TRANSMISSION APPARATUS, RECEPTION APPARATUS, TRANSMISSION AND RECEPTION SYSTEM, TRANSMISSION APPARATUS CONTROL METHOD, RECEPTION APPARATUS CONTROL METHOD, TRANSMISSION AND RECEPTION SYSTEM CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20150077578A1
• Filed: 09/12/2014
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Iwasaki, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 10,356,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00251 with an apparatus for taking photographic images, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3252 Image capture parameters, e.g. resolution, illumination conditions, orientation of the image capture device H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3283 Compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A monitoring camera, which can communicate with a client apparatus via an IP network, includes a communication unit configured to output an image and metadata relating to the image. The communication unit transmits encoding method information, which indicates configurability of an encoding method for each of the image and the relevant metadata output from the communication unit, to the client apparatus via the IP network.

Claims

1. A transmission apparatus that can communicate with a reception apparatus via a network, comprising:

an output unit configured to output an image and metadata relating to the image; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit encoding method information, which indicates configurability of an encoding method for each of the image and the relevant metadata output from the output unit, to the reception apparatus via the network.

2. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an acceptance unit configured to accept a request of content information about the image and the relevant metadata output from the output unit, from the reception apparatus via the network,

wherein the transmission unit is configured to transmit information corresponding to the request accepted by the acceptance unit together with the encoding method information.

3. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an imaging unit configured to capture an image of an imaging target,

wherein the image output from the output unit is an image output from the imaging unit, and

the metadata output from the output unit includes information indicating an image capturing position of the imaging unit.

4. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an imaging unit configured to capture an image of an imaging target; and

a changing unit configured to change an image capturing position of the imaging unit,

wherein the image output from the output unit is an image output from the imaging unit, and

the metadata output from the output unit includes information indicating an operating state of the changing unit.

5. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an imaging unit configured to capture an image of an imaging target;

a changing unit configured to change an image capturing position of the imaging unit; and

a notification unit configured to transmit a notification about information indicating whether information indicating the image capturing position is included in the metadata output from the output unit, and information indicating whether information indicating an operating state of the changing unit is included in the metadata output from the output unit, together with information indicating an encoding method that can be applied to the metadata output from the output unit, to the reception apparatus via the network.

6. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an imaging unit configured to capture an image of an imaging target; and

an object detection unit configured to detect an object included in the image output from the imaging unit,

wherein the image output from the output unit is an image output from the imaging unit, and

the metadata output from the output unit includes information indicating an object detected by the object detection unit.

7. The transmission apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the object detected by the object detection unit is a moving body.

8. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive an encoding method that can be applied to the metadata output from the output unit from the reception apparatus via the network, when encoding method information indicating configurability of an encoding method for the metadata is transmitted from the transmission unit;

an encoding unit configured to encode the metadata output from the output unit using the encoding method received by the reception unit;

a distribution unit configured to distribute the metadata encoded by the encoding unit to the reception apparatus via the network; and

a control unit configured to cause the encoding unit to start encoding processing when the transmission apparatus causes the distribution unit to start distribution processing.

9. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the encoding method that can be applied to the image output from the output unit includes at least one of JPEG, MPEG4, H.264, and H.265.

10. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the encoding method that can be applied to the metadata output from the output unit includes at least one of EXI, FI, and BiM.

11. A reception apparatus that can communicate with a transmission apparatus, which includes an output unit configured to output an image and metadata relating to the image, via a network, the reception apparatus comprising:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire encoding method information, which indicates configurability of an encoding method for each of the image and the relevant metadata output from the output unit, from the transmission apparatus, via the network.

12. The reception apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a display control unit configured to cause a display unit to display information indicating an encoding method that can be applied to each of the image and the relevant metadata output from the output unit when the encoding method information indicating the configurability of the encoding method for each of the image and the relevant metadata is acquired by the acquisition unit.

13. The reception apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the display control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display information indicating an encoding method that can be applied to the image output from the output unit and information indicating an encoding method that can be applied to the metadata output from the output unit, using different windows.

14. The reception apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the display control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display the information indicating the encoding method that can be applied to the image output from the output unit and the information indicating the encoding method that can be applied to the metadata output from the output unit, using the same window.

15. The reception apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the metadata output from the output unit includes at least one of information indicating an image capturing position of an imaging unit configured to capture an image of an imaging target, information indicating an operating state of a changing unit configured to change the image capturing position of the imaging unit, and information indicating an object included in the image output from the output unit, and the display control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display information indicating information included in the metadata output from the output unit together with the information indicating the encoding method that can be applied to the metadata output from the output unit.

16. A transmission and reception system that includes a transmission apparatus and a reception apparatus that can communicate with the transmission apparatus via a network, wherein

the transmission apparatus includes an output unit configured to output an image and metadata relating to the image, and

the reception apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire encoding method information, which indicates configurability of an encoding method for each of the image and the relevant metadata output from the output unit, from the transmission apparatus via the network.

17. A method for controlling a transmission apparatus that can communicate with a reception apparatus via a network, the method comprising:

outputting an image and metadata relating to the image; and

transmitting encoding method information, which indicates configurability of an encoding method for each of the output image and the relevant metadata, to the reception apparatus via the network.

18. A method for controlling a reception apparatus that can communicate with a transmission apparatus including an output unit configured to output an image and metadata relating to the image via a network, the method comprising:

acquiring encoding method information, which indicates configurability of an encoding method for each of the image and the relevant metadata output from the output unit, from the transmission apparatus via the network.

19. A method for controlling a transmission and reception system that includes a transmission apparatus and a reception apparatus that can communicate with the transmission apparatus via a network, the method comprising:

causing the transmission apparatus to output an image and metadata relating to the image; and

causing the reception apparatus to acquire encoding method information, which indicates configurability of an encoding method for each of the output image and the relevant metadata, from the transmission apparatus via the network.

20. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to control a reception apparatus and a transmission apparatus that can communicate with each other via a network, the program comprising:

computer-executable instructions for outputting an image and metadata relating to the image; and

computer-executable instructions for transmitting encoding method information, which indicates configurability of an encoding method for each of the output image and relevant metadata, to the reception apparatus via the network.

21. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to control a transmission apparatus including an output unit configured to output an image and metadata relating to the image and a reception apparatus that can communicate with the transmission apparatus via a network, the program comprises:

computer-executable instructions for acquiring encoding method information, which indicates configurability of an encoding method for each of the image and the relevant metadata output from the output unit, from the transmission apparatus via the network.

22. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to control a transmission and reception system including a transmission apparatus and a reception apparatus that can communicate with the transmission apparatus via a network, the program comprising:

computer-executable instructions for causing the transmission apparatus to output an image and metadata relating to the image, and

computer-executable instructions for causing the reception apparatus to acquire encoding method information, which indicates configurability of an encoding method for each of the output image and the relevant metadata, from the transmission apparatus via the network.