Communication system

• US 20020026641A1
• Filed: 07/31/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Nagata, Hideki, Hagimori, Hitoshi, Honda, Tsutomu, Ishimaru, Kazuhiko, Mukai, Hiromu, Kuwana, Minoru
• Application Number:
  US09/917,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20020026641A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/14 Systems for two-way working H04N7/12, H04N7/173 take precedence

Abstract

Communication apparatuses (100) and (200) are provided with image-pickup cameras (110) and (210) respectively. When connected to the communication apparatus (200), the communication apparatus (100) detects whether or not the communication apparatus (200) has an image-pickup camera (210), and, upon detection of the image-pickup camera (210), requests the communication apparatus (200) to transmit control information for controlling the image-pickup camera (210). Based upon the resulting control information, it transmits a control signal for controlling the image-pickup camera (210) to the communication apparatus (200), and also displays an image transmitted and obtained from the communication apparatus (200). In other words, the communication apparatus (100) transmits the control signal for controlling the image-pickup camera (210) on the other side to the receiving end so that the image-pickup camera (210) on the other side is controlled by the control signal. In this manner, the present invention allows the communication apparatus on the image receiving end to easily obtain a necessary image from the communication apparatus on the transmission end.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus, which communicates with a communication apparatus on the other side, comprising:

a detector which, during a connected state of communication with said communication apparatus on the other side, detects whether or not said communication apparatus on the other side is provided with an image-pickup device;

a control information transmission requesting device which, if said detector detects that said communication apparatus on the other side is provided with said image-pickup device, requests said communication apparatus on the other side to transmit control information for controlling said image-pickup device; and

a control signal transmission device which, after having received said control information requested by said control information transmission requesting device, transmits a control signal for controlling said image-pickup device to said communication apparatus on the other side based upon the control information.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display device for displaying an image received from said communication apparatus on the other side.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory for storing said control information obtained by said control information transmission requesting device;

an operation input device having a plurality of operation sections; and

a function assigning device for assigning said control signal contained in said control information to said operation sections.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of operation sections are number-inputting-use operation sections used for specifying said communication apparatus on the other side.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

an image-pickup device for picking up an image of a subject,

wherein said plurality of operation sections are image-pickup-use operation sections that are installed so as to operate said image-pickup device attached to its own apparatus.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a switching device for making a switchover as to which is operated, said image-pickup device of the communication apparatus on the other side or said image-pickup device of its own.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operations, carried out at the time when said image-pickup device of said communication apparatus on the other side is controlled, comprise zooming, panning, tilting, still image releasing, and motion image-pickup starting or motion image-pickup terminating operations

8. A communication apparatus, which communicates with a communication apparatus on the other side, comprising:

a detector which, during a connected state of communication with said communication apparatus on the other side, detects whether or not said communication apparatus on the other side is provided with an image-pickup device;

an assignment information transmission device which, if said detector detects that said communication apparatus on the other side is provided with said image-pickup device, transmits to said communication apparatus on the other side assignment information that makes each of the operations of said image-pickup device and each of the operation signals associated with each other; and

a control signal transmission device which, based upon input information from a predetermined operation input device, generates said operation signal to be transmitted to said communication apparatus on the other side.

9. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein said operation input device is a number-inputting-use operation section used for specifying said communication apparatus on the other side so as to carry out a communication with said communication apparatus on the other side.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a display device for displaying an image received and obtained from said communication apparatus on the other side.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

an image-pickup device for picking up an image of a subject,

wherein said operation input device is an image-pickup-use operation section that is installed so as to operate said image-pickup device attached to its own apparatus.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a switching device for making a switchover as to which is operated, said image-pickup device of the communication apparatus on the other side or said image-pickup device of its own.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the operations, carried out at the time when said image-pickup device of said communication apparatus on the other side is controlled, comprise zooming, panning, tilting, still image releasing, and motion image-pickup starting or motion image-pickup terminating operations

15. The communication apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said controller makes a conversion to obtain a control signal that is effective to its own apparatus based upon said operation of said image-pickup device that has been specified, and controls said image-pickup device by using said control signal.

17. The communication apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, during the connected state of communication with said communication apparatus on the other side, said determination device obtains identification information from said communication apparatus on the other side, and if said identification information is coincident with any of identification information preliminarily stored, permits the control operation of said image-pickup device.

18. The communication apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

an operation input device which, during the connected state of communication with said communication apparatus on the other side, gives an instruction related to said permission or rejection of the control operation to said image-pickup device.

19. The communication apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

an operation input device which, with or without the connection to said communication apparatus on the other side, gives an instruction related to said rejection of the control operation with respect to said image-pickup device to said determination device.

20. The communication apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, upon receipt of a predetermined control permitting signal from said communication apparatus on the other side, said determination device permits said control operation of said image-pickup device.

21. The communication apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said control operation to be permitted by said determination device includes zooming, panning, tilting, still image releasing, and motion image-pickup starting or motion image-pickup terminating operations.

14. A communication apparatus, which communicates with a communication apparatus on the other side, comprising:

an image-pickup device for picking up an image of a subject;

a controller for controlling the operation of said image-pickup device; and

an assignment information storage device for storing assignment information that makes each of the operations of said image-pickup device and each of the operation signals associated with each other, obtained from said communication apparatus on the other side,

wherein, upon receipt of an operation signal from said communication apparatus on the other side, said controller specifies the operation of said image-pickup device by reference to said assignment information so that said image-pickup device is controlled so as to carry out the corresponding operation.

16. A communication apparatus, which communicates with a communication apparatus on the other side, comprising:

an image-pickup device for picking up an image of a subject;

a controller for controlling said image-pickup device based upon a control signal from said communication apparatus on the other side; and

a determination device for permitting or rejecting the controlling operation of said image-pickup device by said controller during a connected state of communication with said communication apparatus on the other side.

22. A mobile communication apparatus comprising:

an image-pickup device for picking up an image of a subject;

an image-pickup mode setting device for making said image-pickup mode for operating said image-pickup device effective; and

a plurality of number-inputting operation sections for specifying said communication apparatus on the other side so as to carry out a communication with said communication apparatus on the other side,

wherein, in the case when said image-pickup mode is set to be effective by said image-pickup mode setting device, said plurality of number-inputting operation sections function as operation input devices for inputting the contents of the operation of said image-pickup device.

23. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said contents of the operation of said image-pickup device include zooming, panning, tilting, still image releasing, and motion image-pickup starting or motion image-pickup terminating operations.

25. The communication system according to claim 24, wherein said first communication apparatus comprises a display device for displaying an image transmitted from said second communication apparatus.

28. The communication system according to claim 27, wherein said first communication apparatus comprises a display device for displaying an image transmitted from said second communication apparatus.

24. A communication system comprising:

a first communication apparatus; and

a second communication apparatus having an image-pickup device that is designed to communicate with said first communication apparatus,

wherein;

said second communication apparatus transmits control information for controlling said image-pickup device to said first communication apparatus in a connected state to said first communication apparatus, and said first communication apparatus transmits a control signal for controlling said image-pickup device to said second communication apparatus based upon said control information so as to control said image-pickup device.

26. A communication system comprising:

a first communication apparatus having a first image-pickup device; and

a second communication apparatus having a second image-pickup device that is designed to communicate with said first communication apparatus,

wherein;

said first communication apparatus transmits to said second communication apparatus assignment information that makes each of the operations of said first image-pickup device and each of the operation signals associated with each other, and said second communication apparatus stores the assignment information so that, upon receipt of said operation signal from said first communication apparatus, said second communication apparatus refers to said assignment information and specifies the operation of said second image-pickup device so as to control said second image-pickup device.

27. A communication system comprising:

a first communication apparatus; and

a second communication apparatus having an image-pickup device that is designed to communicate with said first communication apparatus,

wherein said first communication apparatus transmits a control signal to said second communication apparatus, and said second communication apparatus comprises;

a controller for controlling said image-pickup device based upon said control signal; and

a determination device for permitting or rejecting the controlling operation of said image-pickup device by said controller during a connected state of communication with said first communication apparatus.