Patent ID: 7061525

Claim:
A camera control apparatus comprising: a display device that displays an image sensed by a camera, in accordance with an image signal output from the camera; a detection device that detects a figure scripted on a display screen on which the image is being displayed by said display device; a selection device that collates a pattern of the figure detected by said detection device with figure patterns previously stored in a storage device, and selects a command to control a predetermined function of the camera in accordance with a figure pattern which corresponds to the detected figure; and an output device that outputs the command, wherein said output device outputs a control command for at least one of pan control, tilt control, and zoom control of the camera, wherein if said detection device detects a substantially circular figure is scripted on the display screen, then said output device outputs a command for controlling the zoom ratio according to a size of the substantially circular figure detected, and wherein if said detection device detects a substantially circular figure is scripted on the display screen, then said output device further outputs a control command for performing at least one of pan and tilt of the camera such that an image displayed at a center of the substantially circular figure is positioned at a center of the display screen.