VIDEO SYSTEM

• US 20070103560A1
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/1993
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mitsutake, Hideaki, Sekine, Masayoshi, Suga, Akira, Iijima, Katsumi, Muramoto, Tomotaka
• Granted Patent: US 8,031,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/211.990
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

In a video system of the invention, control means is provided for a terminal input apparatus which is connected by a communication network of a camera on the partner side and which comprises an image display apparatus having a multiwindow display function for selecting and displaying the camera. An image pickup operation which is required to the camera on the partner side, for example, the image pickup direction, focal distance, panning, exposure amount, white balance, automatic focusing, and the like of the designated camera are inputted by using an image display and a window display of the image display apparatus. The operation of the camera on the partner side and the operations of a tripod, a movable arm, and the like to hold the camera are controlled through communicating means. A photographed image is displayed by the display apparatus.

Claims

1-69. -69. (canceled)

70. An apparatus for controlling a camera, said apparatus comprising:

a communication device adapted to communicate with a plurality of control apparatuses through the network; and

a control device adapted to inhibit others of the plurality of control apparatuses from controlling a camera parameter including at least one of vertical pan, horizontal pan, and zoom through the network in a case that one of the plurality of control apparatuses controls the camera parameter through the network.

71. An apparatus according to claim 70, wherein said control device inhibits another control apparatus from controlling the camera for a predetermined period of time.

72. An apparatus according to claim 71, wherein said control device releases the another control apparatus from being inhibited from controlling the camera after the predetermined period of time has lapsed.

73. A method of controlling a camera, said method comprising the steps of:

communicating with a plurality of control apparatuses through a network; and

inhibiting others of the plurality of control apparatuses from controlling a camera parameter including at least one of vertical pan, horizontal pan, and zoom through the network in a case that the camera parameter is controlled by one of the plurality of control apparatuses through the network.

74. A method according to claim 73, wherein said inhibiting step comprises a step of inhibiting the others of the plurality of control apparatuses from controlling the camera for a predetermined period of time.

75. A method according to claim 74, further comprising a step of releasing the others of the plurality of control apparatuses from being inhibited from controlling the camera after the predetermined period of time has lapsed.

76. An apparatus for controlling a camera, said apparatus comprising:

a control device adapted to inhibit others of a plurality of control apparatuses from controlling a camera parameter including at least one of vertical pan, horizontal pan, and zoom through a network in a case that one of the plurality of control apparatuses controls the camera parameter through the network; and

a communication device adapted to communicate with the plurality of control apparatuses through the network, based on a control result by said control device.

77. A method of controlling a camera, said method comprising the steps of:

inhibiting others of a plurality of control apparatuses from controlling a camera parameter including at least one of vertical pan, horizontal pan, and zoom through a network in a case that one of the plurality of control apparatuses controls the camera parameter through the network; and

communicating with the plurality of control apparatuses thorough the network, based on a control result by said inhibiting step.

78. An apparatus for controlling a camera, said apparatus comprising:

a determination device adapted to determine whether one of a plurality of control apparatuses controls a camera parameter including at least one of vertical pan, horizontal pan, and zoom through a network;

a control device adapted to inhibit others of the plurality of control apparatuses from controlling the camera parameter through the network in a case that said determination device determine that one of the plurality of control apparatuses controls the camera parameter through the network; and

a communication device adapted to communicate with the plurality of control apparatuses thorough the network, based on a control result by said control device.

79. A method of controlling a camera, said method comprising the steps of:

determining whether one of a plurality of control apparatuses controls a camera parameter including at least one of vertical pan, horizontal pan, and zoom through a network;

inhibiting others of the plurality of control apparatuses from controlling the camera parameter through the network in a case that said determining step determines that one of the plurality of control apparatuses controls the camera through the network; and

communicating with the plurality of control apparatuses through the network, based on a control result by said inhibiting step.