INTEGRATED INTERNET CAMERA

• US 20070268373A1
• Filed: 08/03/2007
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Axis AB (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pentax of America Incorporated (Hoya Corporation)
• Inventors: HELTON, Richard, CREAMER, Rob, ARAKI, Yoshiyuki, KOCH, Mark, KNAPP, Walter
• Granted Patent: US 7,640,568 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/211.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00214 details of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00217 only involving computer data transmission protocols, e.g. SMTP, WAP or HTTP communication protocol aspects and techniques in packet data networks H04L69/00; network-specific arrangements or communication protocols supporting networked applications H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00838 Preventing unauthorised reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00854 Recognising an unauthorised user or user-associated action
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/164 Feedback from the receiver or from the transmission channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/172 the region being a picture, frame or field
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• 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

Abstract

An integrated Internet camera includes, as embedded components contained within the camera body and controlled by a microcontroller, at least a network interface device for connecting to the Internet, a transport control device for packetizing according to Internet protocols, a file transfer device for communicating with a destination user directory on the Internet, and a transmission initiating device for initiating the connection and transfer operations of the file transfer device and transport control device. The network interface device may be a modem, network adapter, or adapter for connection to the Internet. Upon capturing the digital image, the camera initiates a connection to the Internet, connects to the destination user directory, and uploads the digital images. Thereafter, the digital images are available to authorized (or any) user having access to the Internet.

Claims

1. A standalone image recording device, comprising:

a preview device that previews scenes to be recorded as digital image data;

an imaging circuit that records images of the previewed scenes as the digital image data into image storage; and

a processor, which executes control routines including;

a selection routine which interprets input from an operator in order to set parameter values designating which of the digital image data recorded in the image storage is to be sent from the standalone image recording device, and interprets input from an operator in order to activate one of;

an e-mail assembly routine, in which the processor assembles information for the preparation of an e-mail message to be transmitted via a message transfer server to a destination e-mail address on an internet-protocol network, the information including a destination e-mail address and message data representative of the digital image data designated by the selection routine,

an uploading routine, in which the processor sends the digital image data designated by the selection routine from the standalone image recording device by transferring the designated digital image data to an image file account on a server on the internet-protocol network, from which the digital image data may be served to a browser, and

a transfer routine, in which the processor sends the digital image data designated by the selection routine from the standalone image recording device by transferring the designated digital image data to a local personal computer.

2. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the selection routine is responsive to operator input to a menu interface and operator input to operable buttons on the standalone image recording device.

3. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, wherein in response to an operator of the standalone image recording device interacting with the standalone image recording device to choose designated digital image data, the selection routine sets a defined parameter that tags the chosen digital image data.

4. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the message data representative of the designated digital image data is the designated digital image data as an attachment, and the e-mail assembly routine forms part of a reporting routine in which the controller checks whether any data exists in a reporting buffer, and assembles information for the preparation of an email message including:

the contents of the reporting buffer as text,

an appropriate header from stored e-mail addressing information, dummy information which fills out unused fields in a mail protocol, and

the designated digital image data as an attachment.

5. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the message data representative of the designated digital image data is a pointer to the designated digital image data, and the e-mail assembly routine forms part of a reporting routine in which a controller checks whether any data exists in a reporting buffer, and assembles information for the preparation of an email message including:

the contents of the reporting buffer as text,

an appropriate header from stored e-mail addressing information,

dummy information which fills out unused fields in a mail protocol, and

the pointer to the designated digital image data.

6. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the message transfer server is an SMTP server.

7. The standalone image recording device according to claim 6, wherein the internet-protocol network is the publicly accessible Internet.

8. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the uploading routine uploads a set of files of digital image data, recorded and stored at different times, together in a single connection session in which the processor uploads the designated digital image data to the image file account on the server on the internet-protocol network.

9. The standalone image recording device according to claim 8, wherein the uploading routine performs an upload of each image file tagged by a value representing designation by the operator.

10. The standalone image recording device according to claim 9, wherein the value representing designation by the operator is a batch value for an upload parameter.

11. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer routine forms part of a command routine in which the transfer of digital image data to a local personal computer is activated by depressing one or more buttons alone or in combination, or by a command received via a serial port of the standalone image recording device to which the local personal computer is connected.

12. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer routine forms part of a command routine in which a task execution command results in the transfer of digital image data to a local personal computer by sending the digital image data via a serial port of the standalone image recording device to which the local personal computer is connected.

13. The standalone image recording device according to claim 12, wherein the selection routine designates digital image data for transfer by tagging the digital image data with a value representing selection by the operator.

14. The standalone image recording device according to claim 13, wherein the value representing selection by the operator is a batch value for an upload parameter.

15. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display;

a display controller; and

a plurality of buttons, and

wherein the selection routine includes cycling between possible parameter values, the direction of cycling being determined according to which button is pressed, and changing a displayed parameter value via the display controller and display.

16. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the preview device is selected from one of a display or a viewfinder.

17. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image-forming optical system;

an image sensor upon which an image is formed by the image-forming optical system; and

an image conversion circuit that scans the image sensor and converts the image formed thereon into the digital image data.

18. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, further comprising an interface controller connectable to a network interface, which is further connectable to a local network system, and wherein in the uploading routine, the processor transfers the designated digital image data to the image file account on the server on the internet-protocol network via the network interface.

19. The standalone image recording device according to claim 18, wherein in the transfer routine, the processor transfers the designated image data to the local personal computer via the network interface.

20. The standalone image recording device according to claim 18, wherein the interface controller is connectable to a card slot housing the network interface.

21. The standalone image recording device according to claim 18, wherein the network interface includes an adapter for wireless connection.

22. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a serial data transmitter connectible to the local personal computer.

23. The standalone image recording device according to claim 22, wherein the serial data transmitter includes a serial interface, and in the transfer routine the digital image data is sent to the local personal computer in response to a task execution command generated by said standalone image recording device.

24. The standalone image recording device according to claim 22, wherein the serial data transmitter includes a serial interface, and in the transfer routine the digital image data is sent to the local personal computer in response to a task execution command generated by said local personal computer.

25. The standalone image recording device according to claim 22, wherein the serial data transmitter includes a serial interface operating as one of an RS232C, USB, or IEEE1394 interface.

26. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, wherein in the uploading routine, the processor transfers the designated digital image data via an intermediary network to the internet-protocol network.

27. The standalone image recording device according to claim 26, wherein in the uploading routine, the processor configures the standalone image recording device to register on the intermediary network in a first mode providing a password in order to register on the intermediary network and in a second mode registering on the intermediary network without providing a password.

28. The standalone image recording device according to claim 27, wherein in the uploading routine, the processor transmits the digital image data using a first packetizing for the intermediary network and a second packetizing for the internet-protocol network.

29. The standalone image recording device according to claim 28, wherein the intermediary network comprises a telephone connection operating under a point-to-point protocol.

30. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the information for the preparation of an e-mail message to be sent includes information about the standalone image recording device, information about the digital image data, and the digital image data.

31. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a serial connection, which transfers data to a connected computer, and

a network connection, which transfers data to an internet-protocol network,

wherein the designated digital image data is selectively transferred from the image storage of the standalone image recording device to the connected computer using the serial connection or from the image storage of the standalone image recording device to the internet-protocol network using the network connection.