Image pickup apparatus and method, signal processing apparatus and method, and wearable signal processing apparatus

• US 7,456,875 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2003
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kashiwa, Kotaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Tuan V
• Application Number:
  US10/386,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20030215010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,085 Days
• Field of Search: 348/373, 348/375, 348/376, 348/14.08, 348/14.12, 348/14.09, 348/14.1, 348/222.1, 348/239, 382/103, 358/906, 358/909.1
• US Class Current: 348/239
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19621 Portable camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19628 of wide angled cameras and camera groups, e.g. omni-directional cameras, fish eye, single units having multiple cameras achieving a wide angle view
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19636 pertaining to the camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19667 Details realated to data compression, encryption or encoding, e.g. resolution modes for reducing data volume to lower transmission bandwidth or memory requirements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9261 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an image pickup method and apparatus. The image pickup apparatus may include a video signal generating device that generates video signals in a first direction and a second direction and a signal processing device that changes one of a frame rate and a compression rate of the video signals in the first and second direction. The apparatus may further include a detection device for detecting that a state of the apparatus matches a predetermined condition for changing the frame rate and/or compression rate of the video signal and a controller for controlling the signal processing device so as to change the frame rate and/or compression rate of the video signals in the first and/or the second direction on the basis of the detected condition.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

video signal generating means for generating video signals in a first direction and a second direction;

signal processing means for changing a first direction frame rate of said video signals and for changing a second direction frame rate of said video signals;

detection means for detecting that a state of the apparatus matches a predetermined condition for changing the first direction frame rate and the second direction frame rate of the video signals; and

controlling means for controlling said signal processing means to change the first direction frame rate and the second direction frame rate as a function of said predetermined condition corresponding to the state of the apparatus detected by said detection means,

wherein the predetermined condition indicates a mode in which the video signals are generated, wherein the mode the video signals are generated comprises;

a normal mode wherein the first direction frame rate and the second direction frame rate are equal at a given time;

a first direction priority mode wherein the first direction frame rate is higher than the second direction frame rate at a given time; and

a second direction priority mode wherein the second direction frame rate is higher than the first direction frame rate at given time.

2. A signal processing apparatus for processing a video signal, said apparatus comprising:

generating means, having bi-directional image pickup devices, for shooting scenes in a first direction and a second direction and for generating a first video signal and a second video signal respectively corresponding to the scenes of the first and second directions;

compression means, connected to said generating means, for receiving said first and second video signals and for performing a compression process on said first and second source video signals with variable compression rates to generate a first compressed video signal and a second compressed video signal;

transmitting means for transmitting said first and second compressed video signals with variable transmission rates;

detecting means for detecting an event in a shooting position to generate a detection signal indicating at least a direction in which said event occurred; and

controlling means for controlling the compression process on the first and second video signals and for controlling the transmission process of the first and second video signals as a function of the detection signal indicating the direction the event occurred,

wherein, in response to the detection signal indicating a direction, the compression process switches from a normal mode wherein the first direction compression rate and the second direction compression rate are equal at a present time to either a first direction priority mode,

wherein the first direction compression rate is decreased and the video signal from the first direction is of higher quality than that of the second direction;

or to a second direction priority mode wherein the second direction compression rate is decreased and the video signal from the second direction is of higher quality than that of the first direction.

3. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

video signal generating means for generating video signals for a plurality of directions;

signal processing means for changing a first direction frame rate, a second direction frame rate, a first direction compression rate and a second direction compression rate of said video signals;

detection means for detecting a predetermined condition; and

controlling means for controlling said signal processing means to change the first direction frame rate, the second direction frame rate, the first direction compression rate and the second direction compression rate as a function of the detected predetermined condition,

whereby said image pickup apparatus is intended to be mounted on an article of clothing worn by an operator,

wherein the predetermined condition indicates a mode in which the video signals are generated, wherein the mode the video signals are generated comprises;

a normal mode wherein a combination of the first direction frame rate, the second direction frame rate, the first direction compression rate, and the second direction compression rate result in a first direction video signal being of equal quality to a second direction video signal;

a first direction priority mode wherein the combination of the first direction frame rate, the second direction frame rate, the first direction compression rate, and the second direction compression rate result in the first direction video signal being of higher quality than the second direction video signal; and

a second direction priority mode wherein combination of the first direction frame rate, the second direction frame rate, the first direction compression rate, and the second direction compression rate result in the second direction video signal being of higher quality than first direction video signal.

4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a recording means for recording a first video signal and a second video signal on a recording medium.

5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising communicating means for transmitting the first video signal and the second video signal.

6. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising an operating means for performing a rate switching operation, and wherein said predetermined condition is said rate switching operation.

7. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising communication means for receiving a rate switching instruction signal, and wherein said predetermined condition is said rate switching instruction.

8. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

sound pickup means capable of collecting sound and generating a sound signal; and

sound checking means for comparing said sound signal to a predetermined level,

wherein if said sound signal is equal to or exceeds said predetermined level, said sound signal is said predetermined condition.

9. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising direction detecting means for determining a direction from which the sound signal originated from.

10. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising:

sound pickup means capable of collecting sound in a first direction and a second direction and generating a first sound signal corresponding to said first direction and a second sound signal corresponding to said second direction; and

sound checking means for comparing said first sound signal and said second sound signal to a predetermined level,

wherein if said first sound signal or said second sound signal is equal to or exceeds said predetermined level, the respective sound signal is said predetermined condition.

11. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising direction detecting means for determining a direction from which the first sound signal and the second sound signal originated from.

12. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising:

sound pickup means capable of collecting sound and generating a sound signal; and

sound checking means for comparing said sound signal to a target sound,

wherein if said sound signal is similar to said target sound, said sound signal is said predetermined condition.

13. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 12 further comprising direction detecting means for determining a direction from which the sound signal originated from.

14. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising:

sound pickup means capable of collecting sound in a first direction and a second direction and generating a first sound signal corresponding to said first direction and a second sound signal corresponding to said second direction; and

sound checking means for comparing said first sound signal and said second sound signal to a target sound,

wherein if one of said first sound signal and said second sound signal is similar to said target sound, the respective sound signal is said predetermined condition.

15. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising direction detecting means for determining a direction from which the first sound signal and the second sound signal originated from.

16. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising image analyzing means for analyzing the video signals in a first direction and a second direction for detecting a target image, and wherein said detected target image is said predetermined condition.

17. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising image analyzing means for analyzing the video signals in a first direction and a second direction for detecting a predetermined motion, and

wherein said detected predetermined motion is said predetermined condition.

18. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising current position detecting means for determining a position of said image pickup apparatus.

19. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising emergency switching means for alerting a management station of an emergency.

20. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 19, wherein upon activation of said emergency switching means, said video signals and a location of said image pickup apparatus are transmitted to said management station.

21. A signal processing method for processing a video signal, said method comprising the steps of:

capturing scenes in a first direction and a second direction and generating a first video signal and a second video signal respectively corresponding to the scenes of the first and second directions using a bi-directional image pickup device;

detecting an event and generating a detection signal in response thereto;

processing said first and second video signals so as to perform a compression operation in which said first and second video signals are processed with variable compression rates and a frame rate operation in which said first and second video signals are processed with variable frame rates so as to form first and second processed video signals;

transmitting said first and second processed video signals; and

controlling the appropriate one or ones of said variable compression rates and said variable frame rates in response to said detection signal,

wherein the bi-directional image pickup device is intended to be mounted on an article of clothing worn by an operator,

wherein the detection signal indicates a mode in which the video signals are generated,

wherein the mode the video signals are generated comprises;

a normal mode wherein a combination of the first direction frame rate, the second direction frame rate, the first direction compression rate, and the second direction compression rate result in a first direction video signal being of equal quality to a second direction video signal;

a first direction priority mode wherein the combination of the first direction frame rate, the second direction frame rate, the first direction compression rate, and the second direction compression rate result in the first direction video signal being of higher quality than the second direction video signal; and

a second direction priority mode wherein combination of the first direction frame rate, the second direction frame rate, the first direction compression rate, and the second direction compression rate result in the second direction video signal being of higher quality than first direction video signal.