Conversion apparatus for image data delivery

• US 7,425,986 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2003
• Issued: 09/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Oya, Takashi, Iizuka, Yoshio, Kawai, Tomoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): KHAN, USMAN A
• Application Number:
  US10/402,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20030206238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,000 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.3, 348/231.99, 348/231.3, 348/207.99, 348/207.1, 348/207.11, 348/211.99, 348/211.1, 348/552, 348/14.13, 375/240.25, 455/556.2, 455/557
• US Class Current: 348/211.3
• 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 23/661 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 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A conversion apparatus is connected to a camera server delivering image information obtained by image sensing to a display operation terminal. When image information is received from the camera server, the conversion apparatus converts the received image information to a format for a portable display terminal, and delivers it to the portable display terminal.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image information reception unit adapted to receive image information compressed by a first compression method suitable for a first terminal from an image sensing apparatus;

an expansion unit adapted to expand the image information of the first compression method received by said image information reception unit;

a database adapted to store a plurality of pieces of information relating to a position at which information other than the image information expanded by said expansion unit is superimposed and relating to a size of the information other than the image information, the stored information corresponding to current time and control information of the image sensing apparatus including at least one of pan angle, tilt angle and zoom scaling factor;

an image processing unit adapted to acquire information relating to the position and the size corresponding to a current position and control information from said database and superimpose information other than the image information on the image information expanded by said expansion unit in accordance with the acquired information relating to the position and the size;

a compression unit adapted to compress the expanded image information on which the information other than the image information is superimposed, by a second compression method suitable for a second terminal which is different from the first compression method; and

an image information delivering unit adapted to deliver the image information compressed by the second compression method to the second terminal which is different from the first terminal.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image processing unit superimposes the information other than the image information on the expanded image information for a time period over which an operation of said image sensing apparatus is controlled.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image processing unit superimposes the information other than the image information on the expanded image information for a time period until the image processing apparatus establishes connection with said image sensing apparatus.

4. An image processing method comprising:

receiving image information of a first compression type suitable for a first terminal from an image sensing apparatus;

expanding the received image information of the first compression type;

acquiring information relating to a position and a size corresponding to a current position and control information from a database which stores a plurality of pieces of information relating to the position at which information other than the image information expanded by said expansion unit is superimposed and relating to the size of the information other than the image information, the stored information corresponding to current time and the control information of the image sensing apparatus including at least one of pan angle, tilt angle and zoom scaling factor;

superimposing information other than the image information on the expanded image information in accordance with the acquired information relating to the position and the size;

compressing the expanded image information on which the information other than the image information is superimposed onto image information of a second compression type which is different from the first compression type; and

delivering the converted image information to a second terminal different from the first terminal.

5. A computer readable medium encoded with a computer program for carrying out the image processing method of claim 4.

6. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image information reception unit adapted to receive compressed image information from an image sensing apparatus;

an expansion unit adapted to expand the compressed image information received by said image information reception unit;

a database adapted to store a plurality of pieces of information relating to a position at which information other than the image information expanded by said expansion unit is superimposed or relating to a size of the information other than the image information, the stored information corresponding to current time and control information of the image sensing apparatus including at least one of pan angle, tilt angle and zoom scaling factor;

an image processing unit adapted to acquire information relating to a position or a size corresponding to the current position and the control information from said database and superimpose information other than the image information on the image information expanded by said expansion unit in accordance with the acquired information relating to the position or the size;

a compression unit adapted to compress the expanded image information on which the information other than the image information is superimposed; and

an image information delivering unit adapted to deliver the compressed image information to a terminal.

7. An image processing method comprising:

receiving compressed image information from an image sensing apparatus;

expanding the received compressed image information;

acquiring information relating to a position and a size corresponding to a current position and control information from a database which stores a plurality of pieces of information relating to the position at which information other than the image information expanded by said expansion unit is superimposed or relating to the size of the information other than the image information, the stored information corresponding to current time and control information of the image sensing apparatus including at least one of pan angle, tilt angle and zoom scaling factor;

superimposing information other than the image information on the expanded image information in accordance with the acquired information relating to the position or the size;

compressing the expanded image information on which the information other than the image information is superimposed; and

delivering the compressed image information to a terminal.

8. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon for carrying out the image processing method of claim 7.