Image capturing apparatus and method, and recording medium therefor

• US 20010017653A1
• Filed: 02/23/2001
• Published: 08/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hata, Hajime
• Granted Patent: US 7,256,821 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40117 Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

In order that a digital video (DV) camera function as a WWW server in a network, an image capturing section captures an image of a subject. A DV encoder encodes an image signal input from the image capturing section. A recording and playback section plays back DV data recorded in a DV cassette tape. An IP packet assembling/disassembling section assembles a DV signal input from the DV encoder, a DV signal input from the recording and playback section, or an HTML file input from a WWW server processing section into IP packets, and outputs them to an IEEE 1394 interface. The IEEE 1394 interface transmits, via the network, the IP packets input from the IP packet assembling/disassembling section to a personal computer which accessed the DV camera.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus which can be connected to a network, comprising:

image capturing means for capturing a moving image;

storage means for storing said moving image captured by said image capturing means;

playback means for playing back said moving image stored by said storage means;

maintaining means for maintaining an HTML file which forms a predetermined screen;

receiving means for receiving a command output by another electronic device via said network;

transmission means for transmitting said HTML file maintained by said maintaining means to said other electronic device via said network in such a manner as to correspond to said command received by said receiving means;

coding means for coding said moving image captured by said image capturing means or said moving image played back by said playback means by a predetermined method and for generating coded data; and

supply means for supplying said coded data generated by said coding means to said other electronic device via said network in such a manner as to correspond to said command received by said receiving means.

2. An image capturing apparatus according to

claim 1

, further comprising:

checking means for checking the status of said network; and

coding-rate control means for controlling the coding rate of said coding means in such a manner as to correspond to the checked result of said checking means.

3. An image capturing apparatus according to

claim 2

, further comprising:

playback speed control means for controlling the playback speed of said playback means in such a manner as to correspond to the checked result of said checking means.

4. An image capturing apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said network conforms with an IEEE 1394 standard.

5. An image capturing apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said image capturing apparatus is a digital video camera.

6. An image capturing apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said another electronic device is a personal computer.

7. An image capturing method for use with an image capturing apparatus which can be connected to a network, said image capturing method comprising:

an image capturing step of capturing a moving image;

a storing step of storing said moving image captured in said image capturing step;

a playback step of playing back said moving image stored in said storing step;

a maintaining step of maintaining an HTML file which forms a predetermined screen;

a receiving step of receiving a command output by another electronic device via said network;

a transmission step of transmitting said HTML file maintained in said maintaining step to said other electronic device via said network in such a manner as to correspond to said command received in said receiving step;

a coding step of coding said moving image captured in said image capturing step or said moving image played back in said playback step by a predetermined method and for generating coded data; and

a supplying step of supplying said coded data generated in said coding step to said other electronic device via said network in such a manner as to correspond to said command received in said receiving step.

8. A recording medium having recorded therein a computer-readable program for capturing an image in a case where connection to a network is made, said program comprising:

an image capturing step of capturing a moving image;

a storing step of storing said moving image captured in said image capturing step;

a playback step of playing back said moving image stored in said storing step;

a maintaining step of maintaining an HTML file which forms a predetermined screen;

a receiving step of receiving a command output by another electronic device via said network;

a transmission step of transmitting said HTML file maintained in said maintaining step to said other electronic device via said network in such a manner as to correspond to said command received in said receiving step;

a coding step of coding said moving image captured in said image capturing step or said moving image played back in said playback step by a predetermined method and of generating coded data; and

a supplying step of supplying said coded data generated in said coding step to said other electronic device via said network in such a manner as to correspond to said command received in said receiving step.