Video sharing system, Photography support system, And camera

• US 20100002084A1
• Filed: 09/04/2007
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Hattori, Yuko, Hasegawa, Junko
• Granted Patent: US 8,339,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00132 in a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00148 Storage information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A video sharing system, accumulating various videos and enabling a plurality of users to utilize these accumulated videos, includes a plurality of cameras that photograph any one of a plurality of photographic subjects present within a facility, a video collection unit that collects photographed videos photographed by the plurality of cameras, a photographic subject identification unit that identifies the photographic subjects in the photographed videos, for each photographed video; and an accumulation unit that accumulates the photographed videos collected by the video collection unit, and photographic subject information specifying the photographic subjects identified by the photographic subject identification unit.

Claims

1. A video sharing system that accumulates various videos and enables a plurality of users to utilize these accumulated videos, comprising:

a plurality of cameras that photograph any one of a plurality of photographic subjects present within a facility;

a video collection unit that collects photographed videos photographed by the plurality of cameras;

a photographic subject identification unit that identifies the photographic subjects in the photographed videos, for each photographed video; and

an accumulation unit that accumulates the photographed videos collected by the video collection unit, and photographic subject information specifying the photographic subjects identified by the photographic subject identification unit.

2. A video sharing system according to claim 1, further comprising

a position identification unit that identifies positions of the photographic subjects and of the cameras within the facility;

wherein

the photographic subject identification unit identifies the photographic subjects in the photographed videos on the basis of the positions of the photographic subjects and of the cameras identified by the position identification unit.

3. A video sharing system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of transmission units that are held by the plurality of photographic subjects and by a plurality of photographers who perform photography using any one of the plurality of cameras, each of which transmits its own intrinsic identification information; and

a plurality of reception units that are installed in the facility, receiving the identification information transmitted from the transmission units;

wherein

the position identification unit identifies the positions of the photographic subjects and of the cameras within the facility, on the basis of the identification information received by the reception units, and the positions of installation of the reception units that have received this identification information.

4. A video sharing system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a photographic information collection unit that collects, from the plurality of cameras, photographic information including at least one of photographic direction, focal distance, zoom amount, and angle of view; and

a range of photography calculation unit that calculates ranges of photography of the cameras, on the basis of the photographic information collected by the photographic information collection unit;

wherein

the photographic subject identification unit identifies the photographic subjects in the photographed videos, on the basis of the positions of the photographic subjects and of the cameras identified by the position identification unit, and the ranges of photography of the cameras calculated by the range of photography calculation unit.

5. A video sharing system according to claim 4, further comprising

an obstruction decision unit that decides upon the presence or absence of photographic obstructions in the photographed videos;

wherein

the photographic subject identification unit further identifies the photographic subjects in the photographed videos on the basis of the decision results by the obstruction decision unit.

6. A video sharing system according to claim 4, further comprising

a photography good/bad decision unit that makes a decision as to whether the photographic states in the photographic videos are good or bad;

wherein

the photographic subject identification unit further identifies the photographic subjects in the photographed videos on the basis of the decision results by the photographic good/bad decision unit.

7. A video sharing system that accumulates various videos and enables a plurality of users to utilize these accumulated videos, comprising:

an accumulation unit that accumulates a plurality of photographed videos in which certain ones among a plurality of photographic subjects present in a facility are photographed;

a photographic subject selection unit that selects a photographic subject to be an editing subject;

an extraction unit that extracts a plurality of video portions in which the photographic subject selected by the photographic subject selection unit is photographed, from certain ones of the plurality of photographed videos accumulated by the accumulation unit; and

an editing unit that prepares an edited video for the selected photographic subject, by sequentially inserting the plurality of video portions extracted by the extraction unit so as to edit the video.

8. A video sharing system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a position identification unit that identifies positions of the photographic subjects and of a plurality of cameras within the facility, the cameras having photographed the plurality of photographed videos;

a photographic subject identification unit that identifies the photographic subjects in the photographed videos accumulated by the accumulation unit, on the basis of the positions of the photographic subjects and of the cameras identified by the position identification unit; and

a photographic subject information recording unit that records photographic subject information specifying the photographic subjects identified by the photographic subject identification unit;

wherein

the extraction unit extracts the video portions in which the selected photographic subject is photographed, on the basis of the photographic subject information that has been recorded by the photographic subject information recording unit.

9. A video sharing system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a plurality of transmission units that are held by the plurality of photographic subjects and by a plurality of photographers who perform photography using any one of the plurality of cameras, each of which transmits its own intrinsic identification information; and

a plurality of reception units that are installed in the facility, receiving the identification information transmitted from the transmission units;

wherein

the position identification unit identifies the positions of the photographic subjects and of the cameras within the facility, on the basis of the identification information received by the reception units, and the positions of installation of the reception units that have received this identification information.

10. A video sharing system according to claim 7, wherein

the extraction unit extracts, from the same photographed video, a video portion that continues for at least a predetermined time period.

11. A video sharing system according to claim 7, wherein,

when the selected photographic subject is not photographed in any of the photographed videos, the editing unit inserts an overall photographed video that is determined in advance.

12. A video sharing system according to claim 7, further comprising

a priority decision unit that, if the selected photographic subject is photographed in a plurality of the photographed videos during the same time period, decides that one of the plurality of photographed videos should be accorded priority;

wherein

the extraction unit extracts a video portion from that photographed video to which the priority decision unit has decided that priority should be accorded.

13. A video sharing system according to claim 12, wherein

the priority decision unit decides that one of the plurality of photographed videos should be accorded priority, on the basis of the positional relationship of the camera and the photographic subject, or on the basis of the image conditions of the photographed videos.

14. A video sharing system according to claim 7, further comprising

a user information registration unit that registers user information specifying correspondence relationship between the photographic subjects and users;

wherein,

when a request arrives from some user for the preparation of an edited video, the photographic subject selection unit selects a photographic subject to be the editing subject for that user, on the basis of the user information that is registered in advance by the user information registration unit.

15. A video sharing system according to claim 7, further comprising

a time point range setting unit that sets a range of photographic time points for video portions extracted by the extraction unit, on the basis of event program information that is registered in advance.

16. A video sharing system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a charging money amount calculation unit that calculates an amount of money to be charged to a user for an edited video that has been prepared by the editing unit for the user; and

a reception money amount calculation unit that calculates an amount of money to be received by the user for an edited video that has been prepared by the editing unit for a user other than the user.

17. A video sharing system according to claim 16, wherein

the charging money amount calculation unit calculates the amount of money to be charged to the user, according to the length of time over which a video photographed by another user is inserted into the edited video that has been prepared for the user.

18. A video sharing system according to claim 16, wherein

the reception money amount calculation unit calculates the amount of money to be received by that user, according to the length of time over which a video photographed by the user is inserted into an edited video that has been prepared for some user other than the user.

19. A video sharing system that accumulates various videos and enables a plurality of users to utilize these accumulated videos, comprising:

a plurality of cameras that photograph any one of a plurality of photographic subjects present within a facility;

a video collection unit that collects photographed videos photographed by the plurality of cameras;

an accumulation unit that accumulates the photographed videos collected by the video collection unit; and

a schedule management unit that issues a warning to a photographer of a photographic subject whose appearance is imminent, among the plurality of photographic subjects.

20. A video sharing system according to claim 19, wherein,

a predetermined time period before the next event on a program starts, the schedule management unit decides the photographic subject whose appearance is imminent by identifying a photographic subject who is scheduled to appear in that event.

21. A video sharing system according to claim 19, wherein

the schedule management unit identifies a photographic subject who is scheduled to appear in the next event on a program, on the basis of registered participant information for each event on the program that has been registered in advance.

22. A video sharing system according to claim 19, wherein

the schedule management unit issues the warning by transmitting a control signal that commands the camera to perform some specific operation.

23. A video sharing system according to claim 19, wherein

the schedule management unit issues the warning by transmitting an email to an email address of a portable telephone that is held by the photographer and registered in advance.

24. A photography support system, comprising:

one or a plurality of transmission units, respectively held by one or two or more photographic subjects, each of which transmits intrinsic identification information; and

a camera for photographing the photographic subject;

wherein

position information for the photographic subject is supplied to a photographer by the camera, on the basis of the relative position of the photographic subject with respect to the camera that is obtained on the basis of identification information transmitted from the transmission unit.

25. A photography support system according to claim 24, further comprising:

a plurality of reception units, each of which is installed in a facility, receiving the identification information transmitted from the transmission unit;

a photographic subject position identification unit that identifies the position of the photographic subject in the facility, on the basis of the identification information received by one of the reception units, and the position of installation of that reception unit that has received the identification information;

a camera position identification unit that identifies the position of the camera in the facility; and

a relative position calculation unit that obtains the relative position of the photographic subject with respect to the camera, on the basis of the position of the photographic subject identified by the photographic subject position identification unit, and the position of the camera identified by the camera position identification unit.

26. A photography support system according to claim 25, wherein:

the transmission unit is further held by the photographer; and

the camera position identification unit identifies the position of the camera in the facility, on the basis of the identification information that is transmitted from the transmission unit held by the photographer and received by the reception unit, and the position of installation of the reception unit that has received this identification information.

27. A photography support system according to claim 25, wherein

the camera decides whether or not the photographic subject is within a range of photography, and changes the position information for the photographic subject that is supplied to the photographer according to the result of this decision.

28. A photography support system according to claim 27, wherein,

if it is decided that the photographic subject is within the range of photography, the camera supplies the position information for the photographic subject to the photographer by displaying the position of the photographic subject within the range of photography.

29. A photography support system according to claim 28, wherein

the camera displays the position of the photographic subject within the range of photography by using a portion of an auto focus area that is displayed as overlapped over a viewfinder image for indicating the auto focus region during photography.

30. A photography support system according to claim 27, wherein,

if it is decided that the photographic subject is not within the range of photography, the camera supplies the position information for the photographic subject to the photographer by displaying the direction to the photographic subject with respect to the range of photography.

31. A photography support system according to claim 30, wherein

the camera displays a sign in the viewfinder that indicates the direction to the photographic subject with respect to the range of photography.

32. A photography support system according to claim 28, wherein,

when displaying the position or the direction of the photographic subject, the camera changes over between vertical and horizontal display, according to the orientation in which the photographer is holding the camera.

33. A photography support system according to claim 25, wherein

the camera performs focus adjustment on the basis of the relative position of the photographic subject that has been obtained by the relative position calculation unit.

34. A photography support system according to claim 33, wherein:

if the photographic subject is within the range of photography, the camera performs focus adjustment by matching the focus to the photographic subject who is within the range of photography; and

if the photographic subject is not within the range of photography, the camera performs focus adjustment on the basis of the relative position of the photographic subject that has been obtained by the relative position calculation unit.

35. A photography support system according to claim 24, wherein

the camera includes a reception unit for receiving identification information transmitted from the transmission unit, and a relative position calculation unit that obtains the relative position of the photographic subject with respect to that camera, on the basis of the identification information received by the reception unit, and its direction of reception.

36. A photography support system according to claim 35, wherein

the camera decides whether or not the photographic subject is within a range of photography, and changes the position information for the photographic subject that is supplied to the photographer according to the result of this decision.

37. A photography support system according to claim 36, wherein,

if it is decided that the photographic subject is within the range of photography, the camera supplies the position information for the photographic subject to the photographer by displaying the position of the photographic subject within the range of photography.

38. A photography support system according to claim 37, wherein

the camera displays the position of the photographic subject within the range of photography by using a portion of an auto focus area that is displayed as overlapped over a viewfinder image for indicating the auto focus region during photography.

39. A photography support system according to claim 36, wherein,

if it is decided that the photographic subject is not within the range of photography, the camera supplies the position information for the photographic subject to the photographer by displaying the direction to the photographic subject with respect to the range of photography.

40. A photography support system according to claim 39, wherein

the camera displays a sign in the viewfinder that indicates the direction to the photographic subject with respect to the range of photography.

41. A photography support system according to claim 37, wherein,

when displaying the position or the direction of the photographic subject, the camera changes over between vertical and horizontal display, according to the orientation in which the photographer is holding the camera.

42. A photography support system according to claim 24, wherein

the photographic subject for whom position information is supplied to the photographer is selected by the camera, on the basis of information related to the transmission unit held by the photographic subject, registered in advance in the camera.

43. A camera used in a photography support system according to claim 24.