Camera connectible to CCTV network

• US 7,640,567 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2005
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Axis AB (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pentax of America Incorporated (Hoya Corporation)
• Inventors: Creamer, Rob, Knapp, Walter, Koch, Mark, Araki, Yoshiyuki, Helton, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Villecco, John M
• Application Number:
  US11/041,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20050146610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,799 Days
• Field of Search: 348/39, 348/36, 348/143, 348/152, 348/153, 348/155, 348/159, 348/207.11, 348/211.99, 348/211.3, 348/211.6, 348/211.9, 348/211.4, 348/211.5, 725/105
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00214 details of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00217 only involving computer data transmission protocols, e.g. SMTP, WAP or HTTP communication protocol aspects and techniques in packet data networks H04L69/00; network-specific arrangements or communication protocols supporting networked applications H04L67/00
• 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 1/00838 Preventing unauthorised reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00854 Recognising an unauthorised user or user-associated action
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/164 Feedback from the receiver or from the transmission channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/172 the region being a picture, frame or field
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• 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

Abstract

A camera, connectible to a CCTV network, includes a camera lens and image sensor as well as an analog video input connector that receives analog image signals corresponding to views from outside the camera. An image processing circuit outputs image signal data of the image sensor, and a video conversion circuit outputs image signal data of the analog image signals. The image signal data is stored on a storage device. A microcontroller controls the circuits, and a network adapter connects to an internet-protocol address corresponding to a network device capable of serving files. The microcontroller selectively transmits image signal data of the image sensor or transmits image signal data of the analog video input connector from the storage device to the network device using the network adapter and the internet-protocol address.

Claims

1. A camera connectible to a CCTV network, comprising:

a camera lens and image sensor which together receive images;

an image processing circuit connected to the image sensor which outputs image signal data corresponding to the images received;

a storage device that stores image signal data;

a memory that stores a plurality of different pan/tilt setting combinations, each pan/tilt setting combination including one or both of a pan and tilt setting;

a network adapter which connects to an internet-protocol address corresponding to a network device capable of serving files;

a microcontroller operatively connected to at least the image sensor, the image processing circuit, the storage device, the memory, and the network adapter;

a scheduler, executable by said microcontroller, configured to schedule transmission of image signal data from the storage device of the digital camera to the network device via the network adapter and the internet-protocol address; and

a password enabling routine executable by the microcontroller, that configures said camera to register on a local network via said network adapter, in a first mode providing a password in order to register on a local network and in a second mode registering on a local network without providing a password;

wherein the microcontroller prepares one or more items of image signal data to correspond to each of a plurality of pan/tilt setting combinations, and transmits the image signal data from the storage device of the camera to the network device capable of serving files via the network adapter and the internet-protocol address, such that the microcontroller stores and sends image signal data corresponding to each of a plurality of distinct pan/tilt setting combinations.

2. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the camera controls a pan/tilt mount including a motor controller and controls the pan/tilt mount to orient the camera according to the pan/tilt setting combinations.

3. The camera according to claim 2, wherein the camera lens includes a zoom lens and zoom drive, the memory stores a plurality of different zoom settings together with the pan/tilt combinations, and the microcontroller controls the zoom drive together with the pan/tilt mount to orient the camera according to the pan/tilt setting and zoom setting combinations.

4. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising a serial interface adapted to connect to a setup device, wherein the pan/tilt settings may be changed locally via said serial interface.

5. The camera according to claim 1, wherein said network adapter connects to an internet-protocol network, and further comprising:

a configuration routine executable by said microcontroller and which retrieves pan/tilt settings from the internet-protocol address via the internet protocol network; and

a configuration setting routine executable by said microcontroller which sets the pan/tilt setting combinations according to the retrieved pan/tilt settings.

6. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising a trigger circuit operatively connected to said microcontroller, wherein said microcontroller initiates an image capture and transfer of the image signal data to the network device, in response to triggering of said trigger circuit.

7. The camera according to claim 6, further comprising:

at least one timer; and

a timer-based image capture routine, executable by said microcontroller, for capturing images according to said timer;

said microcontroller transmitting image signal data including image signal data captured at the time of said triggering of said trigger circuit and image signal data captured according to said timer.

8. The camera according to claim 6, wherein said trigger circuit is associated with a motion sensor.

9. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising a network authentication routine executable by said microcontroller for providing network login authentication to the network device at the internet-protocol address.

10. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising an address obtaining routine executable by the microcontroller, which operates via said network adapter to obtain an internet-protocol address for the camera itself from a device capable of assigning such internet-protocol addresses.

11. The camera according to claim 10, wherein the device capable of assigning such addresses includes a DNS device.

12. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the network adapter is selected from one of a modem for public telephone networks;

an Ethernet adapter for connecting to an Ethernet LAN;

an ISDN modem;

an xDSL adapter;

a cable modem;

an ATM adapter;

a T carrier terminal adapter;

an adapter for satellite connection;

an adapter for microwave connection;

an adapter for wireless connection;

an adapter for serial transmission over a high speed external serial bus;

or an adapter for data transmission over public power lines.

13. The camera according to claim 2, further comprising a protocol switching routine executable by the microcontroller, that selectively switches transfer via said network adapter between a connection-oriented protocol and a connectionless protocol, wherein the microcontroller transfers the image signal data from the storage device of the imaging device to the network device at the internet-protocol address via the network adapter selectively employing one of the connection-oriented protocol and the connectionless protocol.

14. The camera according to claim 13, wherein the connection-oriented protocol is TCP, and the connectionless protocol is UDP.

15. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the network adapter is a network interface device that is installed in a slot interface and is not built-in to the imaging device circuitry.

16. The camera according to claim 1, wherein said image signal data includes information representing a status of at least one timer.

17. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

a serial interface adapted to connect to a setup device, said serial interface receiving commands for controlling said camera from said connected setup device.

18. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

an E-mail message assembling routine executable by the microcontroller that assembles E-mail messages including the image signal data; and

an E-mail transmission routine executable by the microcontroller which transmits said E-mail messages including the image signal data to a predetermined E-mail address.

19. The camera according to claim 18, further comprising:

a trigger input operatively connected to said microcontroller, wherein said microcontroller initiates an image capture and transfer of the image signal data to the network device via E-mail assembling routine and said E-mail transmission routine, in response to triggering of said trigger input.

20. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

a video output for sending a standard video signal, wherein the image signal data is transmitted as video images to the video output.