IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGING SYSTEM

• US 20120307079A1
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: YUMIKI, Naoto, INATA, Masahiro, SUGINO, Yoichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,094,597 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes: an image sensor configured to capture an image of a subject; an identification information storage unit configured to store a particular subject and a terminal device corresponding to the particular subject; a face detection unit and a face recognition unit configured to detect the particular subject stored in the identification information storage unit in the image captured by the image sensor; and a microcomputer configured to notify, when the face detection unit and the face recognition unit detect the particular subject, the terminal device which is stored in the identification information storage unit and corresponds to the detected particular subject that the particular subject is detected.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus which is remote-controllable by a terminal device, and is capable of sending an image to the terminal device, the imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit configured to capture an image of a subject;

a storage unit configured to store one or multiple particular subjects, and one or multiple terminal devices corresponding to the one or multiple particular subjects;

a detection unit configured to detect the particular subject stored in the storage unit in the image captured by the imaging unit; and

a control unit configured to notify, when the detection unit detects the particular subject, the terminal device which is stored in the storage unit and corresponds to the detected particular subject that the particular subject is detected.

2. The imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein

when the detection unit detects the particular subject, the control unit accepts remote control only by the terminal device which is stored in the storage unit and corresponds to the detected particular subject.

3. The imaging apparatus of claim 2, wherein

when the detection unit detects the multiple particular subjects, the control unit accepts remote control only by the terminal device which is stored in the storage unit and corresponds to one of the detected particular subjects having the highest priority.

4. An imaging system comprising:

a terminal device; and

an imaging apparatus which is remote-controllable by the terminal device, and is capable of sending an image to the terminal device, wherein

the imaging apparatus includes;

an imaging unit configured to capture an image of a subject;

a storage unit configured to store one or multiple particular subjects, and one or multiple terminal devices corresponding to the one or multiple particular subjects;

a detection unit configured to detect the particular subject stored in the storage unit in the image captured by the imaging unit; and

a control unit configured to notify, when the detection unit detects the particular subject, the terminal device which is stored in the storage unit and corresponds to the detected particular subject that the particular subject is detected.

5. The imaging system of claim 4, wherein

in notifying the terminal device corresponding to the particular subject that the particular subject is detected, the control unit sends the image to the terminal device, and

the terminal device includes a display configured to display the image, and displays the image on the display upon receiving the notice and the image from the imaging apparatus.

6. The imaging system of claim 4, wherein

when the detection unit detects the particular subject, the control unit accepts remote control only by the terminal device which is stored in the storage unit and corresponds to the detected particular subject.

7. The imaging system of claim 6, wherein

when the detection unit detects the multiple particular subjects, the control unit accepts remote control only by the terminal device which is stored in the storage unit and corresponds to one of the detected particular subjects having the highest priority.