Photographing control apparatus and photographing control method

Abstract

A photographing control apparatus includes a memory configured to store a first image that is photographed by a first camera and the second image that is photographed by a second camera the second image including an image of a user who has visibility of the first image being displayed in a display, and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to acquire the first image and the second image, detect the line of sight of the user based on the second image, identify an object displayed at the position of the line of sight of the user from the first image displayed in the display, and control a photographing direction or photographing magnification of the first camera or both photographing direction and photographing magnification of the first camera so that the object is continuously included in the first image for a predetermined time period or longer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A photographing control apparatus comprising:
 a memory configured to store a first image that is photographed by a first camera and the second image that is photographed by a second camera the second image including an image of a user who has visibility of the first image being displayed in a display; and   a processor coupled to the memory and configured to:   acquire the first image and the second image,   detect the line of sight of the user based on the second image,   identify an object displayed at the position of the line of sight of the user from the first image displayed in the display, and   control a photographing direction or photographing magnification of the first camera or both photographing direction and photographing magnification of the first camera so that the object is continuously included in the first image for a predetermined time period or longer.   
     
     
         2 . The photographing control apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processor identifies, from the first image displayed in the display, an object displayed in a region in which the line of sight of the user remains for a predetermined time period or longer.   
     
     
         3 . The photographing control apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein when the processor identifies multiple objects, the processor controls the photographing direction or photographing magnification of the first camera or both photographing direction and photographing magnification of the first camera so that all the multiple objects are simultaneously included in the first image.   
     
     
         4 . The photographing control apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the processor controls the photographing direction of the first camera so that the center of the photographing range of the first camera is separated by a predetermined distance or less from a standard position of a range including all the multiple objects.   
     
     
         5 . The photographing control apparatus according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the processor gives weight levels to the multiple objects so that the weight levels are reduced as time that elapses after the identification of the objects become longer, and   wherein the processor sets a weighted average position of the objects to the standard position.   
     
     
         6 . The photographing control apparatus according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the processor measures cumulative time periods for which the line of sight of the user remains on images of the identified objects, and the processor gives weight levels to the objects so that the weight levels are increased as the cumulative time periods become longer, and   wherein the processor sets a weighted average position of the objects to the standard position.   
     
     
         7 . The photographing control apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein if multiple first cameras whose photographing ranges are different from each other exist, the processor causes, for the multiple first cameras, information of the identified objects to be stored in the memory as information of continuous photographing targets,   wherein the processor removes, from information corresponding to a first monitoring camera and indicating continuous photographing targets, information of a displayed object whose position has moved into a predetermined region included in a first image photographed by the first monitoring camera, and the processor adds the removed information to information indicating continuous photographing targets and corresponding to a second monitoring camera whose photographing range is adjacent to the photographing range of the first monitoring camera, and   wherein the processor controls photographing directions or photographing magnifications of the multiple monitoring cameras or the photographing directions and photographing magnifications of the multiple monitoring cameras based on information corresponding to the multiple monitoring cameras and indicating the continuous photographing targets.   
     
     
         8 . The photographing control apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processor extracts one or more objects included in the first image and determines whether or not each of motions of the extracted objects corresponds to a motion defined as an abnormality, and   wherein when the processor determines that a motion of an object corresponds to the motion defined as the abnormality, the processor notifies the user of the motion of the object.   
     
     
         9 . The photographing control apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processor extracts one or more objects included in the first image and identifies an object based on whether or not each of the extracted objects has a specific object characteristic stored in the memory.   
     
     
         10 . A photographing control method comprising:
 acquiring, by a processor, a first image photographed by a first camera and a second image photographed by a second camera, the second image of a user who has visibility of the first image being displayed in a display;   detecting, by a processor, the line of sight of the user based on the second image; identifying, by a processor, an object displayed at the position of the line of sight of the user from the first image displayed in the display; and   controlling, by a processor, a photographing direction or photographing magnification of the first camera or both photographing direction and photographing magnification of the first camera so that the object is continuously included in the first image for a predetermined time period or longer.