Abstract: An automatic tracking apparatus includes: an image pickup apparatus having zoom function; camera platform driving the image pickup apparatus in at least one of pan and tilt directions, and automaically tracking an object by operating the image pickup apparatus and camera platform; unit for detecting a position of the object in picked-up image information; prohibition area setting unit for setting tracking prohibition area, according to information on the automatic tracking apparatus that includes information on the object including information on at least one of type, orientation and traveling speed of the object, or information on at least one of pan and tilt positions of the camera platform and zoom position; and controller that does not perform tracking operation in the prohibition area, and performs zooming, panning and tilting to perform the tracking operation when out of the prohibition area.

Abstract: The driving apparatus includes: driving unit driving driven unit; controller controlling the driving unit; portion to be detected in which first areas and second areas are arranged alternately; and detector that detects the first and second areas. The portion includes, on one side of base position in a moving direction, first areas having small width and second areas having different widths larger than the first areas on the one side, and includes, on the other side, second areas having small width and first areas having different widths larger than the second areas on the other side. When moving the driven unit to specific position, the driven unit is driven in direction determined according to an area detected by the detector when starting the operation, and reverses the direction if the driven unit is moved by a predetermined amount or larger in the area after the detection area is changed.

Abstract: Provided is a drive unit which, if an amount of driving to rotate the imaging optical system during the preset mode is smaller than a threshold value in accordance with an imaging field angle of the imaging optical system, the control unit is further configured to control the driving to rotate at a speed in accordance with a change rate per unit time of imaging field angle and the imaging field angle by the zooming of the imaging optical system and, if the amount of driving to rotate the imaging optical system during the preset mode is greater than the threshold value, the control unit is further configured to control the driving to rotate at a speed irrespective of a change rate per unit time of the imaging field angle and the imaging field angle by the zooming of the imaging optical system.

Abstract: An automatic tracking apparatus includes: an image pickup apparatus having zoom function; camera platform driving the image pickup apparatus in at least one of pan and tilt directions, and automaically tracking an object by operating the image pickup apparatus and camera platform; unit for detecting a position of the object in picked-up image information; prohibition area setting unit for setting tracking prohibition area, according to information on the automatic tracking apparatus that includes information on the object including information on at least one of type, orientation and traveling speed of the object, or information on at least one of pan and tilt positions of the camera platform and zoom position; and controller that does not perform tracking operation in the prohibition area, and performs zooming, panning and tilting to perform the tracking operation when out of the prohibition area.

Abstract: The camera platform system of the present invention operates at least one function selected from zoom/focus/tilt/pan/iris of a mounted camera or lens in response to an operation instruction output from an operation device. The camera platform system includes a drive control unit configured to convert an operation instruction output from the operation device into a drive control signal corresponding to any one motion of the zoom/focus/tilt/pan/iris; a motion prediction position calculation unit configured to calculate a motion prediction position of any one of the zoom/focus/tilt/pan/iris based on the drive control signal converted by the drive control unit; and a motion prediction position output unit configured to output the motion prediction position, which has been calculated by the motion prediction position calculation unit, as motion prediction position information.

Abstract: The driving apparatus includes: driving unit driving driven unit; controller controlling the driving unit; portion to be detected in which first areas and second areas are arranged alternately; and detector that detects the first and second areas. The portion includes, on one side of base position in a moving direction, first areas having small width and second areas having different widths larger than the first areas on the one side, and includes, on the other side, second areas having small width and first areas having different widths larger than the second areas on the other side. When moving the driven unit to specific position, the driven unit is driven in direction determined according to an area detected by the detector when starting the operation, and reverses the direction if the driven unit is moved by a predetermined amount or larger in the area after the detection area is changed.

Abstract: The camera platform system of the present invention operates at least one function selected from zoom/focus/tilt/pan/iris of a mounted camera or lens in response to an operation instruction output from an operation device. The camera platform system includes a drive control unit configured to convert an operation instruction output from the operation device into a drive control signal corresponding to any one motion of the zoom/focus/tilt/pan/iris; a motion prediction position calculation unit configured to calculate a motion prediction position of any one of the zoom/focus/tilt/pan/iris based on the drive control signal converted by the drive control unit; and a motion prediction position output unit configured to output the motion prediction position, which has been calculated by the motion prediction position calculation unit, as motion prediction position information.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image pickup apparatus for automatically tracking an object to pick up an image of the object, and the image apparatus comprises; a lens apparatus including a zoom lens and a focus lens, the lens apparatus picking up an image of the object; a camera device for picking up an image of the object acquired by the lens apparatus; a universal head for driving pan and tilt of the camera device; a memory for recording trace data of the universal head and image information picked up in synchronization with the trace data; an object recognizing circuit for recognizing the object; a shift amount detection unit for detecting a shift amount between the object and the trace data; and a control device for controlling the driving operation of the universal head based on the trace data and the shift amount.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image pickup apparatus for automatically tracking an object to pick up an image of the object, and the image apparatus comprises; a lens apparatus including a zoom lens and a focus lens, the lens apparatus picking up an image of the object; a camera device for picking up an image of the object acquired by the lens apparatus; a universal head for driving pan and tilt of the camera device; a memory for recording trace data of the universal head and image information picked up in synchronization with the trace data; an object recognizing circuit for recognizing the object; a shift amount detection unit for detecting a shift amount between the object and the trace data; and a control device for controlling the driving operation of the universal head based on the trace data and the shift amount.