Detecting and using mode/setting information

• US 7,535,491 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2000
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kumagai, Atsushi, Takiguchi, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERNANDEZ, NELSON D
• Application Number:
  US09/572,586
• Time in Patent Office: 3,289 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.1, 348/211.1, 348/552, 348/207.11, 348/231.6, 348/207.2, 348/211.3, 348/20.11, 348/211.99, 348/211.8, 348/211.4, 348/211.9, 348/333.02, 348/211.2, 348/211.5, 348/211.7, 348/211.11, 348/211.12, 348/211.6, 348/211.16, 348/211.14, 348/211.13, 348/333.04, 348/333.12, 348/231.3, 348/231.9, 710/14
• US Class Current: 348/211.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00498 Multi-lingual facilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0072 Detecting the status of a connected apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• 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 order to provide an information processing apparatus which has improved operability and can obviate the need for setting operation of the apparatus, when an external apparatus (portable terminal apparatus) is connected to the information processing apparatus (computer apparatus), the information processing apparatus detects the current setting (setting of a display language or the like) of the external apparatus, and changes its own setting on the basis of the detection result. For example, when the external apparatus is connected to the information processing apparatus, the setting in the information processing apparatus is automatically changed in correspondence with that in the external apparatus.

Claims

1. An information processing system which includes a first information processing apparatus and a second information processing apparatus which are mutually connected to each other and that communicate with each other

wherein said first information processing apparatus comprises:

a first operation state detecting unit constructed to detect an operation state of said first information processing apparatus;

a second operation state detecting unit constructed to detect an operation state of said second information processing apparatus; and

a first display control unit constructed to perform control to display operation explanation information including an operation explanation of how to operate said second information processing apparatus in the operation states detected by said first operation state detecting unit and said second operation state detecting unit, and to display the operation state of said second information processing apparatus,

and wherein said second information processing apparatus comprises;

a third operation state detecting unit constructed to detect the operation state of said second information processing apparatus;

a fourth operation state detecting unit constructed to detect the operation state of said first information processing apparatus; and

a second display control unit constructed to perform control to display operation explanation information including an operation explanation of how to operate said first information processing apparatus in the operation states detected by said third operation state detecting unit and said fourth operation state detecting unit, and to display the operation state of said first information processing apparatus,

wherein a content to be displayed by said first display control unit and a content to be displayed by said second display control unit are mutually different from each other.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second operation state detecting unit detects a change in operation mode of the second information processing apparatus.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second information processing apparatus comprises a portable apparatus which can selectively use a plurality of operation modes.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least either one of the second information processing apparatus and said first information processing apparatus is a digital imaging device.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the second information processing apparatus, a function of at least one operation means differs according to the operation state.

6. An operation control method for an information processing system which includes a first information processing apparatus and a second information processing apparatus which are mutually connected to each other and that communicate with each other, comprising:

in the first information processing apparatus,

a first operation state detecting step of detecting an operation state of the first information processing apparatus;

a second operation state detecting step of detecting an operation state of the second information processing apparatus; and

a first display control step of performing control to display operation explanation information including an operation explanation of how to operate the second information processing apparatus in the operation states detected in the first operation state detecting step and the second operation state detecting step, and to control to display the operation state of the second information processing apparatus,

and in the second information processing apparatus,

a third operation state detecting step of detecting the operation state of the second information processing apparatus;

a fourth operation state detecting step of detecting the operation state of the first information processing apparatus; and

a second display control step of performing control to display operation explanation information including an operation explanation of how to operate the first information processing apparatus in the operation states detected by the third operation state detecting step and the fourth operation state detecting step, and to control to display the operation state of the first information processing apparatus,

wherein a content to be displayed by the first display control step and a content to be displayed by the second display control step are mutually different from each other.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the second operation state detecting step includes a step of detecting a change in operation mode of the second information processing apparatus.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein the second information processing apparatus comprises a portable apparatus which can selectively use a plurality of operation modes.

9. A method according to claim 6, wherein the second information processing apparatus is a portable apparatus having image sensing means.

10. A method according to claim 6, wherein the first information processing apparatus is a digital imaging device.

11. A computer readable storage medium on which are stored computer readable processing steps of an operation control method for an information processing system which includes a first information processing apparatus and a second information processing apparatus which are mutually connected to each other and that communicate with each other, the processing steps comprising:

in the first information processing apparatus,

a first operation state detecting step of detecting an operation state of the first information processing apparatus;

a second operation state detecting step of detecting an operation state of the second information processing apparatus; and

a first display control step of performing control to display operation explanation information including an operation explanation of how to operate the second information processing apparatus in the operation states detected in the first operation state detecting step and the second operation state detecting step, and to control to display the operation state of the second information processing apparatus,

and in the second information processing apparatus,

a third operation state detecting step of detecting the operation state of the second information processing apparatus;

a fourth operation state detecting step of detecting the operation state of the first information processing apparatus; and

a second display control step of performing control to display operation explanation information including an operation explanation of how to operate the first information processing apparatus in the operation states detected by the third operation state detecting step and the fourth operation state detecting step, and to control to display the operation state of the first information processing apparatus,

wherein a content to be displayed by the first display control step and a content to be displayed by the second display control step are mutually different from each other.

12. A digital imaging device which is mutually connected to an information processing apparatus in a communicable state, comprising:

a first operation state detecting unit constructed to detect an operation state of the digital imaging device;

a second operation state detecting unit constructed to detect an operation state of said information processing apparatus; and

a first display control unit constructed to perform control to display operation explanation information including an operation explanation of how to operate the information processing apparatus in the operation states detected by said first operation state detecting unit and said second operation state detecting unit, and to control to display the operation state of said information processing apparatus,

wherein said information processing apparatus comprises;

a third detecting unit constructed to detect an operation state of said information processing apparatus;

a fourth operation state detecting unit constructed to detect the operation state of said digital image device; and

a second display control unit constructed to perform control to display operation explanation information including an operation explanation of how to operate the digital imaging device in the operation states detected by the third operation state detecting unit and the fourth operation state detecting unit, and to display the operation state of the digital imaging device, and

wherein a content to be displayed by the first display control unit and the second display control unit are mutually different from each other.