Integrated internet/intranet camera

• US 7,272,845 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Axis AB (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pentax of America Incorporated (Hoya Corporation)
• Inventors: Helton, Richard, Araki, Yoshiyuki, Koch, Mark, Knapp, Walter, Creamer, Rob
• Primary Examiner(s): Villecco, John M.
• Application Number:
  US11/239,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20060031901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.3, 348/207.1, 348/552, 348/211.1, 348/211.8, 348/211.12, 348/231.2, 348/231.6, 348 1401- 1416, 348/36, 348/211.6, 348/154, 348/155, 348/158, 358/403, 704/203, 725/105
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00214 details of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00217 only involving computer data transmission protocols, e.g. SMTP, WAP or HTTP communication protocol aspects and techniques in packet data networks H04L69/00; network-specific arrangements or communication protocols supporting networked applications H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00838 Preventing unauthorised reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00854 Recognising an unauthorised user or user-associated action
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/164 Feedback from the receiver or from the transmission channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/172 the region being a picture, frame or field
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• 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

Abstract

An integrated Internet camera includes, as embedded components contained within the camera body and controlled by a microcontroller, at least a network interface device for connecting to the Internet, a transport control device for packetizing according to Internet protocols, a file transfer device for communicating with a destination user directory on the Internet, and a transmission initiating device for initiating the connection and transfer operations of the file transfer device and transport control device. The network interface device may be a modem, network adapter, or adapter for connection to the Internet. Upon capturing the digital image, the camera initiates a connection to the Internet, connects to the destination user directory, and uploads the digital images. Thereafter, the digital images are available to authorized (or any) user having access to the Internet.

Claims

1. A standalone image recording device, comprising:

an image conversion circuit that converts an analog image signal into digital image data;

image storage in which the digital image data is recorded;

a parameter memory that stores destination e-mail addressing information that is provided by an operator and that stores information that identifies the standalone image recording device; and

a processor, which executes control routines, including;

a network access routine that accesses an internet-protocol network via a local network system by communicating the information that identifies the standalone image recording device,

an email message assembling routine that assembles e-mail messages, including the destination e-mail addressing information and message contents representative of a status for the standalone image recording device, to be sent to a message transfer server on the internet-protocol network and then to a destination e-mail address as SMTP-compatible e-mail messages; and

a file transmission routine that transmits the digital image data to an image file account on a server on the internet-protocol network, from which the digital image data may be served to a browser accessing the internet-protocol network.

2. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the information identifying the standalone image recording device comprises a serial number of the standalone image recording device.

3. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the information identifying the standalone image recording device comprises at least one of a user ID or a password.

4. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the information identifying the standalone image recording device comprises network address information for the standalone image recording device.

5. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a preview device that previews scenes to be recorded as digital image data in the image storage, the preview device being one of a display or a viewfinder.

6. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image-forming optical system;

an image pickup upon which an image is formed by the image-forming optical system; and

an image capture circuit that records the digital image data in the image storage according to the image formed upon the image pickup.

7. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, the control routines executable by the processor further including:

a parameter setting routine which designates which of a plurality of digital image data files are to be sent from the standalone image recording device together, wherein the email message assembling routine assembles e-mail messages including message contents representing those of the plurality of digital image data files to be sent from the standalone image recording device together.

8. The standalone image recording device according to claim 7, wherein the message contents representative of a status for the standalone image recording device represent a status indicating those of the plurality of digital image data files to be sent from the standalone image recording device, together.

9. The standalone image recording device according to claim 8, wherein those of the plurality of digital image data files to be sent from the standalone image recording device together are tagged by a value representing designation by the operator.

10. The standalone image recording device according to claim 9, wherein the value representing designation by the operator is a batch value for an upload parameter.

11. The standalone image recording device according to claim 7, wherein the file transmission routine transmits a set of files of digital image data, recorded and stored at different times, together in a single transmission session in which the processor transmits the designated digital image data files to the image file account on the server on the internet-protocol network.

12. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, the control routines executable by the processor further including:

a message transfer server access routine capable of providing privileges on the message transfer server through which the SMTP-compatible email messages are directed according to the destination e-mail addressing information.

13. The standalone image recording device according to claim 12, wherein the message transfer server is an SMTP server.

14. The standalone image recording device according to claim 13, wherein the internet-protocol network is the publicly accessible Internet.

15. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a network interface circuit, through which the network access routine connects the standalone image recording device to the local network system, the network interface circuit including an adapter for wireless connection.

16. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the file transmission routine transfers the digital image data using a first packetizing for the local network system and a second packetizing for the internet-protocol network.

17. The standalone image recording device according to claim 16, wherein the local network system comprises a telephone connection operating under a point-to-point protocol.

18. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the image file account is a shell account on a web server from which the digital image data may be served to a browser accessing the internet-protocol network.

19. The standalone image recording device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a serial data transmitter that transmits to a local personal computer, wherein the digital image data is selectively transmitted to one or both of;

the destination e-mail address using the destination e-mail addressing information, or the local personal computer using the serial data transmitter.

20. The standalone image recording device according to claim 19, wherein the serial data transmitter includes a serial interface, and the digital image data is transmitted to the local personal computer in response to a task execution command generated by said standalone image recording device.

21. The standalone image recording device according to claim 19, wherein the serial data transmitter includes a serial interface, and the digital image data is transmitted to the local personal computer in response to a task execution command generated by said local personal computer.

22. The standalone image recording device according to claim 19, wherein the serial data transmitter includes a serial interface operating as one of an RS232C, USB, or IEEE1394 interface.