Image-capturing system and image-capturing method

• US 7,679,650 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Nobuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cowan; Euel K
• Application Number:
  US11/303,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20060158544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• Field of Search: 348114-116, 348/143, 348/211.2, 348/211.99, 348/211.12, 348/208.14, 348/43, 348/144, 348/151, 348153-155, 348157-159
• US Class Current: 348/211.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32117 in a separate transmission or protocol signal prior to or subsequent to the image data transmission, e.g. in digital identification signal [DIS], in non standard setup [NSS] or in non standard field [NSF] for mode signalling H04N1/333
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means

Abstract

An image-capturing system having a function of allowing the user to easily find the position of an image-capturing device is provided. An image-capturing system includes: an image-capturing unit; an image storage unit for storing a camera position image taken toward the image-capturing unit from an image-capturing region taken by the image-capturing unit; and a remote control unit which allows the user to perform operation for remote control of the image-capturing unit. With such an arrangement, the remote control unit includes a reception unit for receiving the camera position image stored in the image storage unit, and a display unit for displaying the camera position image received by the reception unit. The remote control unit further includes an image-capturing request unit for making a request to the image-capturing unit for image capturing.

Claims

1. An image-capturing system comprising:

an image-capturing unit;

an image storage unit for storing a camera position image of said image-capturing unit previously captured from an image-capturing region of said image-capturing unit, the camera position image showing the position of said image-capturing unit; and

a remote control unit which allows the user to perform operation for remote control of said image-capturing unit,

wherein said remote control unit includes a reception unit for receiving said camera position image stored in said image storage unit, and a display unit for displaying said camera position image received by said reception unit,

wherein the image-capturing unit captures an image of the user using the remote control unit.

2. The image-capturing system according to claim 1, wherein said remote control unit further includes an image-capturing request unit for making a request to said image-capturing unit for image capturing.

3. The image-capturing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position information storage unit for storing information regarding the position of said image-capturing unit in said camera position image,

wherein said reception unit further receives said information regarding the position of said image-capturing unit stored in said position information storage unit, and

wherein said display unit displays the position of said image-capturing unit based upon said information received by said reception unit, superimposed upon said camera position image received from said reception unit.

4. The image-capturing system according to claim 1, wherein said image storage unit stores said camera position image including a display indicating the position of said image-capturing unit, superimposed upon an image taken toward said image-capturing unit from said image-capturing region.

5. The image-capturing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna unit for transmitting said camera position image stored in said image storage unit to said remote control unit in the form of a wireless signal,

wherein said antenna unit is installed so as to enable transmission of said camera position image to said remote control unit which is present at a position where the user can visually confirm at least a part of an object included in said camera position image, in the form of a wireless signal.

6. The image-capturing system according to claim 5, wherein said antenna unit is installed in said image-capturing region.

7. The image-capturing system according to claim 1, wherein said image capturing unit is installed in a park.

8. The image-capturing system according to claim 1, wherein the remote control unit is a mobile terminal carried by the user.

9. The image-capturing system according to claim 1, wherein the remote control unit is fixed near the image capturing region.

10. An image-capturing method comprising:

capturing an image by an image-capturing unit;

storing a camera position image of said image-capturing unit previously captured from an image capturing region of said image-capturing unit, the camera position image showing the position of said image-capturing unit; and

remotely controlling said image-capturing unit based on user operation, wherein said remotely controlling includes;

receiving said camera position image stored in said image storage unit by a reception unit;

displaying said camera position image received by said reception unit; and

capturing an image of the user.

11. The image-capturing method according to claim 10, wherein the image capturing unit is installed in a park.

12. The image-capturing method according to claim 10, wherein image-capturing unit is remotely controlled by a mobile terminal carried by the user.

13. The image-capturing method according to claim 10, wherein image-capturing unit is remotely controlled by a remote control unit fixed near the image capturing region.