Image pickup apparatus, operation apparatus, image pickup system, and image pickup method

• US 10,298,829 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2017
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OM Digital Solutions Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Fukuya, Yoshiyuki, Shimura, Kazuhiko, Nonaka, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Xi
• Application Number:
  US15/623,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20170366733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 3482071, 34820711, 3482118, 396 56- 59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/675 comprising setting of focusing regions

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus includes, an imaging element configured to generate image data by picking up a target object image based on a plurality of control items, a communication circuit configured to communicate with a first operation apparatus and a second operation apparatus, and a CPU configured to discriminate, among the plurality of control items, between a control item which accepts a change by a control signal transmitted from the first operation apparatus and a control item which accepts a change by a control signal transmitted from the second operation apparatus, and control the control item in accordance with the control signal transmitted from the operation apparatus corresponding to the control item.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

an imager that generates image data of a target object;

a communication interface that is communicatively coupled to a first operation apparatus and a second operation apparatus via a network; and

a central processing unit (CPU) that is communicatively coupled to the imager and the communication interface, wherein the CPU;

receives, using the communication interface, a first control from the first operation apparatus,

receives, using the communication interface, a second control from the second operation apparatus,

determines that the first control and the second control are contradictory when the first control and the second control produce a conflict in control of the image pickup apparatus,

selects a selected control from either the first control or the second control when the first control and the second control are contradictory, and

controls the image pickup apparatus in accordance with the selected control, wherein;

the communication interface utilizes a first communication method and a second communication method,

the first communication method is communication method with low power consumption, as compared with the second communication method,

the second communication method is communication method capable of performing high-speed communication, as compared with the first communication method, and

the communication interface utilizes the first communication method until receiving a control signal using the first communication method to utilize the second communication method.

2. An operation apparatus comprising:

a communication interface communicatively coupled to an image pickup apparatus via a wireless network; and

a central processing unit (CPU) communicatively coupled to the communication interface, wherein the CPU;

transmits, using the communication interface, a first control;

receives, using the communication interface, information from the image pickup apparatus in response to the first control,

determines based on the information from the image pickup apparatus whether the image pickup apparatus accepts control from the operation apparatus, wherein the image pickup apparatus accepts control from the operation apparatus when the operation apparatus has a higher priority than another operation apparatus that is attempting a contradictory control of the image pickup apparatus, and

transmits, using the communication interface, a control signal to the image pickup apparatus when the image pickup apparatus is determined to accept control from the operation apparatus, wherein;

the communication interface utilizes a first communication method and second communication method,

the first communication method is communication method with low power consumption, as compared with the second communication method,

the second communication method is communication method capable of performing high-speed communication, as compared with the first communication method, and

the communication interface utilizes the first communication method until a request to establish a communication path is transmitted to the image pickup apparatus by the first communication method and it is possible to establish the communication path.