Internet camera

• US 20010024232A1
• Filed: 02/20/2001
• Published: 09/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Axis AB (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Suzuki, Katsuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,980,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00954 Scheduling operations or managing resources H04N1/0096 takes precedence; program initiating or switching G06F9/48; allocation of computer resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

An Internet camera is provided with an image capturing device that captures images and converts the captured images into digital data, a storage device that stores digital data corresponding to the captured images in a form of image data files, a memory that stores schedule data including a plurality of schedule scripts. A schedule merging device is further provided to merge the plurality of schedule scripts into a merged schedule. The image capturing device and a data transfer client are controlled, in accordance with the merged schedule, to capture images and transfer image data files corresponding to the captured images to a predetermined site on the Internet.

Claims

1. An Internet camera that captures images of an object and transmitting image data to a predetermined site on the Internet, comprising:

an image capturing device that captures images and converts the captured images into digital data;

a storage device that stores digital data corresponding to the captured images in a form of image data files, respectively;

a memory that stores schedule data which includes a plurality of schedule scripts;

a network interface connected to the Internet;

a data transfer client that controls the network interface to transfer the image data file to said predetermined site on the Internet;

a schedule merging device that merges said plurality of schedule scripts into a merged schedule; and

a controller that controls said image capturing device to capture images in accordance with the merged schedule, and controls said data transfer client to transfer the image data file corresponding to the captured image in accordance with the merged schedule to said predetermined site.

2. The Internet camera according to

claim 1

, wherein said schedule merging device assigns priorities to said plurality of schedule scripts, respectively, procedures defined by a schedule script having a higher priority being executed if two or more schedule scripts overlap.

3. The Internet camera according to

claim 1

, wherein each of said plurality of schedule scripts includes:

a start time and an end time, between which the images are to be captured and the image data files are to be transferred; and

a designation of days of a week, on which the images are to be captured and the image data files are to be transferred.

4. The Internet camera according to

claim 3

, wherein each of said plurality of schedule scripts further includes an interval, at every occurrence of which an image is to be captured and an image data file is to be transferred.

5. An Internet camera that captures images of an object and transmitting image data to a predetermined site on the Internet, comprising:

an image capturing device that captures images and converts the captured images into digital data;

a storage device that stores digital data corresponding to the captured images in a form of image data files, respectively;

a memory that stores schedule data which includes a plurality of schedule scripts;

a schedule merging device that merges said plurality of schedule scripts into a merged schedule; and

a controller that controls said image capturing device to capture images in accordance with the merged schedule.

6. The Internet camera according to

claim 5

, wherein said schedule merging device assigns priorities to said plurality of schedule scripts, respectively, procedures defined by a schedule script having a higher priority being executed if two or more schedule scripts overlap.

7. The Internet camera according to

claim 5

, wherein each of said plurality of schedule scripts includes:

a start time and an end time, between which the images are to be captured; and

a designation of days of a week, on which the images are to be captured.

8. The Internet camera according to

claim 7

, wherein each of said plurality of schedule scripts further includes an interval, at every occurrence of which an image is to be captured.

9. An Internet camera that captures images of an object to store image data corresponding to the captured images and transmitting the stored image data to a predetermined site on the Internet, comprising:

a memory that stores schedule data which includes a plurality of schedule scripts;

a network interface connected to the Internet;

a data transfer client that controls the network interface to transfer the stored image data to a predetermined site on the Internet;

a schedule merging device that merges said plurality of schedule scripts into a merged schedule; and

a controller that controls said data transfer client to transfer the stored image data in accordance with the merged schedule to said predetermined site.

10. The Internet camera according to

claim 9

, wherein said schedule merging device assigns priorities to said plurality of schedule scripts, respectively, procedures defined by a schedule script having a higher priority being executed if two or more schedule scripts overlap.

11. The Internet camera according to

claim 9

, wherein each of said plurality of schedule scripts includes:

a start time and an end time, between which the stored image data is to be transferred; and

a designation of days of a week, on which the stored image data is to be transferred.

12. Then Internet camera according to

claim 11

, wherein each of said plurality of schedule scripts further includes an interval, at every occurrence of which the stored image data is to be transferred.

13. An Internet camera that captures images of an object and transmitting image data to a predetermined site on the Internet, comprising:

a memory that stores schedule data which includes a plurality of schedule scripts;

a network interface connected to the Internet;

a data transfer client that controls the network interface to transfer the image data to a predetermined site on the Internet;

a schedule merging device that merges said plurality of schedule scripts into a merged schedule; and

a controller that controls said data transfer client to transfer the image data in accordance with the merged schedule to said predetermined site.