Image pickup apparatus, image pickup system, and image pickup method

• US 20040223059A1
• Filed: 03/22/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ambiru, Yasuhito, Yoshimura, Hiroshi, Ooshima, Isao
• Application Number:
  US10/805,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20040223059A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19689 Remote control of cameras, e.g. remote orientation or image zooming control for a PTZ camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/144 Movement detection for video coding H04N19/503; analysis of motion in general G06T7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus having an image pickup section which picks up an image, a communication section which transmits the image to an external device, and which receives control information from the external device, and a processing section which, in a state in which the image is displayed on a display screen of the external device, when a predetermined region on the display screen is designated, transmits regional information to the external device via the communication section in order to display the predetermined region within the image, and carries out movement detection of the image which is picked up at the image pickup section on the basis of the predetermined region, and regional setting of movement detection is easily possible on a screen of a PC 26, or the like, on a network.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

an image pickup section which picks up an image;

a communication section which transmits the picked-up image to an external device, and which receives control information from the external device; and

a processing section which, in a state in which the image is displayed on a display screen of the external device, when a predetermined region on the display screen is designated, transmits regional information to the external device via the communication section in order to display the predetermined region within the image, and carries out movement detection of the image which is picked up at the image pickup section on the basis of the predetermined region.

2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing section transmits regional information to the external device via the communication section in order to display the predetermined region within the image, and after a determination signal is received from the communication section in accordance therewith, the processing section carries out movement detection of the image which is picked up at the image pickup section on the basis of the predetermined region.

3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a state in which the image is displayed as a plurality of block regions on the display screen of the external device, when a predetermined region on the display screen is designated, the processing section transmits regional information to the external device via the communication section in order to display the predetermined region within the image so as to be distinguished from the other region.

4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a state in which the image is displayed as a plurality of block regions on the display screen of the external device, when a predetermined region on the display screen is designated along with an instruction signal, the processing section displays the predetermined region in the image so as to be distinguished from the other region, and when the predetermined region is designated along with the instruction signal again, the processing section transmits image information generated in order to cancel the distinguishable display, to the external device via the communication section.

5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the predetermined region on the display screen is designated, the processing section outputs regional information generated in order to display the image in the predetermined region within the image in a state in which the user can distinguish in the same way as an image at the other region, via the communication section.

6. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, at the processing section, the predetermined region is designated by a pointing device connected to the external device via the communication section.

7. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image compressing section which compresses the image which is picked up in order to display the image by a browser application at the external device via the communication section.

8. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one of a driving section which drives the image pickup section in the panning direction and a driving section which drives the image pickup section in the tilting direction.

9. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the processing section can set the predetermined region within a range of an image pickup possible screen in which image pickup is possible by a movement of the image pickup section by the driving section, and carries out movement detection of an image which is picked up at the image pickup section on the basis of the predetermined region.

10. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing section detects a luminance signal of the predetermined region of the picked-up image, and carries out movement detection in accordance with the variation.

11. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing section detects values of color signals of the predetermined region of the picked-up image, and carries out movement detection in accordance with the variations.

12. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing section outputs image information indicating a warning screen via the communication section when the signal variations of the predetermined region of the picked-up image are greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

13. An image pickup system having an image pickup apparatus and a control device connected to one another by a network, and a communication section, the system comprising:

the image pickup apparatus having an image pickup section which picks up an image, and a processing section which, in a state in which the image is displayed on a display screen of the control device, when a predetermined region on the display screen is designated, transmits the regional information to the control device via the communication section in order to display the predetermined region within the image, and carries out movement detection of the image which is picked up at the image pickup section on the basis of the predetermined region; and

the control device which receives the image from the image pickup apparatus via the communication section and displays the image, and which supplies the predetermined region to the image pickup apparatus in accordance with an instruction of the user.

14. The image pickup system according to claim 13, wherein the processing section of the image pickup apparatus displays the image as a plurality of block regions, and when the predetermined region is designated, the processing section of the image pickup apparatus outputs regional information generated in order to display the predetermined region so as to be distinguished from the other region, to the control device via the communication section.

15. The image pickup system according to claim 13, wherein the processing section of the image pickup apparatus displays the image as a plurality of block regions, and when the predetermined region is designated along with an instruction signal, the processing section of the image pickup apparatus displays the predetermined region so as to be distinguished from the other region, and when the predetermined region is designated along with the instruction signal again, the processing section of the image pickup apparatus outputs the regional information generated in order to cancel the distinguishable display, to the control device via the communication section.

16. The image pickup system according to claim 13, wherein, in a state in which the image is displayed on the display screen of the control device, when the predetermined region on the display screen is designated, the processing section of the image pickup apparatus transmits regional information generated in order to display the image within the predetermined region so as to be in a state in which the user can distinguish in the same way as the other image, to the control device via the communication section.

17. An image pickup method comprising:

picking up an image; and

in a state in which the image is displayed on a display screen of an external device via a network, when a predetermined region on the display screen is designated, transmitting regional information generated in order to display the predetermined region within the image, to the external device via the network, and carrying out movement detection of the picked-up image on the basis of the predetermined region.

18. The image pickup method according to claim 17, further comprising:

displaying the image as a plurality of block regions, and when the predetermined region is provided, and outputting the regional information generated in order to display the predetermined region so as to be distinguished from the other region, via the network.

19. The image pickup method according to claim 17, further comprising:

displaying the image as a plurality of block regions, and when the predetermined region is provided along with an instruction signal, displaying the predetermined region so as to be distinguished from the other region, and when the predetermined region is provided along with the instruction signal again, outputting the regional information generated in order to cancel the distinguishable display, via the network.

20. The image pickup method according to claim 17, further comprising:

when the predetermined region on the display screen is designated, outputting the regional information generated in order to display the image within the predetermined region so as to be in a state in which the user can distinguish in the same way as the other image, via the network.