Image pickup control apparatus, image pickup control method, image pickup control system, and storage medium

• US 20050270378A1
• Filed: 08/09/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hirasawa, Masahide
• Granted Patent: US 7,349,011 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.990
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40117 Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00249 with a photographic apparatus, e.g. a photographic printer or a projector photographic apparatus per se G03B, G03D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00427 using a menu list H04N1/00421, H04N1/00424, H04N1/00429 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00466 displaying finishing information, e.g. position of punch holes or staple or orientation references
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00469 with enlargement of a selected area of the displayed information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00482 outputting a plurality of job set-up options, e.g. number of copies, paper size or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes

Abstract

In an image pickup control apparatus capable of remotely and reliably controlling an image pickup apparatus from another apparatus, control data for controlling the image pickup apparatus is stored in advance and is transmitted to the image pickup apparatus when the image pickup apparatus is connected via data communications interface units.

Claims

1. An image pickup control apparatus for controlling an image pickup apparatus via a data communications interface unit, the image pickup control apparatus comprising:

a connection detecting unit which detects a connection to the image pickup apparatus via the data communications interface unit;

a setting unit which displays a plurality of photographing conditions with each of which a plurality of kinds of control data are associated, selects a desired photographing condition from among the plurality of displayed photographing conditions to display the plurality of kinds of control data associated with the selected photographing condition, and changes the plurality of kinds of control data in accordance with an input instruction; and

a control unit which is communicatively coupled to said connection detecting unit and said setting unit, wherein in a case that said connection detection unit detects the connection to the image pickup apparatus, said control unit effects control so as to transmit to the image pickup apparatus the plurality of kinds of control data changed by said setting unit.

2. An image pickup control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of kinds of control data include control data for controlling a stop, a hue, a color density and a shutter speed.

3. An image pickup control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reception detecting unit which detects a control reception state of the image pickup apparatus, wherein said control unit transmits the control data to the image pickup apparatus when said connection detecting unit mews detects a connection to the image pickup apparatus and when said reception detecting unit means detects a control reception state of the image pickup apparatus.

4. An image pickup control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image pickup apparatus has a storage unit which stores the control data transmitted from said control unit as current control data.

6. An image pickup control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the photographing condition is selected based upon an environment and photographing state of a subject, the environment and photographing state including evening photographing, wedding reception photographing, closeup photographing, ski ground photographing, night scene photographing and other photographing.

7. An image pickup control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display control unit which displays a model image corresponding to the control data for the desired photographing condition selected by said setting unit.

16. An image pickup control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data communications interface unit is a general digital interface unit.

18. An image pickup control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data communications interface unit conforms with an IEEE 1394 interface bus.

5. (canceled)

8-15. -15. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. An image pickup control method for controlling an image pickup apparatus via a data communications interface unit, the method comprising:

a connection detecting step of detecting a connection to the image pickup apparatus via the data communications interface unit;

a setting step of displaying a plurality of photographing conditions with each of which a plurality of kinds of control data are associated, selecting a desired photographing condition from among the plurality of displayed photographing conditions to display the plurality of kinds of control data associated with the selected photographing condition, and changing the plurality of kinds of control data in accordance with an input instruction; and

a control step of effecting control so as to transmit to the image pickup apparatus the plurality of kinds of control data changed in said setting step, in a case that said connection detecting step detects the connection to the image pickup apparatus.

21. An image pickup control method according to claim 20, wherein the plurality of kinds of control data include control data for controlling a stop, a hue, a color density and a shutter speed.

22. An image pickup method apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising a reception detecting step of detecting a control reception state of the image pickup apparatus, wherein said control step transmits the control data to the image pickup apparatus when said connection detecting step detects a connection to the image pickup apparatus and when said reception detecting step detects a control reception sate of the image pickup apparatus.

23. An image pickup control method according to claim 20, further comprising a storage step of storing in the image pickup apparatus the control data transmitted at said control step as current control data.

25. An image pickup control method according to claim 20, wherein the photographing condition is based upon an environment and photographing state of a subject, the environment and photographing state including evening photographing, wedding reception photographing, closeup photographing, ski ground photographing, night scene photographing and other photographing.

26. An image pickup control method according to claim 20, further comprising a display control step of displaying a model image corresponding to the control data for the desired photographing condition selected in said setting step.

35. An image pickup control method according to claim 20, wherein the data communications interface unit is a general digital interface unit.

37. An image pickup control method according to claim 20, wherein the data communications interface unit conforms with an IEEE 1394 interface bus.

24. (canceled)

27-34. -34. (canceled)

36. (canceled)

38-57. -57. (canceled)

58. A storage medium storing a control program for controlling an image pickup apparatus via a data communications interface unit, the program comprising:

a connection detecting routine of detecting a connection to the image pickup apparatus via the data communications interface unit;

a setting routine of displaying a plurality of photographing conditions with each of which a plurality of kinds of control data are associated, selecting a desired photographing condition from among the plurality of displayed photographing conditions to display the plurality of kinds of control data associated with the selected photographing condition, and changing the plurality of kinds of control data in accordance with an input instruction; and

a control routine of effecting control so as to transmit to the image pickup apparatus a plurality of kinds of control data changed in said setting routine, in a case that said connection detecting routine detects the connection to the image pickup apparatus.

59. A storage medium according to claim 58, wherein the plurality of kinds of control data include the control data for controlling a stop, a hue, a color density and a shutter speed.

60. A storage medium according to claim 58, further comprising a reception detecting routine of detecting a control reception state of the image pickup apparatus, wherein said control routine transmits the control data to the image pickup apparatus when said connection detecting routine detects a connection to the image pickup apparatus and when said reception detecting routine detects a control reception state of the image pickup apparatus.

61. A storage medium according to claim 58, further comprising a storage routine of storing in the image pickup apparatus the control data transmitted in said control routine as current control data.

63. A storage medium according to claim 58, wherein the photographing condition is based upon an environment and photographing state of a subject, the environment and photographing state including evening photographing, wedding reception photographing, closeup photographing, ski ground photographing, night scene photographing and other photographing.

64. A storage medium according to claim 58, further comprising a display control routine of displaying a model image corresponding to the control data for the desired photographing condition selected in said setting routine.

73. A storage medium according to claim 58, wherein the data communications interface unit is a general digital interface unit.

75. A storage medium according to claim 58, wherein the data communications interface unit conforms with an IEEE 1394 interface bus.

62. (canceled)

65-72. -72. (canceled)

74. (canceled)

76-83. -83. (canceled)