Camera and camera system

• US 20080049116A1
• Filed: 08/28/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tojima, Masayoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,843,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

The camera system of the present invention includes a plurality of cameras each including an imaging unit and an image processing unit. If configured to operate in a mode that is for cooperation with other cameras, a first camera included in the camera system causes the image processing unit thereof to receive images from other cameras, and generate synthesized image by synthesizing the received images and an image captured by the imaging unit thereof. The first camera transmits the generated synthesized image to a second camera included in the camera system. The second camera causes, if configured to operate in the mode that is for cooperation with other cameras, the image processing unit thereof to perform part or whole of encoding of the received synthesized image.

Claims

1. A camera system that includes a plurality of cameras including at least a first camera and a second camera,

each of the plurality of cameras comprising:

an imaging unit; and

an image processing unit operable, if configured to operate in a first mode that is for stand-alone operation, to perform encoding processing on an image captured by the imaging unit,

the first camera further comprising;

an image receiving unit operable to receive images from other cameras among the plurality of cameras;

a first execution unit operable, if configured to operate in a second mode that is for cooperation with said other cameras, to cause the image processing unit of the first camera to generate a synthesized image by synthesizing the images received by the image receiving unit and an image captured by the imaging unit of the first camera; and

a synthesized image transmission unit operable to transmit the synthesized image to the second camera, and

the second camera further comprising;

a synthesized image receiving unit operable to receive the synthesized image from the first camera; and

a second execution unit operable, if configured to operate in the second mode, to cause the image processing unit of the second camera to perform part or whole of the encoding processing on the synthesized image received by the synthesized image receiving unit.

2. The camera system of claim 1, wherein

the image processing unit of the first camera and the image processing unit of the second camera include the first execution unit and the second execution unit respectively,

the first execution unit and the second execution unit are reconfigurable circuits, each being capable of changing a circuit structure thereof to perform different processing,

when configured to operate in the second mode, the first execution unit changes the circuit structure thereof to generate the synthesized image, and

when configured to operate in the second mode, the second execution unit changes the circuit structure thereof to perform part or whole of the encoding processing on the synthesized image.

3. The camera system of claim 1, wherein

the first camera further comprises a camera information receiving unit operable, if configured to operate in the second mode, to receive, from each of said other cameras, an identifier thereof and position information that indicates a relative position thereof with respect to the first camera, and

if configured to operate in the second mode, the image processing unit of the first camera generates the synthesized image based on the identifier and the position information of each of said other cameras received by the camera information receiving unit.

4. The camera system of claim 1, wherein

if configured to operate in the second mode, the second camera performs part of the encoding processing on the synthesized image, using the image processing unit thereof, and

among the plurality of cameras, one or more cameras different from the first and the second cameras share the rest of the encoding processing to be performed on the synthesized image.

5. The camera system of claim 4, wherein

if configured to operate in the second mode, the first camera instructs said other cameras to share the encoding processing to be performed on the synthesized image, and

if configured to operate in the second mode, the second, camera and said one or more cameras different from the first and the second cameras share the encoding processing to be performed on the synthesized image.

6. The camera system of claim 4, wherein

the encoding processing performed on the synthesized image includes a plurality of processing procedures, and

if configured to operate in the second mode, the second camera and said one or more cameras different from the first and the second cameras share the plurality of processing procedures, using the image processing unit of each.

7. The camera system of claim 4, wherein

the synthesized image is encodable in units of slices in conformity with the MPEG standard, and

if configured to operate in the second mode, the second camera and said one or more cameras different from the first and the second cameras share the slices to perform the encoding processing, using the image processing unit of each.

8. The camera system of claim 1 further including an external apparatus connected to the plurality of cameras via a network,

the external apparatus comprising

an instruction unit operable to give an instruction to each of the plurality of cameras to operate in the first mode or the second mode, wherein

each of the plurality of cameras determines which mode to operate in between the first mode and the second mode in accordance with the instruction given by the external apparatus.

9. A camera that is capable of cooperating with a plurality of other cameras, comprising:

an imaging unit;

an image processing unit operable, if configured to operate in a first mode that is for stand-alone operation, to perform encoding processing on an image captured by the imaging unit;

an image receiving unit operable, if configured to operate in a second mode that is for cooperation with other cameras, to receive images from said other cameras;

an execution unit operable, if configured to operate in the second mode, to cause the image processing unit to generate a synthesized image by synthesizing the images received by the image receiving unit and an image captured by the imaging unit; and

a transmission unit operable to transmit the generated synthesized image and an instruction for performing the encoding processing on the synthesized image to at least one of said other cameras.

10. A camera that is capable of cooperating with a plurality of other cameras, comprising:

an imaging unit;

an image processing unit operable, if configured to operate in a first mode that is for stand-alone operation, to perform encoding processing on an image captured by the imaging unit;

an image transmission unit operable, if configured to operate in a second mode that is for cooperation with other cameras, to transmit an image captured by the imaging unit to one of the plurality of other cameras; and

a synthesized image receiving unit operable, if configured to operate in the second mode, to receive, from the first camera, a synthesized image generated by synthesizing the image captured by the imaging unit and other images; and

an execution unit operable, if configured to operate in the second mode, to cause the image processing unit to perform part or whole of the encoding processing on the synthesized image received by the synthesized image receiving unit.

11. An image processing circuit that is usable in a camera and capable of cooperating with other image processing circuits, the image processing circuit comprising:

an image processing unit operable, if configured to operate in a first mode that is for stand-alone operation, to perform encoding processing on an image captured by an imaging unit of a camera;

an image receiving unit operable, if configured to operate in a second mode that is for cooperation with said other image processing circuits, to receive images from said other image processing circuits;

an execution unit operable, if configured to operate in the second mode, to cause the image processing unit of the camera to generate a synthesized image by synthesizing the images received by the image receiving unit and an image captured by the imaging unit; and

a transmission unit operable to transmit the generated synthesized image and an instruction for performing the encoding processing on the synthesized image to at least one of said other image processing circuits.

12. An image processing circuit that is usable in a camera and capable of cooperating with a plurality of other image processing circuits, the image processing circuit comprising:

an image processing unit operable, if configured to operate in a first mode that is for stand-alone operation, to perform encoding processing on an image captured by an imaging unit of a camera;

an image transmission unit operable, if configured to operate in a second mode that is for cooperation with said other image processing circuits, to transmit an image captured by the imaging unit to one of the plurality of other image processing circuits; and

a synthesized image receiving unit operable, if configured to operate in the second mode, to receive, from the one of the plurality of other image processing circuits, a synthesized image generated by synthesizing the image captured by the imaging unit and other images; and

an execution unit operable, if configured to operate in the second mode, to cause the image processing unit to perform part or whole of the encoding processing on the synthesized image received by the synthesized image receiving unit.