System and method of data transmission/reception

• US 6,757,693 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2001
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Taniguchi, Koji, Fujikawa, Wataru
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mofiz, Apu M
• Application Number:
  US09/921,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20020036804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/3, 707/4, 707/6, 707/10, 707/100, 707/104.1, 345/428, 345/719, 358/403, 382/100, 382/305, 382/307, 715/501.1
• US Class Current: 382/276
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/915 Image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method of data transmission/reception in which picture signals are encoded into image data, the attribute information of the image data is obtained, meta data are generated from the attribute information of the image data. The image data and the meta data are transmitted separately. With this system and method of data transmission/reception, when predetermined conditions are satisfied, i.e. only when a moving body is detected or abnormal data or data including significant information are detected, image data and meta data are transmitted. Therefore, since not all the data are transmitted, the amount of transmitted data is reduced. As a result, the amount of data accumulated in data recipient can be reduced and the load of data analysis operation can be alleviated. In addition, the burden on an operator visually monitoring image data can be eased. Furthermore, inadvertent failure in checking abnormal data or data including significant information can be prevented.

Claims

1. A data transmission/reception system having at least one data-transmitting terminal for transmitting data made of encoded picture signals and a data receiving-server for receiving the data the data-transmitting terminal has transmitted wherein

said data-transmitting terminal comprising:

an image processor for encoding externally supplied picture signals into image data and for generating attribute information of the image data;

a meta data processor for generating meta data from the attribute information of the image data supplied from said image processor; and

a communication unit for transmitting the image data supplied from said image processor and the meta data supplied from said data processor; and

said data-receiving server comprising;

a database for accumulating the image data and meta data received from said data-transmitting terminal;

a meta data analyzer for analyzing the meta data; and

a data display for displaying the image data and the meta data;

wherein the image data is reproduced only when meta data satisfying predetermined conditions are detected by the meta data analysis in said meta data analyzer.

2. The data transmission/reception system as set forth in claim 1 wherein

said data-receiving server has a data searching unit for searching meta data accumulated in said database and reading out image data corresponding to the searched meta data; and

said data display displays the image data read out by said data searching unit.

3. A data transmitting-terminal for transmitting data made of encoded picture signals comprising:

an image processor for encoding externally supplied picture signals into one of static image data and motion image data and for generating attribute information of the image data;

a data processor for analyzing data that have been measured using at least one arbitrary sensor;

a meta data processor for generating meta data from instrument data supplied from said data processor, and the attribute information of the image data supplied from said data processor, and the attribute information of the image data supplied from said image processor; and

a communication unit for transmitting the image data supplied from said image processor and the meta data supplied from said meta data processor.

4. The data transmitting-terminal as set forth in claim 3 wherein said meta data processor generates meta data compliant with an extensible data description language specification similar to the eXtensible Markup Language (XML).

5. The data transmitting-terminal as set forth in claim 3 wherein the attribute information of the image data includes information acquired through an arbitrary image analysis operation.

6. The data transmitting-terminal as set forth in claim 3 wherein said communication unit transmits data regularly or only when predetermined data transmission conditions are satisfied.

7. The data transmitting-terminal as set forth in claim 6 wherein the data is transmitted in one of (a) a case where image analysis results supplied from said image processor satisfy predetermined conditions and (b) a case where instrument data supplied from said data processor satisfy predetermined conditions.

8. The data transmitting-terminal as set forth in claim 3 further comprising a data memory for temporarily accumulating data to be transmitted wherein

said image processor generates motion image data;

said data memory temporarily accumulates the motion image data supplied from said image processor and the meta data supplied from said meta data processor; and

said communication unit transmits the data accumulated in said data memory.

9. A data transmission method for transmitting one of encoded static picture signals and encoded motion picture signals comprising:

an image processing step of encoding picture signals into one of static image data and motion image data and generating attribute information of the image data;

a data processing step for analyzing data that have been measured using at least one arbitrary sensor;

a meta data processing step of generating meta data from instrument data supplied from said data processor, and the attribute information of the image data supplied in said image processing step; and

a data transmission step of transmitting the image data supplied in said image processing step and the meta data supplied in said meta data processing step.

10. The data transmission method as set forth in claim 9 wherein, meta data compliant with an extensible data description language specification similar to the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) is generated in said meta data processing step.

11. A data reception method comprising:

a data reception step of receiving transmitted image data and meta data that have been measured using at least one arbitrary sensor;

a data accumulation step of accumulating the image data and the meta data in a database;

a meta data analysis step of analyzing the meta data; and

a data display step of displaying the image data when predetermined conditions are satisfied in said meta data analysis step.

12. A data transmission program comprising:

an image processing step of encoding picture signals into one of static image data and motion image data and generating attribute information of the image data;

a data processing step for analyzing data that have been measured using at least one arbitrary sensor;

a meta data processing step of generating meta data from instrument data supplied from said data processing, and the attribute information of the image data supplied in said image processing step; and

a data transmission step of transmitting the image data supplied in said image processing step and the meta data supplied in said meta data processing step.

13. The data transmission program as set forth in claim 12 wherein meta data compliant with an extensible data description language specification similar to the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) is generated in said meta data processing step.

14. A data reception program comprising:

a data reception step of receiving transmitted image data and meta data that have been measured using at least one arbitrary sensor;

a data accumulation step of accumulating the image data and the meta data in a database;

a meta data analysis step of analyzing the meta data; and

a data display step of displaying the image data when predetermined conditions are satisfied in said meta data analysis step.

15. A computer-readable recording media having a data transmission program recorded therein comprising:

an image processing step of encoding picture signals into one of static image data and motion image data and generating attribute information of the image data;

a data processing step for analyzing data that have been measured using at least one arbitrary sensor;

a meta data processing step of generating meta data from instrument data supplied from said data processor, and the attribute information of the image data supplied in said image processing step; and

a data transmission step of transmitting the image data supplied in said image processing step and the meta data supplied in said meta data processing step.

16. A computer-readable recording media having a data transmission program recorded therein comprising:

an image processing step of encoding picture signals into one of static image data and motion image data and generating attribute information of the image data;

a meta data processing step of generating meta data compliant with an extensible data description language specification similar to the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) from instrument data supplied from said data processor, and the attribute information of the image data supplied in said image processing step; and

a data transmission step of transmitting the image data supplied in said image processing step and the meta data supplied in said meta data processing step.