Video-image control apparatus and method and storage medium

• US 20040080625A1
• Filed: 10/07/2003
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kenichiro Tanaka, Takahiro Kurosawa
• Original Assignee: Kenichiro Tanaka, Takahiro Kurosawa
• Inventors: Tanaka, Kenichiro, Kurosawa, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,355,633 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/211.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A video-image control apparatus enables a client to obtain the details of an object in a displayed video image. For this purpose, when the angle of a camera 1003 is changed in accordance with an instruction from an external device, it is determined whether or not the object (e.g., a copier) is within an image sensing view. If it is determined that the object is within the image sensing view, the current status of the object is obtained by request. Then, an image of a character string indicative of the status information is generated, and combined with the video image. The combined image is transferred via a communication interface unit to the external device.

Claims

1. A video-image control apparatus having video-image input means, which transfers a video image, inputted in accordance with a request from a remote client, to the client, comprising:

generating means for generating an additional image based on pre-stored information corresponding to an object in the video image inputted by said video-image input means;

combining means for combining the additional image generated by said generating means, with the video image inputted by said video-image input means; and

transfer means for transferring an image obtained from combining by said combining means, to the client.

2. The video-image control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said video-image input means inputs the video image from a predetermined camera device.

3. The video-image control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said generating means has determination means for determining whether or not the video image inputted by said video-image input means includes the object, based on the pre-stored information,

and wherein if said determination means determines that the video image includes the object, said generating means generates the additional image.

4. The video-image control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object corresponding to the pre-stored information is an information processing device or system which transfers status information upon issuance of status-information acquisition request via a predetermined communication means.

5. The video-image control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said generating means has:

determination means for determining whether or not the video image inputted by said video-image input means includes the object; and

status-information reception means for issuing a status-information acquisition request to the object if said determination means determines that the video image includes the object, and receiving status information from the object,

and wherein said generating means generates the additional image based on the status information received by said status-information reception means.

6. A control method for a video-image control apparatus having video-image input means, which transfers a video image, inputted in accordance with a request from a remote client, to the client, comprising:

a generating step of generating an additional image based on pre-stored information corresponding to an object in the video image inputted by said video-image input means;

a combining step of combining the additional image generated at said generating step, with the video image inputted by said video-image input means; and

a transfer step of transferring an image obtained from combining at said combining step, to the client.

7. The control method according to claim 6, wherein said video-image input means inputs the video image from a predetermined camera device.

8. The control method according to claim 6, wherein said generating step has a determination step of determining whether or not the video image inputted by said video-image input means includes the object, based on the pre-stored information,

and wherein if it is determined at said determination step that the video image includes the object, the additional image is generated at said generating step.

9. The control method according to claim 6, wherein the object corresponding to the pre-stored information is an information processing device or system which transfers status information upon issuance of status-information acquisition request via a predetermined communication means.

10. The control method according to claim 9, wherein said generating step has:

a determination step of determining whether or not the video image inputted by said video-image input means includes the object; and

a status-information reception step of issuing a status-information acquisition request to the object if it is determined at said determination step that the video image includes the object, and receiving status information from the object,

and wherein the additional image is generated at said generating step based on the status information received by said status-information reception means.

11. A storage medium containing a program which functions as a video-image control apparatus having video-image input means, which transfers a video image, inputted in accordance with a request from a remote client, to the client, comprising:

generating means for generating an additional image based on pre-stored information corresponding to an object in the video image inputted by said video-image input means;

combining means for combining the additional image generated by said generating means, with the video image inputted by said video-image input means; and

transfer means for transferring an image obtained from combining by said combining means, to the client.

12. A video-image control apparatus having video-image input means, which transfers a video image, inputted in accordance with a request from a remote client, to the client, comprising:

memory means for storing information unique to an object within a range inputtable by said video-image input means;

first transfer control means for, when the video image inputted by said video-image input means is transmitted to the client, if the video image includes the object corresponding to the information stored in said memory means, combining a predetermined information with the video image such that requested information is outputted at an image position indicative of the object upon reception of a predetermined instruction from the client, and transferring the video image; and

a second transfer control means for, upon reception of the instruction from the client, transferring the information stored in said memory means to the client.

13. The video-image control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said video-image input means inputs the video image from a predetermined camera device.

14. The video-image control apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

detection means for, when the object is a device connected on an network, if the object is within a view range of said video-image input means, detecting status information of the object; and

combining means for combining an image based on the status information detected by said detection means with the video image inputted by said video-image input means,

wherein said first transfer control means transfers an image obtained from combining by said combining means.

15. The video-image control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said first transfer control means has:

determination means for determining whether or not the video image to be transferred includes the object corresponding to the information stored in said memory means; and

anchor generating means for generating anchor information to cause requested information assigned at a position around the object in the video image to be transferred, if said determination means determines that the video image includes the object,

wherein said first transfer control means transfers the image information with the anchor information.

16. A control method for a video-image control apparatus having video-image input means, which transfers a video image, inputted in accordance with a request from a remote client, to the client, comprising:

a first transfer control step of, when transferring the video image inputted by said video-image input means to the client, if the video image includes a pre-set object, combining a predetermined information with the video image such that requested information is outputted at an image position indicative of the object upon reception of a predetermined instruction from the client, and transferring the video image; and

a second transfer control step of, upon reception of the instruction from the client, reading information unique to the object from a predetermined memory means, and transferring the information to the client.

17. The control method according to claim 16, wherein said video-image input means inputs the video image from a predetermined camera device.

18. The control method according to claim 16, further comprising:

a detection step of, when the object is a device connected on an network, if the object is within a view range of said video-image input means, detecting status information of the object; and

a combining step of combining an image based on the status information detected at said detection step with the video image inputted by said video-image input means,

wherein an image obtained from combining by said combining means is transferred at said first transfer control step.

19. The control method according to claim 16, wherein said first transfer control step has:

a determination step of determining whether or not the video image to be transferred includes the pre-set object; and

an anchor generating step of generating anchor information to cause requested information assigned at a position around the object in the video image to be transferred, if it is determined at said determination step that the video image includes the object,

wherein the image information is transferred with the anchor information at said first transfer control step.

20. A storage medium containing a program which is read and executed by a computer and which functions as a video-image control apparatus having video-image input means, which transfers a video image, inputted in accordance with a request from a remote client, to the client, comprising:

first transfer-control process program codes of, when transferring the video image inputted by said video-image input means to the client, if the video image includes a pre-set object, combining a predetermined information with the video image such that requested information is outputted at an image position indicative of the object, upon reception of a predetermined instruction from the client, and transferring the video image; and

second transfer-control process program codes of, upon reception of the instruction from the client, reading information unique to the object from a predetermined memory means, and transferring the information to the client.

21. An image processing apparatus comprising:

reception means for receiving a video image obtained by a predetermined image sensing means;

generating means for generating an additional image relating to the video image received by said reception means; and

display control means for, if the video image received by said reception means has been obtained at a predetermined zoom ratio, combining the video image with the additional image and displaying an image resulted from combining on a predetermined display means, while if the video image received by said reception means has not been obtained at the predetermined zoom ratio, displaying the video image on said predetermined display means without combining the video image with the additional image.

22. The image processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the additional image relating to the video image is an annotation on each object in the video image.

23. The image processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the annotation is information indicative of a position of each object.

24. The image processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the annotation is a message from a person concerned with each object.

25. The image processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the annotation is variable information relating to each object.

26. The image processing apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising said display means.

27. The image processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the video image is a still image.

28. The image processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the video image is a moving image.

29. The image processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said display control means selects to combine or not to combine the video image with the additional image, based on whether or not the video image received by said reception means has been obtained at a predetermined image-sensing angle, as well as the zoom ratio.

30. An image processing method comprising:

a reception step of receiving a video image obtained by a predetermined image sensing means;

a generating step of generating an additional image relating to the video image received at said reception step; and

a display control step of, if the video image received at said reception step has been obtained at a predetermined zoom ratio, combining the video image with the additional image and displaying an image resulted from combining on a predetermined display means, while if the video image received at said reception step has not been obtained at the predetermined zoom ratio, displaying the video image on said predetermined display means without combining the video image with the additional image.

31. A storage medium containing a computer-readable control program, said program comprising:

reception process program codes of receiving a video image obtained by a predetermined image sensing means;

generating process program codes of generating an additional image relating to the video image received at said reception process; and

display control process program codes of, if the video image received at said reception process has been obtained at a predetermined zoom ratio, combining the video image with the additional image and displaying an image resulted from combining on a predetermined display means, while if the video image received at said reception process has not been obtained at the predetermined zoom ratio, displaying the video image on said predetermined display means without combining the video image with the additional image.

32. An image processing apparatus comprising:

reception means for receiving a video image obtained by a predetermined image sensing means;

generating means for generating an additional image to be combined and displayed with the video image received by said reception means; and

control means for controlling generation of the additional image by said generating means, in accordance with a size of a predetermined object in the video image received by said reception means.

33. An image processing method comprising:

a reception step of receiving a video image obtained by a predetermined image sensing means;

a generating step of generating an additional image to be combined and displayed with the video image received at said reception step; and

a control step of controlling generation of the additional image at said generating step, in accordance with a size of a predetermined object in the video image received at said reception step.

34. A storage medium containing a computer-readable control program comprising:

reception process program codes of receiving a video image obtained by a predetermined image sensing means;

generating process program codes of generating an additional image to be combined and displayed with the video image received at said reception process; and

control process program codes of controlling generation of the additional image at said generating process, in accordance with a size of a predetermined object in the video image received at said reception process.

35. An image processing apparatus comprising:

reception means for receiving a video image obtained by a predetermined image sensing means;

generating means for generating an additional image to be combined and displayed with the video image received by said reception means; and

control means for controlling generation of the additional image by said generating means, in accordance with image sensing condition of the video image received by said reception means,

wherein the additional image is a link image for starting reception of an image from another network terminal.

36. The image processing apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the image sensing condition includes an image sensing angle.

37. The image processing apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the image sensing condition includes a zoom ratio.

38. The image processing apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the additional image is an annotation on each object in the video image.

39. An image processing method comprising:

a reception step of receiving a video image obtained by a predetermined image sensing means;

a generating step of generating an additional image to be combined and displayed with the video image received at said reception step; and

a control step of controlling generation of the additional image at said generating step, in accordance with image sensing condition of the video image received at said reception step,

wherein the additional image is a link image for starting reception of an image from another network terminal.

40. A storage medium containing a computer-readable control program comprising:

reception process program codes of receiving a video image obtained by a predetermined image sensing means;

generating process program codes of generating an additional image to be combined and displayed with the video image received at said reception process; and

control process program codes of controlling generation of the additional image at said generating process, in accordance with image sensing condition of the video image received at said reception process,

wherein the additional image is a link image for starting reception of an image from another network terminal.

41. An image processing apparatus comprising:

reception means for receiving a video image obtained by a predetermined image sensing means;

generating means for generating plural different formats of additional images to be combined and displayed with the video image received by said reception means; and

control means for generating an additional image corresponding to one of the plural formats, by said generating means, based on image sensing condition of the video image received by said reception means.

42. The image processing apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the image sensing condition includes an image sensing angle.

43. The image processing apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the image sensing condition includes a zoom ratio.

44. The image processing apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the additional image is an annotation on each object in the video image.

45. An image processing method comprising:

a reception step of receiving a video image obtained by a predetermined image sensing means;

a generating step of generating plural different formats of additional images to be combined and displayed with the video image received at said reception step; and

a control step of generating an additional image corresponding to one of the plural formats, at said generating step, based on image sensing condition of the video image received at said reception step.

46. A storage medium containing a computer-readable control program comprising:

reception process program codes of receiving a video image obtained by a predetermined image sensing means;

generating process program codes of generating plural different formats of additional images to be combined and displayed with the video image received at said reception process; and

control process program codes of generating an additional image corresponding to one of the plural formats, at said generating process, based on image sensing condition of the video image received at said reception process.