Camera system, control method, communication terminal, and program storage media, for selectively authorizing remote map display using map listing

• US 6,608,649 B2
• Filed: 10/15/1997
• Issued: 08/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Kazuko, Kawai, Tomoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, TUAN V
• Application Number:
  US08/950,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20020018123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,134 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/156, 348/157, 348/158, 348/152, 348/153, 348/211, 348/213, 348/15, 348/552, 348/211-9-2, 348/207.1, 348/333.02, 348/333.05, 710/38, 710/40, 710/41, 710/42
• US Class Current: 348/211.8
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A display authorization area corresponding a user is selected from maps stored in a device, only the selected zone is displayed, and a camera which is not authorized for the user to perform information communication is inhibited from being displayed. With this arrangement, a camera control system having so excellent security that any user cannot see a place irrelevant to the user and cannot recognize the position of an installed camera is constructed.

Claims

1. A video communication system for communicating with at least one camera which is connected to said video communication system via a network, said system comprising:

a display device arranged to display a map;

at least one index, superposed on the map, respectively indicating a position of said at least one camera on the map;

a camera authorization setting device arranged to set an authorization state of a camera connected to the video communication system via the network, said authorization state indicating that said camera is authorized to be displayed as an index corresponding to said camera on a map, and inhibiting the display of an index corresponding to a camera which is connected to said video communication system via the network and which is not authorized to be displayed.

2. A video communication system according to claim 1, wherein a camera having an authorization state which authorizes said camera to be displayed is authorized to perform information communication with said display device.

3. A video communication system according to claim 2, further comprising a group authorization storage device arranged to store a group authorization, said group authorization indicating a group of terminals authorized to perform information communication with respect to said at least one camera, and wherein said camera authorization setting device sets the authorization state of said at least one camera in accordance with the group authorization stored in said group authorization storage means.

4. A video communication system according to claim 2, further comprising a user authorization storage device arranged to store a user authorization, said user authorization indicating users authorized to perform information communication with respect to said at least one camera, and wherein said camera authorization setting device sets the authorization state of said at least one camera in accordance with the user authorization stored in said user authorization storage means.

5. A video communication system according to claim 2, wherein a camera authorization setting device inhibits the display of an index corresponding to a camera which is used by another user.

6. A video communication system according to claim 2, wherein said information communication includes at least one of communication of a camera control command and communication of a camera video image.

7. A video communication system for communicating with at least one camera which is connected to said video communication system via a network, said system comprising:

a map authorization setting device arranged to set an authorization state of a map, for each user, of a plurality of maps each of which indicates a location of said at least one camera, said authorization state indicating whether said map is authorized to be displayed;

a map display device arranged to display a map out of the authorized maps; and

a map display inhibition device arranged to inhibit said map display device from displaying a map which is not authorized by said map authorization setting device.

8. A video communication system according to claim 7, wherein said map display device displays the authorized maps in a list, and said map display inhibition device inhibits said map display device from displaying in the list a map which is not authorized.

9. A method of controlling a video communication system for communicating with at least one camera which is connected to the video communication system via a network, said method comprising:

displaying a map for indicating a location of said at least one camera, and at least one index, superposed on the map, for respectively indicating a position of said at least one camera;

setting an authorization state of a camera connected to said video communication system via the network, said authorization state indicating whether said camera is authorized to be displayed as an index corresponding to said camera; and

inhibiting the display of an index corresponding to a camera, which is connected to said video communication system via the network and which is not authorized to be displayed.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein a camera authorized to display the index corresponding to said camera is authorized to perform information communication.

11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising a step of storing a user authorization, the user authorization indicating users authorized to perform information communication with respect to the at least one camera, wherein the camera authorization setting step sets the authorization state of the at least one camera in accordance with the user authorization stored in the user authorization storing step.

12. A method according to claim 10, further comprising a step of storing a group authorization, said group authorization indicating a group of terminals authorized to perform information communication with respect to the at least one camera, and wherein the camera authorization setting step sets the authorization state of the at least one camera in accordance with the group authorization stored in the group authorization storing step.

13. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

managing the authorization state of each one of said at least one camera; and

inhibiting the display of an index corresponding to a camera which is used by another user.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein the information communication includes at least one of communication of a camera control command and communication of a camera video image.

15. A method of controlling a video communication system for communicating with at least one camera which is connected to the video communication system via a network, said method comprising:

setting an authorization state of a map, for each user, of a plurality of maps each of which indicates a location of said at least one camera connected to the video communication system via the network, the authorization state indicating whether the map is authorized to be displayed;

displaying a map out of the authorized maps; and

inhibiting a screen from displaying a map which is not authorized.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the authorized maps are displayed in a list, and a map which is not authorized is not displayed in the list.

17. A terminal according to claim 15, wherein said display device displays the authorized maps in a list, and said map inhibition device inhibits said display device from displaying in the list a map which is not authorized.

18. A video communication terminal for communicating with at least one camera which is connected to a network, said terminal comprising:

a display device arranged to display a map, and to display, superposed on the map, at least one index respectively indicating a position of said at least one camera on the map;

a reception device arranged to receive information related to a camera of said at least one camera connected to the network, said information indicating that said camera is authorized to communicate; and

an index display inhibition device arranged to inhibit said display device from displaying an index corresponding to a camera, which is connected to the network, other than a camera authorized to communicate on the basis of the information related to said camera received by said reception device.

19. A video communication terminal according to claim 18, wherein said terminal is able to perform information communication with said authorized camera.

20. A video communication terminal according to claim 19, wherein said information communication includes at least one of communication of a camera control command and communication of a camera video image.

21. A video communication terminal for communicating with at least one camera which is connected to a network, said terminal comprising:

a reception device arranged to receive information related to a map of a plurality of maps each of which indicates a location of said at least one connected camera, said information indicating that said map is authorized to be displayed;

a display device arranged to display at least one map out of the plurality of maps on the basis of the received information; and

an inhibition device arranged to inhibit said display device from displaying a map which is not authorized to be displayed.

22. A video communication terminal according to claim 21, said terminal further comprising:

an inhibition device arranged to inhibit said display device from displaying a map other than a map authorized to be displayed.

23. A storage media in which a program for executing an operation process of a video communication terminal for communicating with at least one camera which is connected to the video communication terminal via a network, the program executing the processes of:

displaying a map for indicating a position where said at least one camera is located;

displaying superposed on a map displayed in said displaying process at least one index respectively indicating a position of said at least one camera;

receiving information related to a camera of said at least one camera connected to the video communication terminal via the network, said information indicating that said camera is authorized to be displayed superposed on a map as an index corresponding to said camera; and

inhibiting the superposed display on a map displayed in the map displaying process of an index corresponding to a camera, which is connected to the video communication terminal via the network, other than a camera authorized to be displayed as an index corresponding to said camera on the basis of the information related to said camera received in said receiving process.

24. A storage media according to claim 23, wherein a camera authorized to be displayed superposed on a map as an index corresponding to said camera is authorized to perform information communication.

25. A storage media in which a program for executing an operation process of a video communication terminal for communicating with at least one camera which is connected to the video communication terminal via a network, said program executing the processes of:

receiving information related to a map of a plurality of maps, each of which indicates a location of said at least one camera connected to the video communication terminal via the network, said information indicating that said map is authorized to be displayed;

displaying at least one map out of the plurality of maps on the basis of the information received; and

inhibiting a screen from displaying a map which is not authorized to be displayed.

26. A storage media according to claim 25, wherein the authorized maps are displayed in a list, and a map which is not authorized is not displayed in the list.

27. A video communication system for communicating with at least one camera which is connected to the video communication system via a network, comprising:

a camera authorization setting device arranged to set an authorization state of the at least one connected camera, said authorization state indicating that the at least one connected camera is authorized to be displayed as at least one index, each of which indicates a position of said at least one connected camera, on a map displayed on a screen; and

an inhibition device arranged to inhibit a screen from displaying an index which indicates a position of a connected camera of said at least one connected camera, which isn'"'"'t authorized to be displayed as the index by said camera authorization setting device.