Image delivery camera system, image delivery camera, and image delivery server

• US 20040189816A1
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nisca Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nisca Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakazawa, Kenichirou, Hara, Toyoyuki
• Application Number:
  US10/736,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20040189816A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/211.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An image delivery camera system includes a user information terminal; an image delivery camera including a wireless communication unit for performing mobile communication with a base station to send image information to an image delivery server through the wireless communication unit; and an image delivery server for receiving the image information from the image delivery camera and delivering the image information to the user information terminal. In the image delivery camera system, a location of the image delivery camera is determined based on the base station in communication with the wireless communication unit. Information regarding the location of the camera is delivered to the user information terminal together with the image information.

Claims

1. An image delivery camera system comprising:

a user terminal for receiving image information and position information,

a base station,

an image delivery camera located away from the user terminal for obtaining the image information and having a wireless communication unit for performing mobile communication with the base station to send the image information,

an image delivery server for receiving the image information from the image delivery camera through the mobile communication and sending the image information to the user terminal, and

means for determining a location of the image delivery camera according to a location of the base station in communication with the wireless communication unit in the image delivery camera to thereby obtain the position information, said position information and said image information being sent to the user terminal.

2. An image delivery camera system according to claim 1, wherein said position information includes a geographic name and a name of a facility close to the location of the image delivery camera.

3. An image delivery camera system according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication unit includes a cellular phone.

4. An image delivery camera system according to claim 1, wherein said image delivery camera has means to change a shooting direction of the image so that the shooting direction of the image delivery camera can be remotely controlled by the user terminal.

5. An image delivery camera system according to claim 1, wherein said image delivery camera further includes a direction sensor for determining a shooting direction of the image delivery camera to obtain shooting direction information, said shooting direction information being delivered to the image delivery server together with the image information.

6. An image delivery camera system according to claim 5, wherein said user terminal displays the position information and the shooting direction information on a map image.

7. An image delivery camera comprising:

an image pickup unit for capturing an image and sending image information corresponding to the image,

an image storage unit for receiving the image information from the image pickup unit and storing the image information,

a wireless communication unit for sending the image information through mobile communication with a base station, and

means for determining a location of the image delivery camera based on the base station in communication with the wireless communication unit.

8. An image delivery camera according to claim 7, further comprising a driver connected to the image pickup unit for changing a shooting direction of the image pickup unit, and a shooting direction controller connected to the driver for receiving a command from an outside terminal and controlling the driver in response to the command.

9. An image delivery camera according to claim 7, further comprising a direction sensor connected to the image pickup unit for detecting a shooting direction of the image pickup unit and sending shooting direction information, said wireless communication unit sending the shooting direction information together with the image information.

10. An image delivery server using an image delivery camera for sending image information through mobile communication with a base station, comprising:

an image information acquisition unit for receiving the image information from the image delivery camera,

a position information acquisition unit for acquiring position information according to a location of the image delivery camera based on a location of the base station in communication with the image delivery camera,

a position display information acquisition unit for acquiring position display information corresponding to the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit, and

a delivery information generator for generating delivery information containing the image information and the position display information.

11. An image delivery server according to claim 10, wherein said delivery information generator generates the delivery information containing the position information including a geographic name and a name of a facility close to the location of the image delivery camera.