On-demand camera relay method and device

• US 20020040480A1
• Filed: 08/16/2001
• Published: 04/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koike Design Collaboration Inc.
• Original Assignee: Koike Design Collaboration Inc.
• Inventors: Koike, Kunihiko
• Application Number:
  US09/930,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20020040480A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A method is provided to enable a viewer to remotely operate a camera via communication circuits, so that images desired by each viewer can always be obtained. This invention provides an on-demand camera relay method for one-to-one connection of a plurality of cameras and a plurality of receiving devices, and comprising a step in which a plurality of video cameras, each having remotely operable directional devices, and an audio input device are arranged in front of a stage or field; a step in which output from the plurality of cameras and from the audio input device is distributed to a plurality of viewers via a wide area electronic circuit network; and a step in which, using a receiving device possessed by each viewer which displays the distributed images and audio and input means, each viewer can operate the above directional devices.

Claims

1. An on-demand camera relay method, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of video cameras, each having remotely operable directional devices, and an audio input device in front of a stage or field;

transmitting an output from the plurality of cameras and from the audio input device to a plurality of viewers via a broad band electronic communication circuit network; and

,

allowing each viewer to operate said directional devices using a receiving device each viewer has which displays the transmitted images and sound.

2. An on-demand camera relay device, comprising a plurality of video cameras which can be remotely operated via communication circuits.

3. The on-demand camera relay device according to claim 2, comprising a plurality of units, each of which comprises a camera which has a lens part and an image-capture element;

a remotely operable directional device, on which the camera is mounted so as to make it possible to point the camera in an arbitrary direction; and

a signal processing part connected to the camera and having an output circuit to process electrical signals from the camera.

4. The on-demand camera relay device according to claim 3, wherein said camera and said output circuit are provided separately and are connected by a cable.

5. The on-demand camera-relay device according to any of claim 3 or 4, wherein said units further comprise remotely operable audio input devices.

6. The on-demand camera relay device according to any of claim 3 to 5, wherein said units are connected to receiving devices which output images for viewers in a one-to-one relationship.