touch screen  12 , and calculates a displacement of the touching device  14  on the touch screen  12  according to the electric signal. The displacement includes a distance and a direction that the touching device  14  moves. When the touching device  14  moves two units of distance along a 45 degrees direction from a point of the touch screen  12 , the calculating module  22  obtains a displacement of the touching device  14  which is described as (2 units, 45 degrees). When the touching device  14  moves one unit of distance along a −45 degrees direction from a point of the touch screen  12 , the displacement of the touching device  14  is described as (1 unit, −45 degrees). Each unit of distance may be a length value, such as 1 centimeter (cm). When the touching device  14  moves one unit of distance along the X direction from a point of the touch screen  12 , the displacement of the touching device  14  is expressed as (1 unit, 0 degrees). 
         [0018]    The control module  24  receives the displacement of the touching device  14  and outputs a second control signal accordingly. The network unit  40  transmits the second control signal to the camera array setup  60 . The camera array setup  60  adjusts the parameters of the selected camera according to the second control signal. For example, the camera array setup  60  may pan the selected camera a required distance along a direction corresponding to the displacement of the touching device  14 . For example, the camera array setup  60  moves the selected camera  3   cm  to the left if the displacement of the touching device  14  is 2 units at 180 degrees. Therefore, the selected camera can be quickly and easily redirected to aim at other areas without manual adjustment of the selected camera and without use of a GUI. 
         [0019]    In a second embodiment, sliding touches are corresponding to camera selections. Whereas static touches are associated with pan and tilt commands. 
         [0020]    In the second embodiment, when the calculating module  22  receives an electric signal corresponding to the track of contact of the touching device  14  from the touch screen  12 . The control module  24  outputs a third control signal according to the displacement of the touching device  14  on the touch screen  12 . The third control signal indicates a displacement range of the touching device. The selecting unit  26  selects one of the plurality of cameras  60   a   0 - 60   mn  according to a corresponding displacement range of the touching device  14 . 
         [0021]    The displacement range includes a distance range and a direction range. The distance range determines which line of cameras will be selected. The direction range determines which row of cameras will be selected. For example, if the displacement of the touching device  14  is in a range of (0-2 units, 0-30 degrees), then the selecting module  26  will not change from the current camera to another. If the displacement of the touching device  14  is in a range of (0-2 units, 30-60 degrees), the camera  60   b   1  which is in the first line and second row, is selected. If the displacement of the touching device  14  is in a range of (6-8 units, 60-90 degrees), the camera aligned in the third line and the third row is selected. Therefore, a GUI is not needed. 
         [0022]    When the calculating module  22  receives an electric signal corresponding to the touch of the touching device  14  on the touch screen  12 , the control module  24  outputs a fourth control signal according to the coordinate of the touch point. The fourth control signal indicates a coordinate range. The network unit  40  transmits the fourth control signal to the camera array setup  60 . The camera array setup  60  adjusts parameters of the current camera according to the fourth control signal. For example, the camera array setup  60  may tilt the current camera an angle of 30 degrees if the coordinate of the touch point is (2 unit, 2 units) or in a range of (0-3 units, 0-3 units), as predefined by a user. The camera array setup  60  may also vary the focal length of the current camera if the coordinate of the touch point is changed in a range of ((−5)-0 units, (−10)-10 units). Therefore, parameters of the current camera can be controlled without manual adjustment of the camera array setup  60  and the GUI. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , a first embodiment of a method for switching the cameras  60   a   0 - 60   mn  of the camera array setup  60  includes the following steps. 
         [0024]    In step S 11 , the touch screen  12  converts a contact track of the touching device  14  on the touch screen  12  or a touch on a touch point on the touch screen  12  to an electric signal. The electric signal is independent of GUI&#39;s. The electronic signal is transmitted to the calculating module  22 . 
         [0025]    In step S 12 , the calculating module  22  judges if the electronic signal is associated with the touch. If the electronic signal is associated with the touch, step S 13  as detailed below is executed. If the electronic signal is not associated with the touch, it is associated with the contact track, then step S 17  as detailed below is executed. 
         [0026]    In step S 13 , the calculating module  22  calculates a coordinate of the touch point according to the received electronic signal. 
         [0027]    In step S 14 , the control module  24  receives the coordinate of the touch point, and outputs the first control signal accordingly. The first control signal indicates a coordinate range. The coordinate of the touch point is in the coordinate range. 
         [0028]    In step S 15 , the selecting module receives the first control signal, and selects a corresponding camera from the camera array setup  60 . The selected camera is the current camera. 
         [0029]    In step S 16 , video captured by the selected camera is transmitted to the touch screen  12  via the network unit  40 , and are displayed on the touch screen  12 . 
         [0030]    In step S 17 , the calculating module  22  calculates a displacement of the touching device  14  according to the electric signal. The displacement includes a distance and a direction that the touching device  14  moves along the touch screen  12 . 
         [0031]    In step S 18 , the control module  24  receives the displacement of the touching device  14 , and outputs the second control signal accordingly. The second control signal is transmitted to the camera array setup  60  via the network unit  40 , to adjust parameters of the current camera. 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , a second embodiment of a method for switching cameras of the camera array setup  60  includes the following steps. 
         [0033]    In step S 21 , the touch screen  12  converts a contact track of the touching device  14  on the touch screen  12  or a touch on a touch point on the touch screen  12  to an electric signal. The electronic signal is independent of GUI&#39;s, and is transmitted to the calculating module  22 . 
         [0034]    In step S 22 , the calculating module  22  judges if the electronic signal is associated with the contact track. If the electronic signal is associated with the contact track, step S 23  as detailed below is executed. If the electronic signal is not associated with the contact track, it is associated with the touch, then, step S 27  as detailed below is executed. 
         [0035]    In step S 23 , the calculating module  22  calculates a displacement of the touching device  14  according to the electric signal. 
         [0036]    In step S 24 , the control module  24  receives the displacement of the touching device  14 , and outputs the third control signal accordingly. The third control signal indicates a displacement range. The displacement of the touching device  14  is in the displacement range. 
         [0037]    In step S 25 , the selecting module  26  receives the third control signal, and selects a corresponding camera from the camera array setup  60 . 
         [0038]    In step S 26 , video captured by the selected camera is transmitted to the touch screen  12  via the network unit  40 , and are displayed on the touch screen  12 . 
         [0039]    In step S 27 , the calculating module  22  calculates a coordinate of the touch point according to the received electronic signal. 
         [0040]    In step S 28 , the control module  24  receives the coordinate of the touch point, and generates the fourth control signal correspondingly. The network unuit transmits the fourth control signal to the camera array setup  60  to adjust parameters of the current camera. 
         [0041]    It is understood that the system  100  can also be used to control cameras of other styles of camera array setups except the camera array setup  60 . In the other styles of camera array setups, the cameras may be arrayed in circular, spherical, or other configurations. 
         [0042]    The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure has been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above everything. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the disclosure and their practical application so as to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the disclosure and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skills in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from its spirit and scope. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and the exemplary embodiments described therein.