Remote high resolution photography and video recording using a streaming video as a view-finder

• US 20040202443A1
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Obrador, Pere, Silverstein, D. Amnon, Tretter, Daniel R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,450,157 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image

Abstract

Using a joint video and still image pipeline technology, a network may be deployed through the Internet so that a user may acquire a remote high resolution photograph using a low resolution video streamed from a remote camera as a view-finder. The remote camera may enable the user to exercise control from a remote device through the network or other communication channels. A network server may store the video and the high resolution photograph, and either sends the video and the high resolution photograph to the user upon payment or posts the video and the high resolution photograph on a web page.

Claims

1. A method for acquiring remote high resolution photographs by a user using a streaming video as a view-finder, comprising:

connecting a remote device to one or more photo-video acquisition devices individually comprising a camera, wherein the remote device is controlled by the user;

using a connected one of the cameras, generating a video of a scene viewed using the respective camera;

acquiring a high resolution photograph from the remote device using the video streamed from the one or more photo-video acquisition devices as a view-finder;

processing and transmitting the video and the high resolution photograph obtained from the one or more photo-video acquisition devices, using a joint video and still image pipeline; and

storing the video and the high resolution photograph for a first time after the generating and the transmitting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the connecting step includes connecting the remote device to the one or more photo-video acquisition devices through a network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the connecting step includes connecting the remote device to the one or more photo-video acquisition devices through a point-to-point connection.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting payment information from a user who wishes to control the one or more photo-video acquisition devices; and

enabling the user to control the one or more photo-video acquisition devices from the remote device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising verifying the payment information submitted by the user before enabling the user to control the one or more photo-video acquisition devices.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the acquiring step includes using a queue system to allow multiple users to control the one or more photo-video acquisition devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing comprises storing the video and the high resolution photograph in a storage on a network server.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the video and the high resolution photograph to the user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising posting the video and the high resolution photograph on a web page.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising

requesting payment information from a user who wishes to download the video and the high resolution photograph from the web page;

and

enabling the user to download the video and the high resolution photograph onto the remote device.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating a command from the user to the camera; and

altering an operation the camera with respect to the generation of the video responsive to the command.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the communicating the command comprises communicating using a communications channel different than the joint video and still image pipeline.

11. An apparatus for acquiring remote high resolution photographs by a user using a streaming video as a view-finder, comprising:

one or more photo-video acquisition devices capable of acquiring videos and high resolution photographs, wherein the videos and the high resolution photographs can be processed and transmitted using a joint video and still image pipeline;

a network linked to the one or more photo-video acquisition devices;

a remote device capable of logging onto the one or more photo-video acquisition devices through the network and acquiring the high resolution photographs, using videos streamed from the one or more photo-video acquisition devices as a view-finder;

a server coupled with the network and configured to host a web page, wherein the server is configured to post the videos and high resolution photographs generated using data acquired by the one or more photo-video acquisition devices and to download the videos and high resolution photographs to the remote device responsive to a command received from the remote device; and

wherein the photo-video acquisition devices are remote video cameras.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the user can control the one or more photo-video acquisition devices from the remote device through the network or other communication channels.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more photo-video acquisition devices include a queue system that allows multiple users to control the one or more photo-video acquisition devices.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the network includes a storage on a network server to store the videos and the high resolution photographs.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the videos and the high resolution photographs are posted on a web page.

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26. A method for acquiring remote high resolution photographs by a user using a streaming video as a view-finder, comprising:

connecting a remote device to one or more photo-video acquisition devices individually comprising a camera, wherein the remote device is controlled by the user;

using a connected one of the cameras, generating a video of a scene viewed using the respective camera;

acquiring a high resolution photograph from the remote device using the video streamed from the one or more photo-video acquisition devices as a view-finder;

processing and transmitting the video and the high resolution photograph obtained from the one or more photo-video acquisition devices, using a joint video and still image pipeline;

communicating a command from the user to the camera;

altering an operation the camera with respect to the generation of the video responsive to the command; and

wherein the communicating the command comprises communicating using a communications channel different than the joint video and still image pipeline.