Image capturing system

• US 7,236,185 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2002
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Ueyama, Masayuki, Shibatani, Kazuhiro, Iida, Kentaro, Terada, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Application Number:
  US10/156,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20020191080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,855 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.11, 348/207.1, 348/211.2, 348/211.3, 348/211.4
• US Class Current: 348/207.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

When an image capturing apparatus and an operation apparatus become connected to each other, function information is transmitted from the image capturing apparatus to the operation apparatus. The operation apparatus can recognize the functions effective in the image capturing apparatus by receiving the function information from the image capturing apparatus. The operation apparatus compares the received function information with the functions that can be processed by the operation apparatus, and sets the protocol. The protocol includes ones that is associated with a moving image attribute associated with moving image data and that is associated with the shooting function of the image capturing apparatus. Then, the operation apparatus transmits protocol information to the image capturing apparatus. Thereafter, the image capturing apparatus and the operation apparatus perform data communication based on the protocol.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

an image generator configured to capture an image of a subject and for generating an image signal;

an image processor configured to receive the image signal generated by the image generator and configured to generate moving image data;

a transmitter configured to transmit operation capability data to an operation apparatus indicating the operational capability of the image capturing apparatus;

a receiver configured to receive from the operation apparatus information on a moving image attribute selected by the operation apparatus in accordance with the operation capability data and the capabilities of the operation apparatus;

a controller configured to cause the image processor to perform an image processing based on the information on the moving image attribute; and

wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit, to the operation apparatus, moving image data processed based on the information on the moving image attribute.

2. An image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information on the moving image attribute includes a frame rate of the moving image data.

3. An image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a memory for storing at least one frame of image data, and the operation capability data includes data representing that the image capturing apparatus has an image recording function using the memory.

4. An image capturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the image processor generates image data for recording based on information on a recording image function different from the information on the moving image attribute when a recording command is received from the operation apparatus, and the memory stores the generated image data for recording.

5. An operation apparatus capable of controlling an image capture apparatus, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive operation capability data indicating the operational capability of the image capturing apparatus and to receive moving image data from the image capturing apparatus;

a display configured to display a moving image based on the received moving image data;

a transmitter configured to transmit a request for the operational capability data from the image capture apparatus and configured to transmit to the image capturing apparatus information on a moving image attribute selected in accordance with the operational capability data and the capabilities of the operation apparatus before the moving image data is received; and

a controller configured to cause the display to display the moving image based on the moving image data received from the image capturing apparatus.

6. An operation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the information on the moving image attribute includes a frame rate of the moving image data.

7. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

an image generator configured to capture an image of a subject and configured to generate an image signal;

an image processor configured to receive the image signal generated by the image generator and configured to generate image data;

a transmitter configured to transmit function capability data to an operation apparatus indicating the functional capability of the image capturing apparatus;

a function information receiver configured to receive from the operation apparatus function information indicating a function selected by the operation apparatus in accordance with the operation capability data and at least one operational characteristic of the operation apparatus;

a command receiver for receiving, from the operation apparatus, a command corresponding to the function information of the image capturing apparatus; and

a controller for controlling the image generator based on the received command and for controlling the image processor based on the received function information of the operation apparatus.

8. An image capturing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the function information of the image capturing apparatus includes information on a function of the image generator.

9. An image capturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the image generator is capable of changing a shooting direction or a shooting magnification, and the information on the function of the image generator includes a changeable range of the shooting direction or the shooting magnification.

10. An image capturing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the function information of the operation apparatus is information on a moving image attribute that can be processed by the operation apparatus, and the image processor generates a moving image data based on the information on the moving image attribute.

11. An operation apparatus capable of controlling an image capturing apparatus, comprising:

an operation member configured to input an operation command to an image capturing apparatus;

a receiver configured to receive information on a function of the image capturing apparatus from the image capturing apparatus;

a controller configured to determine an operation target function of the image capturing apparatus based on the information on the function of the image capturing apparatus and at least one operational characteristic of the operation apparatus;

a command transmitter configured to transmit, when an operation command associated with the operation target function by the operation member is issued, a command corresponding to the operation command to the image capturing apparatus; and

a function information transmitter configured to transmit function information of the operation apparatus to the image capturing apparatus before the command is transmitted.

12. An operation apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a display for displaying the operation target function.

13. An operation apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the display provides, as the display based on the operation target function, a display concerning a changeable range of a shooting direction and a current shooting direction of the image capturing apparatus, or a changeable range of a shooting magnification and a current shooting magnification of the image capturing apparatus.

14. An operation apparatus according to claim 12, the display further displays an image data processed based on the function information of the operation apparatus.

15. An operation apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the function information of the operation apparatus is information on a moving image function that can be processed by the operation apparatus.

16. An image capturing system having an image capturing apparatus and an operation apparatus, comprising:

a first transmitter configured to transmit function information of the image capturing apparatus to the operation apparatus;

a second transmitter configured to transmit function information of the operation apparatus to the image capturing apparatus;

a comparator configured to compare the function information of the image capturing apparatus with the function information of the operation apparatus;

a determiner configured to determine a selected function based on the function information of the image capturing apparatus and the function information of the operation apparatus;

a first controller configured to control the image capturing apparatus based on the selected function; and

a second controller configured to control the operation apparatus based on the selected function.

17. An image capturing system according to claim 16, wherein the first controller controls an image processor for processing an image data.

18. An image capturing system according to claim 17, wherein the image processor generates a moving image data.

19. An image capturing system according to claim 18, wherein the second controller controls an image processor for processing the moving image data.