System and method for controlling a digital camera provided with a WWW server function

• US 7,340,766 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2002
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Nagao, Seiji, Watanabe, Kazumitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): PASIEWICZ, DANIEL M
• Application Number:
  US10/226,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20030043272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/156, 348/207.1, 348/207.11, 348/211.1, 348/211.2, 348/211.3, 348/211.4, 348/211.5, 348/211.6, 348/211.7, 348/211.8, 348/211.9, 348/211.11, 348/211.12, 348/211.13, 348/211.14, 348/211.99, 725/105
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• 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 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0075 by a user operated remote control device, e.g. receiving instructions from a user via a computer terminal or mobile telephone handset
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

A control system for digital camera makes it possible to control a digital camera from a personal computer and to operate the digital camera simultaneously from both of the digital camera side and the personal computer side by means of performing a communication between the digital camera on which a WWW server function is equipped and the personal computer having a WWW browser function.

Claims

1. A control system for a digital camera, comprising:

a digital camera including

a photographing device configured to photograph an object to obtain image data,

a display unit configured to display said image data,

an image processor configured to respectively record/reproduce the image data to/from a recording medium, and compress/decompress said image data,

a communication device configured to be connected to a network, and

a controller configured to control said photographing device, said display unit, said image processor and said communication device; and

a computing apparatus having a WWW browser function, said computing apparatus configured to be connected to said digital camera through said network,

wherein a WWW server function is provided on said digital camera and configured to perform a communication between said digital camera and said computing apparatus through said communication device,

wherein said controller is configured to enable, according to directions for operation from at least one of an operating unit provided on said digital camera and the WWW browser function of said computing apparatus, operation of photographic, recording, reproducing and communication functions of said digital camera simultaneously from both of a digital camera side comprising said digital camera and a computing apparatus side comprising said computing apparatus, whereby an operator of said computing apparatus is able to operate said digital camera even when an operator of said digital camera is using said digital camera and vice versa, and

wherein, while either a setting mode operation by the operating unit of said digital camera side or a setting mode operation by said WWW browser function of the computing apparatus side is being executed, said controller is configured to carry out a control of an exclusive process adapted to prohibit the operation by the other side.

2. The control system for digital camera according to claim 1, wherein an operation of said digital camera is controlled by other digital cameras having a WWW browser function or a hand held terminal apparatus having a WWW browser function.

3. The control system for digital camera according to claim 1, wherein a state of an operating process by said digital camera is reflected to said computing apparatus and/or a state of an operating process by said computing apparatus is reflected to said digital camera.

4. The control system for digital camera according to claim 1, wherein a format of HTML document which includes photographed image data, a thumbnail of said image data, data setting of said digital camera and control data of the digital camera, is used as a format of a signal transferred between said digital camera and said computing apparatus in the communication between said digital camera and said computing apparatus.

5. The control system for digital camera according to claim 1, wherein data of a monitored image of the object to be photographed before a picture is taken by the digital camera are transferred with a predetermined size of the image and a predetermined frame rate by said WWW server function, and said monitored image data are received in said computing apparatus by said WWW browser function.

6. The control system for digital camera according to claim 5, wherein the size of the image, an image compression rate and/or the frame rate of the monitored image when the monitored image data are transferred, are made possible to change from said computing apparatus side by said WWW browser function.

7. The control system for digital camera according to claim 6, wherein the size of the image, the image compression rate and/or the frame rate of the monitored image when the monitored image data are transferred, are made possible to change according to a communication state of said network to connect between the digital camera and the computing apparatus.

8. The control system for digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the image data photographed by said digital camera are deleted from the recording medium, in which said image data are stored, after said photographed image data are transferred through the communication device to a predetermined destination to be stored and the transferring process has been completed normally.

9. The control system for digital camera according to claim 1, wherein a character data communication or an audio data communication is made possible between the operator of said digital camera side and the operator of said computing apparatus side both of which are connected with said network.

10. The control system of claim 1, wherein, when the exclusive process is carried out, the controller is configured to supply an error signal to the computing apparatus which has requested the operation to inform that the operation is not accepted by the exclusive process, and configured to supply the error signal to the display unit of the digital camera which has requested the operation to inform that the operation is not accepted by the exclusive process.

11. The control system of claim 1, wherein, when setting the setting mode operation for the digital camera is changed by the operation from the digital camera or the computing apparatus and the operation from the other side is not accepted by the exclusive process, the controller is configured to display changed contents of the setting on at least one of a display screen of the computer apparatus and the display unit of the digital camera.

12. A control method for digital camera system, comprising:

preparing a digital camera, said digital camera including

a photographing device configured to photograph object to obtain image data,

a display unit configured to display said image data,

an image processor configured to respectively record/reproduce the image data to/from a recording medium, and compress/decompress said image data,

a communication device configured to be connected to a network, and

a controller configured to control said photographing device, said display unit, said image processor and said communication device;

connecting a computing apparatus having a WWW browser function to said digital camera through said network;

providing a WWW server function on said digital camera;

performing a communication between said digital camera and said computing apparatus through said WWW server function;

using the controller to enable operation of photographing, recording, reproducing and communicating functions of said digital camera simultaneously from both of a digital camera side comprising said digital camera and a computing apparatus side comprising said computing apparatus, according to directions for operation by at least one of an operating unit provided on said digital camera and the WWW browser function of said computing apparatus, whereby an operator of said computing apparatus is able to use said digital camera at the same time as an operator of said digital camera and vice versa; and

carrying out, while either a setting mode operation by the operation unit of said digital camera side or a setting mode, operation by said WWW browser function of the computing apparatus side is being executed, a control of an exclusive process adapted to prohibit the operation by the other side by said controller.

13. The control method for digital camera system according to claim 12, wherein a state of an operating process by said digital camera is reflected to said computing apparatus and/or a state of an operating process by said computing apparatus is reflected to said digital camera.

14. The control method for digital camera system according to claim 12, wherein a format of HTML document which includes photographed image data, a thumbnail of said image data, data setting of said digital camera and control data of the digital camera, is used as a format of a signal transferred between said digital camera and said computing apparatus in the communication between said digital camera and said computing apparatus.

15. The control method for digital camera system according to claim 12, wherein data of a monitored image of the object to be photographed before a picture is taken by the digital camera are transferred with a predetermined size of the image and a predetermined frame rate by said WWW server function, and said monitored image data are received in said computing apparatus by said WWW browser function.

16. The control method for digital camera system according to claim 15, wherein the size of the image, an image compression rate and/or the frame rate of the monitored image when the monitored image data are transferred, are made possible to change from said computing apparatus side by said WWW browser function.

17. The control method for digital camera system according to claim 16, wherein the size of the image, the image compression rate and/or the frame rate of the monitored image when the monitored image data are transferred, are made possible to change according to a communication state of said network.

18. The control method for digital camera system according to claim 12, wherein the image data photographed by said digital camera are deleted from the recording medium, in which said image data are stored, after said photographed image data are transferred through the communication device to a predetermined destination to be stored and the transferring process has been completed normally.

19. The control method for digital camera system according to claim 12, wherein a character data communication or an audio data communication is made possible between the operator of said digital camera side and the operator of said computing apparatus side both of which are connected with said network.

20. The control method of claim 12, further comprising:

supplying an error signal to the computing apparatus which has requested the operation to inform that the operation is not accepted by the exclusive process when the exclusive process is carried out; and

supplying the error signal to the display unit of the digital camera which has requested the operation to inform that the operation is not accepted by the exclusive process when the exclusive process is carried out.

21. The control method of claim 12, further comprising, when setting in the setting mode operation for the digital camera is changed by the operation from the digital camera or the computer apparatus and the operation from the other side is not accepted by the exclusive process, displaying changed contents of the setting on at least one of a display screen of the computing apparatus and the display unit of the digital camera.

22. A control system for a digital camera, comprising:

a digital camera including

a photographing device configured to photograph an object to obtain image data,

a display unit configured to display said image data,

an image processor configured to respectively record/reproduce the image data to/from a recording medium, and compress/decompress said image data,

a communication device configured to be connected to a network, and

a controller configured to control said photographing device, said display unit, said image processor and said communication device; and

a computing apparatus having a WWW browser function, said computing apparatus configured to be connected to said digital camera through said network, wherein

a WWW server function is provided on said digital camera and configured to perform a communication between said digital camera and said computing apparatus through said communication device,

wherein said controller enables, according to directions for operation from at least one of an operating unit provided on said digital camera and the WWW browser function of said computing apparatus, operation of photographic, recording, reproducing and communication functions of said digital camera simultaneously from both of a digital camera side comprising said digital camera and a computing apparatus side comprising said computing apparatus, whereby an operator of said computing apparatus is able to operate said digital camera even when an operator of said digital camera is using said digital camera and vice versa, and

wherein, while either a process which requires continuous operation of the operating unit of the digital camera by said digital camera side or a process which requires continuous operation of an operating unit of the computing apparatus by the computing apparatus side is being executed, said controller is configured to carryout a control of an exclusive process adapted to prohibit the operation by the other side.

23. The control system of claim 22, wherein, when the exclusive process is carried out, the controller is configured to supply an error signal to the computing apparatus which has requested the operation to inform that operation is not accepted by the exclusive process, and configured to supply the error signal to the display unit of the digital camera which has requested the operation to inform that the operation is not accepted by the exclusive process.

24. The control system of claim 22, wherein, when setting in the setting mode operation for the digital camera is changed by the operation from the digital camera or the computing apparatus and the operation from the other side is not accepted by the exclusive process, the controller is configured to display changed contents of the setting on at least one of a display screen of the computing apparatus and the display unit of the digital camera.

25. A control method for digital camera system, comprising:

preparing a digital camera, said digital camera including

a photographing device configured to display said image data,

an image processor configured to respectively record/reproduce the image data to/from a recording medium, and compress/decompress said image data,

a communication device configure to be connected to a network, and

a controller configured to control said photographing device, said display unit, said image processor and said communication device;

connecting a computer apparatus having a WWW browser function to said digital camera through said network;

providing a WWW server function on said digital camera;

performing a communication between said digital camera and said computer apparatus through said WWW server function;

using the controller to enable operation of photographing, recording, reproducing and communicating functions of said digital camera, simultaneously from both of a digital camera side comprising said digital camera and a computing apparatus side comprising the computing apparatus, according to directions for operation by at least one of an operating unit provided on said digital camera and the WWW browser function of said computing apparatus, whereby an operator of said computing apparatus is able to use said digital camera at the same time as an operator of said digital camera and vice versa; and

carrying out, while either a process which requires continuous operation of the operating unit of the digital camera by said digital camera side or a process which requires continuous operation of an operating unit of the computing apparatus by the computing apparatus side is being executed, a control of an exclusive process adapted to prohibit the operation by the other side by said controller.

26. The control method of claim 25, further comprising:

supplying an error signal to the computing apparatus which has requested the operation to inform that the operation is not accepted by the exclusive process when the exclusive process is carried out;

supplying the error signal to the display unit of the digital camera which has requested the operation to inform that the operation is not accepted by the exclusive process when the exclusive process is carried out.

27. The control method of claim 25, further comprising, when setting in the setting mode operation for the digital camera is changed by the operation from the digital camera or the computing apparatus and the operation from the other side is not accepted by the exclusive process, displaying changed contents of the setting on at least one of a display screen of the computing apparatus and the display unit of the digital camera.