Method and apparatus for processing image and storing medium

• US 6,704,453 B2
• Filed: 03/29/1999
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tsuchida, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAWAN, SHEELA C
• Application Number:
  US09/280,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20030039397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,807 Days
• Field of Search: 358/444, 358/442, 358/468, 358/443, 358/296, 358/403, 358/439, 358/1-5-, 395/114, 395/115, 395/116, 395/275, 395/325, 364/238.1, 364/240.7, 364/282.2, 348/220, 348/231, 348/552, 348/14.01, 348/220.1, 348/231.1, 382/236
• US Class Current: 382/236
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/212 Motion video recording combined with still video recording television signal recording H04N5/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0053 Optical, e.g. using an infrared link
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 Image storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to surely store a desired image having a desired length regardless of capacity of a memory capable of storing a newly inputted image.

To this end, in the present invention, in response to recording instruction, by sending a photo-taken moving image to another apparatus connected through a communication circuit and by storing the moving image in a memory means of the another apparatus, an apparatus for photo-taking the moving image does not require large memory capacity, so that a large amount data such as the moving image can be stored positively.

Claims

1. An image input apparatus comprising:

communication means for performing communication via a public network;

moving image input means for inputting a moving image;

record instruction input means for inputting a record instruction for recording the moving image; and

control means for controlling said communication means to transmit via the public network, in response to the record instruction, a signal to inform external receiving means of a moving image and, after receiving a response from the external receiving means via the public network, to transmit via the public network the moving image input by said moving image input means to the memory of the external receiving means,

wherein said control means controls said communication means to stop transmission of the moving image in accordance with a message received from the external receiving means.

2. An image input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprises input means for inputting designating information for designating the memory of the external receiving means, and said control means controls said communication means to transmit the moving image to the memory of the external receiving means in accordance with the designating information.

3. An image input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving image is live video.

4. An image input method for inputting a moving image using an image input apparatus, transmitting the moving image via a public network, and storing the moving image in memory at external receiving means, the method comprising the steps of:

inputting a moving image at the image input apparatus;

inputting at the image input apparatus a record instruction for recording the moving image in the memory at the external receiving means;

transmitting, in response to input of the record instruction, a signal from the image input apparatus to the external receiving means via the public network, to inform the external receiving means of a moving image communication;

receiving a response to the signal at the image input apparatus, via the public network, from the external receiving device;

transmitting the moving image via the public network to the external receiving means so as to record the moving image in the memory of the external receiving means, and

stopping transmission of the moving image in accordance with a message from the external receiving means.

5. An image input method according to claim 4, further comprising a step of inputting designating information for designating the memory at the external receiving means, wherein the moving image is transmitted to the memory at the external receiving means in accordance with the designating information.

6. An image input method according to claim 4, wherein the moving image is live video.

7. A storage medium readable by a computer, said storage medium storing program instructions for performing the steps of:

performing communication via a public network between a moving image input apparatus and an external receiving means;

inputting a moving image at the image input apparatus;

inputting a record instruction at the image input apparatus for recording the moving image at a memory in the external receiving means;

controlling the communication via the public network so as to transmit via the public network, in response to the record instruction, a signal from the image input apparatus to the external receiving means, to inform the external receiving means of a moving image communication, thereafter to transmit via the public network a response from the external receiving means to the image input apparatus, and thereafter to transmit the moving image input in said moving image input step via the public network to record the moving image in the memory of the external receiving means, and

stopping transmission of the moving image to the external receiving means in accordance with a message transmitted from the external receiving means.

8. A storage medium according to claim 7, wherein said storage medium further stores program instructions for inputting at the image input apparatus designating information for designating the memory at the external receiving means, and for transmitting the moving image to the memory of the external receiving means designated by the designating information.

9. A storage medium according to claim 7, wherein said inputting step includes inputting live video.