Communication apparatus image processing apparatus communication method and image processing method

• US 6,266,082 B1
• Filed: 12/18/1996
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kawai, Tomoaki, Yonezawa, Hiroki, Kotani, Masaaki, Tsujimura, Kazuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Vu
• Application Number:
  US08/768,653
• Time in Patent Office: 1,679 Days
• Field of Search: 348/12-16, 348/150, 348/153, 348/159, 348/14.01, 348/14.02, 348/14.08, 348/14.03, 345/326-330, 345/334, 345/340, 345/342, 345/348, 345/145-146
• US Class Current: 348/159
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1968 Interfaces for setting up or customising the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19689 Remote control of cameras, e.g. remote orientation or image zooming control for a PTZ camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19693 using multiple video sources viewed on a single or compound screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2624 for obtaining an image which is composed of whole input images, e.g. splitscreen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

In order to freely select, locate and display an image from a remote place on a monitor to facilitate observer'"'"'s use, disclosed are apparatus and methods arranged to perform operation of drag and drop of a symbol to a specific position on a map showing the symbol indicating information of the position where an image generator is set, thereby establishing logical network connection with a video transmission terminal to which the image generator is connected, to display a video in an arbitrary display area, to perform the drag and drop operation of the video displayed in the video display area to another video display area, thereby changing a video display position, and to perform the drag and drop operation thereof to a display stop symbol, thereby disconnecting the logical network connection to stop the video display of the video camera.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus characterized in that a continuous logical network connection is maintained between a receiving terminal and a network and a connection to at least one image transmission terminal is established in response to selection of one of said at least one image transmission terminals via a display instruction at said receiving terminal, and while received image data from said selected image transmission terminal is displayed on a monitor of said receiving terminal, continuous network connection with said image transmission terminal for communicating image data continuously is maintained based on said display instruction for display on said monitor of the received image data from said imne transmission terminal.

2. A communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display instruction is a display position instruction for display position on said monitor of the received image data from said terminal.

3. A communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display instruction includes drag and drop.

4. A communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image transmission terminal comprises image pickup means.

5. A communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after execution of said network connection, an operation instruction signal of said transmission terminal is transmitted.

6. A communication method characterized in that a continuous logical network connection is maintained between a receiving terminal and a network and a connection to at least one image transmission terminal is established in response to selection of one of said at least one image transmission terminals via a display instruction at said receiving terminal, and while received image data from said selected image transmission terminal is displayed on a monitor of said receiving terminal, continuous network connection with said image transmission terminal for communicating image data continuously is maintained based on said display instruction for display on said monitor of the received image data from said image transmission terminal.

7. A communication method according to claim 6, wherein said display instruction is a display position instruction for display position on said monitor of the received image data from said terminal.

8. A communication method according to claim 6, wherein said display instruction includes drag and drop.

9. A communication method according to claim 6, wherein said image transmission terminal comprises image pickup means.

10. A communication method according to claim 6, wherein after execution of said network connection, an operation instruction signal of said transmission terminal is transmitted.

11. A communication apparatus comprising:

a monitoring terminal in logical connection with a network;

connection means for selecting at least one video transmission terminal and establishing connection of said selected terminal to said network and;

display means for displaying video image data from said connected video transmission terminal in a display area of said monitoring terminal; and

means operative in cooperation with said connection means for maintaining and controlling continuous network connection with said connected video transmission terminal for communicating said image data continuously in accordance with execution of drag and drop operation of the video image data displayed in said display area to a predetermined symbol.

12. A communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said predetermined symbol is a display stop symbol.

13. A communication apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said controlling means is means for stopping said video display in accordance with drag and drop thereof to said display stop symbol.