IMAGING APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD OF IMAGING APPARATUS, IMAGING SYSTEM, AND PORTABLE DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20170070658A1
• Filed: 06/10/2016
• Published: 03/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OM Digital Solutions Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: OGATA, Yoshihisa, SHIMURA, Kazuhiko, FUKUYA, Yoshiyuki, KANDA, Kazuo, FUKUSHIMA, Keito, NONAKA, Osamu
• Granted Patent: US 10,178,296 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

According to the present invention, an imaging apparatus includes: an imaging unit which images a subject to acquire a subject image; a communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with devices; an output unit configured to output the subject image to the device previously set as an output destination among the devices; a recognition unit which recognizes that one of the devices has been operated by a user; and an output control unit which changes the output destination of the subject image by the output unit when the recognition unit recognizes that one of the devices has been operated by the user.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit which images a subject to acquire a subject image;

a communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with devices;

an output unit configured to output the subject image to the device previously set as an output destination among the devices;

a recognition unit which recognizes that one of the devices has been operated by a user; and

an output control unit which changes the output destination of the subject image by the output unit when the recognition unit recognizes that one of the devices has been operated by the user.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the recognition unit recognizes that one of the devices has been operated by the user, the output control unit changes the output destination of the subject image by the output unit from a preset device to one of the devices operated by the user.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a preset time has elapsed since the end of the operation of the device by the user, the output control unit returns the output destination of the subject image by the output unit to a preset device from the device operated by the user.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when a preset time has elapsed since the end of the operation of the device by the user, the output control unit returns the output destination of the subject image by the output unit to a preset device from the device operated by the user.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output control unit sets the output destination of the subject image by the output unit to the devices when no device is operated by the user, and the output control unit changes the output destination of the subject image by the output unit from the devices to the device operated by the user when the recognition unit recognizes that the device has been operated by the user.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the output control unit sets the output destination of the subject image by the output unit to the devices when no device is operated by the user, and the output control unit changes the output destination of the subject image by the output unit from the devices to the device operated by the user when the recognition unit recognizes that the device has been operated by the user.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the output control unit controls the output unit to output the subject image to the devices by a one-way communication, and output the subject image to the device operated by the user by a two-way communication.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the output control unit controls the output unit to output the subject image to the devices by a one-way communication, and output the subject image to the device operated by the user by a two-way communication.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output control unit judges whether the subject image is displayable on a preset device, and changes the output destination of the subject image to another one of the devices when judging that the subject image is not displayable on the preset device.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the output control unit judges whether the subject image is displayable on a preset device, and changes the output destination of the subject image to another one of the devices when judging that the subject image is not displayable on the preset device.

11. An imaging system comprising an imaging apparatus, and devices which communicate with the imaging apparatus,

wherein at least one of the devices comprises

a display unit which displays a subject image sent from the imaging apparatus,

an operation unit which receives an operation,

a first communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with the imaging apparatus, and

a control unit which generates a control signal on the basis of an operation by the operation unit and sends the generated control signal to the imaging apparatus, and

the imaging apparatus comprises

an imaging unit which images a subject to acquire the subject image,

a second communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with the devices,

an output unit configured to output the subject image to the device previously set as an output destination among the devices,

a recognition unit which recognizes that the device that has sent the control signal is operated by a user when the control signal is received, and

an output control unit which changes the output destination of the subject image by the output unit when the recognition unit recognizes that the device that has sent the control signal is operated by the user.

12. The imaging system according to claim 11, wherein when the recognition unit recognizes that the device that has sent the control signal is operated by the user, the output control unit changes the output destination of the subject image by the output unit from a preset device to the device that has sent the control signal.

13. The imaging system according to claim 11, wherein the control unit of the device specifies the imaging apparatus to send the control signal to on the basis of an operation by the operation unit.

14. The imaging system according to claim 12, wherein the control unit of the device specifies the imaging apparatus to send the control signal to on the basis of an operation by the operation unit.

15. A control method of an imaging apparatus, the imaging apparatus comprising a communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with devices, and an output unit configured to output a subject image to the device previously set as an output destination among the devices, the control method comprising:

imaging a subject to acquire a subject image;

recognizing that one of the devices has been operated by a user; and

changing the output destination of the subject image by the output unit when recognizing that one of the devices has been operated by the user.

16. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit which images a subject to acquire a subject image;

a communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with devices comprising a wearable display device and a portable display device;

an output unit configured to output the subject image to the wearable display device among the devices;

a recognition unit which recognizes that the portable display device has been operated; and

an output control unit which changes the output destination of the subject image by the output unit to the portable display device in accordance with the recognition result by the recognition unit, and returns the output destination of the subject image by the output unit to the wearable display device when the operation of the portable display device has ended.

17. A portable display device comprising:

a communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with an imaging apparatus which images a subject to acquire a subject image and then sends the subject image to a wearable display device;

a recognition unit which recognizes that the portable display device has been operated; and

an output control unit which outputs, to the imaging apparatus, a signal to change, from the wearable display device to the portable display device, the output destination of the subject image from the imaging apparatus in accordance with the recognition result by the recognition unit.