Image pickup control apparatus, image pickup control method, image pickup control system, and storage medium

• US 7,349,011 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2005
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hirasawa, Masahide
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): AGGARWAL, YOGESH K
• Application Number:
  US11/199,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20050270378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.99, 348/207.1, 348/207.11, 348/552, 348/211.99, 348/211.1, 348/211.4, 348/211.6, 348/211.8, 348/211.9, 348/211.14, 348/239, 396/242, 396/243, 396/429
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40117 Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• 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 1/00249 with a photographic apparatus, e.g. a photographic printer or a projector photographic apparatus per se G03B, G03D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00427 using a menu list H04N1/00421, H04N1/00424, H04N1/00429 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00466 displaying finishing information, e.g. position of punch holes or staple or orientation references
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00469 with enlargement of a selected area of the displayed information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00482 outputting a plurality of job set-up options, e.g. number of copies, paper size or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes

Abstract

In an image pickup control apparatus capable of remotely and reliably controlling an image pickup apparatus from another apparatus, control data for controlling the image pickup apparatus is stored in advance and is transmitted to the image pickup apparatus when the image pickup apparatus is connected via data communications interface units.

Claims

1. An image pickup control apparatus for controlling an image pickup apparatus via a data communications interface unit, the image pickup control apparatus comprising:

a connection detecting unit which detects a connection to the image pickup apparatus via the data communications interface unit;

a storage unit which stores a plurality of kinds of control data for controlling the image pickup apparatus in accordance with a plurality of photographing conditions, the names of the photographing conditions, example photographed images, different from images photographed by the user using the image pickup apparatus and representing different kinds of scenes a user of the image pickup apparatus will use the image pickup apparatus to photograph that are associated with particular photographing conditions associated with particular values for the control data and that are to be displayed before performing photographing of a specific scene with the image pickup apparatus, and description information for explaining a scene to be photographed in each of the plurality of photographing conditions, that is different from the control data associated with each of the photographing conditions;

a setting unit which displays the plurality of photographing conditions, which, prior to photographing by the image pickup apparatus, selects a desired photographing condition from among the plurality of displayed photographing conditions to display the plurality of kinds of control data associated with the selected photographing condition, the name of the selected photographing condition, the example photographed image associated with the selected photographing condition, which is different from an image photographed by the user using the image pickup apparatus and which represents the kind of scene a user of the image pickup apparatus will use the image pickup apparatus to photograph after the example photographed image is displayed, and the description information for explaining the scene to be photographed in the selected photographing condition, that is different from the control data associated with the selected photographing condition, and changes the plurality of kinds of control data corresponding to the selected photographing condition; and

a control unit which is communicatively coupled to said connection detecting unit and said setting unit, wherein in a case that said connection detection unit detects the connection to the image pickup apparatus, said control unit effects control so as to transmit to the image pickup apparatus the plurality of kinds of control data changed by said setting unit.

2. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a control unit which sets photographing control conditions of said image pickup apparatus in accordance with each of a plurality of photographing modes;

a storage unit which stores the plurality of photographing modes, example photographed images, different from images photographed by the user using the image pickup apparatus and representing different kinds of scenes a user of the image pickup apparatus will use the image pickup apparatus to photograph that are associated with particular photographing modes and particular photographing conditions associated with particular values for control data and that are to be displayed before performing photographing of a specific scene with the image pickup apparatus, and description information for explaining a scene to be photographed in each of the plurality of photographing modes, that is different from the photographing control condition associated with each of the plurality of photographing modes;

a selection unit which selects any one of the plurality of photographing modes; and

a display unit which displays the example photographed image associated with the selected photographing mode, which is different from an image photographed by the user using the image pickup apparatus and which represents the kind of scene a user of the image pickup apparatus will use the image pickup apparatus to photograph after the example photographed image is displayed, and description information, corresponding to the one of the plurality of photographing modes, selected by said selection unit,

wherein said control unit sets control conditions corresponding to the photographing mode selected by said selection unit, as the photographing control conditions of said image pickup apparatus.

3. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said display unit displays simultaneously an example of photographed image and the description information.

4. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the description information includes an explanation of the example of photographed images.

5. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said image pickup apparatus includes a camera and a computer equipment connected to said camera so that said camera and said computer equipment are able to communicate with each other.

6. A control method of an image pickup apparatus which can set photographing control conditions in accordance with each of a plurality of photographing modes, said control method comprising:

a selection step of selecting any one of the plurality of the photographing modes stored in a storage unit which stores example photographed images associated with the selected photographing conditions and the plurality of photographing modes, which are different from an image photographed by the user using the image pickup apparatus and which represent the kind of scene a user of the image pickup apparatus will use the image pickup apparatus to photograph after the example photographed image is displayed, and description information for explaining a scene to be photographed in each of the plurality of photographing modes, that is different from a photographing control condition associated with each of the plurality of photographing modes;

a display step of displaying, on a display unit, the example of photographed image associated with the selected photographing mode, which is different from an image photographed by the user using the image pickup apparatus and which represents the kind of scene a user of the image pickup apparatus will use the image pickup apparatus to photograph after the example photographed image is displayed, and the description information for explaining a scene to be photographed in the photographing mode selected in said selecting step, that is different from the photographing control condition associated with each of the plurality of photographing modes;

a control step of setting control conditions corresponding to the photographed mode selected in said selection step, as the photographing control conditions of the image pickup apparatus.

7. A control method of the image pickup apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said display step displays simultaneously the example photographed image and the description information.

8. A control method of the image pickup apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the description information includes an explanation of the example of the photographed image.

9. A program for causing a computer of an image pickup apparatus to execute the control method of the image pickup apparatus set out in claim 6.