IMAGE TRANSMISSION APPARATUS, IMAGE TRANSMISSION METHOD, PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20070188621A1
• Filed: 01/23/2007
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kitagawa, Eiichiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,830,326 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/211.990
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• 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 1/33323 transmission mode only, e.g. speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/001 Sharing resources, e.g. processing power or memory, with a connected apparatus or enhancing the capability of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0058 Docking-station, cradle or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0075 by a user operated remote control device, e.g. receiving instructions from a user via a computer terminal or mobile telephone handset
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33342 of transmission mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• 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

At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an image transmission apparatus connected to an image pickup apparatus and configured to transmit an image picked up by the image pickup apparatus to a plurality of client terminals via a network. The image transmission apparatus includes a setting unit configured to set a transmission processing mode for transmitting a still image picked up by the image pickup apparatus and a real-time image picked up by the image pickup apparatus and having a resolution lower than that of the still image according to an instruction issued from one of the plurality of client terminals, and a control unit configured to control an instruction to the image pickup apparatus and a transmission processing for the still image and the real-time image according to the transmission processing mode set by the setting unit.

Claims

1. An image transmission apparatus configured to be in communication with an image pickup apparatus and configured to transmit an image picked up by the image pickup apparatus to a plurality of client terminals via a network, the image transmission apparatus comprising:

a setting unit configured to set a transmission processing mode for transmitting a still image picked up by the image pickup apparatus and a real-time image picked up by the image pickup apparatus and having a resolution lower than that of the still image according to an instruction issued from one of the plurality of client terminals; and

a control unit configured to control an instruction to the image pickup apparatus and a transmission processing for the still image and the real-time image according to the transmission processing mode set by the setting unit.

2. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission processing mode includes a first transmission processing mode in which when shooting of a still image is instructed from one of the plurality of client terminals while the image transmission apparatus is transmitting the real-time image, the control unit suspends transmission of the real-time image, instructs the image pickup apparatus to transmit a thumbnail image corresponding to the still image, and resumes transmission of the real-time image after the thumbnail image is transmitted to the client terminal that has instructed shooting of the still image.

3. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission processing mode includes a second transmission processing mode in which when shooting of a still image is instructed from one of the plurality of client terminals while the image transmission apparatus is transmitting the real-time image, the control unit suspends transmission of the real-time image, instructs the image pickup apparatus to transmit the still image, instructs the image pickup apparatus to produce and transmit a thumbnail image corresponding to the still image, and resumes transmission of the real-time image after the thumbnail image is transmitted to the client terminal that has instructed shooting of the still image.

4. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission processing mode includes a third transmission processing mode in which when shooting of a still image is instructed from one of the plurality of client terminals while the image transmission apparatus is transmitting the real-time image, the control unit issues an instruction for time-serially transmitting the real-time image and divided data of the still image, instructs the image pickup apparatus to transmit the real-time image, and instructs the image pickup apparatus to time-serially transmit divided data of the still image to the client terminal that has instructed shooting of the still image.

5. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when it is determined that an effective speed of the network is equal to or lower than a predetermined effective value and that the image pickup apparatus complies with a standard for performing a lower speed transmission of at least two standards for a transmission path, the setting unit sets the first transmission processing mode.

6. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when it is determined that an effective speed of the network is equal to or lower than a predetermined effective value and that the image pickup apparatus complies with a standard for performing a higher speed transmission of at least two standards for a transmission path, the setting unit sets the second transmission processing mode.

7. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when it is determined that an effective speed of the network is equal to or higher than a predetermined effective value, the setting unit sets the third sending processing mode.

8. An image transmission method for an image transmission apparatus connected to an image pickup apparatus and configured to transmit an image picked up by the image pickup apparatus to a plurality of client terminals via a network, the image transmission method comprising:

setting a transmission processing mode for transmitting a still image picked up by the image pickup apparatus and a real-time image picked up by the image pickup apparatus and having a resolution lower than that of the still image according to an instruction issued from one of the plurality of client terminals; and

controlling an instruction to the image pickup apparatus and a transmission processing for the still image and the real-time image according to the set transmission processing mode.

9. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for performing an image transmission with an image transmission apparatus connected to an image pickup apparatus and configured to transmit an image picked up by the image pickup apparatus to a plurality of client terminals via a network, the computer readable medium comprising:

computer-executable instructions for setting a transmission processing mode for transmitting a still image picked up by the image pickup apparatus and a real-time image picked up by the image pickup apparatus and having a resolution lower than that of the still image according to an instruction issued from one of the plurality of client terminals; and

computer-executable instructions for controlling an instruction to the image pickup apparatus and a transmission processing for the still image and the real-time image according to the set transmission processing mode.