Image processing system, image processing method, image upload system, storage medium, and image upload server

• US 7,154,538 B1
• Filed: 11/08/2000
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Kenichiro, Fukasawa, Toshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHIPKEY, JASON T
• Application Number:
  US09/708,907
• Time in Patent Office: 2,239 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.3, 348/207.1, 348/207.11, 348/211.11, 348/211.14, 725/105
• US Class Current: 348/211.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• 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 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3216 of a job size, e.g. a number of images, pages or copies, size of file, length of message
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3252 Image capture parameters, e.g. resolution, illumination conditions, orientation of the image capture device H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display
• 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

Abstract

The image upload system of the present invention, comprising, inter alia: a capture unit for capturing the image data from an image input apparatus disposed on a network; a storage unit for storing the plural captured image data; an image capture control unit for controlling the capture unit according to a previously designated schedule; a creation unit for creating a display image by adding information at image capture time to the captured image data captured by the capture unit, and a transmission unit for transmitting the created display image, allows information such as an image data capture date and time, an image data size or the like to be embedded as a part of the image data to be displayed.

Claims

1. An image processing system comprising:

capture means for capturing image data from an image input apparatus disposed on a network;

storage means for storing the plural image data captured by said capture means and, beside the image data, information at the image capture time;

creation means for creating display image control data from the image data captured by said capture means and the information at the image capture time, the display image control data being the data to control an image for display;

transmission means for transmitting the display image control data created by said creation means; and

control means for setting independently a control schedule of each of said capture means, said creation means and said transmission means and effecting a control thereof in accordance with the control schedule set independently.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said control means includes image capture control means for controlling said capture means in accordance with the schedule designated in advance.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said creation means creates the display image control data in accordance with a predetermined template which is used to cause at least one of a date and time of the image data capture, a size of the image data, a title, camera control information and information concerning voice to be displayed together with the image data.

4. A system according to claim 1, further comprising generation means for generating data of a format suitable for processing and editing the image data captured by said capture means and uploading the processed and edited data to the Internet,

wherein said storage means stores the data generated by said generation means.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the processes which are to be performed by said capture means, said storage means, said creation means and said transmission means are performed by plural image processing apparatuses independently disposed on the network.

6. A system according to claim 1, further comprising control means for receiving a transmission request of an image for display from the network, and controlling said transmission means to transmit the display image control data to a destination from which the transmission request is sent.

7. A system according to claim 1, further comprising transmission route management means for managing a data transmission route to a transmission destination.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said transmission route management means manages at least a transmission route for modem connection and a transmission route for gateway host connection.

9. A system according to claim 1, further comprising means for receiving an instruction from a user on the network and controlling said capture means to capture the image data at arbitrary timing.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein said storage means receives the image data from said capture means through the network.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein said control means includes transmission control means for performing control to transmit the image data to a predetermined server in accordance with the schedule designated in advance.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein the information at the image capture time includes information to control an application program for processing and editing the image data.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein said creation means creates an HTML (HyperText Markup Language) file.

14. A system according to claim 1, wherein said creation means creates an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) file.

15. A system according to claim 1, further comprising deletion means for managing an available term of the image data stored in said storage means and deleting the image data of which available term expired from said storage means.

16. A system according to claim 1, wherein said creation means selects based on a predetermined estimate standard from the plural image data captured by said capture means an image to be uploaded to the network, and creates the display image control data.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined estimate standard is based on a degree of similarity to a predetermined image.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the predetermined image is a sample image previously set by a user.

19. A system according to claim 17, wherein the predetermined image is an image generated by said generation means till then.

20. A system according to claim 16, further comprising importance setting means for setting a degree of importance according to the predetermined estimate standard,

wherein said creation means synthesizes the plural images in accordance with the degree of importance.

21. A system according to claim 20, wherein said capture means, said importance setting means and said creation means are achieved by one server.

22. A system according to claim 20, wherein said capture means, said importance setting means and said creation means are achieved by plural servers.

23. A system according to claim 16, further comprising importance setting means for setting a degree of importance according to the predetermined estimate standard,

wherein said creation means selects from the plural images the image to be transmitted, in accordance with the degree of importance.

24. A system according to claim 1, wherein said capture means is a camera disposed on the network.

25. A system according to claim 1, wherein said capture means continuously captures the plural images at a predetermined time interval, from a start date and time of the image data capture.

26. A system according to claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet.

27. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

accumulation means for accumulating the image captured by said capture means, and relative information being relative to the image and capable of being selected and displayed from plural languages; and

reception means for receiving an image transmission request from a client,

wherein said transmission means reads the image based on the image transmission request received by said reception means and the relative information being relative to the read image and capable of being selected and displayed from the plural languages, and then transmits the read image and relative information.

28. An image processing system comprising:

capture means for capturing image data from an image input apparatus disposed on a network;

a storage means for storing the plural image data captured by said capture means;

transmission means for transmitting from the network the image data stored in said storage means, in accordance with a predetermined condition;

means for managing an available term of the image data stored in said storage means; and

control means for setting independently a control schedule of each of said capture means and said transmission means and effecting control thereof in accordance with the control schedule set independently.

29. An image processing system comprising:

capture means for capturing image data from an image input apparatus disposed on a network;

storage means for storing the plural image data captured by said capture means;

processing and editing means for receiving from the network a processing and editing request for the image data stored in said storage means, and processing and editing the image data;

transmission means for transmitting the image data processed and edited by said processing and editing means; and

control means for setting independently a control schedule of each of said capture means, said processing means and said transmission means and effecting control thereof in accordance with the control schedule set independently.

30. An image processing system comprising:

capture means for capturing image data from an image input apparatus disposed on a network;

storage means for storing the plural image data captured by said capture means;

creation means for creating display image control data from the image data captured by said capture means and information at the image captured time, the display image control data being the data to control an image for display;

transmission means for transmitting the display image control data created by said creation means to a transmission destination;

transmission control means for controlling the transmission destination of the transmission process by said transmission means and a transmission time; and

control means for setting independently a control schedule of each of said capture means, said creation means and said transmission means and effecting control thereof in accordance with the control schedule set independently.

31. An image upload server comprising:

capture means for capturing image data from an image input apparatus disposed on a network;

storage means for storing the plural image data captured by said capture means;

creation means for creating display image control data from the image data captured by said capture means and information at the image capture time, the display image control data being the data to control an image for display;

transmission means for transmitting the display image control data created by said creation means; and

control means for setting independently a control schedule of each of said capture means, said creation means and said transmission means and effecting control thereof in accordance with the control schedule set independently.

32. A server according to claim 31, wherein said creation means selects based on a predetermined estimate standard from the plural image data captured by said capture means an image to be uploaded to the network, and creates the display image control data.

33. An image processing method comprising:

a capture step of capturing image data from an image input apparatus disposed on a network;

a storage step of storing the plural image data captured in said capture step and, beside the image data, information at the image capture time;

a creation step of creating display image control data from the image data captured in said capture step and the information at the image capture time, the display image control data being the data to control an image for display;

a transmission step of transmitting the display image control data created in said creation step; and

a control step of setting independently a control schedule of each of said capture step, said creation step and said transmission step and effecting control thereof in accordance with the control schedule set independently.

34. A method according to claim 33, wherein said control step includes an image capture control step of controlling said capture step in accordance with the schedule designated in advance.

35. A method according to claim 34 wherein said control step includes a transmission control step of performing control to transmit the image data to a predetermined server in accordance with the schedule designated in advance.

36. A method according to claim 33, wherein said creation step creates the display image control data in accordance with a predetermined template which is used to cause at least one of a date and time of the image data capture, a size of the image data, a title, camera control information and information concerning voice to be displayed together with the image data.

37. A method according to claim 33, further comprising a generation step of generating data of a format suitable for processing and editing the image data captured in said capture step and uploading the processed and edited data to the Internet,

wherein said storage step stores the data generated in said generation step.

38. A method according to claim 33, further comprising a control step of receiving a transmission request of an image for display from the network, and controlling said transmission step to transmit the display image control data to a destination from which the transmission request is sent.

39. A method according to claim 33, further comprising a transmission route management step of managing a data transmission route to a transmission destination.

40. A method according to claim 39, wherein said transmission route management step manages at least a transmission route for modem connection and a transmission route for gateway host connection.

41. A method according to claim 33, further comprising a step of receiving an instruction from a user on the network and controlling said capture step to capture the image data at arbitrary timing.

42. A method according to claim 33, wherein said storage step receives the image data from said capture step through the network.

43. A method according to claim 33, wherein the information at the image capture time includes information to control an application program for processing and editing the image data.

44. A method according to claim 33, wherein the processes which are to be performed in said capture step, said storage step, said creation step and said transmission step are performed by plural image processing apparatuses independently disposed on the network.

45. A method according to claim 33, wherein said creation step creates an HTML file.

46. A method according to claim 33, wherein said creation step creates an XML file.

47. A method according to claim 33, further comprising a deletion step of managing an available term of the image data stored in said storage step and deleting the image data of which available term expired in said storage step.

48. A method according to claim 33, wherein said creation step selects based on a predetermined estimate standard from the plural image data captured in said capture step an image to be uploaded to the network, and creates the display image control data.

49. A method according to claim 48, wherein the predetermined estimate standard is based on a degree of similarity to a predetermined image.

50. A method according to claim 49, wherein the predetermined image is a previously set sample image.

51. A method according to claim 49, wherein the predetermined image is an image generated in said generation step till then.

52. A method according to claim 48, further comprising an importance setting step of setting a degree of importance according to the predetermined estimate standard,

wherein said creation step synthesizes the plural images in accordance with the degree of importance.

53. A method according to claim 48, further comprising an importance setting step of setting a degree of importance according to the predetermined estimate standard,

wherein said generation step selects from the plural images the image to be transmitted, in accordance with the degree of importance.

54. A method according to claim 48, wherein said capture step, said importance setting step and said creation step are achieved by one server.

55. A method according to claim 48, wherein said capture step, said importance setting step and said creation step are achieved by plural servers.

56. A method according to claim 33, wherein said capture step captures the image from a camera disposed on the network.

57. A method according to claim 33, wherein said capture step continuously captures the plural images at a predetermined time interval, from a start date and time of the image data capture.

58. A method according to claim 33, wherein the network is the Internet.

59. A method according to claim 33, further comprising:

an accumulation step of accumulating the image captured in said capture step, and relative information being relative to the image and capable of being selected and displayed from plural languages; and

a reception step of receiving an image transmission request from a client,

wherein said transmission step reads the image based on the image transmission request received in said reception step and the relative information being relative to the read image and capable of being selected and displayed from the plural languages, and then transmits the read image and relative information to the client.

60. An image processing method comprising:

a capture step of capturing image data from an image input apparatus disposed on a network;

a storage step of storing the plural image data captured in said capture step;

a transmission step of transmitting from the network the image data stored in said storage step, in accordance with a predetermined condition;

a step of managing an available term of the image data stored in said storage step; and

a control step of setting independently a control schedule of each of said capture step and said transmission step and effecting control thereof in accordance with the control schedule set independently.

61. An image processing method comprising:

a capture step of capturing image data from an image input apparatus disposed on a network;

a storage step of storing the plural image data captured in said capture step;

a processing and editing step of receiving from the network a processing and editing request for the image data stored in said storage step, and processing and editing the image data;

a transmission step of transmitting the image data processed and edited in said processing and editing step; and

a controlling step of setting independently a control schedule of each of said capture step, said processing and editing step and said transmission step and effecting control thereof in accordance with the control schedule set independently.

62. An image processing method comprising:

a capture step of capturing image data from an image input apparatus disposed on a network;

a storage step of storing the plural image data captured in said capture step;

a creation step of creating display image control data by adding information at the image capture time to the image data captured in said capture step, the display image control data being the data to control an image for display;

a transmission step of transmitting the display image control data created in said creation step to a transmission destination;

a transmission control step of controlling the transmission destination of the transmission process in said transmission step and a transmission time; and

a controlling step of setting independently a control schedule of each of said capture step, said creation step and said transmission step and effecting control thereof in accordance with the control schedule set independently.

63. A computer-readable recording medium encoded with a computer program for implementing an image processing method, said method comprising:

a capture step of capturing image data from an image input apparatus disposed on a network;

a storage step of storing the plural image data captured in said capture step and, beside the image data, information at the image capture time;

a creation step of creating display image control data from the image data captured in said capture step and the information at the image capture time, the display image control data being the data to control an image for display;

a transmission step of transmitting the display image control data created in said creation step; and

a control step of setting independently a control schedule of each of said capture step, said creation step and said transmission step and effecting control thereof in accordance with the control schedule set independently.

64. A medium according to claim 63, wherein said creation step selects based on a predetermined estimate standard from the plural image data captured in said capture step an image to be uploaded to the network, and creates the display image control data.

65. A computer-readable recording medium encoded with a computer program for implementing an image processing method, said method comprising:

a capture step of capturing image data from an image input apparatus disposed on a network;

a storage step of storing the plural image data captured in said capture step;

a transmission step of transmitting from the network the image data stored in said storage step, in accordance with a predetermined condition;

a step of managing an available term of the image data stored in said storage step; and

a control step of setting independently a control schedule of each of said capture step and said transmission step and effecting control thereof in accordance with the control schedule set independently.

66. A computer-readable recording medium encoded with a computer program for implementing an image processing method, said method comprising:

a capture step of capturing image data from an image input apparatus disposed on a network;

a storage step of storing the plural image data captured in said capture step;

a processing and editing step of receiving from the network a processing and editing request for the image data stored in said storage step, and processing and editing the image data;

a transmission step of transmitting the image data processed and edited in said processing and editing step; and

a control step of setting independently a control schedule of each of said capture step, said processing and editing step and said transmission step and effecting control thereof in accordance with the control schedule set independently.

67. A computer-readable recording medium encoded with a computer program for implementing an image processing method, said method comprising:

a capture step of capturing image data from an image input apparatus disposed on a network;

a storage step of storing the plural image data captured in said capture step;

a creation step of creating display image control data by adding information at the image capture time to the image data captured in said capture step, the display image control data being the data to control an image for display;

a transmission step of transmitting the display image control data created in said creation step to a transmission destination;

a transmission control step of controlling the transmission destination of the transmission process in said transmission step and a transmission time; and

a control step of setting independently a control schedule of each of said capture step, said creation step and said transmission step and effecting control thereof in accordance with the control schedule set independently.

68. An image upload system comprising:

capture means for capturing plural image data and information at image capture time from an image input apparatus disposed on a network;

creation means for creating display image control data from the image data and the information at the image capture time captured by said capture means, the display image control data being the data to control an image for display;

storage means for storing the display image control data created by said creation means; and

control means for setting independently a control schedule of each of said capture means and said creation means and effecting control thereof in accordance with the control schedule set independently.

69. An image accumulation apparatus comprising:

accumulation means for accumulating an image, and relative information being relative to the image and capable of being selected and displayed from plural languages;

reception means for receiving an image transmission request from a client; and

transmission means for reading the image based on the image transmission request received by said reception means and the relative information being relative to the image and capable of being selected and displayed from the plural languages, and transmitting the read image and relative information to the client,

wherein the image and the relative information, to be accumulated in said accumulation means, are produced and transmitted to said image accumulation apparatus, respectively in accordance with control schedules designated independently in advance.

70. A control method for an image accumulation apparatus, comprising:

a reception step of receiving an image transmission request from a client; and

a transmission step of reading from an accumulation means the image based on the image transmission request received in said reception step and relative information being relative to the image and capable of being selected and displayed from plural languages, and transmitting the read image and relative information to the client,

wherein the image and the relative information, to be read in said transmission step, are produced and transmitted to said image accumulation apparatus, respectively in accordance with control schedules designated independently in advance.