Video system

• US 20020024607A1
• Filed: 02/20/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/1993
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Akira Suga, Hideaki Mitsutake, Katsumi Iijima, Masayoshi Sekine, Tomotaka Muramoto
• Original Assignee: Akira Suga, Hideaki Mitsutake, Katsumi Iijima, Masayoshi Sekine, Tomotaka Muramoto
• Inventors: Iijima, Katsumi, Mitsutake, Hideaki, Sekine, Masayoshi, Muramoto, Tomotaka, Suga, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 7,206,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

In a video system of the invention, control means is provided for a terminal input apparatus which is connected by a communication network of a camera on the partner side and which comprises an image display apparatus having a multiwindow display function for selecting and displaying the camera. An image pickup operation which is required to the camera on the partner side, for example, the image pickup direction, focal distance, panning, exposure amount, white balance, automatic focusing, and the like of the designated camera are inputted by using an image display and a window display of the image display apparatus. The operation of the camera on the partner side and the operations of a tripod, a movable arm, and the like to hold the camera are controlled through communicating means. A photographed image is displayed by the display apparatus.

Claims

1. A video system having a camera and a control apparatus provided separately therefrom, comprising:

(A) a camera to pick up an image of an object;

(B) image pickup state changing means for changing an image pickup state of said camera; and

(C) control means for controlling said camera through communicating means,

wherein said control means comprises display means for displaying a video signal which is generated from said camera and setting means for setting the image pickup state of said camera on a screen of said display means, and said control means controls said camera through said communicating means so as to pick up an image in the image pickup state set by said setting means.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an image pickup direction of said camera.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an image pickup field angle of said camera.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes a focal distance of said camera.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an exposure of said camera.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said image pickup state changing means adjusts a white balance of said camera.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes a focal position of said camera.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein an aspect ratio of the screen which is displayed by said display means changes in accordance with said camera.

9. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

inhibiting means for inhibiting the control of said camera for a predetermined time.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an image pickup direction of said camera.

11. A system according to claim 9, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an image pickup field angle of said camera.

12. A system according to claim 9, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes a focal distance of said camera.

13. A system according to claim 9, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an exposure of said camera.

14. A system according to claim 9, wherein said image pickup state changing means adjusts a white balance of said camera.

15. A system according to claim 9, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes a focal position of said camera.

16. A system according to claim 9, wherein an aspect ratio of the screen which is displayed by said display means changes in accordance with said camera.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an image pickup direction of said camera.

19. A system according to claim 17, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an image pickup field angle of said camera.

20. A system according to claim 17, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes a focal distance of said camera.

21. A system according to claim 17, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an exposure of said camera.

22. A system according to claim 17, wherein said image pickup state changing means adjusts a white balance of said camera.

23. A system according to claim 17, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes a focal position of said camera.

24. A system according to claim 17, wherein an aspect ratio of the screen which is displayed by said display means changes in accordance with said camera.

25. A system according to claim 17, further comprising:

image pickup state display means for displaying the image pickup state stored by said memory means.

26. A system according to claim 25, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an image pickup direction of said camera.

27. A system according to claim 25, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an image pickup field angle of said camera.

28. A system according to claim 25, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes a focal distance of said camera.

29. A system according to claim 25, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an exposure of said camera.

30. A system according to claim 25, wherein said image pickup state changing means adjusts a white balance of said camera.

31. A system according to claim 25, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes a focal position of said camera.

32. A system according to claim 25, wherein an aspect ratio of the screen which is displayed by said display means changes in accordance with said camera.

33. A system according to claim 25, further comprising:

selecting means for selecting the image pickup state displayed by said image pickup state display means.

34. A system according to claim 33, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an image pickup direction of said camera.

35. A system according to claim 33, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an image pickup field angle of said camera.

36. A system according to claim 33, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes a focal distance of said camera.

37. A system according to claim 33, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an exposure of said camera.

38. A system according to claim 33, wherein said image pickup state changing means adjusts a white balance of said camera.

39. A system according to claim 33, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes a focal position of said camera.

40. A system according to claim 33, wherein an aspect ratio of the screen which is displayed by said display means changes in accordance with said camera.

17. A video system having a camera and a control apparatus provided separately therefrom, comprising:

(A) a camera to pick up an image of an object;

(B) image pickup state changing means for changing an image pickup state of said camera; and

(C) control means for controlling said camera through communicating means,

wherein said control means comprises display means for displaying a video signal which is generated from said camera, setting means for setting an image pickup state of said camera on a screen of said display means, and memory means for storing the image pickup state set by said setting means.

41. A video system having a camera and a control apparatus provided separately therefrom, comprising:

(A) a cam era to pick up an image of an object;

(B) image pickup state changing means for changing an image pickup state of said camera; and

(C) control means for controlling said camera through communicating means,

wherein said control means comprises display means for displaying a video signal which is generated from said camera and designating means for designating a range on a screen displayed by said display means, and said image pickup state is changed through said communicating means for the range designated by said designating means.

42. A system according to claim 41, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an image pickup direction of said camera.

43. A system according to claim 41, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an image pickup field angle of said camera.

44. A system according to claim 41, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes a focal distance of said camera.

45. A system according to claim 41, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an exposure of said camera.

46. A system according to claim 41, wherein said image pickup state changing means adjusts a white balance of said camera.

47. A system according to claim 41, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes a focal position of said camera.

48. A system according to claim 41, wherein an aspect ratio of the screen which is displayed by said display means changes in accordance with said camera.

50. A camera according to claim 49, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an image pickup direction of said image pickup means.

51. A camera according to claim 49, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an image pickup field angle of said image pickup means.

52. A camera according to claim 49, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes a focal distance of said image pickup means.

53. A camera according to claim 49, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes an exposure of said image pickup means.

54. A camera according to claim 49, wherein said image pickup state changing means adjusts a white balance of said image pickup means.

55. A camera according to claim 49, wherein said image pickup state changing means changes a focal position of said image pickup means.

57. An apparatus according to claim 56, wherein a plurality of designated field angle set information can be stored and registered and selected.

58. An apparatus according to claim 56, further comprising:

means for storing and displaying a still image of the registered field angle.

60. An apparatus according to claim 59, wherein a plurality of designated field angle set information can be stored and registered and selected.

61. An apparatus according to claim 60, further comprising:

means for storing and displaying a still image of the registered field angle.

49. A camera comprising:

(A) image pickup means for converting an optical image to a video signal;

(B) communicating means for communicating with an external apparatus; and

(C) image pickup state changing means for changing an image pickup state of said image pickup means through said communicating means by an input from an external apparatus.

56. An image pickup control apparatus comprising:

(A) image display means comprising an image pickup element for converting a light to an electric signal and having a multiwindow display function for inputting and displaying an image signal picked up by image pickup means which is controlled by an external input through communicating means; and

(B) control means for designating and inputting a display screen of said image display means by a pointing device, thereby executing a panning control of desired image pickup means through the communicating means.

59. An image pickup control apparatus comprising:

(A) image display means comprising an image pickup element for converting a light to an electric signal and having a multiwindow display function for inputting and displaying through communicating means an image signal picked up by image pickup means whose operation is controlled by an external input; and

(B) control means for designating a display surface of said image display means by a pointing device, thereby controlling a focal distance and a focal direction of desired image pickup means through the communicating means in a manner such that a field angle of the designated region coincides with a display image.

62. An image pickup control apparatus comprising:

(A) image display means comprising an image pickup element for converting a light to an electric signal and having a multiwindow display function for inputting and displaying through communicating means an image signal picked up by image pickup means whose operation is controlled by an external input; and

(B) control means for designating a display surface of said image display means by a pointing device, thereby controlling an exposure amount of desired image pickup means through the communicating means in a manner such that a display image of the designated region has an optimum exposure amount.

63. An apparatus according to claim 62, wherein a plurality of designated exposure amount set information can be stored and registered and selected.

64. An apparatus according to claim 63, further comprising:

means for storing and displaying a still image of the set registered exposure amount.

65. An image pickup control apparatus comprising:

(A) image display means comprising an image pickup element for converting a light to an electric signal and having a multiwindow display function for inputting and displaying through communicating means an image signal picked up by image pickup means whose white balance is controlled by an external input; and

(B) control means for designating a display surface of said image display means by a pointing device, thereby controlling a white balance of desired image pickup means through the communicating means in a manner such that a display image of the designated region is displayed in white.

66. An apparatus according to claim 65, further comprising:

means for storing and holding white balance setting conditions.

68. An apparatus according to claim 67, wherein a plurality of designated focusing state set information can be stored and registered and selected.

69. An apparatus according to claim 67, further comprising:

means for storing and displaying a still image of the registered focusing state.

67. An image pickup control apparatus comprising:

(A) image display means comprising an image pickup element for converting a light to an electric signal and having a multiwindow display function for inputting and displaying through communicating means an image signal picked up by image pickup means whose focal point is automatically controlled by an external input; and

(B) control means for designating a display surface of said image display means, thereby executing an automatic focusing control of desired image pickup means through the communicating means for the designated region.