Camera unit and a camera unit control method

• US 20060203097A1
• Filed: 07/29/2004
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Koga, Hisashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,562,381 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/211.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

The invention, receiving a camera operation screen request from a client terminal, determines a code to be transmitted to the client terminal and transmits the code to the client terminal together with camera operation screen information, registers to a memory a code attached to a drive request signal transmitted from the client terminal, and, receiving a drive request signal from a client terminal, controls the camera in accordance with the signal in case a code matching a registered code is included, and rejects the drive request in case a code matching the registered code is not included. With this configuration, when a plurality of users operate a common camera unit via a network, a code determned by the camera unit is returned from a client terminal and the client terminal is identified based on whether the code is matching. This eliminates the needs for issuing a special id for identifying a client termnal and allows easy operation anywhere from the network by using a general-purpose browser.

Claims

1. A camera unit which takes a picture of a subject

and transfers a image data to a client terminal, wherein:

the camera unit, when a first signal is received from the client terminal, transmits an identification-information to the client terminal; and

the camera unit, when a second signal including the identification information is received from the client terminal, works in accordance with the second signal on a priority basis for a predetermined period after receiving the second signal.

2. The camera unit according to claim 1, wherein:

the first signal is an access signal transmitted from the client terminal to the camera unit; and

the second signal is a camera operation signal transmitted from the client terminal to the camera unit.

3. The camera unit according to claim 1, wherein:

the identification information is a system-clock obtained by counting clock signals of the camera unit.

4. The camera unit according to claim 2, wherein:

the camera operation signal includes a signal for rotating an imaging section.

5. The camera unit according to claim 1, wherein:

the camera unit, when the second signal is received from the client terminal, registers identification information attached to the second signal to a memory as well as controls the imaging section in accordance with the second signal in case such that the camera unit is not operating; and

the camera unit does not work in accordance with the second signal in case such that the identification information registered to the memory does not match the identification information attached to the second signal received from the client terminal for a predetermined period afterwards.

6. The camera unit according to claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined period is a period from when the camera unit starts operation in accordance with the second signal to when the operation is complete.

7. The camera unit according to claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined period is a period from receiving the second signal to which identification information is attached to when a signal including the identification information is not received for a predetermined time.

8. The camera unit according to claim 2, wherein:

the camera unit, when an access signal is transmitted from the client terminal, provides a link to the URL of an image in order to display the camera-shot image in the screen format, displays a camera operation button on the screen of a destination client terminal, generates camera operation screen information describing that an imaging section drive request signal including identification information is transmitted to the camera unit by the operation of the camera operation button; and

transmits the camera operation screen information to the client terminal.

9. A camera unit which takes picture of a subject and transfers the image data, the camera unit comprising:

an imaging section;

an image generator, converting an image shot with the imaging section to an image data;

an identification information determinant, determining specific identification information in response to a request from a client terminal via a network;

a camera operation screen generator, generating camera operation screen information including the identification information for operation on the client terminal;

an imaging section controller, controlling the shooting direction of the imaging section;

a network server which, receiving a camera operation request notice information via a network, passes the camera operation request notice information to the operation request determinant and transmits the image data generated by the image data generator and the camera operation screen information to the client terminal via the network;

registration means, registering to a memory the identification information attached to an imaging section drive request signal transmitted using the camera operation screen from the client terminal after the camera operation screen information has been transmitted to the client terminal; and

determination means which, when the imaging section drive request signal is received from the client terminal, determines whether the identification information matching registered identification information is included in the imaging section drive request signal, and instructs the imaging controller to start operation in accordance with the imaging section drive request signal in case the identification information matching the registered identification information is included in the imaging section drive request signal, and rejects the drive request signal in case the identification information matching the registered identification information is not included.

10. The camera unit according to claim 9, wherein

the identification information is a system clock obtained by counting clock signals of the camera unit.

11. A camera unit control method, the method capable of driving an imaging section by way of a signal from a client terminal, wherein:

the method, when a first signal is received from the client terminal, determines an identification information to be transmitted to the client terminal and transmits identification information including the identification information to the client terminal together with camera operation screen information; and

the method, when a second signal to which the identification information is attached is received from the client terminal, exclusively works in accordance with the second signal including the same identification information as the identification information on a priority basis for a predetermined period after receipt of the second signal.

12. The camera unit control method according to claim 11, wherein:

the method is in an exclusive operation state while it is operating in accordance with the second signal from the client terminal; and

the method registers to a memory the identification information transmitted together with the second signal from the client terminal in the exclusive operation state.

13. The camera unit control method according to claim 11, wherein:

the method, in response to an operation request signal to which identification information is attached from the client terminal in the exclusive operation state, checks whether the identification information transmitted together with the operation stop request signal matches the identification information registered to the memory, and stops operation in accordance with the operation stop request signal only in case there is a match.

14. A camera unit control method, the method capable of driving an imaging section by way of an imaging section drive request signal from a client terminal, wherein:

the method, when a camera operation screen request signal is received from the client terminal, determines an identification information to be transmitted to the client terminal and transmits identification information indicating the identification information to the client terminal together with camera operation screen information, wherein

the method, when a camera operation signal to which identification information is attached is received from the client terminal, registers the identification information to a memory and starts operation in accordance with the camera operation signal, and wherein

the method, when a camera operation signal is received from the client terminal, operates in accordance with the camera operation signal in case the identification information matching the matching the registered identification information is included in the camera operation signal, and rejects the camera operation signal in case identification information matching the registered identification information is not included.

15. The camera unit control method according to claim 14, wherein:

the method is in an exclusive operation state while it is operating in accordance with an operation start request signal as one of the camera operation signals from a client terminal;

wherein

the method checks whether a code extracted from the operation stop request signal matches a code registered to the memory and stops operation in accordance with the operation stop request signal in case there is a match, and wherein

the method, on completion of the exclusive operation state, registers to the memory code information extracted from an operation start request signal with code information attached from the client terminal, and operates in accordance with the operation start request signal.

25. The camera unit control method according to claim 14, wherein:

the camera operation signal includes a clockwise rotation request, a counterclockwise rotation request, a downward rotation request, an upward rotation request, a zoom-in request, a zoom-out request, a focus-near request, and a focus-far request.

16. A control method for a camera unit, the camera unit comprising a drive section for operating an imaging section and the shooting direction of the imaging section, the camera unit capable of driving the imaging section by way of a signal from a client terminal, wherein

a code determinant, in response to a camera operation screen request issued by a first client terminal, determines “

Code 1” and

transmits to the first client terminal the camera operation screen information to which the “

Code 1”

, is attached, wherein

the code determinant, in response to a camera operation screen request issued by a second client terminal, determines “

Code 2” and

transmits to the second client terminal the camera operation screen information to which the “

Code 2”

is attached, wherein

the method, in response to a camera operation signal to which “

Code 1”

is attached transmitted from the first client terminal by way of a camera operation instruction on the camera operation screen of the first client terminal, sets the first client terminal to the exclusive operation state as well as registers “

Code 1”

to a memory in association with the first client terminal and starts operation in accordance with the camera operation signal, and wherein

the method, in response to a camera operation signal to which code information is attached from a client terminal which is placed in the exclusive operation state, checks whether the code information transmitted together with the camera operation signal matches a code registered to the memory and operates in accordance with the camera operation signal only in case there is a match.

17. The camera unit according to claim 17, wherein the code is time information.

18. A camera unit capable of driving an imaging section based on a signal from a client terminal, the camera unit comprising a controller which, receiving a camera operation screen request signal from the client terminal, determines a code to be transmitted to the client terminal and transmits the code to the client terminal together with camera operation screen information, which,

when a camera operation screen signal to which the code is attached is received from the client terminal, operates in accordance with the camera operation signal as well as registers to a memory the code transmitted together with the camera operation signal, and which,

when another camera operation screen signal is received within a predetermined period, determines that the other camera operation screen signal does not include a code registered to the memory and makes controls so as to reject the other camera operation screen signal.

19. The camera unit according to claim 18, wherein

the predetermined period is a period to completion of driving the imaging section in accordance with the signal.

20. The camera unit according to claim 18, wherein

the predetermined period is a period until when it is determined that a signal including the code is not received for a predetermined time.

21. The camera unit according to claim 18, wherein

the controller transmits to the client terminal a request format including the code and used to signal from the client terminal.

22. The camera unit according to claim 21, wherein the request format is the cgi format.

23. A camera unit which shoots a subject and transfers the image data, the camera unit comprising:

an imaging section;

a driver, diving the imaging section;

an image section controller, capable of driving the drive section in accordance with a signal from a client terminal;

an image generator, converting an image shot with the imaging section to image data;

a code determinant, determining a specific code in response to a request from the client terminal via a network;

a camera operation screen generator, generating camera operation screen information for operation on a client;

a network server which, when camera operation request notice information is received via the network, passes the information to an operation request determinant and transmits image data generated by the image data generator and the camera operation screen information to the client terminal via the network;

a code register, registering to a memory a code attached to a signal transmitted using the camera operation screen from the client terminal after the camera operation screen information has been transmitted to the client terminal;

the operation request determinant which, when another signal is received while the imaging section drive means is operating in accordance with a signal from a client terminal, determines whether the same code as that registered to the memory is included in the other signal; and

a controller, based on determination that the same code as that registered to the memory is included in the other signal, the determination made by the operation request determinant, drives the imaging section driver in accordance with the other signal and rejects the signal in case it is determined that the same code as that registered to the memory is included.

24. The camera unit according to claim 23, wherein:

the display information generator generates a request format including code information determined by the code determination means, the format activating the operation request determination means, and wherein the network server transmits the request format to the client terminal.