METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTING OUTPUT IMAGES

• US 20070035615A1
• Filed: 12/20/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Kung, Hua-Chung
• Application Number:
  US11/306,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20070035615A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4728 for selecting a Region Of Interest [ROI], e.g. for requesting a higher resolution version of a selected region
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for adjusting output images are provided. In the method, a target area is selected from the original frame received by an image receiving device and an image capturing device is controlled to capture the image within the target area. Hence, users can change angles to view images within different target areas without rotating the lens of the video device. In addition, the image resolution is adjusted automatically according to the screen resolution of the image receiving device or the resolution corresponding to the network bandwidth. Therefore, the defects in the prior art that mechanical operation is easily damaged and the manufacturing cost is high are eliminated. The purpose of effectively enhancing image resolution is also achieved.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting an output image, comprising:

utilizing a video capturing device to capture a frame and output the frame to a video receiving device;

utilizing the video receiving device to select a target area from the frame and send back a target area signal corresponding to the target area to the video capturing device;

utilizing the video capturing device to capture an image within the target area as a target image in the frame according to the target area signal, and adjust the resolution of the target image to the resolution of the video receiving device; and

outputting the target image to the video receiving device.

2. The method for adjusting an output image as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

moving the target area to adjust the target image output from the video capturing device; and

repeating the above step for continuously outputting the target image after being moved.

3. The method for adjusting an output image as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of utilizing the video capturing device to capture the frame further comprises using a wide angle lens to enlarge the range of the frame captured by the video capturing device.

4. The method for adjusting an output image as claimed in claim 1, wherein the target area signal comprises a set of window coordinates and a window size.

5. The method for adjusting an output image as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted between the video capturing device and the video receiving device through a network.

6. A method for adjusting an output image, comprising:

utilizing a video capturing device to capture a frame and output the frame to a video receiving device through a network;

utilizing the video receiving device to select a target area from the frame and send back a target area signal corresponding to the target area to the video capturing device through a network;

utilizing the video capturing device to capture an image within the target area as a target image in the frame according to the target area signal, and adjust the resolution of the target image to the resolution of the corresponding network bandwidth; and

outputting the target image to the video receiving device.

7. The method for adjusting an output image as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

moving the target area to adjust the target image output from the video capturing device; and

repeating the above step for continuously outputting the target image after being moved.

8. The method for adjusting an output image as claimed in claim 6, wherein the step of utilizing the video capturing device to capture the frame further comprises using a wide angle lens to enlarge the range of the frame captured by the video capturing device.

9. The method for adjusting an output image as claimed in claim 6, wherein the target area signal comprises a set of window coordinates and a window size.

10. An apparatus for adjusting an output image, comprising:

a video capturing device, for capturing a frame and capturing an image within a target area in the frame as a target image according a target area signal, and meanwhile adjusting the resolution of the target image to the resolution of the video receiving device; and

a video receiving device, for receiving the frame, selecting a target area from the frame, transmitting the target area signal corresponding to the target area to the video capturing device, and receiving the target image sent back from the video capturing device.

11. The apparatus for adjusting an output image as claimed in claim 10, wherein the video capturing device further comprises:

a wide angle lens, for enlarging the range of the frame captured by the video capturing device.

12. The apparatus for adjusting an output image as claimed in claim 10, wherein the video capturing device further comprises:

a regional image output device, for determining the position and size of the target image and adjusting the resolution of the target image to the resolution of the video receiving device.

13. The apparatus for adjusting an output image as claimed in claim 10, wherein the video receiving device further comprises:

a target area select device, for providing a window for selecting the target area from the frame and transmitting the target area signal corresponding to the target area to the video capturing device.

14. The apparatus for adjusting an output image as claimed in claim 13, wherein the window comprises an auto-moving mode to move the selected target area automatically.

15. The apparatus for adjusting an output image as claimed in claim 10, wherein the target area signal comprises a set of window coordinates and a window size.

16. The apparatus for adjusting an output image as claimed in claim 10, wherein the data is transmitted between the video capturing device and the video receiving device through a network.